Midlands Business Journal March 8, 2019 Vol. 45 No. 10 issue by Midlands Business Journal

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

INVESTMENTS

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

March 8, 2019

Local experts: Panic has no place in the investment portfolio by Michelle Leach

Put bear markets into healthy perspective, even seize opportunities through doom and gloom. “The market is basically the same as always; it’s messy and volatile, and some narratives have truth and some don’t,” said CLS Investments President/Chief Inv e s t m e n t O ff i c e r R u s t y Va n n e m a n . “Our outlook for 2019 is still intact.” Historically, the third year of a presidential cycle tends to be strong. Likewise, Vannemen referred to recent “bests.” Vanneman Feb. 22 reportedly capped the best start to a year for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 since 1987. Additionally, gains have reigned for eight consecutive weeks — the first time since 1964. Corporate earnings growth actually represents a potential headwind, as Vanneman said it’s been more than double the long-term average of 8 to 10 percent. He indicated a fall to reality. Bullish market enthusiasm and positivity may (counterintuitively) require a step back. Historical precedent also has its lim-

John L. Decker, senior VP, managing director of investment banking and co-director of Nebraska branches at D.A. Davidson. itations. aforementioned observations about polit“December was incredibly atypical ical and market volatility, Vanneman cau— the worst December since the 1930s,” tions: “Political bias messes up people’s Vanneman said. investing. It doesn’t help; it hurts.” The Dow and S&P 500 reportedly Creative Planning Managing Director posted losses last rivaled in 1931 during Ryan Swartz emphasized corrections and the Great Depression. bear markets (losses of -10 and -20 perAcknowledging it may run counter to cent respectively) are a “natural part of a

Reaanddit

healthy economic cycle,” and panic selling during downturns is a common mistake that prevents investors from capturing market returns. The recent bear market that bottomed out on Christmas Eve was the 15th such decline since World War II, Swartz said, and the 15th that gave way to a bull market. “During this time, according to M o r n i n g s t a r, $ 3 5 billion flowed out of asset allocation funds in the fourth quarter, the worst since 1993,” he said. Bear markets occur every five years Swartz or so (and are typically short-lived); corrections occur every year on average, he said. “Historically, they are not good predictors of a recession,” Swartz said. “Since 1930 there have been nine bear markets that have not led to a recession.” So, a bear market doesn’t necessarily impact a small- to mid-sized business’s access to capital markets alone. Recent tax reform, the moderating of interest rates, historically low unemployment and continued corporate profit gains have resulted in SMBs’ willingness to expand capital expenditures. Swartz said this could change, but: “A bear market may not necessarily be the catalyst for that change.” D.A. Davidson SVP/Managing Director of Investment Banking/Co-Director of Nebraska Branches John Decker said the company sees concerns of economic slowdown but the U.S. economy’s underlying fundamentals remain “largely positive.” For instance, January payroll increased by 304,000 jobs — what First Trust characterized as the highest share of working adults since 2008. “U.S. job growth looks to continue, spurred at least in part by the impact companies are experiencing as a result of a lower tax burden,” he said. That said, bear markets are an “unavoidable part of every investor’s longterm investment horizon.” Citing First Trust, Decker said the average bull market between 1926 to 2018 lasted 9.1 years (with an average cumulative total return of 473 percent,) versus the average bear market of 1.4 years (with an Continued on page 7.

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Investments — inside MARCH 8, 2019

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:

$2.00

VOL. 45 NO. 10

Lamp Rynearson poised for growth in 60th year under new brand by Michelle Leach

Trouvaille Omaha aims to offer empowering, collaborative option for working women. – Page 2

40 er d Un 40 Kaiser navigates evolving field of college advising at UNO. – Page 3

ess sin es u a B ag ah nal P m O Jour

The Omaha Bakery identifies market for keto offerings, expands services. – Page 29

In its 60th year, Lamp Rynearson is anticipating 10-plus percent growth in the size of its 176-employee team and growth across all of its market areas under a new, unified and simplified brand. “We had been doing business with more than one name since our merger with Larkin Group and Larkin Aquatics from the Kansas City area several years ago,” said CEO and President Nancy L. Pridal. “Our branding became a little more confusing with the addition of TZA Water Engineers from Lakewood, Colorado, to our team. Our 60th anniversary year provided the perfect opportunity to work toward brand clarity and to have some fun.” Brand planning efforts for the civil engineering, survey and landscape architecture firm headquartered at 14710 West Dodge Road in Omaha began in early 2018. “Employees were provided opportunities to provide input on the new brand through an online survey, employee forums and a Continued on page 9.

CEO and President Nancy L. Pridal … Milestone year presents opportunity for civil engineering, survey, landscape architecture firm to unify its offices under one name and brand. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)

North End Teleservices on cusp of accelerated growth in 2019 by Becky McCarville

North End Teleservice’s President and CEO Carmen Tapio expects the four-year-old company to double its capacity in 2019 and has plans to open a second south Omaha location the following year. “We have been working in some niche spaces and they have started to come to fruition for us, and we are expecting to see substantial growth,” she said.

Accompanying the upward trajectory, Tapio bought out the company’s investor in Oct. 2018. Now the company is certified woman- and minority-owned and is HUBZone certified, a Small Business Administration program for small companies that operate and employ people in Historically Under-utilized Business Zones. A five-year contract with Continued on page 9. CEO and co-founder Taylor Monks … Poised to change how trucking industry manages documentation, pays for associated software tools.

BasicBlock gets early traction from transportation partners across US by Michelle Leach

President and CEO Carmen Tapio … Doubling the capacity of its northeast facility with sights set on south Omaha.

Leveraging the power of blockchain, BasicBlock aims to flip the trucking industry on its head while contributing to putting Nebraska on the map as an innovation center and destination for next-generation talent and businesses, according to CEO and co-founder Taylor Monks. “We’re doing that against all odds, with no investors,” Monks

said. “We haven’t taken any venture capital. We are just looking for the right strategic partner.” What the 24-year-old Monks and fellow founder Nobl’s Brett Byman have is tens of thousands of dollars in pre-sales and buy-in from companies in Nebraska and across the U.S. Partners span W.N. Morehouse Truck Line, a fourth-generation, family-owned transportation Continued on page 27.

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Trouvaille Omaha aims to offer empowering, collaborative option for working women by Gabby Christensen

a whole but one that is definitely picking up momentum,” she said. When first opening the space, Marchese said it was crucial that she pinpointed the specific areas she needed to focus on in order to make decisions that were ultimately right for the business. Now, nearly a year later, she has aspirations of opening additional locations. Until then, Marchese plans to keep spreading awareness about her space and focus on nurturing the community of women who have already become a part of it. “I love hearing how productive women are in the space, and I love being able to live out my passions, while staying true to my own values,” she said. “I’m passionate about time being our greatest asset and the importance of paying attention to how we spend it, so we don’t end up having regrets in life. I love providing a space where women can come to focus and get more done in two hours than they would get done working five hours from home or another space full of distractions.”

Founder Kim Marchese opened the doors of Trouvaille Omaha, a boutique co-working space and collaborative community, in March 2018 with the intent to create an affordable, alternative luxury workspace designed for women. By opening the space, Marchese hoped to offer an inspiring location for women to

Trouvaille Omaha Phone: 402-933-0070 Address: 1104 S. 76th Ave., Omaha 68124 Founded: March 2018 Service: boutique co-working space and exclusive community for women Goal: Continue to fill the space and eventually open more locations. Website: https://trouvailleomaha.com

work and connect with others. Settled at 1104 S. 76th Ave., Trouvaille Omaha offers various membership levels. The majority of members are entrepreneurs, business owners or women working for corporate companies. Members have access to meeting rooms, printing services, complimentary coffee and tea, discounted venue rentals, exclusive member events and a built-in referral network. “Women choose my business because they find working remotely can lead to feelings of isolation at times, and they like the option of having a space to come to that provides energy they don’t get when working alone,” Marchese said.

Owner and founder Kim Marchese … signed for women. “They also understand the importance of removing those distractions that come from working at home or out of a coffee shop and are ready to up-level their business and represent it in a professional and beautiful environment. They also value the opportunity to connect with other women on a personal and professional level and to

The Midlands Business Journal's

Business Minute Name: Sarah (Lukas) McMahon. Age: 38. Title: Executive director. Place of employment: The Capitol District. Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska. Education: Bachelor’s degree from Creighton University and a m a s t e r ’s d e g r e e from Creighton University. How I got into the business: My work with the Sarah McMahon, Creighton Univer- executive director, The Capitol sity Alumni RelaDistrict tions Office helped me learn how to knowledgably navigate the worlds of event planning, project management, operations and relationship management, all of which are required of my current role. Accomplishments or milestones: Graduating with my master’s degree, as well as owning and running my own event and wedding planning business. First job: I was a counter clerk at Nu-Trend Drycleaners. Biggest career break: My current job

Building on niche industry with space debe connected to a trusted referral network within our member community.” According to Marchese, the co-working industry is no longer a trend but the way of the future. “This is still a new trend in our city, and having a space that caters to women only is a trend inside the co-working industry as

Sarah McMahon, executive director, The Capitol District

— becoming the executive director of The Capitol District. It feels like my previous job experiences, volunteer work in the community and entrepreneurial spirit all united to form this dream job. I feel very lucky. The toughest part of the job: Thinking 12 months ahead, 12 weeks ahead and 12 hours ahead, all at the same time! The best advice I have received: “Be yourself.” About my family: Besides my parents and younger sister, I have a wonderful husband, Kevin, and we just adopted a puppy — a small Munsterlander named Obi. Something else I’d like to accomplish: I’d like to obtain my real estate license. Book I finished reading recently: “Nine Perfect Strangers” by Liane Moriarty. Something about me not everyone knows: Even though I may appear to be an extrovert, I’m really an introvert at my core. How my business will change in the next decade: I see it only improving.

Omaha is really on the move, and I’m looking forward to helping it become the place to be. Mentor who has helped the most in my career: One of my former bosses, Diane Dougherty Crowley. She taught me how to plan events, stay calm and always project my best self. Outside interests: Traveling, writing, reading, spending time with my husband and catching up with friends while having drinks on outdoor patios — especially in The Capitol District. Pet peeves: When others are disrespectful. Favorite vacation spot: Hawaii. Other careers I would like to try: Realtor, travel agent, newscaster, actress. Favorite movie: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Favorite cause or charity: The Heart Ministry Center, Marian High School and the Omaha Summer Arts Festival. Favorite app: It’s a toss-up between Facebook and Instagram. (Editor’s note: To nominate an interesting businessman or woman for the Business Minute, please e-mail information about the person to news@mbj.com.)

Midlands Business Journal Established in 1975

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Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

Kaiser navigates evolving field of college advising at UNO 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

There was a time when a college adviser merely kept a student on track with their coursework, but as Sammi Kaiser will attest, those days are long gone. As director of the Academic and Career Development Center at University of Nebraska at Omaha, Kaiser has a ringside seat to the more comprehensive role that she and her staff are tasked with. “There are three big things under the umbrella of my job duties,” she said. “The first being, we are the career center for all of UNO, so we serve all current students and alumni for resume reviews, job search strategies, cover letter reviews. We really take the lead in terms of career readiness for our grads, so a lot of faculty and staff see us as the experts in that way. “The second is as academic advisers to students who come to UNO and don’t know what they want to major in. They come to our unit first and our job is to help them pick those general education courses intentionally and confidently so that eventually it will lead to a more informed major choice. And our final piece in the office is, we help train 25 facilitators for our first-year experience course, which is essentially a class students take to acclimate to college life.”

Kaiser said the scope of her department’s responsibilities keeps expanding to address a wider range of needs students bring to their college years. This includes mastery of not only a broader array of resources at the typical adviser’s disposal, but also in demonstrating how those resources come together in a plan that fits the individual student’s goals. “I think advising has evolved a lot, even since I’ve been an undergrad,” she said. “It used to be much more prescriptive. It would follow a pretty distinctive plan and [the student] would have to fall in line with that according to what they told their adviser at that time. Today, we tell students it’s a courageous choice to be undecided because national data tells us 80 percent of students end up changing their major at least once. “Our process now is more about asking a lot more questions, helping to understand the student’s interest and facilitating the exploration process. The challenge is making sure they’re not taking classes that don’t count and that they’re still progressing towards graduation.” Given the high number of touches her department has with students, Kaiser and her team are also important checkpoints for students who may be struggling beyond the classroom. She said the awareness of mental health issues and the stress of adjusting to college in general have led to a much more proactive approach in connecting students with help. “We have a really close relationship with

Director Sammi Kaiser … Honing in on best methods for academic advising. the Counseling and Psychological Services “Sometimes a student may feel more comoffice and our training comes in terms of fortable sharing their truth with me or one Continued on page 11. when is the right time to refer,” she said.

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• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

INVESTMENTS

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

March 8, 2019

Local experts: Panic has no place in the investment portfolio by Michelle Leach

Investments •

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal • Investments

Older investors should review financial plan regularly by Dwain Hebda

Older investors need to review their financial plan regularly to keep their money in step with life changes, say Midlands financial planners. “I don’t think a strategy is ever truly ‘locked in,’” said Bruce Aken, wealth

Aken Darrah advisor with Nelson Murphy Insurance & Investments. “Seniors can follow a simple framework where they hold several years of living expenses in lower risk investments and the remaining in a diversified growth portfolio designed for growth with an amount of risk they are comfortable with.” Even though the overall strategy can remain flexible, Aken does advocate some firmer rules of thumb for senior investors. “A growth investment should be given five years or more to perform,” he said. “And retirees should not withdraw more than 4 to 6 percent of their investment portfolio annually throughout their retirement.” Scott Darrah, private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial, said an annual review

Katie Bruno, financial advisor at Morey & Quinn Wealth Partners. helps keep a financial plan performing at its “We walk through what some of the risks best, regardless of the age of investor. are,” he said. “It could be how their portfolio “We want to find opportunities within is developed, it could be taxes, opportunitheir risk tolerance,” he said. “Can we grow ties. It could be long-term care or extended the assets? Do they have lazy assets? We care or the decisions to make around that.” want to plan for the certainty and uncerOne good example of adapting to changtainty. There’s things we just don’t know; es surrounds the recent amendments to the we just have to manage the risk.” federal tax code. Darrah, who favors meeting with clients “The recent tax changes included big semi-annually, said he assumes a client will changes as it relates to the application of live to be 100, which builds the requisite standard or itemized deductions,” said long view into the plan. Justin Vossen, principal with Lutz Finan-

cial. “These deductions, coupled with the permanence of the qualified charitable distributions from IRAs, have caused many baby boomers to re-examine their charitable giving strategy. “For many boomers over 70 and-a-half, the ability to give to charity from the IRA via the qualified charitable distribution has been a positive result of the tax changes for them.” Regular checkups can also identify gaps in a financial plan. For example, estate planning is often overlooked even though it would seem an obvious priority. “For some people, it’s an uncomfortable topic talking about how assets should be handled when they can no Vossen longer handle them,” said Katie Bruno, financial advisor with Morey & Quinn Wealth Partners. Queasiness aside, lacking an estate plan is expensive and cumbersome for survivors. Bruno recommends the basics to get things started. “Some of the very first steps are having your assets titled properly and updating your beneficiary designations,” she said. “Other considerations are creating a will, establishing a trust, setting up durable power of attorney for medical decisions and for financial affairs, and forming a living will for end-of-life decisions.” As useful as regular reviews of one’s financial status are, Matthew Atchison, senior Continued on page 8.

Investments •

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

Financial gurus: Diversification is important investment tool by Gabby Christensen

When it comes to successful investing, financial experts have recommended diversifying as a key component. Mark Allen, CEO and co-founder of Allen Capital Group, said diversification can have the impact of reducing risk by different asset classes behaving disparately through a given market cycle. He said if the goal is to save for retirement, it’s important to look at qualified accounts first. “For most people, it makes sense to

Investment portfolio Continued from page 4. average cumulative loss of -41 percent). Sometimes dips are buying opportunities, as Decker said strong companies might have lower stock prices from shortterm market fluctuations — not poor operating performance. “It takes a bit of fortitude to continue to invest when the environment is uncertain,” he said. But those may be opportune times to buy a piece of a good company on sale. Lenders may make short- and long-term capital Wynegar terms and conditions more stringent, yet Decker said many Nebraska companies are conservatively financed, have strong balance sheets, and can access capital in tougher times, albeit at higher rates and less favorable terms. Trade negotiations with China, the shutdown, the Fed’s short-term interest rate hikes and balance sheet unwind represented concerns of decelerating conditions; however, Tributary Capital Management President Mark Wynegar said in early 2019 the Fed’s “less aggressive course” narrative for rate hikes, the government reopening, and progress on a trade deal with China have improved sentiment and led to a recovery for the market. Yet, remain vigilant. “We’re a year in on the impact of tax reform, so the year-over-year benefits will begin to subside,” Wynegar said. Additionally, companies indicate difficulty in hiring qualified workers, which constrains growth potential, and he said currently “benign” inflation could become a factor if the tight labor market leads to higher wages. “It is certainly possible that a more significant or longer duration market decline could emerge,” Wynegar said. Likewise, it’s possible it won’t — therein lies the difficulty of anticipating a bear market. Concerned about an extended market decline? Wynegar suggests a portfolio “checkup.” “Review your asset allocation, and consider it relative to your return objectives and risk tolerance,” he said. “If, over time, you’ve drifted to a more aggressive positioning than you’re comfortable with, now might be a good time to adjust your portfolio back to your plan.”

invest in a 401(k) or similar workplace retirement plan first,” Allen said. “There is often an employer match, and they are relatively easy to establish and contribute to on a regular basis.” Allen said investing in a Roth IRA is another option. “Many people will be overweight in the ‘yet-to-be taxed’ accounts in retirement,” Allen said. “Employer match and profit-sharing contributions will be included in that bucket, as may some or all of your contriAllen butions. The Roth, on the other hand, is part of the ‘already taxed’ bucket.” If the goal is for something more near term, Allen recommends non-qualified accounts, as they can be invested in mutual Continued on next page.

Randy Jensen, certified financial planner at Nabity Jensen Investment Management.

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal • Investments

Starting early, saving often can bolster financial security by Lee Nelson

In the world of retirement plans, there have been two trends surfacing in recent years: attracting younger participants and post-working years planning, or “financial wellness,” according to Jim Farber, vice president of Swartzbaugh-Farber & Associates. “Younger employees have traditionally been slow to join employer-sponsored plans, saying ‘I have plenty of time,’” he said. Some items that are encouraging earlier participation are auto enroll and auto escalation, target date fund choices and Roth IRA option, he said. Participants within five or 10 years of retirement are focusing on Social Security, turning retirement plan assets into income, and budgeting of post-working years health

Investors should review Continued from preceding page. vice president of Southwestern Investment Group, says seniors have to be careful about making drastic changes late in the game. “I believe [seniors] should thoroughly revisit their financial plan at least once or twice a year,” he said. “That is different than revisiting their investment strategy. A good retirement plan will use an investment policy statement that each investor adopts to help guide them through each phase of retirement. “One thing is for certain; the market will go up and down. I don’t recommend that clients let the swings in the market dictate their financial plan.”

care, mortgages and other fixed expenses, he said. “Neither of these trends is new, but both

financial accounts in one place so that together we are able to see their full financial picture and create a plan accordingly,”

Farber Randels are being emphasized by advisers, employers and carriers to stress the importance of starting early enough and saving enough to provide future security,” Farber said. Rob Randels, financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual, said the most notable change is the evolution of financial teams with extended experience and credentialing to meet clients’ ever-changing needs. “Your financial team can be one of your most valuable assets in terms of helping you achieve your goals by guiding you correctly and helping you avoid pitfalls,” he said. Technology has significantly helped clients by creating efficiencies that have lowered costs and helped in communicating more effectively, he said. “We also have a mobile app that allows our clients to view not only their Northwestern Mutual accounts, but all of their

Garlock Shonsey Randels said. Don’t take more risk than you need, he said. “You should have some safe components in your portfolio for when the market corrects, not if it corrects,” he said. Cory Garlock, associate financial advisor at RBC Wealth Management, said the biggest trend he is seeing is comprehensive wealth planning. “People want to see how they can map their goals and dreams and see what is realistic,” he said. “RBC Wealth Management and our team uses RBCWealthPlan, which is a comprehensive financial planning tool.” Using software and Monte Carlo simulations, it uses powerful computer calculations to generate potential outcomes against clients’ goals, he said.

