Business Journal Summer 2013

Reclaiming St. Joseph’s Leadership in Leather

Summer 2013

Bayer Celebrates 150 Years Advanced Science Research Center Planned

A publication of the St. Joseph Metro Chamber

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

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BUSINESS JOURNAL INDEX Economic Update................................................................................4 Government In Brief...........................................................................5 Bayer Celebrates 150 Years................................................................6 Grant Helps Employees Finish Degrees at MWSU............................7 Member Profile: Lino’s Original Pizza................................................8 Session Ends For Legislators, Bills Reviewed At Chamber Event.....9 Reclaiming St. Joseph’s Leadership in Leather..................................10

Graves Speaks About Small Business Issues at Summit..............12 Advanced Science Research Center Will Educate Workforce......13 Downtown Digest..........................................................................14 Employers Learn About ACA.........................................................15 Small Business Matters...................................................................16 Business Briefs...............................................................................18 Get The Most Out Of Networking Opportunities........................19

A publication of the St. Joseph Metro Chamber. Published Aug. 17, 2013. Content by Kristi Bailey, unless otherwise noted.

Administration

R. Patt Lilly

President & CEO plilly@@saintjoseph.com 816.232-4485

Shannon Jobes

Vice President, Administration jobes@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4111

Kristi Bailey

Director of Communications bailey@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4108

Maryann Skiles

Receptionist, Administrative Assistant

3003 Frederick Ave. 816.232.4461 or 800.748.7856

816.364.4873 (fax) www.saintjoseph.com

skiles@saintjoseph.com 816.232.4461

Economic Development

Brad Lau

Director of Business Development blau@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4110

Mary Brown

Project Manager, Administrative Assistant brown@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4102

Membership

Natalie Redmond

Vice President, Member Relations redmond@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4107

Community Alliance of Saint Joseph

Steve Johnston

Director of Community Alliance of Saint Joseph johnston@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4109

2013 St. Joseph Metro Chamber BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman

Vern Middleton Midwest Federal

Chair-Elect

Dr. Mark Laney Heartland Health

Secretary/Treasurer

James Carolus Hillyard Companies

Directors John Bosman, American Family Insurance Brian Bradley, St. Joseph News-Press Barbara Burns, B.J. Office Products Inc. Mike Decker, Apple Market Bernd Eichenmueller, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. Bill Falkner, City of St. Joseph Tim Knapp, Tim Knapp Construction Co. Corky Marquart, Commerce Bank Todd Meierhoffer, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory Byron Myers, Sr., City of St. Joseph Col. Mike Pankau, 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard

Matt Robertson, CliftonLarsonAllen Stet Schanze, Gray Manufacturing Co., Inc. Larry Stobbs, South St. Joseph Progressive Association Kylee Strough, United Way of Greater St. Joseph R.T. Turner, Buchanan County Bob Wollenman, Deluxe Truck Stop LLC Mark Woodbury, General Counsel, Polsinelli Shughart P.C. Brad McAnally, Past Chair, Hy-Vee Food Stores Janice Keith, Diplomats Club Representative, Holiday Inn Conference Center Jennifer Pellersels, LEAD Representative, Altec Industries, Inc.

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

EconomicUpdate

Top 10 Employers Heartland Health Triumph Foods, LLC School District of St. Joseph Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. American Family Insurance Wal-Mart Missouri Western State University System & Services Technologies, Inc. The Hillshire Brands Company Johnson Controls

4

Health Services Meat Products Education Animal Pharmaceuticals

3,866 2,838 1,882 838

Insurance Department Store Education Financial Services

820 785 720 720

Meat Products Manufacturing

700 697

Demographics

St.J oseph

business... by the good better life ! umbers

Unemployment

( June)

Population Housing units

76,780 32,495

St. Joseph Missouri

5.8 percent 6.9 percent

Average family size

3

United States

7.6 percent

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Summer 2013

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GovernmentInBrief Dates of Interest

Degree completion for working adults

Listed below are several key dates which may be of interest to those interested in governmental affairs:

July 1, 2013 First day of the State of Missouri’s new fiscal year.

Jan. 8, 2014 General Assembly convenes at noon for the first day of the 2014 legislative session.

Aug. 28, 2013 Legislation enacted during the 2013 legislative session becomes effective unless the legislation carried a specific date or emergency clause.

May 16, 2014 Session adjourns at 6 p.m.