“When we understand the goals of our clients, we are able to create a plan,” he said. Rather than viewing retirement as the final chapter in an active life, today’s baby boomers optimistically perceive retirement as an extended encore — a chance to reinvent themselves, pursue lifelong passions, volunteer, work a part-time gig or even embark on a new business venture, Garlock said. Mick Shonsey, financial consultant at Tagge Rutherford Financial Group, said as someone nears retirement, he or she needs to run simulations on a regular basis to see if the desired money needed for retirement will be there. “Maybe something needs to be done in this later stage such as suspend expensive vacations, not remodel the home or use the catch-up contribution to the IRA,” he said. “There are things that when plugged into your scenario can make goals more achievable.” To Shonsey, there is only one great tip, and that is to have a plan. “Most people don’t have a concrete plan that is written down and revisited on a regular or at least annual basis,” he said. “You must invest for the long term and not be influenced by short-term moves in the market. Ultimately, performance is based on Caterpillar, Apple, Dell and General Motors selling their products to us and making a profit in doing that, not what some analyst sees for the short term or what some politician says or does.”

Diversification is important investment tool concentrated approach.” Continued from preceding page. funds or stocks. At times, Polking said short-term perfor“For all of the above scenarios, mutual mance of individual markets may cause some funds or ETFs make the most sense for investors to question the merits of diversifystarting out,” Allen said. “They can get you ing across countries and consider reallocating diversified right away and can allow you to markets that have recently done well, but to have access to a broad selection of asset it’s not wise to make investment decisions classes. This is important because the lion’s using past performance. share of the average investor’s “Also understand that overall portfolio return will be explained market capitalization is now alby asset allocation.” most 50/50 U.S. vs. international, Ross Polking, lead advisor at yet many investors are exclusively Foster Group, said diversifying invested in U.S. large publicly investments ultimately begins traded companies,” he said. “This with a financial plan. concentrated exposure does not “How close you are to retirestand to gain from the continued ment, and thus how much volagrowth of international markets.” tility/risk you can afford to take Randy Jensen, certified fiwith your portfolio, will dictate nancial planner at Nabity Jenthe spread of investments between sen Investment Management, Polking equities and fixed income/bonds/ said when setting the risk/recash,” he said. turn appropriately for clients, he typically Polking also advised to diversify with looks at three major classes: stock, bond future taxes in mind. and cash. “Varying account types render different He said each of these categories also have tax and/or penalties upon distributions, so sub-classes. ensuring you have adequate balances in For diversified portfolios, Jensen said multiple buckets affords a person more flex- he recommends investing in both U.S. and ibility when they enter a distribution phase foreign companies. of life,” he said. Depending on the client, he selects the All this said, Polking said true diversifi- appropriate type of bond, whether it be high cation is not easy. quality or low quality, as well as long term “Investors should strongly consider or short term. working with an adviser to further remove Even though it typically means lower emotion from investing, plan accordingly return, he said diversifying is critical because and build portfolios that best suit their one style could be very much in favor, while long-term goals,” he said. “Diversification another could steeply decline. across securities, sectors and countries “The major benefit of diversifying is that can help investors maintain their focus, it is a risk-reduction tool,” Jensen said. “The potentially allowing them to avoid extreme more asset classes represented in a portfolio outcomes that may result from a more equals the less risk.”

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

North End Teleservices on cusp of accelerated growth in 2019 Continued from page 1. Omaha Public Schools’ student transportation, as well as a contract to track student transportation via GPS with another out-ofstate school district firmly plants North End Teleservices in this niche market. “So when you are calling for student transportation information during certain

North End Teleservices Phone: 402-934-3624 Address: 1500 N. 24th St., Suite 111, Omaha 68110 Service: global provider of multi-channel contact center services Founded: Sept. 2015 Goals: Double the company’s existing capacity in 2019; open a second location in south Omaha the following year. Industry outlook: With the trend toward offshoring, smaller BPOs (business process outsourcing) need to articulate their value and market directly to customers that can benefit. Website: www.northendteleservices.com

hours, we’re their call center for OPS … we provide the primary staffing at their key busy times,” she said. She said these types of contracts speak to the call center’s specialty, high-touch customized services, which sets the company apart from the likes of large-scale BPOs (business process outsourcing) because the larger call centers typically aren’t structured for that type of complexity. “That’s not just a situation where you’re taking an order; you’re talking about someone’s child,” she said. “We trained the district on the skills it takes to talk to a parent about their student — the empathy, the compassion, the sense of urgency.” Other markets and services include medical appointment-setting, retail, client account management and third-party compliance for banks. North End Teleservices works with clients to ensure “that we really understand the brand essence and who our client company is. … Our ability to articulate that to our service representatives is critical so that they can connect and fully represent the client brand,” she said. The closed-loop training program emphasizes that its service representatives are not only versed in the client’s brand but can also combine soft skills with technical systems. While the industry tends to commoditize workers, Tapio said the company’s mission to create jobs and change lives is ingrained in its culture and is evident in its training programs, leadership development, career curriculum and apprentice program. “We want them to see what they do is not just a job but really as a career path — Omaha has a very rich history in teleservices,” she said. “I grew my career in the industry. I started at First Data when I was 18 years old and my contact center experience took me around the world. Now I own my company and I want others to see what is possible. Call centers are a rite of passage in Omaha for most of us, whether it was for a week or a year.” The apprentice program, registered by the Department of Labor, adds credibility to the call center’s supervisor position and creates opportunities for people to obtain a designation that they can take with them to any job. In June 2018, North End Teleservices

formed a partnership with Bellevue University. The company provides tuition assistance for its employees and their family members. Employees can go through the apprentice program at North End Teleservices and take the required courses at the college. Two employees have completed an apprenticeship and four are in the program now. North End Teleservices also works with the Creighton University Heider College of Business and the Financial Hope Collaborative’s Financial Success Program, a financial literacy program to help single mothers. One employee has graduated from the program and two more are in the program now. “We know that when our employees succeed individually their family members succeed in a greater way and the community succeeds in a greater way, so we’re trying to

make that impact,” she said. While many Omaha business owners bemoan the current labor shortage and difficulty in finding employees, Tapio said she hasn’t experienced that shortage. “One of the myths that I want to dispel is that unemployment is 3 percent or less in the city of Omaha,” she said. “It is in the city overall but when you go into neighborhoods and communities the numbers are very different. On any given day when I post a job, I have no shortage of qualified applicants.” She said that going back nearly 20 years, unemployment has reached 23 percent in the 10 key north Omaha ZIP codes. While the number has declined, it’s still around 12 percent. North End Teleservices’ economic impact, based on job creation in 2018, was $10.4

million according to an economic impact study by the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Business Administration. “Every day that I drive into our parking lot and I see someone with a new car it makes me happy,” she said. “Adequate public transportation is still an issue in Omaha so when our employees own a car it resolves some of life’s challenges — by working here life is a little bit easier. Economic impact is a significant measure of success.” Tapio, who has worked in the teleservices industry for over 30 years, is involved with several local organizations, including chair for the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Community for Opportunity, Diversity and Equity; the Bridge Network; Spark; and council chair for Blueprint Nebraska’s Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion Council.

Lamp Rynearson poised for growth in 60th year under new brand Continued from page 1. branding workshop,” Pridal said. “The majority of our employees were strongly supportive of unifying and simplifying our brand.” The firm, founded in 1959 by Don Lamp and Bill Rynearson, also engaged clients in the next chapter of its history with an online survey.

Lamp Rynearson Phone: 402-496-2498 (Omaha) Address: 14710 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha 68154 Services: civil engineering, survey, landscape architecture Founded: 1959 by Don Lamp and Bill Rynearson Employees: 176 (total); Omaha (102); Colorado (Fort Collins and Lakewood – 48); Kansas City (26) Goals: Partly, 10-plus percent staff growth for 2019 Industry outlook: “All our market areas are expecting growth in 2019. While overall growth might be slower than in 2018, we are expecting to see strong economic conditions continue through 2019.” Website: lamprynearson.com

“What we found to be resoundingly true is that our relationships are paramount,” she said. “It was clear that it is about the people our clients work with and not the name of the company that matters.” Furthermore, it was noted that operating as Lamp Rynearson and the aforementioned three names was a source of “brand confusion” to clients. “The top reasons for the name change revolved around simplicity, lack of confusion and to help unify employees in all offices,” she said. Its Omaha team of 102 employees is joined by its 48-employee Fort Collins and Lakewood, Colorado, offices and its 26-employee Kansas City, Missouri, office. “One of the other challenges we have heard about our name is that Rynearson is difficult to know how to pronounce,” Pridal added. “We worked with OBI Creative during our brand development and challenged them with the idea of having the new brand help solve that concern and include a phonetic way to show the word Rynearson.” The result? “Rynearson” features three lines that coincide with how the name is

spelled — one line underneath the “Ry,” another underneath the “near” and the third underneath the “son.” Pridal described the brand as a “strong bold statement of who we are as a firm, unapologetic about the name, with a clear vision on where we are going as one company.” When asked about the factors that have contributed to Lamp Rynearson’s ability to grow organically and through acquisitions over six decades (and while other like firms have fallen away during down-cycles), Pridal referred to a strong focus on what they do well throughout the firm’s history. “While focusing on hiring key employees, we also celebrate the longevity of our

staff and their contributions,” she said. “We retain our dependable clients while looking to the future with new clients. We add services to keep us relevant.” They also anticipate adding new hires in this milestone year. “While the job market is tight, we always appreciate the caliber and availability of local talent,” Pridal said. She noted relationships with the University of Nebraska and Metropolitan Community College, and opportunities to recruit their students. “We are working with MCC to build our new survey field technician apprenticeship Continued on page 12.

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Partnerships offer strength in numbers to best tackle headwinds like number of skilled workers, training by Michelle Leach

The notion of “doing better, together” is helping leverage regional strengths and address areas for further momentum or improvement. “The definition of ‘region’ changes depending on the topic we’re working on, but it tends to be a six-county region and we have 65 external organizations that we partner with, just in our chamber,” said Greater Omaha Chamber President and CEO David G. Brown. Brown spoke to identifying more opportunities to partner with Lincoln, and among educational institutions — building upon an oft-cited strength: the area’s hardworking, well-educated and loyal workforce. “This region is growing well, but it has room to grow faster and in a more quality way,” he said. For instance, Brown referred to how the types of jobs that the region has “could pay more.” “If you just chart out what’s happening, we’re in a growth mode but it’s not a rocket ship taking off,” Brown said. Brown described the area’s consistent steadiness, with unemployment never rising above 5 percent during the 2008 recession, and he also referenced the economy’s diversity. Creighton University MacAllister Chair in Economics, Dr. Ernie Goss, referred to the strength of the region’s transportation system; for instance, Eppley Airport is expanding at a significantly higher rate, he said, than its competitors. “Companies find that they can expand or relocate to the city and more easily connect to other locations in the U.S.,” he said. The breadth and depth of the metro’s health care support provides a strong basis for current and future growth, while other strengths noted by Goss include the metro’s status as a regional tourist destination, Omaha and Council Bluffs’ initiating riverfront developments, and the area’s “significantly less burdensome regulatory environment.” That said, he noted the state and local tax burden slows growth. “Given the area’s competitive disadvantage in terms of weather and geographic amenities, the state and city must reduce the cost of living and doing business in the area in terms of taxes,” Goss said; for instance, he referred to property taxes that are among the region’s highest. “The [Omaha Public Schools] pension system under funding of $770 million represents a real challenge for the city’s taxpayer, given the area’s already too high taxes,” he said. Also, Goss noted the need to more effectively partner with community colleges in particular to maintain a competitive workforce. “There is always a tendency among public officials and policymakers to argue that the Omaha area is unique and comparisons are less than useful,” he said. “This is not correct. The cost and benefits of living in the area must be continually monitored and compared to competing cities such as Des Moines, Kansas City and Oklahoma City.” The Greater Omaha Chamber’s Senior Director, International Business Development, Andrew Schilling, referred to an attractive standard of living, low costs, and first-rate attractions like the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Benson nightlife, Omaha Sympho-

ny and Holland Performing Arts that attract “world-class talent.” “Visitors are impressed by the high quality

Brown Goss of life and especially the friendly quality of our residents,” he said. Schilling pointed to Fortune’s January report, which ranked Omaha as the “5th Happiest Place for Employees” in the U.S. “As one overseas visitor commented to me, the most surprising thing about Omaha is that it’s considered ‘flyover country,’” Schilling said of this German traveler. “As he put it, ‘Omaha ist eine Reise wert — Omaha is worth a trip.’” A Chamber priority, Schilling referred to retaining and attracting highly skilled technical workers. “The challenge is keeping up with the growing demand for excellent employees; we’ve done so in the past, and we must embrace and address that challenge going forward,” he said. Internationally, the Chamber is participating in Department of Commerce-initiated overseas trade missions through SelectUSA, and is connecting with foreign consulates and commercial attachés to spread the word about Omaha.

“So, that selection consultants from their countries are aware of the business attractiveness of our region,” he said. “Business schools teach that networking is a contact sport, and we are actively engaged in ensuring that Omaha is on the field of play.” CareerRockit represents partnering with businesses and local schools to enable workforce training, whereas its Clark partnership with the German-American Chamber of Commerce reflects the launch of apprenticeship program ICATT. “The Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training is modeled after Germany’s highly regarded apprenticeship training programs, which lead to a certificate of qualification in a range of technical skills,” he said. “The program fosters workforce quality and loyalty as well, and is a concrete step toward bridging the perceived gap in skilled workforce availability.” Metropolitan Community College is hosting the first cadre of ICATT students starting in August — a program Schilling foresees expanding to include greater numbers of area workers. Cass County Nebraska Economic Development Council Executive Director Jennifer Serkiz spotlighted the six-county Economic Development Partnership’s commitment to increasing infrastructure capabilities. “This partnership is successful thanks to strong communication and transparency with our stakeholders,” she said. “We have com-

bined goals that benefit many, such as Cass County’s downtown revitalization efforts.” No matter where projects land in the region, Serkiz said they’re good for everyone involved. “For example, activity on Highway 50 in Sarpy County brings people into Louisville for lunch, gas and auto supplies,” she said. “Regional draws, such as The Hop Yard in Plattsmouth, are part of a wide network of beer producers in the region.” Greater Fremont Development Council Executive Director Garry Clark highlighted its territory’s strengths as “location, location, location.” “Our proximity to various communities,” he said. “You can get almost anywhere from Fremont in a short period of time.” He referenced 45-minute to an hour drives to Sioux City, Lincoln or Omaha. Furthermore, Clark indicated the council’s holistic approach has proven fruitful, as it focuses on not only attracting businesses but on initiatives that improve quality of life. “If we attract businesses, you have to create quality of life efforts — diversity, inclusion, housing and other programs,” he said. For instance, its rural workforce housing fund is embarking on a fifth housing complex — the result of nonprofit/for-profit partnerships and fundraising that included raising more than $1 million in two months. Clark also noted it has invested in a new staff person to focus on housing efforts. Additionally, the Council and broader community are set to launch the first Fremont rebrand in several years this month. “We want to compete with the Kansas Citys and Denvers, and those places that attract people — and not by compromising who we are,” he said.

Investments in amenities present increased in-flight productivity to aircraft passengers by Michelle Leach

Local organizations are making personnel, technology and other investments to complement client needs. “As an extension of the office, the business jet cabin should allow team members to feel and function like they do in the office,” said Duncan Aviation Marketing Communications Manager Lori Johnson. She said designers, engineers and craftspeople are developing productivity-boosting solutions, making the most of Johnson small interiors and stringent restrictions, guidelines and regulations. “Requested amenities include in-flight entertainment like flat-panels, electronic ports and Bluetooth capability, but the most important amenity is on-board Wi-Fi that keeps passengers connected to their offices and families,” she said. “Connectivity solutions can allow internet and VPN access and even live-streaming.” Combined with wireless platforms that allow for the use Bluetooth headphones and cabin control at one’s fingertips, Johnson indicated passenger experience in the air can rival the experience in the home office. Johnson also noted that around 75 to 80

percent of private aircraft buyers want an internet connection. So, connectivity adds value to the aircraft. “Just like home internet, the faster speed and higher bandwidth solutions are the most popular,” she said.

Robertson Walker UltraAir President Scott Robertson provided another perspective on technology and its industrywide implications; the Federal Aviation Administration’s emphasis on encouraging pilots to “hand-fly” their airplanes more, relying on technology less. Industry websites share exercises designed to improve basic skills, while Flying Magazine refers to FAA safety alerts that noted “too much reliance on the autopilot,” and its connection to an identified increase in “manual handling errors.” “By taking some of the automation out of the loop, you can avoid some of this,” Robertson said. He referred to pilots more or less “mon-

itoring the airplane,” without attaining or retaining necessary skills in the event of a failure. That said, Robertson acknowledged the role of automation on the horizon; for instance, he referenced the handful of “self-flying” cargo flights featuring an onboard flight crew just in case something happened. While Robertson noted it will probably be a couple more generations before there is a pilot-less cabin, the increasing comfort and proliferation of technology means the next step preceding self-flying aircraft will be the single-pilot cockpit — an evolution helped by persistent pilot shortages. UltraAir’s investments have focused on quality of life for the labor that accounts for an airline’s No. 1 expense. “We’re fortunate in the size of business that we have that we don’t need to hire 50 or 100 pilots a year,” he said. “We are able to be very selective and there are enough people out there that fit into the little niche that we’re able to fill.” Since 2002, Robertson noted it has more than doubled pilot pay, and he noted UltraAir accommodates schedules so personnel aren’t up in the air 15 or 20 days a time — or consistently on weekends — a focus that lends itself more to business travelers versus leisure clients. In its 20th year, Jet Linx Aviation is launching a new mobile app — putting Continued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

It’s official. Philadelphia bans cashless stores with carve-outs for some businesses by Christian Hetrick

Philadelphia will become the first major U.S. city to force shops to take cash after Mayor Jim Kenney signed off on a law that would ban so-called cashless stores. With the exception of Trends some businesses, the ordinance will prohibit most retail locations from refusing to take cash or charging cash-paying customers a higher price. Violators of the law, which will take effect July 1, will face fines of as much as $2,000. SUPER CROSSWORD

Passage of the law runs counter to the growing trend of businesses migrating to only cards and mobile devices for payments as fewer consumers carry cash. It’s also reminiscent of an obscure 1984 Pennsylvania law that sought to protect consumers without credit cards. Supporters of the new law said it was needed to protect low-income Philadelphians from discrimination. But the measure carves out some businesses from the cash requirement and therefore does not go far enough, said advocates for residents in NAME IN THE CENTER

poverty. A city spokesperson cited Philadelphia’s 26 percent poverty rate and noted that many poor consumers still do not have access to bank accounts in explaining why Kenney signed the bill into law despite “continued concerns about how this legislation might impact innovation in our retail sector.” “We will continue to monitor this, as we face the ongoing challenge of growing our economy while ensuring that growth is inclusive,” the spokesperson said in a statement. The ordinance will affect the operations of several city stores and had attracted backdoor lobbying by online retail giant Amazon, which wanted an exemption from the cash requirement as it looks to open a chain of cashierless Amazon Go convenience stores across the country. As technology gives consumers more ways to pay, including with their smartphones, some stores have gone cashless to improve efficiency, reduce the risk of robbery, and avoid the hassle of handling cash. In Philadelphia, that includes the salad chain Sweetgreen, the coffee shop Bluestone Lane, and several locations at the University of Pennsylvania food hall, Franklin’s Table. None of them returned requests for comment. Proponents of the new ban argue that cashless stores effectively discriminate against poor consumers who do not have access to credit or bank accounts. Nearly

Investments in tech

Answers on page 12.

Continued from preceding page. technology in the palms of its clients’ hands. “We want our jet card members and aircraft owners to have the ease of coordinating their travel and connect with their local base client services team on-the-go,” said President and CEO Jamie Walker. “In addition, they will soon be able to purchase empty one-way flights and empty seats.” In the first quarter, Walker also noted it’s dedicating substantial resources toward opening new Austin, Boston, Chicago and New York base locations. “We can offer our clients the benefit of flying into and out of additional Jet Linx locations,” Walker said, while referencing its focused, personalized private aviation solution — dealing with Jet Linx reps “no matter where they fly.” During its annual Safety Summit in June, Walker also said Jet Linx is suspending all retail flight operations for the day, so its 450-plus team members can focus on safety practices and standards. Over the past couple of years, Johnson said Duncan Aviation has worked closely with Gogo Business Aviation to develop Supplemental Type Certificates that cover Wi-Fi certification, full equipment, and antenna installation for in-flight connectivity related to the Gogo AVANCE L5 system. She also noted the firm has installed a number of Honeywell Aerospace JetWave hardware systems, which allow customers who fly globally to connect to Inmarsat’s GX (Global Xpress) Ka-band, high-speed broadband service, Jet ConneX, and Duncan Aviation is working with North Carolina-based SmartSky Networks on the rollout of its air-to-ground network, SmartSky 4G LTE, for significantly enhanced connectivity.

6 percent of residents in the Philadelphia region were unbanked in 2017 and roughly 22 percent were considered “underbanked,” according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Amazon warned Philadelphia officials behind closed doors that a ban on cashless stores would force it to reconsider its potential plans for Amazon Go stores in Philadelphia. Emails obtained by the Inquirer showed that the web giant also lobbied city officials to try to carve itself out of the cash requirement. An Amazon spokesperson declined comment. Amazon plans to open up to 3,000 Amazon Go cashierless stores across the country over the next few years. The convenience stores allow consumers with a mobile app to grab items they need and leave, eliminating the need for a traditional checkout process. After the customer leaves, Amazon charges the user’s online account. Retiring Councilman William Greenlee, a Democrat who sponsored the bill along with fellow Democrat Maria Quinones-Sanchez, has said the law’s language should allow Amazon to open its stores in the city. But Amazon and its legal counsel don’t think that the language is applicable to the Amazon Go model, according to Lauren Cox, a Commerce Department spokesperson. In particular, Amazon has concerns with the word “membership” because the company’s “Prime” membership is not required to access Amazon Go stores, Cox said in a statement. The law does exempt some businesses from the cash requirement. Parking lots and garages, wholesale clubs, retailers that accept mobile payments through membership programs, and rental companies can still stop taking cash. Sales made by phone, mail, and online will also be excluded, as well as goods and services sold exclusively to employees. Mariana Chilton, director of the Center for Hunger Free Communities at Drexel University, said she supports the ban on cashless stores, which she said are exclusionary. But the carve-outs for some businesses diminishes the new law, she said. “I think it presumes people who are low income don’t want to park their car or don’t use BJ’s (Wholesale Club),” she said, adding that the exemptions demonstrate that “City Council will kowtow to big business and Continued on page 13.

Kaiser navigates field Continued from page 3. of my staff members, things they wouldn’t have made known to others. Well, then it becomes a matter of, what do I do with this information? “We have a behavior review team on campus at UNO and you can submit [that information] to them. If I even had a minor concern about a student, I can let the institution know. I feel better as an adviser that I at least shared it beyond myself.” Kaiser, who grew up in Colorado, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She’s currently working on her doctorate in educational leadership and higher education, also from UNL.

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Help Wanted: Postal worker complains that his lunch time isn’t his own by Carrie Mason-Draffen

DEAR CARRIE: I work for the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier. We receive 35 minutes of unpaid lunch time. During this time of nonpayment, we are still responsible for the security of the mail in the postal vehicle, even if that means Workplace staying with the truck. If I am responsible for the mail, shouldn’t I be paid for that time? — Feeling Robbed DEAR FEELING: Yes, you should, said Irv Miljoner, the former head of the Long Island, N.Y., office of the U.S. Department of Labor. “If they are not free to go and do what

they want, if they are engaged to wait and stay with their equipment or mail, then that’s hours worked,” said Miljoner. And if your lunchtime work pushes you over 40 hours in a workweek, you would be eligible for overtime for those extra hours, he said. Under federal law overtime is one and one-half times a worker’s average hourly rate. Here is some additional information from the Labor Department’s Fact Sheet 22, which defines hours worked. “The workweek ordinarily includes all time during which an employee is necessarily required to be on the employer’s premises, on duty or at a prescribed workplace.” It looks as if you are going to have to talk

to your employer about giving you a true lunch break or paying you for that time. If you are a union member, you should also check with your representative. DEAR CARRIE: I work for an elevator company. The company is requiring us to go for mandatory safety training that will take place on a Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Is my employer required to pay us for that time? The company hasn’t said definitively whether it will. — On Whose Dime? DEAR ON: The company should consider the attendance work time, Miljoner said. “They are sending him to training, so they have to pay for it,” he said. What’s more, the company requires the

TechGirlz acquired in deal to build a bigger pipeline of women wanting tech careers by Diane Mastrull

TechGirlz, a Philadelphia-area nonprofit founded nearly 10 years ago to ignite a passion for technology among middle school girls, is being acquired by an Technology Illinois-based nonprofit in a deal designed to create a more reliable pipeline of IT workers nationwide. Acquirer Creating IT Futures, which helps prepare adults underrepresented in the

Lamp Rynearson Continued from page 9. program and are excited to be rolling that out soon,” she said. “The apprenticeship program will allow us to build the talent pipeline in our geomatics group.” Geomatics generally refers to using surveys, mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to study the land and sea and build precise, digital profiles of the environment. These profiles inform the best places to build, among other things, roads and bridges. “We are committed to the future of engineering community and continue to be leaders in the Engineering Change Lab-USA (ECL-USA),” Pridal said. “The vision of the ECL-USA is that the engineering community should take on a leadership role in serving as stewards of technology and the environment, helping society navigate an uncertain future.” From broader society to closer to home, Lamp Rynearson’s employees reportedly volunteer with more than 50 community organizations and financially contribute to 55-plus organizations. Professionals such as Aaron Grote, who started with Lamp Rynearson as an intern and was honored as the 2018 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Nebraska and National Young Professional of the Year, represent opportunities to grow with the firm and industry. Sustainable features are also a big feature of the firm’s landscape; for instance, Pridal referred to the creation of a 40-acre urban watershed wet retention pond as an amenity at The Atlas, a 700-apartment development on the site of the former Creighton Hospital. “The current economic conditions and our commitment to strong and insightful strategy leads us to look optimistically toward 2019 and beyond,” Pridal said of her outlook. “We intend to continue our legacy, honoring our past and our present while looking forward to our future.”

tech field for such careers, is no stranger to TechGirlz. It has been one of its funders for five years, and TechGirlz founder Tracey Welson-Rossman has served on its board for the last three years. “We felt together our combined efforts would increase both of our goals and support both of our missions,” Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures, said in an interview. TechGirlz’s free workshops got off to a popular start around Philadelphia and have now engaged 15,000 girls in 14 states. They will operate as a program under Creating IT Futures, but TechGirlz will remain headquartered here. “The brand and logo stay the same. Our website will also be separate,” said Welson-Rossman, who is also chief marketing officer at Fort Washington developer Chariot Solutions, where TechGirlz is housed. Eaton said that while nonprofit consolidation is sometimes a sign of trouble, usually with the acquired entity, that is not the case with TechGirlz, which has an annual budget of $200,000 and six employees. With a budget of $6.25 million and a staff of 25, Creating IT Futures, founded in 1998 by trade group Computing Technology Industry Association, or CompTIA, can help extend TechGirlz’s reach among a demographic Eaton’s agency wanted to get involved with, he said. “TechGirlz is doing great,” Eaton said, adding that the goal now is to “accelerate their growth and accelerate their impact.” Applauding that aspiration is Ellen Weber, someone who knows what it feels like to be a relative rarity: a female investor. She is executive director of Robin Hood Ventures and also heads Temple University’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute. “If we don’t have women following tech careers … we are really going to fall behind” as an economy, Weber said. “I think it’s one of the best ways to narrow the wage gap, narrow the skills gap. It’s tech, baby!” The combination of TechGirlz and Creating IT Futures underscores both the expected growing need for IT workers and a continuing shortage of women in such jobs, Welson-Rossman said. “The lack of available tech talent and the proven competitive advantage of a diverse workforce has created a unique opportunity to build a path for more young girls to pursue a career in technology,” Welson-Rossman said. “By ensuring these women have a critical part to play in America’s technology industry, we can also help them secure greater economic and social influence.” TechGirlz has yet to do a long-term assess-

ment to find out how many of the 15,000 girls who participated in its workshops currently have a tech job or are pursuing a computer science degree. “We have conducted exit surveys from our workshops and with recent alums over the last several years. The results have been very encouraging — over 90 percent intend to continue pursuing tech education or careers,” Welson-Rossman. She hopes the partnership with Creating IT Futures will help find out how effective the workshops are in ensuring that participants eventually end up in the tech workforce. A report due out later this month by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, a portion of which the agency shared with the Inquirer and Daily News, shows that although the number of women receiving a Continued on next page.

training for the job, Miljoner said. “If it is a requirement of the job, then it’s part of the definition of hours worked,” he said. The fact that you are an employee matters. “If you already have the job with the company and they send you for the required training, then they have to pay you,” Miljoner said. A common example, he said, is security guards who have to get gun training. Of course, some exceptions exist. If employees are required to have “generic training” before getting the job, such as training in order to obtain a commercial driver’s license, then they would have to pay for that training and do it on their own time before being hired, Miljoner said. “If they are required to have training before the job or as a condition of employment, the company doesn’t have to pay,” he said. On the other hand, “If they have been hired for the job and they get sent for such training by the company, then the company has to pay for that time.” It’s worth mentioning the criteria in federal labor law used to determine whether an employee has to be paid for attending a training session. Four criteria must be met in order for an employer to justify not paying an employee for training: It is outside normal hours; it is voluntary; it is not job-related, and no work is being performed at the same time. Your situation clearly doesn’t meet all four of those conditions. For more information call the U.S. Labor Department at 516-338-1890. ©2019 Newsday Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Puzzle on page 11.

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

Kraft Heinz needs innovation to survive. It’s keeping five test kitchens busy trying to stay relevant by Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz

Robin Ross, director of culinary at Kraft Heinz, doesn’t need data to know how much consumer tastes have changed since processed food reigned supreme. When she was growing up, dinner often meant heating up a can of something on the stove, and when she was raising kids she bought a lot of McDonald’s Trends Happy Meals. But today her adult daughter hand-breads chicken nuggets for her children, part of a broad trend of families opting for more fresh, natural, personalized meals. That shift has dogged massive prepared food companies like Kraft Heinz, whose brands became household names at a time when shoppers cared more about consistency, convenience and familiarity than that long list of ingredients on the packaging. For many of these companies, the fight to stay relevant means rolling out innovative new products that are either developed internally or brought on board as part of the acquisition of startup food companies. At Kraft Heinz, it’s Ross’ job to create new products, or new versions of the old standbys, that capture the attention of a modern food shopper with discerning tastes and a plethora of options. Innovation has not, of late, been what’s been getting attention at Kraft Heinz, which employs some 2,000 people in the Chicago area and 39,000 globally. Co-headquartered

Cashless stores ban Continued from page 11. that’s wrong.” In a statement, the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association said that it should be businesses — not government — that should decide whether to go cashless. “Businesses should be able to run their business how they see fit, without government interference,” said the trade group, which represents thousands of businesses in the restaurant, hotel, and tourism industries. But not all business groups opposed the ordinance. A spokesperson for Cardtronics, the world’s largest ATM operator, called Kenney’s signing the bill into law “a great day for consumer payment choice.” “Cardtronics applauds the mayor and city lawmakers of Philadelphia for recognizing the need to protect cash, the foundation of our economy,” spokesperson Crystal Wright said. Americans are less reliant on paper bills and coins, according to a Pew Research Center survey released in December. The survey of 10,683 U.S. adults found that 29 percent said they made no purchases using cash during a typical week, up from 24 percent in 2015. Likewise, those who made all or almost all of their weekly purchases with cash dropped from 24 percent in 2015 to 18 percent today, according to the survey. Massachusetts was the first state to pass a law requiring retailers to accept cash, in 1978. New Jersey lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a bill banning cashless stores in January, sending the legislation to Gov. Phil Murphy, who can sign or veto the measure. Similar legislation has been introduced in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. ©2019 The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Robin Ross, second from left, director of culinary, with team members Colette McCadd, left, Milo Klos and Ellen Cook taste different versions of Just Crack an Egg breakfast scrambles at Kraft Heinz Innovation Center in Glenview, Ill. (Zbigniew Bzdak/ Chicago Tribune/TNS) in Chicago and Pittsburgh, the legacy pack- balance sheet for a future acquisition, a deal aged food-maker has been criticized for some investors have been eager to see since focusing too much on cost-cutting and not its failed $143 billion bid to buy Unilever enough on brand building or product devel- two years ago. And after two years of deep cost-cutting opment, a concern that resurfaced late last month as the company unleashed a cascade that helped give Kraft Heinz industry-leading profit margins, the company last year boosted of dismal financial news. brand spending by $300 million and this year A focus on cutting costs The company reported a $12.6 billion plans to launch “record-level innovation,” loss for the fourth quarter of 2018 and an- CEO Bernardo Hees said in the company’s nounced it was writing down the value of earnings call with analysts. But, Moody’s analyst Brian Weddington its Oscar Mayer cold cuts and Kraft natural cheese brands by $15.4 billion, an indication said, “there is still some question on how that the sales and earnings potential of those effective that spend is going to be.” The budgeting strategy at Kraft Heinz, iconic brands aren’t as strong as once thought. It slashed its dividend by 36 percent, which requires managers to justify each cost lowered its 2019 outlook and disclosed that and eliminate nonproductive spending, is to it had received a subpoena from the Secu- blame for some of the financial volatility, as rities and Exchange Commission related to the company is so lean that it struggles to its procurement operations. The company offset cost inflation with more cuts, Wedlaunched an internal investigation in response dington said. He said that ultimately the strategy will and found it should have recorded a $25 million increase in the cost of products sold in improve profit margins, but other industry watchers said the efficiency comes at the prior periods. The company said it plans to sell some expense of responding to consumer needs. “If you’re constrained because of cost brands or business units to strengthen its

then the whole organization is less entrepreneurial,” said Donald Fitzgerald, a food sector consultant and adjunct professor of marketing at DePaul University. That’s true both for product development and for the brand salespeople working with retailers to design promotions and shelf displays that pull shoppers in, said Fitzgerald, who until last month was group vice president of merchandising and marketing at grocery chain Mariano’s. Meanwhile, the market is rife with food startups that are laser-focused on the health-conscious consumer and able to use e-commerce to reach an audience no longer loyal to Big Food. To compete, many of the large companies are acquiring those upstart brands or launching venture capital arms and accelerator programs to invest in their growth. Chicago-based Conagra, maker of Slim Jims and Orville Redenbacher popcorn, added gourmet Mexican to its portfolio by acquiring Frontera Foods’ packaged foods business in 2016 and a year later paid $250 million for Angie’s Boomchickapop whole grain popcorn. Cereal-maker Kellogg paid $600 million for Chicago protein bar company RxBar in 2017. Tyson Foods took a minority stake in plant-based protein startup Beyond Meat in 2016 through a venture capital fund it launched to invest in food companies pioneering new products and technologies. Kraft Heinz last year launched Springboard, a venture fund and accelerator program for small craft and natural brands, and paid $200 million to acquire better-for-you condiments-maker Primal Kitchen, which will continue to operate as an independent company. Those efforts are effective if the values align and the smaller companies are nourished and able to maintain their culture and energy — which doesn’t always happen, said consumer trends analyst Phil Lempert, who runs The Supermarket Guru website. But traditional companies also have to thoughtfully develop their own products, and not just by making incremental changes to existing products, which only overwhelms and confuses consumers faced with more than 40,000 products in a typical supermarket, Continued on page 22.

TechGirlz acquired in deal to build a bigger pipeline of women wanting tech careers Continued from preceding page. college degree in computer sciences increased between 1997 and 2016 — women are making up a smaller percentage of bachelor’s and doctorate recipients. According to the NCSES’s 2019 Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, 18.7 percent (or just over 12,000) of the bachelor’s degrees in computer sciences in 2016 went to women, down from 27.2 percent in 1997, when nearly 7,000 women earned the degree. Of the doctorate recipients, 20.1 percent were women in 2016, up from 15.9 percent in 1997 but down from 21.7 percent in 2006. Senior analyst Karen S. Hamrick said in an email that she did not want to comment extensively on a report not yet public — one her agency has promised to deliver to Congress by March 15, adding: “The computer sciences story is a dramatic finding, however.” Creating IT Futures was originally intend-

ed to serve as CompTIA’s foundation arm, said Eaton, who was hired eight years ago to make a change. He transitioned the agency into one whose mission was to help prepare nontraditional populations in the IT workforce — low-income individuals, minorities, women, and military veterans — for tech careers through its IT-Ready program. The last three years brought an additional focus — “what can we do with kids?” to help build interest in IT that carries through to an ultimate career in it, Eaton said. Through association with TechGirlz, he said, “we did recognize middle school is that moment where we have to capture their attention.” That’s where TechGirlz captured Dhivya Arasappan’s. Now 17 and a junior at Conestoga High School, she was in eighth grade when her mother signed her up for a TechGirlz class on designing mobile apps at the Tredyffrin Public

Library. It dispelled what Arasappan said is a common misconception among young girls: “That technology is only coding.” For Welson-Rossman, TechGirlz’s founder, the acquisition by Creating IT Futures will free her of some administrative work, but “it doesn’t mean we’re home free from the fund-raising,” including TechGirlz’s ongoing $1 million capital campaign through 2020. Also, volunteers that help with workshops will remain critical, she said, expressing gratitude for the region’s support. “This is a community that believed early on that diversity in tech was important and they put their time and dollars where their thoughts were,” Welson-Rossman said. “I think that’s really, really important to understand. We don’t always get from a Philadelphia standpoint around technology there’s a great community here.” ©2019 Philly.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Democrats are having an awful week — and Howard Schultz is having a good one As an upbeat Howard Schultz tucked into lunch in Washington recently, he was having a good week because Democrats were having an awful one. The former Starbucks chief executive, who is contemplating a plunge into politics, knows that his narrow eorge path to the presidency as an independent depends on the ill Democratic Party becoming as offensive as the Republican Party has become. So, because his political prospects depend on the Democratic Party making normal people wince, he cannot be displeased by: Numerous Democratic presidential candidates embracing the Green New Deal in the nanosecond before it became a punchline. Various candidates telling 180 million Americans to have stiff upper lips about losing their private health insurance under Medicare-for-all. One candidate, Sen. Kamala D. Harris (Calif.), saying: There will be less paperwork when the government runs health care. Really. Another candidate, Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.), who is vegan, saying that eating meat threatens the planet. New York and Virginia Democrats, expanding “reproductive rights” to include infanticide, saying that infants who survive late-term abortions will be kept “comfortable” while they die of neglect. House Democrats swatting an anti-Semite in their caucus, but having Opinion to live with rising anti-Israel sentiment among their base. And remaining hostage to a ubiquitous colleague who became the face of (a) socialism and (b) freshman Democrats by capturing a safe seat after winning a primary with the grand total of 16,898 votes. Democrats are spewing fury about Schultz, who they think might siphon off anti-Trump votes and become Ralph Nader redux. In 2000, when George W. Bush won the presidency by defeating Al Gore in Florida by 537 votes, Nader, running as the Green Party candidate, received 97,488 Florida votes, thereby probably defeating Gore. Schultz is startled but undaunted by Democratic vituperation. He says that getting on the ballot in all 50 states will be no problem, and he sees a path to 270 electoral votes — assuming the Democratic nominee embodies a compound of high-octane progressivism and weirdness (see paragraph two above). A decision to run, which Schultz probably must make by early this summer, long before the Democratic nominee will be known, will involve two wagers, the first of which is that Democrats will oblige him by ideological self-indulgence. If, as is probable, he becomes a candidate, and if, as is not probable, he quickly attracts significant support, he might tug Democrats toward the center. This would weaken the rationale for his candidacy, but not erase it, because two of his animating concerns — fiscal recklessness (trillion-dollar deficits while the economy grows) and obliviousness regarding the rickety structure of entitlements (Social Security, Medicare) — are as serious as they are perilous. Schultz hopes Americans want to hear the truth about fiscal mismanagement; he knows they might obliterate a candidate who tells them the truth and what should be done about it. This is why candidates avoid these subjects. Schultz knows that even the most successful third-party candidate failed: In 1912, former president Theodore Roosevelt — universally known, widely admired, vastly experienced, politically gifted — bested the incumbent president, William Howard Taft, who won just eight electoral votes, but Roosevelt himself was trounced by Woodrow Wilson, 435 electoral votes to 88. No third-party candidate has won electoral votes since 1968, when George Wallace, who won just 13.5 percent of the vote, carried five states because he had a regional base, the South. He was, however, a wine that did not travel. Wallace had a vivid personality, as did the sandpapery Ross Perot, who in 1992 won 19 percent of the popular

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Art! Politics! Spectacle!