Missouri Western State University invites you to

FINISH YOUR DEGREE Bachelor of General Studies

July 14, 2014 Last day for Gov. Nixon to veto legislation.

Sept. 11, 2013 Annual veto session.

Dec. 1, 2013 First day to pre-file legislation for the 2014 legislative session.

- Maximum flexibility - Customized degree path - Face-to-face or online completion -

Aug. 28, 2014 Legislation enacted during the 2014 legislative session becomes effective unless the legislation carried a specific date or emergency clause.

BusinessBriefs Allied Arts Receives Grant

The Allied Arts Council in July announced that its arts education programs were awarded a grant from Target Corporation. The grant will help fund the education programs, including Artists in the Schools, and Artscape.

“The Allied Arts Council is thrilled to receive this grant from Target. With Target’s help over 7,000 children in our community are able to receive exposure to the arts, through programs like Artscape, and Artists in the Schools,” said Cathy Ketter, Operations Manager, Allied Arts Council.

The grant is part of Target’s ongoing efforts to build strong, safe, and healthy communities across the

country. These efforts include Target’s long history of giving 5 percent of its profit to communities, which today equals more than $4 million every week.

The Allied Arts Council was organized in 1963 to provide service to St. Joseph area arts organizations, artists, and the general public. The Council has since grown into a federation of 16 arts agencies and now produces community arts programs, raises funds, promotes public awareness, and provides service and support to its member agencies.

The Allied Arts Council seeks to make St. Joseph a better place to live through the arts, and its mission is to provide leadership and support for the arts and to its member organizations.

For more information on the Allied Arts Council, go to www. stjoearts.org, visit 118 S. Eighth St. or call (816) 233-0231.

Learn more:

missouriwestern.edu/btw The Bachelor of General Studies will allow you to build a custom concentration out of two minors, rather than a single content focus. Your path to a bachelor’s degree will be built around your unique college credit history, and, if applicable, incorporate transfer credits and past major-specific work.

Minors that are offered entirely online currently include Business, Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Health Informatics and Information Management. Most general education courses are also online.

Get Advice:

(816) 271-4109 Missouri Western is an equal opportunity institution.

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

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Bayer Celebrates 150 Years In Global Market The animal health company has 2 St. Joseph locations

Bayer HealthCare Animal Health celebrated both the 50th anniversary of its Shawnee, Kan., animal health campus and Bayer’s 150th anniversary globally, by hosting a celebration luncheon for more than 450 employees, community and state political leaders and local industry partners. The event featured an internationally-diverse menu, which was also served to more than 110,000 Bayer employees worldwide.

Two separate campus locations in St. Joseph stretch over 145 acres and include facilities dedicated to research & development, production and warehousing.

“I could think of no better way to mark Bayer’s 150th anniversary, and our own 50 years of animal health history, than by sharing a globallyinspired meal with my colleagues,” said Ian Spinks, President and General Manager, Bayer HealthCare LLC, Animal Health Division, North America. “It reminds us that we are not only part of something very special here in Shawnee, but also part of a global company dedicated to science for a better life.”

To mark the 150th anniversary of Bayer worldwide, the Bayer Cares Foundation awarded nearly $785,000 in donations to 150 volunteer projects around the world. In Shawnee, Trish Wilbur, senior staff associate for the food animal and equine business unit, was recognized as one of nine U.S. Bayer employees and retirees whose volunteer projects received a grant to help support their initiatives. Ms. Wilbur’s grant of more than $6,500

will support Open Door Haiti’s “Build a Bed” project. In July, she traveled to Bois De Lance, Haiti to build beds for 32 families.

Bayer HealthCare Animal Health employees were joined by community and state government officials, including Dale Rodman, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture.

“Healthy animals are the foundation of a safe, wholesome food supply,” said Mr. Rodman. “While Bayer has been a critical partner in Kansas agriculture for the past 50 years, your company’s commitment to excellence and leadership in animal health has benefited the global animal agriculture sector for 150 years. It was an honor to participate in the celebration today. On behalf of Kansas agriculture, we look forward to continuing to work with our partners at Bayer for another 150 years.”

Additionally, local industry partners, such as the American Royal and the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC), also joined Bayer employees. Kim Young, KCADC’s vice president of Bioscience Development, was one of several guest speakers who shared their experience with Bayer over the years as part of the milestone celebration.

“Partnering with Bayer to create the Animal Health Corridor in 2007 drove innovation and excellence within the regional community, keeping Kansas City at the center of the animal health industry,” Ms. Young said.