We’ve survived another spectacle of the Academy Awards, with the protesters and the preeners celebrating politics, talent and craft. We watched a lot of posers with attitude. Academy Awards night is a night at the soap opera, comic uzanne and sad, where actors without a script written for them inields dulge a little self-aggrandizing, thanking friends and family from lists bordering on the absurd. Think Olivia Colman receiving the best actress award and praising Glenn Close as though she thought Close should be standing in her place. (So did we.)

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vote, but no electoral votes. Schultz is as mild as oatmeal, which is admirable and conceivably marketable. His other wager (besides that Democrats will nominate someone who makes normal people queasy) is that Americans, exhausted and embarrassed by politics-as-a-mixed-martial-arts-cage-match, will be ready for someone whose message begins with a simple question: “Is this really the best we can do?” The antecedent of “this” is: A president who calls his alleged porn-star mistress “Horseface.” A supine Republican Party that is content to have the president make a mockery of the basic constitutional architecture, the separation of powers, by declaring a national emergency because of a legislative disappointment, thereby nullifying Congress’s core power, control of spending. And an opposition party that thinks the United States needs a lot more government supervision of everything, and that this would mean a lot less paperwork. There. Now, try to argue with a straight face that a challenge to today’s party duopoly would subtract from the stock of excellence in government. The Washington Post

If, as Aristotle told us, spectacle is the lowest form of theater, it gets its hour in the eye of the camera. This annual ceremony reflects the zeitgeist for better and for worse, which critics love to itemize through the haze of hangover the next morning. Hype gets harder to exaggerate. Real-life politics intrudes, competing as a spectacle of its own, as we saw this week in the hearings on Capitol Hill. Still, it’s important to separate the chaff from the wheat, the faux from the truth, the “fake news” from the honest art. Not always easy to do, and we have to be careful not to throw the wheat to the wind and keep the chaff. If the Mexican movie “Roma,” for example, wasn’t of such quality, we might imagine that the Academy chose it as best foreign film and named Alfonso Cuaron best director just to spite Donald Trump. Opinion Who doesn’t recall that moment in June 2015 when President Trump launched his campaign for the presidency, describing Mexicans as being sent to America to cleanse Mexico of criminals and druggies? “They’re even rapists,” he said, adding as afterthought, “And some, I assume, are good people.” Well, “Roma” is a beautiful film with sympathy and depth, a glimpse of the life of one of those good people, a domestic servant who keeps her employer’s house clean and takes loving care of her children. It’s art that touches the heart and does what good movie drama is meant to do: show human beings in full. It even offers a rare sympathetic portrait of the wealthy woman who hired her. Spike Lee, the memorable presence at this year’s Academy Awards, jumped into the male presenter’s arms when he finally got his first Oscar, for best adapted screenplay. He gave a moving speech about his grandmother, the daughter of a slave, who put him through college. His appeal to the audience was for us to be on the right side of history, to make “make the moral choice between love versus hate.” That meant a ritual dig at the president, whose name he didn’t mention. Neither did anybody else. This absence was upstaged Continued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

Philly Fed president Harker predicts 0.25 percent rate hike this year and again in 2020 by Erin Arvedlund

Patrick Harker, president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank, gave a cautiously optimistic outlook for the U.S. economy, saying he expects one interest rate hike of 0.25 percent in 2019 and another in 2020. “Starting with GDP, I see growth a bit above 2 percent for this year, returning to a trend of around 2 percent some time in 2020. While some may view that growth rate as disappointing, it reflects structural, slow-moving forces — like demographics, muted growth in the labor force, and lower productivity growth — rather than any temporary headwind,” he said. Economy “So I still see the outlook as positive: The U.S. economy continues to grow in what is on pace to be the longest economic expansion in our history,” he told an audience assembled for the Inquirer’s Influencers of Finance awards at the Crystal Tea Room. Harker, like 10 other regional Fed presidents (the one in New York is permanent), is a rotating member of the Open Markets Committee, which sets interest rates. He always attends the board meetings and puts in his two cents. He will be able to vote in meetings in 2020, but not in 2019. He expects economic growth closer to 1.5 percent in the first quarter of 2019, as household spending continues at a strong, sustained pace. Businesses, on the other hand, “have reported an increase in uncertainty and a decrease in confidence,” he said. “Coupled with tighter financial conditions, the investment outlook is not quite as rosy as last year. It’s

Art! Politics! Spectacle! Continued from preceding page. by another name that hovered close but went unmentioned. No one called out Jussie Smollet, who cried not wolf but hate in a well-publicized homophobic and racist attack Chicago police now say was staged. How could everyone miss mentioning what for days was characterized by all the “progressives,” including California’s Sen. Kamala Harris, as “a modern lynching”? Someone might have conceded that Smollett, after all, is “one of us,” only acting on the smaller screen. But the attention of the gang was focused on denigrating “Green Book,” acclaimed as the best picture, a film that celebrates how a deep friendship can develop between a black man and a white man who throw off their prejudices. Real life can sometimes do that. That’s what identity politics is meant to accomplish, but that didn’t fit this year’s narrative. “Green Book” is by no means a perfect movie, but neither is it simply a feel-good black-white buddy movie, as some hyperventilating critics say it is. Lee, so angry that “Green Book” won best picture, walked up the aisle to leave only to turn back. Then he turned his back to the stage, where “Green Book” was being honored. Bad show, Spike. Movies, alas, have become less a source of thoughtful entertainment than whether they fit neatly into a politically correct narrative. Barbra Streisand, in remarks about Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” insisted that racism as depicted in the movie is as ugly and relevant now as it was in the 1970s, that nothing has changed. Does she really believe that? There’s a memorable and tender moment in “Green Book” that cuts through racism. Tony, the roughly educated white man, is struggling to write a letter home to his wife. The classically educated black pianist helps him by adding a little poetry to his feelings. When Tony wants to add a “P.S.,” the sophisticated pianist tells him with affectionate whimsy, “that’s like clanging a cowbell at the end of Shostakovich’s Seventh.” “Sure,” Tony says. Cut to Tony’s wife proudly reading the letter aloud to her family. Sometimes affection and understanding do clang like a cowbell. Shostakovich would understand. Copyright 2019 Creators.com

certainly not a dire one, but … the ambiguity of the current climate appears to be having a dampening effect.” Overall, the economy remains “pretty good,” Harker said. A strong employment picture is supported over the last couple of months by “more people coming off the sidelines to join the labor market. In fact, the primary concern we’re hearing anecdotally is not the lack of jobs but the dearth of skilled workers.” Inflation continues to run at the Fed’s “preferred 2 percent target. For several years, it was persistently low, finally moving up to our goal last year. I see inflation running slightly higher than 2 percent for this year and next. As Fed watchers well know, when we say our goal is 2 percent inflation, we don’t mean the sweet spot is exactly 2 percent all the time; it’s our medium-term average. “What I’m watching most closely is inflation’s trajectory,” he explained, what direction it’s headed and how fast. “Right now, we’re not seeing significant upward pressure, and it’s not on an accelerated path. If anything, it’s edging slightly downward.” Given a temperate climate for inflation, “my own view is that one rate hike for 2019 and one for 2020 are appropriate.” The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates in De-

cember 2019. The central bank increased rates a quarter of a percentage point, to a range of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent, the ninth such move since late 2015. The rate hike further signaled the Fed’s confidence in the U.S. economy. A similar view of the U.S. economy came from Wells Fargo Economics Group. “Several signs point to a moderate slowdown in overall economic growth relative to the strong pace registered throughout 2018,” noted the report, dated Feb. 22. “The weakness in the housing market felt through much of last year has extended into 2019. But “lower mortgage rates more recently make us optimistic that gradual improvements in home sales should be forthcoming,” the report said. The Influencers of Finance panel, which followed Harker’s prepared remarks, focused on innovation in fintech, shorthand for financial technologies. Innovations among financial advisers include voice-prompted data search, said Jess Liberi, head of product at eMoney Advisor, which was acquired by Fidelity. Other panelists included Frank Coates, founder and CEO of Wheelhouse Analytics, and Julapa Jagtiani, senior special adviser at the Philly Fed. ©2019 The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Evidence grows that Trump’s trade wars are hitting US economy by Shawn Donnan

President Donald Trump regularly declares that he’s winning his trade wars. Yet evidence is growing that the U.S. economy is a net loser so far. In two separate papers published over the weekend, some of the world’s leading trade economists declared Trump’s tariffs to be the most consequential trade experiment seen since the 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariffs blamed for worsening the Great Depression. They also found the initial cost of Trump’s duties to the U.S. economy was in the billions and being borne largely by American consumers. In a study published on Saturday, economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Princeton University and Columbia University found that tariffs imposed last year by Trump on products ranging from washing machines and steel to some $250 billion in Chinese imports were costing U.S. companies and consumers $3 billion a month in additional tax costs and Economy companies a further $1.4 billion in deadweight losses. They also were causing the diversion of $165 billion a year in trade leading to significant costs for companies having to reorganize supply chains. Significantly, the analysis of import price data by Mary Amiti, Stephen Redding and David Weinstein also found that almost all of the cost of the tariffs was being paid by U.S. consumers and companies. That contradicts Trump’s claim that China is paying the tariffs. “This is kind of the worst-case scenario in terms of consumers,” Weinstein said in an interview. “It’s pretty unclear that this trade war is a net win for the economy at this point.” The trade war was only one factor affecting the U.S. economy, Weinstein said, and with the U.S. less exposed to trade than other major western economies such as Germany, it was not having as much of an impact as it might. Delayed Investment But the numbers were still consequential, he insisted. They also did not capture all of the costs to the U.S. economy. The three economists are now working on quantifying the amount of investment that has been put on hold as a result of the heightened uncertainty caused by the trade wars, Weinstein said. In a separate paper published on Sunday four economists including Pinelopi Goldberg, the World Bank’s chief economist and a former editor-in-chief of the prestigious American Economic Review, put the annual losses from the higher cost of imports alone for the U.S. economy at $68.8 billion, or almost 0.4 percent of gross domestic product. That was offset by the gains from protectionism de-

rived by U.S. producers benefiting from the tariffs, the economists found. After accounting for the impact of higher tariff revenue and the benefits of higher prices to domestic producers the study found the aggregate annual loss for the U.S. economy fell to $6.4 billion, or 0.03 percent of GDP. The study by Goldberg, Pablo Fajgelbaum of UCLA, Patrick Kennedy of the University of California, Berkeley, and Amit Khandelwal of Columbia also found that consumers and U.S. companies were paying most of the costs of the tariffs. But it also went a step further: After factoring in the retaliation by other countries, the main victims of Trump’s trade wars had been farmers and blue-collar workers in areas that supported Trump in the 2016 election. Retaliation Costs “Workers in very Republican counties bore the brunt of the costs of the trade war, in part because retaliations disproportionately targeted agricultural sectors, and in part because U.S. tariffs raised the costs of inputs used by these counties,” the authors wrote. The studies are the most authoritative yet to document the negative effect of Trump’s tariffs on the U.S. economy, though others have shown the negative consequences. Economists at the Institute of International Finance last week calculated Chinese retaliatory tariffs alone were causing roughly $40 billion a year in lost U.S. exports. Official trade data due to be released on Wednesday also are expected to show the U.S. trade deficit in goods with the world hitting a new record in 2018 because of the combination of a surge in imports to get ahead of the new tariffs last year and slowing exports. A spokeswoman for Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers declined to comment on the new papers and referred inquiries to the office of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Spokespeople for USTR did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a speech Saturday to conservative activists Trump dismissed criticism of his tariffs and boasted that he was simply following what he argued was a glorious history of using import taxes in American history. “I found some very old laws from when our country was rich — really rich — the old tariff laws. We had to dust them off. You could hardly see, they were so dusty,” Trump told the Conservative Political Action Conference. At a minimum, Trump said, tariffs were “the greatest negotiating tool in the history of our country,” pointing to talks now underway with China which appear increasingly likely to result in a deal in the coming weeks. ©2019 Bloomberg News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

From video game to day job: How ‘SimCity’ inspired a generation of city planners by Jessica Roy

Jason Baker was studying political science at UC Davis when he got his hands on “SimCity.” He took a careful approach to the computer game. “I was not one of the players who enjoyed Godzilla running through your city and destroying it. I enjoyed making my city run well.” Careers This conscientious approach gave him a boost in a class on local government. Instead of writing a term paper about three different models for how cities can develop, Baker proposed building three scenarios in “SimCity,” then letting the game run on its own and writing about how his virtual cities fared. He ended up getting an A. Playing “SimCity,” Baker said, “helped remind me of the importance of local government, which is what I ended up doing for a living.” Today, Baker is the vice president of transportation and housing at the nonprofit Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He served as a council member in Campbell, Calif., from 2008 to 2016, a tenure that included two stints as mayor. Thirty years ago, Maxis released “SimCity” for Mac and Amiga. It was succeeded by “SimCity 2000” in 1993, “SimCity 3000” in 1999, “SimCity 4” in 2003, a version for the Nintendo DS in 2007, “SimCity: BuildIt” in 2013 and an app launched in 2014. Along the way, the games have introduced millions of players to the joys and frustrations of zoning, street grids and infrastructure funding — and influenced a generation of people who plan cities for a living. For many urban and transit planners, architects, government officials and activists, “SimCity” was their first taste of running a city. It was the first time they realized that neighborhoods, towns and cities were things that were planned, and that it was someone’s job to decide where streets, schools, bus stops and stores were supposed to go. Bitten by the city-building bug “I used to draw maps of cities for fun. I had no idea it was an actual career,” said Nicole Payne, now a program official for the National Assn. of City Transportation Officials in New York City. When she was 10, a librarian saw her drawings and told her there was a video game she should try. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without ‘SimCity,’” she said. Cuong Trinh played “SimCity” in a summer school class in junior high. Years later, after getting his undergraduate degree, he wanted to travel but because he was under 25, he had to rule out cities where he would need to rent a car to get around. “That’s what really got me thinking about urban planning and ‘SimCity,’ where you put in trains, where you help people move,”

Playing "SimCity," Jason Baker said, "helped remind me of the importance of local government, which is what I ended up doing for a living." (Ksinan Peter/Dreamstime/TNS) said Trinh, now acting senior transportation Sims,” which became one of the bestselling video games of all time. planner for Caltrans in downtown L.A. Like most video games based on reIn more than a dozen interviews for this article, people who went from “SimCity” al-world jobs, “SimCity” oversimplifies some enthusiasts to professional planners talked of the more mundane elements of urban planabout what they liked about the game: The ning. The game has never allowed mixed-use way you can visualize how a single change space. (In other words, the ubiquitous midaffects a whole city. The ability to see how rise apartment building with ground-floor transit, livability and the economy are all commercial space currently taking America’s connected. The fact that no one likes to live cities by storm does not exist.) There are no bike lanes. No iteration of “SimCity” has ever near a landfill. Like Baker, many of the players who accurately depicted the staggering amount went on to become planners generally of a city’s square footage that’s spent on said they didn’t like to activate the game’s parking lots. The lead designer of the 2013 version, built-in “disaster” mode, which unleashes earthquakes, hurricanes or Godzilla on cities. Stone Librande, lent some insight in an They got satisfaction from building pristine article in the Atlantic: Parking lots are ugly cities so efficient they could run themselves. and boring. “That is a damning indictment, less of Simplified simulations Will Wright, the creator of “SimCity,” the game and more of urban planning,” said imagined when he designed the game that it Aaron Brown, a community organizer and would be interesting only to architects and transportation activist based in Portland, Ore., city planners. But the first version wound who credits his early enthusiasm for transit up selling more than 1 million copies and to “SimCity.” He spent many hours trying to build a city changing the nature of gaming. It popularized the simulation game genre with no space for driving at all — only buses and turned Maxis — a start-up launched in and trains. But like in real life, mass transit is Orinda, Calif., by Wright and Jeff Braun — expensive to build and maintain in “SimCity,” into an industry titan. Maxis capitalized on and some of the residents still want to drive, the game’s success, publishing “SimAnt,” no matter how convenient your rail system is. “SimFarm,” “SimEarth,” “SimTower,” “Sim- He was never able to make it work. (Today, Life,” “SimIsle” and “SimHealth” in its first he’s a self-described “rabble rouser” working decade, along with a handful of less popular to halt a proposed freeway expansion.) That issue speaks to a larger criticism of non-simulation titles. The company was valued at $125 million “SimCity”: Wright’s vision imposed an oldby the time it was acquired by EA in 1997. In school approach to city-building, influenced 2000, the Redwood City studio released “The by Robert Moses and the Chicago school. For those early urban planners, and in “SimCity,” there were binary solutions to problems. To lower crime rates, build police stations. If people complain about traffic, build more roads. If you need space to build a freeway or a stadium, raze working-class neighborhoods. “A lot of the assumptions baked into that game are the normative assumptions that we need to be questioning,” Brown said. Some of that includes examining what the game chooses to leave out: The environment wasn’t a consideration beyond air quality. The race of a city’s populace was largely a non-factor.

Greener, more global games The next generation of “SimCity” players may have a different perspective. The “SimCity: BuildIt” app, developed at EA’s Twentytrack studio in Helsinki, Finland, has 6.1 million players and more than 200 million lifetime downloads, according to EA. Inka Spara, the game manager, said the team has purposefully brought a more European perspective to the game. Many of them played previous versions of “SimCity” in the early stages of app development. She said they recognized that Wright’s approach stemmed from a very American, very 20th century style of city-building. It struck them how the buildings and maps all appeared American. So they added different types of architecture and topography from cities in Asia and Europe. As of the most recent release, players can build on a map with fjords. “We’ve actually had a lot of fights about parking spaces,” Spara said, specifically, working with the artists to keep visible parking in their residential building models. Like their predecessors, she said, her team’s artists prefer the way the houses look without any parking. But it was important for her to maintain some level of realism. Bike lanes are something they’ve considered adding to the game in the future, she said. “People just love biking here.” In general, Spara said environmentalism and climate change are topics they’ve worked hard to address. You can play a “Green City” map in which residents have urban gardens and there’s less pollution. Solar power is now an option. “We can see that those things resonate really well with folks that play the game,” she said. Jarrett Walker is a consultant in public transit network design and policy who runs the blog Human Transit. Call him “SimCity”-critical: He has written at length about the game over the years, with posts such as “Did SimCity make us stupid?” and “SimCity will continue to mislead on transit.” For people who become planners, Walker said, the “SimCity” games are a good introduction to the field. Those people will go on to understand what the game gets right and wrong. But the vast majority of players, whose exposure to city planning begins and ends with the game, might come to think “SimCity’s” approach is the only way to build a city. By masking the real-world effect of car-oriented transit and only allowing single-use zoning, he said, “SimCity” veers from entertainment into ideology. Top of mind among city planners today is a set of problems not present in the game. Jose Sanchez, an assistant professor in the architecture school at USC, tried to address some of “SimCity’s” oversights in his game, “Block’hood,” namely ecology and verticality, instead of sprawl. “‘SimCity’ establishes a very fundamental literacy in systems,” Sanchez said. He hopes games like his will extend that literacy to some of the finer points of city-building. He’s currently working on a sequel, “Common’hood,” which takes into account neighborhood-level problems such as homelessness and drug addiction. ©2019 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 • 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.

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Brandiful Marketing, L.L.C. (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the Company is 1934 S. 61st Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The registered agent of the Company is Britney Hansen, 1934 S. 61st Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The Company was formed on February 19, 2019. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION Maguire Home Services Incorporated, whose registered agent is Robert E. Maguire and registered office is 2884 Martin Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68112, was formed on February 26, 2019 to engage in any lawful business. The corporation has authorized 10,000 shares of capital stock. Thomas E. Whitmore, Incorporator First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF NETWAR NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that NETWAR has been incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The principal office of the nonprofit public benefit corporation is 17119 Sherwood Ave, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The registered agent and office is Travis Kreikemeier, 17119 Sherwood Ave, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The effective date of the incorporation was October 8, 2018 for the perpetual duration and the organization is managed by its board of directors. The purpose of the nonprofit corporation is to organize video gaming events with the proceeds benefiting various charitable organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF KW LANDSCAPE & DESIGN, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that KW Landscape & Design, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 5080 S. 159th Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 13625 California Street, Suite 110, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF HG HOLDINGS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that HG Holdings, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 16636 Leavenworth Street, Omaha, NE 68118. The Registered Agent of the Company is Yongmin Gui, her office is located at 16636 Leavenworth Street, Omaha, NE 68118. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 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 HEARTLAND AG SYSTEMS MANUFACTURING LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Heartland Ag Systems Manufacturing 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 68154. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The limited liability company commenced business on February 22, 2019. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Make Ready Cleaning LLC (the "Company") has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 4811 Burt Street, Omaha, NE 68132. The Registered Agent of the Company is Michael A Pekas, 4811 Burt Street, Omaha, NE 68132. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JILL CARSON PHOTOGRAPHY, LLC Notice is hereby given that Jill Carson Photography, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. Its initial agent and designated office is Jillian Carson, 17319 Sharp Street, Omaha, NE 68135. The LLC was organized on January 16, 2019. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 NOTICE FOR REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Sealed Proposals will be received by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at the Engineering Division Office, 2200 North 33rd Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68503, for the following project at the time listed: DATE AND TIME: April 8, 2019 @ 12:00 P.M. PROJECT: Request for Qualifications for Design Build Services for Group Rental Facility LOCATION: Eugene T. Mahoney State Park NEAR: Ashland, Nebraska COUNTY: Cass, County RFQ Documents are on file at the Engineering Division Office, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 North 33rd Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, phone (402) 471-5571. Interested Proposers may obtain copies of the documents on our website at http://apps.outdoornebraska.gov/projects or request a copy by mail. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive any or all informalities or irregularities. NEBRASKA GAME and PARKS COMMISSION BY: JAMES N. DOUGLAS - Director First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 DANIEL J. WATERS, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF MARISSA FRICKE, 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 Marissa Fricke, 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 February 19, 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 February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019

JOSEPH J. SKUDLAREK 1055 N 115 Street STE 301 Omaha NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LLC The Nebraska limited liability company’s name is Revive Innovations LLC. Its designated office is 12110 Windward Avenue, Papillion NE 68046. Its purpose is any lawful business. It commenced on February 15, 2019. Its affairs shall be managed by a Member/Manager. Nic Novotny, Organizer First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CARETECH NEBRASKA, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Caretech Nebraska, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 11904 Arbor Street #201, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 13625 California Street, Suite 110, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF HAWTHORNE BASEMENTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Hawthorne Basements, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 19201 Sahler Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 13625 California Street, Suite 110, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SUMMER SOLSTICE PUBLISHING LLC Notice is hereby given that Summer Solstice Publishing LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under Nebraska laws, with its designated office at 3009 N 76th Street, Omaha, NE 68134. 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 February 21, 2019. Its affairs are to be conducted by the manager Lisa A. Quaites. Its registered agent is Lisa A. Quaites and her office is located at 3009 N 76th Street, Omaha, NE 68134. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that MVL Enterprises, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, as of January 24, 2019, with its registered office at 3948 V Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68107, and with Tiffany E. Thompson as its initial agent for service of process at 4611 S. 96th Street, Suite 250, Omaha, NE 68127. The general nature of its business is to engage in and to do any lawful act and any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of Nebraska. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO THE CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION On 02/06/2019, GREAT PLAINS ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL SOLUTIONS, LLC filed an AMENDMENT TO THE CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION changing its name to : GREAT PLAINS SEED CO., LLC First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF DAHL FAMILY FARM 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 February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF R & J HOLDINGS, 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 February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PAULLY SK8, 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 February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF HEMP WHOLESALERS DIRECT, 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 February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 RUSSELL S. DAUB, Attorney 2800 South 110th Court, Suite 1 Omaha, Nebraska 68144-4818 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION FOR INCONTRO HOLDINGS, L.L.C. Notice is hereby given that a Company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The name of the Company is INCONTRO HOLDINGS, L.L.C. The address of the registered office is 16325 Grover Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 and the name of the company’s initial registered agent is CYNTHIA INCONTRO. The Company shall engage in any lawful business for which a Company may be formed under the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced busi-ness on February 12, 2019, and its duration shall be perpetual. The affairs of the Company are to be conducted by its Members. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF FANTASY DRIVE, INC. Registered Office: 7914 West Dodge Road, Omaha, Nebraska, 68114 The Corporation shall engage in any lawful business for which a corporation may be formed under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. Authorized capital stock is $10,000 to be fully paid and non-assessable on issue. Perpetual existence commenced January 3, 2018, when articles were filed with the Secretary of State. Affairs are to be conducted by the Board of Directors and Officers authorized by the Bylaws and the Board. Alvin C. Okereke, Incorporator First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PALMER SCHOOL OF MASSAGE, 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 Palmer School of Massage, 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 15555 Walnut Drive, Omaha, NE 68144. Deborah J. Palmer, Members First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Virtual Tour Omaha, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, was organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, as of November 19, 2018, and filed a Statement of Correction to note the name as Virtual Tours Omaha, LLC on January 8, 2019. The company’s registered office is located at 14714 Girard Street, Bennington, NE 68007, and Tiffany E. Thompson will serve as its initial agent for service of process at 4611 South 96th Street, Suite 250, Omaha, NE 68127. The general nature of its business is to engage in and to do any lawful act and any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of Nebraska. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF WOODCHUCKERS TREE SERVICE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Woodchuckers Tree Service, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 912 Lakeview Drive, Eagle, Nebraska 68347. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 13625 California Street, Suite 110, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 TIEDEMAN, LYNCH, KAMPFE, McVAY & RESPELIERS, Attorneys 6910 Pacific Street, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68106-1045 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR19-100 Estate of Robert J. Wolff, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on January 30, 2019, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Probate of the Will of said Deceased and that James L. Wolff, whose address is 1234 Daytona Avenue, Holly Hill, Florida 32117, 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 April 22, 2019 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 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: BRYAN P O'NEILL, 2419 Pierce St, Omaha NE 68105, you are hereby notified that on De-cember 26, 2018, DWORAK FAMILY PROPERTIES filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI18-26888, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $7,290.00, 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 8th day of April, 2019, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication February 15, 2019, final March 8, 2019 NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: EDWIN TAYE You are hereby notified that on 09/20/18, the Plaintiff Credit Management Services, Inc., filed a Complaint in the COUNTY Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska, against you shown as Case Number CI18 19421. The object and prayer of which is a judgment in the amount of 590.29, plus court costs, pre-judgment interest and attorney fees, if applicable. The Complaint prays that judgment be entered against you. You are hereby notified that you must answer the Complaint on or before 04/14/19 at the COUNTY court of DOUGLAS County, COUNTY Nebraska. Megan L. Bischoff #25206 P.O. Box 1512 Grand Island, NE 68802 (308)398-3801 Attorney for Plaintiff First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 KATHRYN M. HEMENWAY, Attorney 5310 S. 139th Plaza, Suite 301 Omaha, Nebraska 68137 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: LEILAH'S LEARNING CENTER Name of Applicant: MUYA'S FAMILY DAYCARE INC Address: 6931 OAK PLAZA, Apt 413, OMAHA, NE 68106 Applicant is a Corporation If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: NEBRASKA Date of first use of name in Nebraska: January 1, 2019 General nature of business: Daycare ABDI MUYA Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative March 8, 2019

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF EMPOWERED PREVENTION LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Empowered Prevention LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 8811 Webster Plaza, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent of the Company is USCA. Inc., 1603 Farnam Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 MIDTOWN ROWS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., a Nebraska non-profit corporation, Notice is hereby given that Midtown Rows Homeowners Association, Inc. is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its principle office located at 12040 McDermott Plaza, Suite 200 La Vista, Nebraska, 68128. The name of its initial registered agent is Allen Grimes. The general nature of its business is to provide for the maintenance, preservation and architectural control of the improvements and common areas within the Midtown Rows subdivision, a residential subdivision in Sarpy County, Nebraska. The corporation is a mutual benefit corporation and shall have members. The Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State on February 15, 2018. The affairs of the corporation shall be conducted by a Board of Directors, a President, Secretary and Treasurer as may be prescribed by the bylaws or appointed by the Board of Directors. The name and address of the initial incorporator is as follows: Allen Grimes, 12040 McDermott Plaza, Suite 200, La Vista, Nebraska 68128. Allen Grimes, Incorporator and Initial Director First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ANGELA J TURNER, 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 ANGELA J TURNER, 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 8217 N. 172nd Street, Bennington, Nebraska 68007. Angela J. Turner, Member First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LYN ECHTER REAL ESTATE, 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 LYN ECHTER REAL ESTATE, LLC. The company is organized to render real estate sales services. 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 2541 N. 159th Street, Omaha, NE 68116. Lynn Echter, Member First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CV BUILDING GROUP, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that CV Building Group, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 222 S. 15th Street, Suite 1404S, Omaha, Nebraska 98102. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 13625 California Street, Suite 110, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CVC INVESTMENTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that CVC Investments, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 222 S. 15th Street, Suite 1404S, Omaha, Nebraska 98102. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 13625 California Street, Suite 110, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 CHARLES E. DORWART, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney GOVIER, KATSKEE, SUING & MAXELL, PC, LLO 10404 Essex Court, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that be Epictetus Cato, L.L.C. has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its registered office located at 1805 North 18th Street, Apt 101, Omaha, NE 68110. The general nature of the business is to transact all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the Nebraska law. The company was organized on December 27, 2018 and shall have a perpetual existence. Its purpose is to provide services to the elderly. The affairs of the company are to be conducted by Member Managers as designated in the operating agreement. Autumn Golonka, Member Manager First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF THE NIGHT WRITER, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that The Night Writer, LLC, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address is 1410 N. 160th Street, Omaha, NE 68118, and the registered agent is Phillip V. Clark. The general nature of the business is to write and edit articles for businesses in any industry. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION Rice Noodle Thai, Inc., whose registered agent is Max Lau and registered office is 10685 Bedford Ave, #120, Omaha, Nebraska 68134, was formed on February 28, 2019 to engage in any lawful business. The corporation has authorized 10,000 shares of capital stock. Thomas E. Whitmore, Incorporator First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BRANDED PROPERTIES, 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 Branded Properties, 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 15605 Parker Circle, Omaha, NE 68118. Trevor Brandenburgh, Member First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF BRANDED HOLDING, INC. Notice is hereby given that a corporation has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the corporation is BRANDED HOLDING, INC. The corporation is authorizied to issue 10,000 shares of common stock. The name and street address of the corporation’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara Medbery-Prchal, P.C., L.L.O., 10305 Joseph Circle, La Vista, NE 68128, and its incorporator is Trevor Brandenburgh, 15605 Parker Circle, Lincoln, NE 68037. Trevor Brandenburgh, Incorporator First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF YGG, 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 YGG, 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 17117 Burt Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. Yelena Ginzburg, Member First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SHELTON HOME SERVICES, 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 SHELTON HOME SERVICES, 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 2514 S. 119 Street, Omaha, NE 68144. Mackenzie Shelton, Member First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MAGNI STONE, 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 Magni Stone, 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 13353 A Street, Omaha, Nebraska. Brandon Magni, Member First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JEN CONGER MARKETING, LLC Notice is hereby given that a limited liability company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the company is Jen Conger Marketing, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara Medbery-Prchal, P.C., L.L.O., 10305 Joseph Circle, La Vista, NE 68128. The designated office is located at 19905 Blondo Parkway, Elkhorn, NE 68022. Jennifer Conger, Member First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 • LEGAL NOTICES DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PARKER FINANCIAL ASSOCIATES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Parker Financial Associates, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 14802 Ruggles Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 13625 California Street, Suite 110, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Butterfly Maiden, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has filed its Statement of Dissolution with the Nebraska Secretary of State on February 26, 2019, and the company is in the process of voluntary dissolution. The terms and conditions of such dissolution are, in general, that all debts and obligations of the company are to be fully paid and satisfied or adequate provision is to be made therefore. Rebecca S. Luther will wind up the company’s business and affairs. The Company will have no remaining assets or liabilities. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 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 DT DELI, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that DT Deli, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 1417 N. 128th Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 S 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on February 22, 2019. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 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 SPRINGHILL DENTAL ASSISTING ACADEMY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that SpringHill Dental Assisting Academy, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 4327 South 174th Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Yu-Ting Christina Chiang, 4327 South 174th Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The limited liability company commenced business on February 22, 2019. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that TruFit New Mexico, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, filed its Statement of Dissolution with the Nebraska Secretary of State on February 25, 2019, and the company is in the process of voluntary dissolution. The terms and conditions of such dissolution are, in general, that all debts and obligations of the company are to be fully paid and satisfied or adequate provision is to be made therefore, and that the balance of any remaining assets are to be distributed to its Members. Tony Dahmen will wind up and liquidate the company’s business and affairs. If you have a claim against TruFit New Mexico, LLC, please provide the following information with respect to your claim: 1) your name or the name of your entity; 2) the nature of your claim; 3) the amount of your claim; and 4) the date your claim arose. All claims shall be mailed to TruFit New Mexico, LLC, c/o Dvorak Law Group, LLC, 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, NE 68114. A claim against TruFit New Mexico, LLC is barred unless an action to enforce the claim is commenced within five (5) years after the publication date of the third required notice. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LEFT-BRAIN GIFTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Left-Brain Gifts, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, designating its registered agent as Erickson & Sederstrom, P.C. a limited liability organization with its registered office at 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Company was organized for the purpose of engaging in the transaction of any lawful business and the performance of any lawful activities that a limited liability company may engage in under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Company shall have perpetual existence unless dissolved in accordance with its Certificate of Organization, its Operating Agreement or the Limited Liability Company Act. Unless otherwise provided in the Company’s Operating Agreement, the affairs of the Company are to be managed by its members. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), NATHAN C WEISE You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 10/31/2018 on Case Number CI18-22703, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $140.00, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 04/15/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), LYNN R NELSON You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 11/05/2018 on Case Number CI18-24207, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $428.80, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 04/15/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), MICHELLE L NORMAN You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 110/30/2018 on Case Number CI18-22699, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $208.82, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 04/15/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), LINDSAY S ARENAS You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 11/05/2018 on Case Number CI18-21923, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $280.76, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 04/15/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9590 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 1 CHOICE HOME CARE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 1 Choice Home Care, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 11310 Davenport Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 13625 California Street, Suite 110, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication March 1, 2019, final March 15, 2019 CHARLES E. DORWART, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney GOVIER, KATSKEE, SUING & MAXELL, PC, LLO 10404 Essex Court, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that be Neil & Steve Real Estate L.L.C. has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its registered office located at 12116 South 214th Street, Gretna, NE 68028. The general nature of the business is to transact all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the Nebraska law. The company was organized on January 24, 2019 and shall have a perpetual existence. Its purpose is to own, manage, and invest in real estate. The affairs of the company are to be conducted by Member Managers as designated in the operating agreement. Neil Hoebelheinrich, Member Manager First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 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 SNOWMASS AIR LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Snowmass Air LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 15750 West Dodge Road, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The limited liability company commenced business on February 13, 2019. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF DONN RAYMOND CONSULTING L.L.C. 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 Donn Raymond Consulting L.L.C. The name and address of the registered agent is Donn Raymond, 19105 Frances Circle, Omaha, NE 68130. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on February 7, 2019 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Managers as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 KELLOGG & PALZER, P.C. 10828 Old Mill Road, Suite 6 Omaha, Nebraska 68154-2647 NOTICE OFAMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION CHANGE OF NAME The Certificate of Organization of Mitchell Masker Landscape Management, LLC has been amended, changing the name of the company from Mitchell Masker Landscape Management, LLC to ENLIGHTEN LAWN AND LANDSCAPING, LLC, effective February 12, 2019. All other provisions of the Certificate of Organization remain unchanged. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 PATRICK M. FLOOD, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF cozyElegance, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of cozyElegance, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is cozyElegance, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 1013 Howard Street, #2, Omaha, Nebraska 68102, and the name and street address of the registered agent for service of process is Patrick M. Flood, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska, 68114. First publication February 22, 2019, final March 8, 2019 SHANNON G. MCCOY, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF RYDER BEAR PHOTO CO, 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 RYDER BEAR PHOTO CO., LLC. The name and address of the registered agent and office is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on February 22, 2019 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the manager as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc., Organizer First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF KAASCH MONEY INVESTING, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of Kaasch Money Investing, LLC has been amended and restated. The limited liability company shall now provide real estate services. The designated office of the limited liability company remains the same at 503 South 36th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68105. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company remains at Koley Jessen, P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Amended and Restated Certificate of Organization was filed on February 26, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF BS DENTISTRY, P.C. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that BS Dentistry, P.C., a Nebraska professional corporation (“Corporation”), has filed Articles of Dissolution with the Nebraska Secretary of State on February 28, 2019, and the Corporation is in the process of voluntary dissolution. The terms and conditions of such dissolution are, in general, that all debts and obligations of the Corporation are to be fully paid and satisfied or adequate provision is to be made therefore. Shane Sudman, President of the Corporation, will wind up and liquidate the Corporation’s business and affairs. The Corporation has no assets or liabilities as of the date hereof. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 LEGACY QUILTING SERVICES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Legacy Quilting Services, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 17330 West Center Road, Suite 110-303, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on March 4, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