Bayer’s year-long anniversary celebration includes numerous global and U.S. events focused on the company’s employees, customers, partners and the scientific community. These events include: a major travelling exhibition themed to healthcare, agriculture and highperformance materials; and the Bayer Anniversary Airship, which will make stops on five continents. For more information, visit www.150.bayer.com.

The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany.

The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover, develop, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 55,300 employees (Dec 31, 2012) and is represented in more than 100 countries. More information at www. healthcare.bayer.com.

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As an inventor company, Bayer Corporation sets trends in researchintensive areas.

Bayer’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve the quality of life. At the same time, the group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and acts as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. In fiscal year 2012, the group employed 110,500 people.

In North America, Bayer employed 15,300 at year-end. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

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Grant Helps Employees Finish Degrees at Missouri Western Submitted by Missouri Western State University

Thanks to a $1 million grant, Missouri Western State University has launched a program that can provide up to $7,500 in scholarship support for at least 126 regional citizens who work for regional businesses or who may be hired by these businesses.

These funds will help citizens earn bachelor’s degrees.

The university partnered with the St. Joseph Metro Chamber and several other education and business partners to establish the Buchanan County Degree Attainment Initiative (BCDAI). The grant was federally funded and allocated by the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

The BCDAI also provides on-

site mentoring and training by the partnering businesses.

“This creates a direct connection for Missouri citizens between the skills they learn in the classroom and the skills that are in demand today,” Gov. Jay Nixon said when the grant was announced. “This program will cut the time it takes for students to earn a degree, train students for solid careers in growing industries, and help to lower student debt.”

BCDAI, which began last fall, focuses on high-demand fields such as advanced manufacturing, energy solutions, bioscience, health sciences and services, information technology, financial and professional services, transportation and logistics.

Dr. Gordon Mapley, Dean of Missouri Western’s Western Institute and co-chair of the board that selects participants for the program, noted that many participants will pursue Missouri Western’s newly developed

Bachelor of General Studies. This degree program allows students to combine past collegiate work with new coursework so that employees have the opportunity to focus their courses on areas that are critical to the advancement of the targeted industries.

“It’s a great way to enhance the value of employees to their business,” he said.

Sarah Brown, a lab technician at Hillyard Industries in St. Joseph, was the first participant in the program.

She hopes to finish her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and will receive up to $7,500 to help pay for her education. Ms. Brown has worked at Hillyard for about two years and is currently a quality control lab technician. When she completes her degree, she hopes to become a chemist or apply for a management position.

“I am very appreciative of

everyone involved in this grant and plan to succeed because of it,” Ms. Brown said.

Dr. Mapley noted that they are looking for more area businesses to join the partnership. Along with Missouri Western, the St. Joseph Metro Chamber, the Community Alliance of Saint Joseph, Metropolitan Community College, the St. Joseph School District and the Northwest Workforce Investment Board, current business partners include Heartland Health, Hillyard Industries, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., Gray Manufacturing, LifeLine Foods, Altec Industries, Blue Sun Biodiesel and Albaugh.

If businesses are interested in a partnership, they can contact Dr. Mapley in Missouri Western’s Western Institute at (816) 271-4100 or visit www.wi.missouriwestern.edu/bcdai.

Registration for the Fall 2013 semester takes place on Aug. 20.

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

Lino’s Original Pizza

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MemberProfile

3702 Frederick Ave. East Hills Shopping Center St. Joseph, MO 64506 (816) 233-7327 www.linosoriginalpizza.com

Even though he’s from Carini, Italy, Rosario Ingargiola may have one of the most familiar faces in all of St. Joseph.

Whether you’ve tasted his food or seen him on TV, most St. Joseph residents know “Lino.” The owner of Lino’s Original Pizza has been a fixture in the East Hills Shopping Center for nearly two decades. He’s also been a regular on KQTV’s Live at Five since the late 1990s.

Sponsored by his uncles, Lino originally came to the United States in 1983. His uncles own a chain of Original Pizza locations in the Kansas City area. Marketed as the “best New York style pizza in Kansas City,” Original Pizza became his home away from home.

“My uncles taught me everything I know,” he said.

Lino began operating Original Pizza in St. Joseph in 1995. After commuting from Kansas City for four years, he became tired of the drive and his uncles gave him the opportunity to buy the business. So on March 1, 1999, he became the site owner.