LEGAL NOTICES 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 HIGHWAY 370 HQ, LLC The name of the Company is Highway 370 HQ, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. This limited liability company commenced business on February 27, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 4SEAMS ACADEMY, LLC The name of the Company is 4Seams Academy, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 8417 South 106th Street, La Vista, Nebraska 68128. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. This limited liability company commenced business on March 5, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 HMWWC, LLC The name of the Company is HMWWC, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 7887 F Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68127. 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 February 27, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 RLZ COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS, LLC The name of the Company is RLZ Communications Holdings, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 2929 California Plaza, #5107, Omaha, Nebraska 68131. 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 February 27, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 HMWF, LLC The name of the Company is HMWF, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 7887 F Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68127. 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 February 27, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Rend, L.L.C. (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the Company is 12665 Meredith Ave, Omaha, Nebraska 68164. The registered agent of the Company is Thomas E. Whitmore, 7602 Pacific Street, Ste, 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Company was formed on February 28, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 JJM COMMUNICATIONS, LLC The name of the Company is JJM Communications, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 7887 F Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68127. 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 February 27, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION 1. The name of the Corporation is Nebraska for Elephants, Inc. 2. The Corporation is authorized to issue 10,000 shares having a par value of $0.001 each. 3. The Registered Office of the Corporation is: 13407 Seward St., Omaha, NE 68154, and the Registered Agent at such address is Kari Ann Morfeld. 4. The corporate existence began on January 16, 2019, when Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State. 5. The name and address of the Incorporator is: LegalZoom.com, Inc., 101 N. Brand Blvd., 10th Floor, Glendale, CA 91203. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 M5 EXPERIENCE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that M5 Experience, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 3218 S. 184th Terrace, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. 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 68154. The limited liability company commenced business on March 4, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 JOHN C. WIELAND, Attorney SMITH, GARDNER, SLUSKY, LAZER, POHREN & ROGERS, LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF DWBH, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on February ___, 2019, DWBH, LLC was organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, with a designated office at 1242 South 116th Avenue Street, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska 68144. The Company’s initial agent for service of process is Thomas Mausbach, 1242S. 116th Avenue Street, Omaha, NE 68144. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 MAA COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS, LLC The name of the Company is MAA Communications Holdings, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 2929 California Plaza, #5107, Omaha, Nebraska 68131. 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 February 27, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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. PR19-249 Estate of Kevin J. O'Reilly, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on February 26th, 2019, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of the Intestacy of said Decedent and that Jessica Predoehl, of 11858 Newport Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68164, was informally appointed by the Registrar as Personal Representative of the Estate. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 30, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before May 8th, 2019 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 SUNICE AD RETAIL, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Sunice AD Retail, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 2111 S. 67th Street, Suite 400, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Dana Bradford, 2111 S. 67th Street, Suite 400, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The limited liability company commenced business on February 27, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION KEG 2 Properties, 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 1602 North 11th Street, Omaha, NE 68110. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process are R. Craig Fry, Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ONE SPARK CLEANING AND SERVICES, LLC One Spark Cleaning and Services, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The registered agent and office is Danielle Dring, 8712 West Dodge Road, #400, Omaha, NE 68114. The Company shall engage in any lawful business for which a limited liability company may be formed under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The perpetual existence commences when the Certificate of Organization is filed with the Secretary of State. Its affairs are to be conducted by its Members pursuant to an Operating Agreement duly adopted by the Company. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF WOODSONIA 204 APARTMENT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Woodsonia 204 Apartment, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. The Registered Agent of the Company is Andrew A. Snyder, 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GOOD BEAR, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Good Bear, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 16521 Douglas Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 W. Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 JAMES D. BUSER, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF THE TIPSY PIG, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of The Tipsy Pig, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is The Tipsy Pig, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 12910 Pierce Street, Suite 110, Omaha, Nebraska 68144, 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 March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 JESSICA E. THOMAS, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF THE PRESERVE AT THE FARM HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION 1. The name of the Corporation is The Preserve at the Farm Homeowners Association. 2. The Corporation is a mutual benefit corporation. 3. The address of the registered office is 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name of the registered agent at that office is James D. Buser. 4. The name and street address of each incorporator are as follows: William Douglas, Malibu Holdings, LLC, 21008 Cumberland Drive, Suite 110 Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022 R. Jeffery Lake, Malibu Holdings, LLC, 21008 Cumberland Drive, Suite 110 Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022 5. The Corporation will have members. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 SEAN D. MOYLAN, Attorney MOYLAN LAW, LLC 1010 South 120th Street, Suite 320 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 N O T I C E O F A M E N D M E N T T O T H E A RT I C L E S O F INCORPORATION On February 27, 2019, Dr. Kristin Reed & Associates, P.C. filed an Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation changing its name to: ModernEyes Eyecare & Eyewear, P.C. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 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 C3 RETAIL, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that C3 Retail, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 2111 S. 67th Street, Suite 400, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Dana Bradford, 2111 S. 67th Street, Suite 400, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The limited liability company commenced business on February 27, 2019. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF RJL PROPERTIES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that RJL Properties, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, designating its registered agent as Erickson & Sederstrom, P.C. a limited liability organization with its registered office at 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Company was organized for the purpose of engaging in the transaction of any lawful business and the performance of any lawful activities that a limited liability company may engage in under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Company shall have perpetual existence unless dissolved in accordance with its Certificate of Organization, its Operating Agreement or the Limited Liability Company Act. Unless otherwise provided in the Company’s Operating Agreement, the affairs of the Company are to be managed by its member. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 • LEGAL NOTICES DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION 1. The name of the Corporation is Curt Mantz Youth Foundation. 2. The Corporation is a public benefit corporation. 3. The Registered Office of the Corporation is 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the Registered Agent at such address is DDLG Business Services, Inc. 4. The name and address of the March 5, 2019 when Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SAMWAY SOLUTIONS, LLC Notice is hereby given that Samway Solutions, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under Nebraska laws, with its designated office at 8028 Fillmore St, Omaha, NE 68122. 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 February 4, 2019. Its affairs are to be conducted by registered agent Carol Samway. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: RICHARD BARCELONA You are hereby notified that on 09/27/18, the Plaintiff Credit Management Services, Inc., filed a Complaint in the COUNTY Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska, against you shown as Case Number CI18 20125. The object and prayer of which is a judgment in the amount of 815.00, plus court costs, pre-judgment interest and attorney fees, if applicable. The Complaint prays that judgment be entered against you. You are hereby notified that you must answer the Complaint on or before 04/21/19 at the COUNTY court of DOUGLAS County, OMAHA Nebraska. Steven J. Morrison #24708 P.O. Box 1512 Grand Island, NE 68802 (308)398-3801 Attorney for Plaintiff First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 DEAN F. SUING, Attorney GOVIER, KATSKEE, SUING & MAXELL, PC, LLO 10404 Essex Court, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MARK’S HOME AND TECH SERVICES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has formed a limited liability company under the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act, as follows: The name of the company is Mark’s Home and Tech Services, LLC. The address of the designated office is 7608 N. 279th Street, Valley, Nebraska, 68064 and the initial registered agent is Mark W. McCleery, 7608 N. 279th Street, Valley, Nebraska 68064. The company is organized to engage in and do any lawful act concerning any and all lawful business, other than banking and insurance, for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of Nebraska. The limited liability company commenced existence on the filing and recording of its Certificate of Organization with the Secretary of State on February 26, 2019, and shall have a perpetual period of duration from the date the Certificate of Organization was filed with the Secretary of State. Management of the Company shall be vested in an initial board of one manager who shall serve until successors are appointed or elected. Mark W. McCleery, Registered Agent First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 S. 10th Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF ALP INC. ALAN D. PFEFER, 1702 S. 10 St., Ste. 2, Omaha, NE 68108, President, will manage the wind up and liquidation of its business and affairs. Assets, if any, remaining after paying liabilities will be distributed pro-rata to the shareholders. All claims against the corporation must be forwarded to the corporation must be forwarded to the corporation at the foregoing address and contain the name of the claimant, the nature and amount of the claim, and the address and a contact person for the claimant. A claim against the corporation is barred unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within three years after the publication date of the third required notice. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), SCOTT A LEWIN & AMY M LEWIN You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 11/06/2018 on Case Number CI18-24203, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $2,718.56, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 04/22/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019

STATE OF NEBRASKA PAROLE BOARD HEARINGS NOTICE A total of 154 cases will be heard by the Board in March, 2019. The following case( s) sentenced in Douglas County will be seen by the Board of Parole. March 18, 2019 – 8:30 a.m. Nebraska State Penitentiary, Lincoln, Nebraska Admire, Ricky 71159 False Imprisonment 1st Degree, Strangulation, Tampering (2 counts), Terroristic Threats Primes, Kevin 81110 Sexual Assault 1st Degree Townsell, Marvin 81202 Sexual Assault of Child 1st Deg Keever, James 85362 Pos Cntrl Sub Except Marijuana, Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Edie, Robert 85512 Escape, Pos Cntrl Sub Except Marijuana Mejia, Francisco 86465 Sexual Assult of Child 3rd Deg (2 counts) Cartmill, Cody 87475 Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Bass, Lorenzo 88089 Sexual Assault 1st Degree Gonzales, Bill 88439 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug (2 counts) G o n z a l e s , M a r 8 7 9 0 0 A c c e s s o r y t o a F e l o n y, P o s Cntrl Sub Except Marijuana, Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop (2 counts) March 19, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, Tecumseh, Nebraska Collins, Sean 82021 Forgery 2nd Degree, Operate Motor Veh/ Avoid Arrest, Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop, Theft by Unlwfl Taking or Disp, Viol of Financial Trans Device Thomas, Jeremiah 82910 Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Romero, Jose 85179 Burglary March 19, 2019 – 12:30 p.m. Lincoln Correctional Center, Lincoln, Nebraska Baker, Robert 68627 Assault 2nd Degree, Robbery, Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop, Theft by Unlawl Taking or Disp (2 counts) Brummett, Michael 69945 Burglary (3 counts) Martis, Jonathan 75962 Aslt Peac Ofcr/DCS Emp 3rd Dgr (2 counts), Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug Washington, Anthony 79083 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug, Possession of Defaced Firearm Looney, John 85928 Burglary, Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug Williams, Terry 86157 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug, Terroristic Threats Thompson, Kavon 86554, Assault 2nd Degree Rowan, Maleek 88559 Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop, Theft by Unlwful Taking or Disp Reath, Jack 88635 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Smith, Jeremy 88715 Assault 1st Degree Johnson, Clifton 88845 Assault 1st Degree Barnes, Gary 78209 Robbery (4 counts), Use Deadly Weap to Commit Fel Brown, Dylan 88712 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Calderon, Clifton 88769 Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Richard, Trondell 80817 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug March 20, 2019 – 8:30 a.m. Community Correctional Center Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska Howard, Jeff 81471 Child Abuse Kittleson, Scott 87120 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Tun, Sein 87361 Driving While Intoxicated (2 counts) Melcher, Max 87499 Robbery (2 counts) Herrera, Angel 99104 Criminal Impersonation, Theft by Shoplifting (2 counts), Viol of Financial Trans Device March 21, 2018 – 9:30 a.m. Community Correctional Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska Fountain, Marcus 51814 Assault 1st Degree, Use Deadly Weap to Commit Fel Kinstler, Ryan 83737 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug, Terroristic Threats, Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Jones, Durell 84103 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug, Possession of Defaced Firear Bluett, Charles 85589 Robbery Langford, Jacion 86255 Robbery (2 counts), Theft by Deception, Theft by Unlawfl Taking or Disp Johnston, Gram 88180 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Bush, William 80329 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug Tang, Buom 75646 Burglary, Robbery March 25, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. Omaha Correctional Center, Omaha, Nebraska Knutson, Shad 78337 Child Abuse, Enticement/Electronic Comm Dev Floyd, Peyton 78571 Sexual Assault 1st Degree Brown, Royce 79152 Sexual Assult of Child 1st Deg Titsworth, Tyrone 84280 Terroristic Threats (2 counts), Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Henderson, Owinton 84671 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I (3 counts) Wiles, Jacob 85536 Sexual Assult of Child 3rd Deg (2 counts) Pumala, Keith 87393 Burglary (2 counts), Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Sund, Christian 87630 Assault 1st Degree Pemberton, Jason 87767 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug, Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Amaya-Vasquez, Jose 87953 Sexual Assault 1st Degree Grant, Marquevis 88094 Sexual Assault 1st Degree March 27, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, York, Nebraska Milton, Tiahna 99264 Pos Cntrl Sub Except Marijuana (2 counts), Robbery Sachez, Jessica 99802 Burglary ROSALYN COTTON, CHAIR NEBRASKA BOARD OF PAROLE March 8, 2019

ROBERT E. BURNS, Attorney 11330 Q Street, Suite 220 Omaha, Nebraska 68137 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: Beanstalk Child Care and Academy Name of Applicant: Imagine Concepts LLC Address: 5724 N 81st Street, Omaha, NE 68134 Applicant is a Limited Liability Company If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska Date of first use of name in Nebraska: January 2008 General nature of business: Daycare and preschool education JACQUELYNNE R. BROWN Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative March 8, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: Vivere Name of Applicant: City Centre 1, LLC Address: 5007 Grover St, Omaha, NE 68106 Applicant is a Limited Liability Company If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska Date of first use of name in Nebraska: New General nature of business: Real Estate CHRISTOPHER ERICKSON Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative March 8, 2019 MARK GOODALL, 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. PR19-265 Estate of FRANCES JOHNSON, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on 1st day of March, 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 Christoper P. Johnson, whose address is 2406bWindsor Drive, Papillion, NE 68046, 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 May 8th, 2019 or be forever barred. KELLY J. GOLDEN Clerk of the County Court First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 PHILLIP A. BELIN, Attorney BELIN LAW FIRM, P.C., L.L.O. 12341 Westover Road Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that RYAN JAMES, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act. The address of the registered office of the company is 16726 H Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The agent at such office is Deborah Cornwell. The general nature of the business to be transacted by the company is any lawful business which may be carried on by limited liability companies organized under the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced on February 14, 2019, and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company are to be conducted by its members. First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), JEREMY R ALLEN You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 11/05/2018 on Case Number CI18-24187, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $1,877.63, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 04/29/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication March 8, 2019, final March 22, 2019

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Can a speech therapist apply for unemployment benefits during school breaks? by Carrie Mason-Draffen

DEAR CARRIE: I am employed by a staffing company part time during the school year to provide speech therapy to students. I am considered a company employee, as I receive a W2. I was wondering if I would be eligible for unemployment benefits during the summer months. -Summer BeneWorkplace fits? DEAR SUMMER: As the employee of a third party, you would have a good case for filing for unemployment benefits if your employer essentially lays you off during the summer. State unemployment laws that make workers employed by school districts ineligible for jobless benefits during school breaks don’t apply to people employed by a third party. Here is what the New York Labor Department’s website says about the sections of unemployment law that address the issue: “If you work in a school but are not directly employed by the school itself, Section 590.10 or 590.11 does not affect you. For example, Section 590 would not apply to you if you work for a private bus company or a private food service vendor that contracts with a school.” To be more specific, Section 590.10 applies to someone who is employed by an educational institution in an instructional, research or principal administrative capacity, the website says. Examples include: Teacher, tutor, guidance counselor and business manager. Section 590.11 applies to someone who is employed by an educational institution but works in areas other than those listed

above: Examples include: Nurse, maintenance worker, teacher aide, cafeteria worker and school crossing guard. So if you find yourself out of work because of a school break, you should file for unemployment benefits. DEAR CARRIE: I received 24 hours of paid time off at the first of the year. But when I went to schedule time off, I was informed that the company does not provide PTO because state law does not require it. It said a computer error caused the problem. So the company denied my request and revoked all my PTO. Is my employer legally allowed to just take the time away even if it was just an error or mistake? All my paychecks now indicate that I don’t have the PTO. I needed the time off to schedule surgery. -No Go on PTO DEAR NO: The company is right that New York state law doesn’t require

companies to offer paid time off. Many companies offer it to compete for talent or because a union or employment agreement calls for it. I wonder how well your company communicated its no-PTO policy to you since you seemed to become aware of it only after the error. But a company doesn’t establish a PTO policy when its accidentally puts it on someone’s check any more than it would be formally giving an employee a raise with an erroneous overpayment. I think you’re out of luck. Just for the record, New York City requires certain employers to offer paid sick leave. New York State’s Paid Family Leave law covers time off for employees to care for a newborn or a seriously ill family member, but not for the care of workers themselves. DEAR READERS: Last week’s Help Wanted column drew a response from the National Association of Letter Carriers,

which took issue with the postal worker who felt he should be paid for his lunch break. He said he had to stay with his truck at times for security reasons during his half-hour meal break. Here is the response: Nonrural “letter carriers are given a half-hour unpaid lunch period. They do not need to stay at their postal vehicle during that time; they simply need to properly park and secure their vehicle. The lunch period does not push them over 40 hours a week or otherwise contribute to overtime.” It seems that either the letter carrier or his supervisor misunderstood something about the lunch break policy. Still, if an employee works during lunch, for whatever reason, he or she has to be paid for that time. ©2019 Newsday Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Kraft Heinz needs innovation to survive. It’s keeping five test kitchens busy trying to stay relevant Continued from page 13. Lempert said. “Do we really need 18 different brands of salsa or 100 different types of olive oil?” Lempert said. “I think we have gotten so focused on volume and so unfocused on consumer needs and what consumers really want. This is how these big companies have gotten lost, they haven’t been listening to consumers.” Catering to healthy eaters Ross, who heads up the innovation kitchen at Kraft Heinz’s research and development center in Glenview, a northern suburb of Chicago, has a 14-member team dedicated to paying attention to what consumers want. Wearing white chefs coats, they develop and test products and recipes in five open kitchens that ring the lobby’s glass-topped atrium, the sounds and smells on display to visitors like a piece of live art. The facility is one of two Kraft Heinz innovation kitchens in the U.S.; the other, in Warrendale, Pa., focuses on Heinz condiments and frozen food. It is stocked to mimic the typical American kitchen, based on a questionnaire circulated to 3,000 households every three years to track what kinds of appliances and foods people are buying. Ross joined the culinary team at Kraft Foods 25 years ago after she had her second child and it became too difficult to balance her career managing restaurants for the Levy group, and she’s become intimately familiar with how people’s food shopping habits have evolved. The trends are evident in the test kitchen’s collection of gadgets, including an Instant Pot pressure cooker (in 11 percent of households) and an air fryer (in 5 percent, but growing), which are meant to help get dinner to the table faster. They are evident in the spice cabinet, where ginger powder, cumin and chili powder have gained prominence as Hispanic and Asian influences spread, and in the dairy case, where almond milk sits beside 2 percent. A third of Americans decide what’s for dinner based on what’s in their kitchens, and the No. 1 reason people decide not to try a recipe is because they don’t have the ingredients, Ross said, so her

team develops recipes and products with their pantries in mind. Each test kitchen is equipped with both an electric and gas oven, and microwaves of various wattage levels, to ensure the company’s products cook properly in most homes. Many of Kraft Heinz’s innovations, like those of other Big Food companies, have focused on catering to what people perceive to be healthy. In 2015 it reformulated Kraft Mac and Cheese with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and in 2017 it launched Oscar Mayer hot dogs without nitrites and nitrates. That same year it launched the “O, That’s Good!” product line with Oprah Winfrey to bring a nutritious twist to comfort food, including frozen pizza with a cauliflower crust and cheddar-broccoli soup with butternut squash in the base. Devour, a line of frozen meals marketed to millennial men, took another approach, pushing larger portion sizes and richer flavors to entice a demographic that hasn’t been targeted in the frozen food aisle. Last year, Kraft Heinz’s big launch was Just Crack an Egg, a microwaveable egg scramble in a cup that contains fresh vegetables, Ore-Ida potatoes, Kraft cheese and Oscar Mayer meat (but not an egg; consumers use their own). The product lives alongside eggs in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, giving the company a foot in the fresh-food perimeter of the store where customers are spending an increasing amount of their time. Developed in concert with the consumer insights and strategy team, marketing and research and development, Just Crack an Egg aimed to solve a breakfast problem highlighted by survey data: people want portable, portion-controlled protein in the morning to help them feel sated and give them energy to start their day, but many don’t have time to cook before work, Ross said. And people love eggs but normally reserve them for the weekends because of the preparation and cleaning time. Ready in less than two minutes, Just Crack an Egg “brings the weekend occasion into the workweek,” Ross said. To prove the point, the culinary team timed it against how long it takes to make a fresh

egg scramble, and found the packaged meal was ready by the time the skillet was just heating up. It took two years to develop Just Crack an Egg, in part because the culinary team had to figure out how to use high-pressure processing to keep vegetables fresh for the duration of the product’s shelf life, Ross said. It also ran a battery of tests to ensure food safety in multiple scenarios, including if people use egg whites, two eggs or microwave two bowls at the same time, in microwaves with varying wattage levels. Just Crack an Egg, which launched in February 2018 and is carried in nearly 74 percent of the market, sold 21.7 million cups last year for $50.7 million in sales, “vastly exceeding expectations,” a spokesman said. But not every new product performs so well. Fresh Take, a coating mix for meats that contained a mix of breadcrumbs, fresh cheese and herbs, floundered likely because no one thought to look for it in the dairy case at the grocery store, Ross said. While Kraft Heinz takes criticism for not investing enough in innovation, Ross said: “I feel like as a company and as a culinary group we have made progress with respect to understanding the folks that our company is producing products and services for.” Fitzgerald, the food-sector consultant and former Mariano’s executive, said Just Crack an Egg is the kind of “true innovation” that begins to reinvent Big Food’s mature legacy categories and offers opportunities for retailer partnerships. “On that one, kudos,” he said. “There is not enough of that.” Supermarket Guru’s Lempert also sees the potential, but as he looked at the packaging he was shocked that it didn’t prominently highlight the protein content of the egg dish given consumers’ obsession with protein. The culinary team may have its finger on the pulse, but what drives success is “the support you have with these products,” he said. “How are you going to market them? ©2019 Chicago Tribune Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

EMPLOYMENT & STAFFING

Conference Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at the CHI Health Center Omaha

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

2019 ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference special supplement

Topics may include: Employment & Staffing overview • Job market outlook • Employee development Training trends • Attracting, retaining and rewarding • Temporary professionals Technology and social media • Negotiating a job offer/salary

Issue Date: March 15 • Ad Deadline: March 7

The Midlands Business Journal’s supplement will give conference highlights, profile leaders, award winners and speakers, and spotlight key issues important to women. As a company that markets to women, this section can carry your message. Your company’s advertisement will reach inspiring, professional women in this informative edition.

Topics in this section may include the following: Conference overview • Digital Age Leadership • #StayHuman element National Appeal of the ICAN Conference Grows • The Digital Zone The ICAN Leadership Award

Issue Date: March 15 • Ad Deadline: March 7

Office Omaha’s Services Districts Guide A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Topics may include:

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Topics may include:

Omaha’s Districts overview • Commercial, office and retail Shopping, dining and attractions • Housing projects • History

Office Services Guide overview • Temporary help services Staying up-to-date on office technology • Furnishing an Office/Office Design Accounting/Bookkeeping/Legal Support • Office supplies/vendors

Issue Date: March 22 • Ad Deadline: March 14

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

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

UPCOMING

SECTIONS

IN THE MIDLANDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

MARCH 15

EMPLOYMENT AND STAFFING

ICAN WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE MARCH 22

OMAHA’S DISTRICTS

OFFICE SERVICES GUIDE 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…

Do Space selected three Women Innovators Fellows who will develop projects that address local challenges facing women in technology and tech entrepreneurship. Carina Glover will develop a mobile application, HerHeadquarters, exclusively for women entrepreneurs, that allows them to easily find and secure collaborations with fellow women entrepreneurs across a variety of industries. April Goettle will create a resource website, Remote. Her, that promotes remote, flexible tech work to women in Omaha and the surrounding rural areas as well as to rural Midwest employers considering their first remote hire. Bianca Zongrone Jefferson will conduct a research study exploring why local women choose to stay in or leave tech majors in college. John Rosso and Nick Rosso, owners of Screenmobile in Omaha, were recently recognized with the Second in Sales award, given to the Screenmobile business that earns the top sales in the mountain and plains region during 2018’s fiscal year at the brand’s annual convention in New Orleans. Screenmobile specializes in window, door and patio porch screens, as well as solar shading products. Two members of leadership at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium were chosen to lead national organizations. Julie Napier, D.V.M., senior veterinarian at the zoo, was named 2019 president of the American Association of Zoo and Veterinarians. This is Napier’s fourth year serving AAZV, including the positions of secretary, vice president and president-elect. Brian Timm, director of facilities at the zoo, is this year’s president of the Aquarium and Zoo Facilities Association. Timm has had multiple roles with AZFA, including vice president and president-elect and has also chaired the group’s Conference Committee, Educational Committee and Site Selection Committee during his seven-year involvement with AZFA. Scot Thompson, president and CEO of C&A Industries, Inc., has been named by Staffing Industry Analysts to the Staffing 100, a list of the most influential executives within the North American market. This is the fourth consecutive year Thompson has been recognized among the nation’s leaders in the industry. During his nearly 19-year tenure, Thompson has led C&A to unprecedented levels of expansion, including tenfold organic growth and the launch of nine new business divisions. Aureus Medical Group has risen to seventh largest health care staffing firm in the United States and C&A is positioned as the 27 largest staffing firm overall. Dharma Dog Training is opening a new training space in March and offering training classes for puppies, basic to advanced training, Mondays through Thursday evenings at 6221 S. 90th St. Founded in 2014, Dharma Dog Training is a relationship-based dog-training company guiding dog owners through humane and balanced training. Dharma won ‘Best in Omaha’ the last four years. All classes are four-week programs and will run monthly from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Great Plains Business Center of the Principal Financial Group won the 2018 Grand Trophy. Led by Gary Karthauser, the Great Plains Business Center of the Principal Financial Group has multiple locations in the state of Nebraska.

Health care notes…

NHA Services, Inc. has three new preferred business partnerships. Bellevue

University Enhanced Tuition Assistance Program offers NHA member hospitals a unique tuition assistance match program, up to $5,250/year additional tuition assistance for employees and $2,500/year tuition assistance for family members. PatientPing is a care coordination platform that connects providers to seamlessly coordinate patient care. INFINITT North America is a provider of imaging IT solutions that empower health care providers in the delivery of value-based care. Moving day is approaching for Clarkson Family Medicine. After nearly 30 years at 42nd and Douglas streets, the family medicine clinic will now see patients in a renovated space at 1319 Leavenworth St. The clinic contains 16 exam rooms, a procedure room, dedicated ultrasound room and X-ray. Providers will begin seeing patients in the new location March 18. Like other Nebraska Medicine primary care clinics, Clarkson Family Medicine uses a Patient Centered Medical Home model of care. A medical provider, social worker, clinical staff member, registered dietitian, behavioral health specialist and pharmacist all work together to provide comprehensive primary care.

Education notes…

The Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health awarded five pilot program grants. Three of the recipients are from the University of Nebraska: Bethany Lowndes, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center neurological sciences: “Parkinson’s Care for Nebraskans in Agriculture;” Carey Wheelhouse, director of clinical assessment/assistant professor, UNMC Division of Physician Assistant Education: “Improving Agricultural Worker Health and Safety Awareness through Multimodal, Case-Based Physician Assistant Education;” and Christine Chasek, associate professor, addiction counseling certificate coordinator, University of Nebraska-Kearney: “Investigating Opioid and Alcohol Risk and Misuse among Rural Agricultural Workers.” AIM Institute’s Interface Web School is now offering online web development courses to reach individuals who may want to learn web development skills, but may not have the ability to attend in-person courses. AIM Interface School’s initial online course offerings include website development and mobile development for individuals who have zero experience to those who already have some knowledge of coding languages that want to build upon existing skills. AIM Interface School boasts an 80 percent job placement rate for its graduates, with connections to employers throughout the Midwest.

Activities of nonprofits…

Omaha Home for Boys has elected three new members to its board of directors. Patricia Lamberty, Serenna D. Russell and Mark Seip will serve as directors on the board. Lamberty is a retired State District Court Judge and is admitted to practice by the Nebraska State Bar, the United States Disctrict Court District of Nebraska and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Russell is a compliance specialist/accountant and serves in the Governance & Compliance Division at Bland & Associates. Seip works at OPPD’s Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station as a senior site industrial safety advisor. Thirteen local advisers have completed the coursework to earn the professional CharContinued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

REGIONAL LANDSCAPES Continued from preceding page. tered Advisor in Philanthropy designation. Through a year-long curriculum, the program provides professionals the knowledge, resources, and tools necessary to help clients reach their charitable giving objectives, while also helping them meet their estate planning and wealth management goals. Those graduates are: Trent

Reinert, McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C.; Mary Vandenack, Vandenack Weaver, LLC; Sabrina Weiss, Omaha Performing Arts; Sarah Duey, Carson Group Partners Private Trust; Brady Marlow, Executive Solutions; Camille Allen, University of Nebraska Foundation; Nick Wilwerding, Bridges Trust; Charles Olsen, NorthStar Foundation; Matt Muehling,

MEETINGS AND SEMINARS Monday, March 11 The Nebraska Recycling Council is partnering with Kelley Dennings, president of the Social Marketing Association of North America, for Social Media Marketing: How to build an education and outreach campaign. The training will be designed for municipal solid waste and recycling managers, city officials, and communications departments to help build science-based education and outreach campaigns to advance beneficial recycling or other positive environmental behaviors. This workshop will be at 10 a.m. at the Papio Missouri NRD. Registration is available online. Tuesday, March 12 The Business Ethics Alliance is hosting its Spring Ethics Luncheon on the topic of ethical recruiting. A panel will focus on issues like poaching employees from competitors, non-compete agreements, and how to ethically find the best employees in a low unemployment market. The panel, moderated by Dr. Beverly Kracher, includes Keith Station, director of business solutions at Heartland Workforce Solutions, Inc., Cindy Powers, chief administrative officer at the Seldin Company and Paul Frayng, CEO and partner of Sun Valley Landscaping. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Scott Conference Center. Registration is online. Inclusive Communities’ Omaha Table Talk will discuss ageism at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center. Can too much experience be a bad thing? Would companies creating job posts that seek out younger applicants be considered age discrimination? Why is it so hard to prove ageism? With some politicians determined to end Social Security and seniors losing pensions, how does ageism affect people looking to go back to work? These are questions that will be addressed. This event, which runs from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. is free and open to the public. Wednesday, March 13 The CRCC is hosting its annual Silver Ribbon Event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Marriott Regency. Author and Harvard Medical School psychologist Dr. Christopher Willard will share his uniquely informed perspective on the benefits of mindfulness meditation as well as resources for educators, professionals, and parents interested in: experiencing mindfulness exercises; integrating mindfulness meditation into a self-care practice; and adapting mindfulness and mind-body techniques to meet the needs of individuals. Registration is available online. Inclusive Communities is hosting its Workplace Wednesday Workshop Series (part two of four) on social identities perspective. This four part workshop series will be open to the public for a small fee. Space is limited to 30 attendees. The workshop series will include our base level programming for adults in the workplace. This series is for individuals who are wanting to learn more

about diversity and how to be advocates for inclusive work environments. The event is at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 14 The American Marketing Association’s Omaha chapter is hosting its March 2019 Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Happy Hollow Country Club. The keynote address will be given by Malorie Maddox, vice president of communications, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska who will be speaking on “Breaking News: The Power of Storytelling.” Registration is available online. The Nonprofit Association of the Midlands is hosting a Board Masters workshop from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at NAM. Nonprofit boards need strong skills and a thorough understanding of their role to serve effectively. In this interactive, intensive session, participants will cover the most important aspects of board governance including: what it means to be legally and socially accountable for an organization; principals of sound financial oversight; a board’s role in fundraising and as an employer; and board conduct. Registration is available online. Friday, March 15 The Nebraska State Bar Association is hosting the 2019 Young Lawyers Section Best Practices Seminar at Creighton University from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sessions include: Ten Ways to be More Persuasive in Your Next Mediation; The Basics of the Counsel for Discipline; Changing Our Approach to the Criminal Trial; Should I or Shouldn’t I Take This Case; A View from the Bench: How Logic and Common Sense Can Lead to Success; and Now Your Aunt Wants a Will: Estate Planning Tips Every Lawyer Should Know. Registration is available online. The Nebraska Lawyers Assistance Program and The Coeur Group have partnered to offer a unique eight-week Stress Management Boot Camp tailored for Nebraska lawyers. This program will enable lawyers to build and incorporate practical stress management and resiliency skills into their professional and personal lives. The program will be lead by T.J. Gorman of The Coeur Group who brings 18 years of experience helping individuals in the counseling profession. Registration is available online. Saturday, March 30 The 2019 Barristers Ball at the Embassy Suites La Vista Hotel & Conference Center will return with the theme of the Wonderful World of Wonka, which will include cocktails, a silent and live auction, and music from Pam & The Pearls. The following attorneys are being recognized for their efforts in making Equal Justice for All a reality in Nebraska: Roberts M. Spire Pro Bono Award — Harold L. Rock (post humously); The Visionary Award — Terry Grennan, Todd Richardson and Molly Brummond. Reservations need to be made by March 16. All proceeds will go to the Nebraska Lawyers Foundation.

Deloitte; Austin Bradley, McGrath North; Tyler Bartruff, Lutz & Company, PC.; Jeff Gordman, Jeff Gordman Advisory LLC; and Todd Clarke, Northstar Financial Services Group LLC.

Arts and events…

The Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment and partners are commissioning a public arts installation on a newly constructed bridge on the trail system through an initiative called Art on the Frontier of Iowa Trails Systems (artFITS). Artists are required to submit design proposals complete with the application materials specified online to the committee for review. Selected artists will receive up to a $20,000 stipend total for all materials and time. Proposals must be submitted by April 15, 2019 for consideration. Registration is open for the 6th Annual Shamrock Shuffle on March 16. The run will begin at 10 a.m. with a newly added street party on the 100 Block of West Broadway in Council Bluffs to follow. Local band, the Polka Police,

will be performing. New for 2019 is an outdoor beer garden and a themed photo booth. Participating locations on the 100 Block will have food and drink specials. For the first time the event will be professionally timed by Precision Race Results. Participants are encouraged to dress in green attire to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Runners that beat the leprechaun will earn a free beverage. Catholic Charities’ annual gala fundraiser, Irish Fest, will be held Saturday, March 16 at the Marriott Capitol District. The evening will start with cocktails and silent auction followed by dinner and a live auction. After dinner entertainment will be provided by The Confidentials. All proceeds from Irish Fest will be used to serve the individuals who turn to Catholic Charities each year. For over 90 years, Catholic Charities has advocated for the poor and marginalized through programs ranging from mental health services, domestic violence advocacy, adoption, hunger relief, senior services, microbusiness training and more.

From left, Matthias Ristow, president and speaker of CLAAS Omaha Inc.; John Albin, Nebraska Department of Labor Commissioner; Mark Tomkins, president and CEO of the German American Chambers of Commerce of the Midwest; Governor Pete Ricketts; Deb Cremeens-Risinger, Nebraska State Director, U.S. Department of Labor; Dr. Andreas Götze, Deputy Consul General of Germany; Mark Zumdohme, president of Graepel North America. (Courtesy of John Schofield/CLAAS of America)

CLAAS and Graepel Manufacturing kick off apprenticeship program A mix of business leaders, human resources professionals, business professionals and industry partners such as colleges, high schools, workforce readiness programs and Dream It Do It gathered at CLAAS of America’s Omaha headquarters on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The Growing Nebraska event, featuring Gov. Pete Ricketts, was a chance for professionals to connect and share best practices and ideas to address the skilled workforce shortage as well as launch the state’s first German Dual Study Apprenticeship Program. CLAAS and Graepel Manufacturing are the first manufacturing companies in Nebraska to adopt the ICATT Apprenticeship Program. The ICATT Apprenticeship Program, a work-based education model, combines classwork through Metropolitan Community College with on-the-job training. After completion of the three-year program that includes paid tuition, graduates will have an associate degree and an international certificate that’s globally recognized. CLAAS has also signed on for the U.S. Department of Labor’s 18-month apprenticeship program resulting in certification and close to an associate degree. After tracking the skills shortage in the manufacturing industry for the past 17 years, Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute have predicted that 2.4 million skilled labor

positions will go unfilled in the next 10 years in manufacturing alone — meaning 53 out of 100 positions will be vacant because of the skills shortage, according to the study. “This is serious because it will inhibit our ability to grow — that’s why we’re talking about it,” said Deb Franklin, vice president of human resources at CLAAS North America and leader of a panel discussion at the event. As the manufacturing industry has become more technically advanced, the skills gap has widened. “We’re a longline manufacturer and we have technically advanced agricultural equipment, so we need this highly skilled workforce to build our machines,” she said. “This is highly technical hydraulics, pneumatics and electronics. These computers are driving a lot of our production process.” Franklin said that the perception of the manufacturing industry is stuck in the past and that most parents encourage their children to get a four-year college degree. “We need to get the parents, the teachers, the counselors into these beautiful, modern facilities to see how developed and advanced they are,” she said. “A lot of the high paying jobs … and career pathing is in manufacturing and I think [many] parents don’t realize how exciting the manufacturing industry really is.”

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Hix

Moyer

Sonderman

Berg

Home Instead promotes Hix, Moyer, Sonderman, Berg, Monday Home Instead Inc. has promoted Megan Hix, Mike Moyer, Jenny Sonderman, Jenna Berg and Ann Monday. As members of the leadership team, they provide insight for the strategic action plan and are responsible for implementation and execution of strategy. Hix was appointed strategic partnerships director. She is responsible for developing strategic partnerships aligned with Home Instead’s mission. She joined Home Instead in 2011 as a member of the marketing team and has been working with strategic partnerships

Murphy

Liedle

First Westroads Bank promotes Murphy, Liedle, Bond to officers

First Westroads Bank has appointed Daniel J. Murphy, Derek S. Liedle and Denise M. Bond to officers of the bank. Murphy has been with First Westroads Bank since October 2017 as director of marketing. He also has served on the board of directors for Ameriwest Corp., the bank’s holding company, since 2009 Bond and served on the bank’s board of directors since 2014. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Missouri. Liedle has been promoted to assistant vice president in residential construction lending. He began working at First Westroads Bank in July 2015 as a credit analyst and moved into the residential construction lending division in March 2017. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in journalism and an MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Bond has been named the bank’s BSA officer. She has been the operations manager since March 2018 and worked in various capacities in the mortgage lending area prior to that. She recently received her BSA/AML certification through the ICBA BSA/AML Institute and Community Banker University.

since 2012. Moyer has been promoted to North America operations implementation director with responsibility for implementation and adoption of a consumer-facing technology solution. Moyer joined Home Instead in 2011 as business performance manager. Sonderman was named performance solutions director, Monday with responsibility for programs, products and vendor related projects supporting the needs of the business. Sonderman started her career with Home Instead in 2005 and has worked in business performance and franchise development. Berg has been promoted to director and associate general counsel. In her role, she’s responsible for North American legal matters, including franchise regulation, intellectual property rights, contract negotiations, litigation, and labor and employment matters for Home Instead Inc. and affiliated entities. Berg joined the legal team in 2013 as associate counsel. Monday has been promoted to director of finance and special projects, overseeing financial activities for affiliated entities as well as finance special projects. Monday joined Home Instead in 2011 and has been the finance manager since 2015.

The Scoular Company adds Farmer as director of occupational safety

The Scoular Co. has hired Derek Farmer as director of occupational safety. Farmer most recently was environmental health safety and security manager for engineering firm Arconic in Washington, Missouri. In addition to his experience at Arconic, Farmer held safety-related positions with a number Farmer of firms, including Lansing Trade Group and Cargill, for which he was responsible for overseeing the safety of several grain elevators and processing operations. Farmer received a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and health from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and is working toward an MBA from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

BasicBlock gets early traction from transportation partners in metro, spread throughout country Continued from page 1. company based in Omaha, and Gretna-based long-haul carrier company Williams Transportation. Family-owned Dubuque-area Simon’s Trucking; Indiana-based long-haul truckload carrier, National Distributors Leasing (NDL); Atlanta, Georgia-area Kennesaw Transportation; and family-owned irregular route common carrier, J-Mar Enterprises of North Dakota, round out BasicBlock’s partners at the time of this writing. “I love working with the drivers and get-

UMB Bank appoints Kissel as senior relationship officer

UMB Bank, a subsidiary of UMB Financial Corp., has hired Brian Kissel as a business banking senior relationship officer in Omaha. In this role, Kissel is responsible for managing overall business relationships, portfolio risk and building Kissel relationships across the region. Kissel graduated from Creighton University with a bachelor’s degree and from Bellevue University with an MBA. Prior to his role at UMB, he was a senior credit analyst at Mutual of Omaha Bank.

Metonic Real Estate Solutions selects Williams as coordinator

Metonic Real Estate Solutions has hired Carolina Williams as closing and special projects coordinator. Williams will assist with the coordination of all transaction closings for Metonic, including managing transaction documents and closing files. Prior Williams to joining Metonic, she served as a transaction coordinator for an Omaha real estate brokerage, working closely with the principals in all aspects of documenting and closing real estate transactions. Williams received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis.

DC Retirement Strategies adds Bruyere to the team

DC Retirement Strategies appoints Amber Bruyere as client services manager. Bruyere has joined DC Retirement Strategies as the office and client services manager. She received a bachelor’s degree from Midland University in journalism, advertising and public relations and brings nearly 15 years of Bruyere customer service and marketing experience to the team. She will manage the CRM system, multiple annual client event and proactive marketing initiatives.

ting these guys to work with the software,” Monks said. The software he speaks of accommodates truckers’ on-the-go lifestyles; according to information provided by Monks, BasicBlock allows for documents to be scanned “with ease,” so they can be returned to the home office efficiently. Tracking documents related to specific loads is as easy as entering order and trip numbers. Documents may be classified (labeled and configured for one’s fleet), and the home office may view documentation and edit labels via a web portal. BasicBlock users may save data while waiting for Wi-Fi to upload documents.

Jacox

Griger

Seim Johnson taps Jacox, Griger, Powers for managerial positions

Seim Johnson, LLP has promoted Jacki Jacox to health care consulting senior manager, and Sarah Griger and Cody Powers as audit managers. Jacox joined the firm in 2015 and has more than eight years of experience in a variety of roles, including health care consulting, fair market value opinions, physician practice management, business valPowers uations, mergers, acquisitions, litigation support, audit and accounting services. She is a co-chair of the Junior Advisory Board for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Accountancy, a member of the Junior League of Omaha and serves as a mentor for the UNL College of Business Honors Academy. Griger graduated from Creighton University with degrees in accounting and business management. She has been with the firm since 2014 and specializes in audit and attestation services for not-forprofit organizations and employee benefit plans. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Financial Women’s Alliance Omaha Chapter. Griger is actively involved in both the Leadership Training and Recruiting Committees at Seim Johnson. Powers graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Master’s of Professional Accountancy. He has worked extensively in the health care and not-forprofit industries since joining the firm in 2014. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Taking all of these features into account, series that Byman happened to be among those the BasicBlock team is fond of referencing the headlining. likes of “we’re shifting the power back to you: “I was about the only one that wasn’t the fleet owners,” or “the ‘big guys’ have been getting extra credit,” Monks recalled. “I went suffocating fleet owners for far too long. We in with the full mission of making him squirm believe that it’s time to change that and turn the a bit, so I did a lot of research on Nobl and savings back over to you.” asked a lot of hard questions, and he handled That savings comes from no longer having to them flawlessly.” pay recurring and “per page” fees; for instance, Afterward, Byman encouraged him to take with a one-time fee of $5,000 to $10,000, clients one of his business cards. This initial meeting with fleets up to 99 trucks, 100 to 199 trucks would represent the roots of a fruitful mentorand more than 200 trucks have access to free ship, friendship and partnership. product updates and support, and the platform Monk, a dual-citizen, had returned to Necharacterized by some braska from London of the aforementioned BasicBlock when a lightbulb went driver- and home of- Phone: 308-539-2819 off. fice-friendly features. “As I was driving Services: software to solve historic supMonks doesn’t ply chain and logistic challenges; features home to my mom’s come from a trucking include document scanning on-the-go, house, I looked around family, nor did he have easy document classification, and home and thought it could exposure to the indus- office access and editing of documents be a great use case to try prior to the devel- and labels via web portal track and trace corn to opment of BasicBlock. Founded: 2018 by Brett Byman and literally the table.” “It took me eight or Taylor Monks The money assonine months to figure Website: basicblock.io ciated with this supout what I was doing — ply-chain logistics apI had no background in logistics and trucking,” plication, he surmised, resided with the “drivers” he said. — those moving the product. What Monks did have was an acute, early The startup that eventually emerged from understanding of the implications of blockchain these types of questions and conversations has — as well as fearlessness. He indicated these early traction that transcends existing partnerand other personality traits are a complement ships; for instance, BasicBlock reportedly earned with Byman’s extensive entrepreneurial ex- top honors at the region’s largest “blockchain perience; notably, as co-founder of Nobl, the hackathon”: Block-a-thon Midwest. health care software company whose platform is Monks also referenced receiving funding transforming how care organizations document from the state of Nebraska as a prototype grant and analyze rounds or audits to improve the recipient, successes for a young entrepreneur patient experience. who was once failed by a professor for a whiteThe two founders got to know each other paper on none other than blockchain. when Monks was a college student who was “She said it wouldn’t be a thing,” “forced” by his professor to go to a speaker Monks said.