Lino has only tweaked a few of his uncles’ recipes. While he knew a lot about Italian food, he had to learn how to run a business on his own.

“How to run financials, bookkeeping, legal matters, those are things we’ve learned through the years,” he said. His wife, Teresa, is the bookkeeper, but she also (like most small business owners) works throughout the restaurant as needed.

Lino made some changes to his restaurant to better attract the St.

Joseph customer.

“St. Joseph is different,” he said.

“I tried to make my niche.”

Although now located in the food court, Lino’s Original Pizza used to have its own space separate of other food establishments.

It had a quaint Rosario “Lino” Ingargiola has operated an atmosphere that Italian restaurant in the East Hills Shopping featured photos of Center since 1995. He’s also a regular on his home country local television station KQTV. He prepares and Italian soccer Italian cuisine on Live at Five on Tuesdays. memorabilia. His young children were Lino’s Original Pizza has been a St. Joseph able to help wait on Metro Chamber member since 2011. customers and take Right: Lino is pictured with his son naps in the booths Giuseppe, who works at the restaurant. during a slow time.

“It was a place within a place,” Lino said. “You could get dad is the owner. out easily and get to “They have to learn from the know your customers.”

It is a place fondly remembered bottom,” Lino said.

Over the years, Lino’s by patrons and family members appearances on KQTV have helped alike. grow his customer base.

“I miss it,” said Lino’s son, “Every week I talk about a Giuseppe. Both Giuseppe and Lino’s different special,” he said. “I try to oldest son, Salvatore, work at the get people to know our cuisine live restaurant. Daughter Girolama will on TV. It’s how people get to know as soon as she’s old enough. us.”

“I try to get the kids involved His personal favorite is aglio in the business,” Lino said. “I want and olio, which is just garlic, olive them to go to college, get a degree oil, pasta and crushed pepper. and be better than me.”

“Italian cuisine is best when it’s But he said the restaurant can kept simple,” he said. teach them responsibility and how Lino adds to the flavor of his to work hard. His kids do not get food by using local produce, even special treatment because their

bringing in tomatoes from his own garden when he can.

“I’m a firm believer in buying local and keeping the money in St. Joseph,” he said.

As far as the future goes, some things may change. At the end of his current lease, the business will have been in the mall for 25 years.

“I would like to do something outside the mall,” he said. “It would be an adventure and it would be nice to create an atmosphere again.”

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

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Session Ends For Legislators, Bills Reviewed at Chamber Event

By Jessica Jackson, St. Joseph Metro Chamber Intern Following the spring adjournment of the Missouri Legislature, Sen. Robert Schaaf, Rep. Delus Johnson, and Rep. Pat Conway participated in a panel discussion at St. Joe Rising on Friday, May 31, to summarize the events of the session.

During the panel discussion, Sen. Schaaf educated the crowd on issues concerning the fix for the second injury fund, unemployment reform, the prevailing wage fix, combining solid waste management, and his views on the upcoming health care laws and exclusive provider networks. He also expressed disappointment that the Senate could not pass a bill that would improve funding for colleges like Missouri Western State University.

Rep. Johnson also discussed his disappointment that Missouri Western did not get the funding formula it deserved. On another note, he said that as a state we are in a much better

position than previous years. He commented that the unemployment rate for the State of Missouri has dropped significantly and sales tax revenues are increasing.

He told the crowd that in order to succeed we must “balance the budget, spend smarter, and create jobs.”

With this motto, Rep. Johnson encouraged the crowd to build and market Missouri’s brand and aggressively pursue companies to get them into our state. He said that in order for businesses to be attracted to Missouri, we need to revise our tax code. The tax code has not had a major revision since 1921.

“We’ve passed it through the House and the Senate; it’s on the governor’s desk. He stated yesterday that he’ll veto the bill, but I think we have the support to do a veto override. I expect that to happen in September,” Rep. Johnson said

State Sen. Rob Schaaf and Reps Delus Johnson and Pat Conway spoke at the May St. Joe Rising, a quarterly event held for St. Joseph Metro Chamber members that covers legislative, social and economic topics of interest. about the tax code revisions. Gov. Nixon vetoed the bill on June 5 that would have cut state income taxes for corporations and individuals.

With such a busy legislative session for the Republicans, Democrats in the General Assembly had a slow year.

Pat Conway, 10th District

representative, said only two pieces of Democratic legislation made it to the House floor. However, he said he was very vocal on a number of issues introduced by Republicans.