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Erratic hours are the norm for workers in retailing. Can Los Angeles buck the trend? by Margot Roosevelt

Justin Orkin works in the grocery department at a Target store in downtown Los Angeles. Labor unions and worker advocates are mounting a “Fair Workweek” campaign to curb what they see as abusive scheduling Retail practices in the retail industry. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A national movement to mandate stable hourly schedules for low-wage workers expanded to Los Angeles recently, as City Council members introduced a “Fair Workweek” measure that could affect some 70,000 retail employees in the city. Under a proposed ordinance, large retailers would have to give workers two weeks’ advance notice of what days and hours they are expected to work. Employees would have the right to request schedule changes and the ability to decline hours without retaliation. And retailers would have to allow them at least 10 free hours between shifts, a measure targeting a practice known as “clopening,” in which workers are scheduled to help close a store late at night and must return early the next morning for its opening. “It is a minor inconvenience for employers to provide a stable workweek,” said Councilman Paul Koretz, a co-sponsor of the proposal along with City Council President Herb Wesson and Councilman Curren Price. “But it makes a life-and-death difference for workers who have an unreliable schedule that changes

from week to week.” The measure asserts: “Retail workers have unpredictable, last-minute and fluctuating workweeks over which they have no control … making it difficult to predict their income, make time for school or care for children.” The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce signaled that businesses will probably oppose any regulations. “Predictive scheduling is often actually restrictive scheduling, imposing a onesize-fits-all system that threatens the flexibility of employees and employers,” Jessica Duboff, vice president of the Chamber’s Center for Business Advocacy, wrote in an email. As public attention has focused on the role of erratic shift work in poverty and economic inequality, cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose and Emeryville, Calif., have passed workweek ordinances. New Hampshire and Oregon have statewide statutes, but scheduling bills died in recent years in the California Legislature after the state Chamber of Commerce labeled them “job-killers.” The Los Angeles ordinance would apply to retailers with at least 300 employees worldwide. The top affected chains, with city workforces ranging from about 3,200 employees to about 1,900, include Target, Smart & Final, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, Home Depot, True Value, Vons, Trader Joe’s and Goodwill. Los Angeles labor activists, communi-

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ty groups and nonprofits serving low-wage workers began organizing a campaign to address scheduling more than a year ago. A UCLA Labor Center study last March reported that 77 percent of retail workers surveyed got less than a week’s notice of their schedule, and 44 percent experienced clopening. The initiative, led by the labor-aligned group Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, follows the decade-long successful drive to raise the minimum wage in the city, now at $13.25 an hour for large employers and $12 for small businesses. By 2021, all city employers will be required to pay $15 an hour, and by 2023 the $15 floor will apply to all employers statewide. Despite the hourly raise, however, many low-wage workers report they are unable to get a predictable 40-hour week, even as their employers hire part-timers to fill on-call shifts. Under the ordinance, employers would have to offer “a good faith estimate of weekly work hours at time of hire, including potential opportunities for full-time work and predictability pay,” or compensation for canceled shifts. “What good is a minimum wage if employees are unable to work enough hours to make ends meet?” said Price. “With the Fair Workweek, we’re going to finally address this issue for retail workers.” Other city ordinances cover fast food outlets too, but Los Angeles organizers began with retail as a strategic first step. Many retail employees are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which is throwing its weight behind the scheduling measure, while restaurant workers are largely unorganized. “This is just the beginning,” said Nelson Motto, Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy’s Fair Workweek Campaign director. “This problem is in other industries, among janitors, as well as restaurant and warehouse workers. We can expand this to other sectors.” However, despite the clout of organized labor in the city, scheduling reform is not assured. Opponents could mobilize once the wording of the ordinance is drafted by the city attorney. The measure orders up studies on other cities’ policies, and on enforcement costs and procedures. Public hearings will be held and the process will probably take until the end of the year. If it passes, the ordinance would not take effect until mid-2020. The instability in low-wage sectors has been fueled by a trend toward “lean staffing,” enabled by “just-in-time” scheduling software that matches employee hours to predicted customer demand. Justin Orkin, 33, checks his schedule at a downtown Los Angeles Target store on an app run by Kronos, a Massachusetts company. For the last two months, his weekly hours working in the grocery section for $13.75 an hour have been cut from 40 to 26. Some part-timers get cut to just a day a week, he said. “They usually cut back from early

January to early May,” Orkin said, adding that he has had to use vacation, holiday and sick days to be able to pay the rent at his studio apartment. Target, a non-union chain, does not offer the compensation for reduced hours that many union contracts require, he said. The proposed ordinance, he added, “would make retailers more humane. It is all about stability. Not having stress. And knowing your job is there for you.” A Target spokeswoman did not reply to a request for comment. Alissa Harrison, 32, used to work close to 40 hours a week as a Whole Foods Market cashier in downtown Los Angeles. But when Amazon bought the chain and raised hourly wages to $15, “they cut our hours and hired a bunch of part time people,” she said. Now she gets as little as 32 hours weekly. “Your hours fluctuate, but what doesn’t fluctuate is your rent, your phone bill, your college loans,” she said. Her car died in January, and she can’t afford to replace it, so she takes two buses to work from her studio apartment in Torrance — often a two-hour commute. In a single week, Harrison said she might start at 11 a.m. one day and at 6:45 a.m. the day after. The next day she might start at 1 p.m. and get off at 9:30 p.m. and have to be back at 7 a.m. “When your schedule is all over the place, you miss out on sleep. You miss out on time with family and friends. You can’t get to church.” A second job working weekends for Instacart as a grocery shopper at a Ralphs in Manhattan Beach is jeopardized when Whole Foods schedules her for a Sunday, she said. If she declines a Sunday shift, Whole Foods will penalize her with points. Points lead to warnings and an eventual dismissal, she added. “You feel helpless.” A Whole Foods spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. ©2019 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

Owner Michelle Kaiser … Personal journey on ketogenic diet spurs expansion of offerings and services.

The Omaha Bakery identifies market for keto offerings, expands services by Savannah Behrends

In July 2018, The Omaha Bakery owner Michelle Kaiser took a leap of faith and committed to the ketogenic (keto) diet, introducing her to what would become the bakery’s niche. “In October, someone told me that I needed to start making keto desserts, and I thought ‘I don’t want to do that,’” Kaiser said. The reluctant decision paid off as keto items have grown to make up one-third of the bakery’s profits, spurring additional revenue streams. The keto diet has become popular in recent years as a low carb, moderate protein, high fat diet that can help participants lose weight and improve some conditions, like diabetes. For Kaiser, “it’s a way of eating, not a diet.” Prior to starting keto, Kaiser said

she’d been living in chronic pain as a result of fatty liver disease, fibromyalgia and lupus. “I couldn’t walk eight months ago, and my whole left side was numb,” she said. “The neurologist [and autoimmune specialist] said there was nothing they could do for me.” After starting keto, Kaiser’s fibromyalgia and fatty liver disease receded and she lost 60 pounds. Her husband, who went on keto to support her, lost 65 pounds. “I have my life back,” Kaiser said. “I went on vacation to the Grand Cayman Islands and went hiking for an hour and a half.” She began to share her story with clients and teamed up with keto expert Dr. Jaime Seeman to offer Keto 101 and Keto 102 classes at The Omaha Bakery. Keto 101 discusses the basics of keto while 102 dis-

A view of the variety of bakery items at the storefront, located at 608 S. 72nd St.

cusses in-depth implementation. out-of-state. So far, there has been four sessions since Pre-ordered cheesecakes and other October, averaging 40 paid guests. Furniture specialty cakes make up another third of will be rearranged for the fifth show to ac- the business. Demand is such that Kaiser commodate 75 guests. While there are other local businesses trying to capitalize on keto, Kaiser said consumers must be weary. Several clients have informed Kaiser that some businesses are claiming to be keto-friendly while using Splenda or Hershey’s sugar-free chocolate chips, which are not keto-friendly. Kaiser said her personal experience and close ties to doctors familiar with the keto diet lend the Some of the bakery’s keto offerings include chocolate chip business credibility. F o l l o w i n g d e - cookies and carrot cake. mand for keto desserts, the bakery is expanded into the bay next door and hired launching a pre-order program including cake decorator Dave Barry in October. nine assorted keto bars sold at a discount. The back end of the additional bay has “Those 2x2 bars usually sell for $4.95, a separate kitchen exclusively used for which is roughly $45 for nine. It’ll sell for cakes. The rest of the space, which mimics $36,” Kaiser said. the original bay’s design, serves as a party The pre-order will include surprise room. flavors, but will almost always include “The room can be used for a lot of favorites like lemon bars and cheesecake things,” she said. “We’ve done baby brownies. This venture also is a result of showers, bridal showers, lunch-and-learns requests to ship naand meetings. Gradtionally. uations have started The Omaha Bakery “ I h a v e a g u y Phone: 402-991-9200 picking up.” from Kansas City that Address: 608 S. 72nd St., Omaha Kaiser contracts comes down almost 68114 Audra Pace, ownevery week to buy Services: Keto desserts, deli items, er and director of stuff,” she said. Dream Big Events, pre-ordered cakes and cheesecakes, Currently, Kai- single cake slices, individual desserts to handle the arrangeser and her partner Website: theomahabakery.com ments, encompassing are talking to Omaha everything from déSteaks leadership on a deal that would cor to food and drinks. include a total of 150,000 non-keto cheeseGoing forward, she hopes the room will cakes. The challenge is in finding a facility also serve as a meeting space for clubs and big enough to produce 25,000 to 30,000 organizations, bringing the community in. increments. One of the biggest local bakers, “People come to the bakery when J. Skinner Baking, is at full capacity, forcing they’re happy and when they’re sad, and I the team to hold off while finding a facility love that I get to be part of that,” she said.

Weddings

- Page 30

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal • OBJ Pages

Weddings

Omaha Business Journal Pages

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

March 8, 2019

From date to entertainment selection, today’s weddings defy the conventional by Michelle Leach

Couples are putting unique stamps on weddings, starting with timing. Dana Osborne, owner of Dana Osborne Design, said her wedding season starts with invitations sent out two months before the big day — beginning in January, peaking in August. But couples also are embracing the beauty of Midwest winter weddings. “I’ve also seen an increase in fall weddings versus spring Osborne weddings,” she said. “I joke that trend is because the Husker football team hasn’t been as good in recent years, so game days aren’t dictating wedding schedules anymore. But that could change.” Scoular Ballroom Corporate Meeting Planner and Event Specialist Theresa Farrage said couples aren’t letting Nebraska weather dictate weddings anymore. “I think couples are choosing unconventional times because of availability and the fact that many vendors offer discounted rates during the ‘off season,’” she said. Joel Rudloff, president of All About Weddings Omaha and DJ/co-owner of A Final Take Music & Video, said there used to a bit of a break between when the “first” weddings season ended in June and the second started in September. “That has definitely changed over the years,” he said. “Winter weddings have

Theresa Farrage, corporate meeting planner at Scoular Ballroom. become a lot more popular, so even the Rudloff referred to more “budget-conslow time of the year is steady. It’s a rare scious” couples, and how six months might occasion that we have an open weekend.” be too tight of a timeframe to save up. For upcoming weddings, Rudloff said Referencing its intimate bridal brunches features trend toward brighter colors, featuring Q&A sessions whereby past bridcomfortable wear and, this year, glitter and al parties field questions from future ones, gold. The timeframe for engagements itself Rudloff said clients tend to wish they spent represents a trend. a little less on “knick-knacks” and more “We’re seeing longer engagements; on quality vendors for catering, set-up and instead of a six-month engagement they tear-down, and video. might be 18-, 24-month or longer,” he said. While Osborne noted the trend toward

light, airy neutral blushes and golds, she also mentioned a shift toward darker, moodier colors in jewel tones. Personalization represents Osborne’s favorite trend. “I had a couple last year that used their monogram, which I designed for them, for a BBQ brand,” she said. “They used the brand to brand their hamburger buns at their reception. Another couple last year wanted to create a ‘bucket list book’ for their guest book. Instead of guests just writing their names, they would give the couple an activity to add to their ‘bucket list’ as a newly married couple.” Osborne’s tip? “Do it your way.” “Take advice, but take it with a grain of salt,” she said. Let wedding professionals help. “You’re either going to spend your time or money on wedding projects,” Osborne said. “If you’d rather be ‘hands-off’ on an aspect of your wedding, then hire a professional who will do it right and make your planning stress-free.” Farrage has seen a variety of performing acts — from caricature and balloon artists to belly-dancers, “Elvis” and clowns on stilts. “We’ve also seen an increase in food entertainment and interactive food stations in which guests can witness their food being prepared in front of their eyes,” she said, a reference to the likes of ice-cream pops prepared using liquid nitrogen. On the other end of the spectrum, Farrage has seen a minimalist approach — less of a focus on extra frills and décor, Continued on next page.

OBJ Pages •

Midlands Business Journal • MARCH 8, 2019 •

Event experts lend advice for selecting the right fit for wedding and reception venues by Gabby Christensen

A venue sets the mood for any event, especially weddings and receptions, which is why it’s so important to consider every option out there. Annabelle Schmitz, facility rental coordinator at The Durham Museum, said the museum offers an atmosphere featuring 65foot ceilings and the beautiful restoration of the original Art Deco architecture. “The elegance of the Swanson Gallery captures the mood for smaller gatherings and the majestic features of the Suzanne and Walter Scott Great Hall are a perfect backdrop for large events and receptions,” she said. When it comes to selecting the right space, Schmitz said it’s all about what feels right.

“Every couple has a vision of what their big day should look like, and trusting that vision and following it will guide couples to their perfect venue,” she said. “There are always things that may help to narrow the list of places to look at, from Dooley availability of date, to if there is an outdoor space, to how many guests the space can accommodate.” As far as event coordination goes, Schmitz said organization is key. “If you are not organized or if you just

don’t have the time to stay organized, find someone who can help whether it’s a professional or a good friend, they will help keep things straight,” she said. “Organization will help you keep all your due dates, vendor contacts and appointments in Morford order and will help you achieve a stress-free perfect day.” Sharon Dooley, managing director of DC Centre, said the Centre focuses on providing exceptional service to each couple who chooses the venue.

Complement a dream wedding with custom cakes and cuisine by Jasmine Heimgartner

From the dress to the venue and down to the napkins, planning a wedding means making decision after decision. Although every wedding couple may have a different order of importance for what makes the perfect wedding, the cake and food are staples that guests often anxiously await. “ We f e e l l i k e food is such an important part of a wedding because it can be a part of what makes the day unique and memorable to the couple and their guests,” said Kaylin Wilken, director of Wilken marketing and PR, Attitude on Food. “Many of our couples tell a part of their love story through food — whether it be a first date that involved a special meal to foreign travels and incorporating their favorite food from that trip.” While many couples are leaning toward comfort foods — like braised short ribs, macaroni and cheese and charcuterie — served in a more traditional fashion, others are seeking to create a unique wedding meal through food stations. Whether celebrating during an afternoon brunch or evening cocktail hour, these food bars offer guests more choices than picking between two entrees. They also provide an opportunity to incorporate themes into the cuisine. “Once a couple tells us a theme, we

Defy the conventional

Continued from preceding page. complete with a small, intimate guest list. Some brides and grooms are making a weekend of it. “Picture a Thursday welcome party, the rehearsal on Friday, and the main event on Saturday, followed by a Sunday brunch,” she said. “This allows the couple to maximize their time with family and friends, especially those who have traveled great distances.” And, while Farrage said just when she thinks she’s “heard it all,” someone will ask about integrating live animals and fire-breathers (alongside the surprisingly “common” request to zipline from the ballroom’s balconies), she encourages

work together as a team and brainstorm ideas for them,” Wilken said. “Sometimes it’s through custom hors d’oeuvres or desserts, and sometimes it’s a station or side added to their main course. We love the challenge of coming up with new items.” The wedding meal may keep guests talking, but it’s usually the cake that steals the show. Many couples are going back to the basics, but in a bold way. Gone is the burlap and pastel trend from last year, and in are more modern geometric designs with vibrant dark Brown hues and metallics. For cakes without fondant, real flowers are a sought-after elegant accent. Size also seems to be trending toward bigger. Instead of cupcakes and sheet cakes, bakeries often have requests for two- and three-tier cakes. When it comes to themes, the artistry of cake-making allows for couples to push the boundaries. “Some brides are still not willing to be too adventurous, so most of the cakes we do are still fairly basic,” said Tonya Brown, owner, Cake Creations Omaha. “But, we love to do challenging cakes. We are doing a Japanese-themed one this summer, and we have an emerald, gold and black Victorian cake. So, we are getting some real fun ones.” For people who have never bought a parties to focus on the union. Don’t let all the features, down to how the napkins are folded, cause anxiety or stress. And remember, professionals are happy to take the details off one’s plate: “Often, brides and grooms think they can do everything themselves, but then reality sets in and, before they know it, they’re devoting every minute of every day to planning the big day,” she said.

cake or aren’t sure what they want, the experts are there to help. “We sit down with them and pull from them what their colors are and their ideas,” said Melany Dean, Cupcake Island co-owner. “We give them tips and show them what we’ve done. We also look to Pinterest for inspiration to help them develop their ideas. It’s very different with each one, but usually they end up with something more traditional, elegant and classy.” Artistry aside, sometimes the cake still comes down to ingredients. Regardless of an allergy or special diet, the bridal party can get the cake it wants and eat it, too. There are also options for flavors to add variety. Whether it’s red velvet or pink champagne for a spring wedding or carrot cake for autumn nuptials, choosing the flavor is one of those rare tasty decisions. Like most other aspects of a wedding, there is a bottom line. Every budget is different, but that doesn’t mean the cake and cuisine can’t be fabulous. “I always tell them don’t get stuck with one idea,” Brown said. “We can do so many different options. Even if you are worried about a budget, we can work with it. You don’t just have to do a tiny cake or sheet cake.”

“We believe everyone should be able to have the wedding of their dreams,” she said. “We offer an elegant atmosphere with affordable pricing, onsite services that include food and beverages, along with our banquet staff to help make the couples wedding reception stress free.” When searching for the right venue, Dooley suggested couples look for a space with guaranteed pricing. “You want a facility that does the setup and cleanup, so you don't have to sacrifice a loved one,” Dooley said. “Look for a venue with no incidental charges after the wedding reception. Our advice to a couple would be to select someone trustworthy, honest and reputable.” Chad Morford, president of Abraham Catering, said the business has various onsite ceremony options as well as reception options within its venues. “All of our venues vary in character and style, and we likely have a venue that will appeal to the majority of brides looking for the perfect location for their reception,” he said. Additionally, Morford said Abraham Catering offers a range of menu options, as well as customized menu and bar options. According to Morford, it’s usually best to start searching for a venue based on estimated guest count and then rule out any options that cannot accommodate the estimated guest count. “I would recommend looking at websites or social media for venue photos to make sure the venue fits the particular style that you are looking for,” he said. “Request pricing and information prior to scheduling venue tours to make sure it is in line with your overall reception budget. Once you have visited and toured venues, request an overall cost estimate or proposal from that venue so you can see all related costs associated with the reception.” Morford said couples should utilize the resources that a venue provides. “Allow their expertise to guide you through the planning,” he said. “Stay on top of the ‘to do’ lists and complete tasks in plenty of time to enjoy the big day so you are not stressed out during the process. Have fun with the planning and enjoy the experience.”

• MARCH 8, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal • OBJ Pages