“Look at where we are going as a state and what we are doing, don’t always look at the specific legislation,” Rep. Conway stated.

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

10

Reclaiming St. Joseph’s Leadership in Leather National Beef Leathers Plans Include Becoming the ‘biggest production facility in the world’

National Beef has its own fleet of trucks that transport hides to St. Joseph and leather from its St. Joseph facility. The leather then is transported by truck and rail to the coasts for shipping overseas.

Most of the leather made in St. Joseph is finished into athletic shoes, auto upholstery and home furniture.

Did you know that many of the major shoe brands may have a tie to St. Joseph?

National Beef Leathers, LLC, one of St. Joseph’s major employers along the Stockyards Expressway, is a premier supplier of leather to the athletic shoe industry. Leather processed at National Beef’s St. Joseph facility also is used in automobile upholstery and home furniture.

The business has a long history in St. Joseph. First known as Blueside Companies and then Prime Tanning, St. Joseph workers have been turning cattle hides into fine leather since 1972. Because St. Joseph was a hub for livestock sales and processing,

with the St. Joseph Stockyards forming in the late 1800s, it was only natural for entrepreneurs to manufacture leather. Blueside implemented the wet blue leather process, which uses chrome that actually turns the leather blue.

“Ninety-five percent of hides are turned into wet blue for handbags, shoes, etc.,” said Robert Hein, Senior Vice President of National Beef’s Hide Division. “Hides out of the U.S. are of very high value. They are the second best in the world.”

National Beef strives to be a leader in that field. A total investment of $45 million to $50 million is going into the St. Joseph plant.

“Prime had a very good reputation in the 1970s and 1980s,”

Mr. Hein said. “Prime had very good fundamentals.”

However, as times changed, the company failed to keep up technologically. National Beef bought the facility in 2009 and started work to renovate the plant in 2010.

“The place literally went dark for a while,” Mr. Hein said of when equipment was removed after the purchase. “National Beef’s investment in technology is increasing the quality and quantity of leather produced.

Customers’ expectations are higher so we’re adding value to the hides instead of devaluing them.”

The company’s investment in technology will further help the company become the leader in its field.

“There is a lot of future in this,” Mr. Hein said. “We will be the world’s

leader in technology. We will be the single biggest production facility in the world.”

There are still 12 months to go in the expansion process, he said.

Joe Castagno, National Beef Leathers’ HR/Safety/ISO Manager, said that many of the facility’s positions are being changed from being manual labor based to those that are more technologically advanced.

“Jobs that were the most physically demanding are being replaced with robotics,” Mr. Castagno said.

While some labor-intensive jobs will still exist, employees in the maintenance and production fields will need to learn technological processes that are new to the plant to be able to run and maintain the new machinery.

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

11

A visitor can tell just how large the National Beef Leathers facility is from the back of its property. The company is undergoing an expansion and renovation.

National Beef Leathers currently employs about 180 people. Mr. Castagno expects to see that number rise to 250 to 270 within a year.

“We plan to double the production levels and will add shifts,” he said.

The plant will be able to handle this production increase in large part because of its parent company, National Beef. National Beef is a beef processor that is the fourth-largest supplier of cattle hides in the nation.

Adding value to products in the supply chain is a hallmark of National Beef’s business philosophy and has been its focus as business has grown in the past 10 to 15 years. Its leaders

applied this same thinking to the leather business.

“National Beef had the guts to invest in this business,” Mr. Hein said.

“It already had the raw material.”

Cattle hides are transported from National Beef’s facilities in Southwest Kansas to St. Joseph to go through the wet blue process.

“It’s just a short five to six hour road trip,” Mr. Castagno said.

When the leather leaves St. Joseph, it travels to Kansas City to be shipped by trucks and rail to the coasts, where much of it is shipped to Asia, Mexico and Italy for finishing into the products we see in stores.

Mr. Hein and Mr. Castagno said

National Beef chose to keep the facility in St. Joseph for a variety of reasons.

“Logistically, it works,” Mr. Castagno said.

In addition to St. Joseph’s prime position near cattle producers, the company wanted to benefit from Prime Tanning’s experience.

“This is a complicated business,” Mr. Hein said. “St. Joseph has a good core of people with environmental experience and an understanding of the plant. We have a number of employees with 20-30 years of experience who have mentored newer employees.”

Mr. Hein said the compliance

guidelines were already in place and that the City of St. Joseph was helpful with the transition.

The expansion and renovation process has been helpful to other St. Joseph employers as well.

“I think we’ve kept the concrete business pretty busy,” Mr. Hein joked.

National Beef Leathers, LLC Manufacturers Robert Hein, Senior Vice President, Hide Division 205 E. Florence Road, P.O. Box 4039 St. Joseph, MO 64504 (816) 236-1655 www.nationalbeef.com

Work at National Beef Leathers As the company continues to change, it is looking to add strong employees to its workforce. If you are willing to work hard, you can earn a very decent wage at this familyoriented company.

National Beef Leathers offers strong benefits, with inexpensive insurance and the potential to earn extra days off and overtime. Extra perks include the chance to buy beef at different times of the year, op-

portunities to win televisions, and bonuses through an employee referral program.

“This is a place you can work 2030 years and really provide for your family,” Mr. Hein said. “We’re looking

for stable employees who are looking for long-term employment.”

To apply to work at National Beef Leathers, contact the HR Department at donna.petrosky@nationalbeef.com or mindy.grooms@nationalbeef.com

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

12

Graves Speaks About Small Business Issues At Summit

By Jessica Jackson, St. Joseph Metro Chamber Intern

The 2013 St. Joseph Business Summit, hosted by the St. Joseph Metro Chamber and the Missouri Western State University’s Steven L. Craig School of Business, shed light on topics important to businesspeople from various companies in the Northwest Missouri area. The event hosted a crowd of 133.

U.S. Congressman and Small Business Chairman Sam Graves gave the first keynote address of the summit. “Washington has been trying and exciting the last couple of weeks,� he said at the event on June 7.

Mr. Graves covered a broad spectrum of topics including the contract and reform issues for small business, regulatory reform, the small business committee website accessibility, and budgets. He believes the most important issues that could help small businesses prosper are keeping taxes low and reducing the amount of regulations.

Mr. Graves said that seven out of every 10 jobs come from small business. “Government needs to get out of the way and let businesses prosper,� he said.

The congressman answered audience members’ questions about small businesses’ limited access to capital, the impact healthcare will

have on our economy, and future energy policies in America.

When asked about the limited access of small business to capital, Mr. Graves said banks are tightening down on the amount of loans they are giving for small businesses. He said he is working with the commerce committee on a policy to solve this issue.

Mr. Graves says healthcare is a huge concern, especially for companies with 50 or fewer employees. He reminded the crowd that a company with 50 or fewer employees does not have to provide healthcare and those employees are on their own to obtain it. With insurance costs rising rapidly, Mr. Graves is searching for a solution.

He agreed with audience members that America needs an energy policy in the near future. He pointed out that we could do it in an environmentallyfriendly way and save our country money. “I’m sick and tired of being an energy-rich nation that talks like an energy-poor nation,� Mr. Graves said.

Jan Oldenburg, the second keynote speaker of the summit and Vice President of Patient and Physician Engagement in Aetna’s Accountable Care Solutions Group, enlightened the crowd on the benefits of patient engagement to healthcare costs.

Ms. Oldenburg stressed that there are many opportunities to save the patient money, but it must be easier for the patient to engage with their doctor. “Healthcare needs to be more convenient, connected, and provide relevant, timely data,� Ms. Oldenburg stated.

Consumers today are used to self-serve. They are social and mobile and are researchers who use technology to entertain.

Ms. Oldenburg pointed out that healthcare is behind in most of these aspects and that patients should be able to do more online to engage in

Left: Rep. Sam Graves speaks at the St. Joseph Business Summit. Above: representatives from the Family Investment Center enjoy the St. Joseph Business Summit. The Family Investment Center was one of the event’s presenting sponsors. their own health.

Attendees also heard from various speakers during breakout sessions that covered multiple topics including saving money by going green, wellness in the workplace, QuickBooks, starting and expanding

small business, and doing business in the cloud.

The event’s presenting sponsors were Family Investment Center, Inc., and the Institute for Industrial and Applied Life Sciences.

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

13

Advanced Science Research Center Will Educate Workforce Plans are underway for an Advanced Science Research Center to be added to Hillyard Technical Center.

This would give students the ability to enhance their technical skills as they relate to scientific vocations.

The project, which was kicked off in June 2011, was a joint effort by both the St. Joseph School District Foundation and the St. Joseph School District. The objective is to offer the St. Joseph community a place to learn advanced technical skills in an environment that allows for hands-on learning.

“Not only does the Advanced Science Research Center at Hillyard provide our community the opportunity to gain laboratory experience in a rigorous course setting, it also allows for greater focus on areas of math and science in our community,” said Brad McAnally, St. Joseph School District Foundation Advanced Science Research Center Campaign Chairman, at a ceremony to announce the project on June 13.

Because St. Joseph is located within the country’s Animal Health Corridor, the center will offer community members the chance to learn skills that will help them find employment with St. Joseph employers.

One of those employers is Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI), St. Joseph’s fourth-largest employer and a top producer of products in the animal health field.

BIVI believes in the project and donated $250,000 to the effort to have the center built.

“We thought this was a very important project we needed to support,” said Dr. Albrecht Kissel, BIVI President and CEO. “It wasn’t a very long discussion with our managerial staff.”

He said that BIVI’s St. Joseph location is the company’s singlelargest site in the U.S. with more than 800 employees.

“It is the most important site we have in our company,” he said. “St. Joseph is our home and ensuring we are helping our community develop

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skills that will not only help their personal economy, but also help ensure Boehringer Ingelheim remains a vital business in the St. Joseph community, is truly a win-win.”

Dr. Kissel said we must increase the output and efficiency of education to meet the growing needs of the local economy.

“This project is of the utmost importance to our company and other businesses,” he said.

The project was established with the agreement that the foundation would raise $500,000 in private donations, and once that goal was achieved, the school district would provide the additional $900,000 to

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info

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tion

complete the 10,000 square-foot addition to Hillyard Technical Center.

“This project is a great example of reinvesting in the community,” Mr. McAnally said. “I’m confident with the kind of passion we all have for our hometown, that the Advanced Science Research Center will be training students soon…very soon.”

To make a donation to ensure the center becomes a reality, send a gift to the St. Joseph School District Foundation, 514 N. 22nd St, St. Joseph, MO 64501, call (816) 671-4117 or visit www.sjsd.k12.mo.us

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

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DowntownDigest Information provided by the St. Joseph Downtown Partnership

Progress Made On Sixth & Edmond Parking Lot

Gyro Paradise Opens Second Location

The next time you drive by the intersection of Sixth and Edmond streets, check out the parking lot the city is reconstructing. This is a great improvement for Downtown. The construction is moving right along and the first half of the lot is really shaping up.

Gyro Paradise Mediterranean Grill has opened a second location, this one is Downtown at 722 Felix St. The restaurant features many of the menu items from its location at 1209 N. Belt Highway. Currently, the business is only open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, but will consider opening for special events downtown.

Triggerfish Corporation Opens Downtown

Triggerfish Corporation has moved its offices to 518 Felix St. The company is a technologyoriented professional services firm dedicated to simplifying the demands of information technology in your company or organization. The company’s broad range of experience and proficiency results in adaptable technology solutions and services to benefit the small- to medium-sized company. To find out more about this company, check out its website at www.triggerfishcorp.com, or call them at (816) 676-0434.

Offsite Imaging Management Moves To Felix Street Offsite Imaging has moved to 518 Felix St. The company develops, plans, and implements offsite data solutions customized to the individual customer’s needs. To learn more about the services they offer, go to its website at www.offsiteimagemgt.com.

They can be reached at (816) 2327483.

Upscale Resale Offers Unique Items Upscale Resale is a new store downtown located at 613 Edmond St., next to the Ground Round restaurant.

The store is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and features a wide array of highquality merchandise. The store has an extensive inventory of electronic equipment that is all guaranteed to work.

If you are looking for unique items, this is the place to check out. It also offers a great selection of movies and CDs. The inventory changes weekly, so visit often.

and runs until 8 p.m.

For a complete listing of the bands, “like” the St. Joseph Music Foundation on Facebook or call (816) 676-1112.

On Sept. 13 and 14, the Coleman Hawkins Blues Festival will return to delight blues fans. Once again, the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Society has put together a program of some of the top artists in the region.

The cool sounds of the blues will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, and conclude at 9:15 p.m. The music starts again at 1 p.m. on Saturday and concludes at 9:15 p.m. For a complete list of the performers, go to the society’s website at www. colemanhawkins.org, “like” them on Facebook, or call the Downtown Association at (816) 233-9192.

On Saturday, Sept. 21, the first Irish Festival is to be held Downtown.

Come and partake in Irish beer and food and enjoy the music from some of the region’s great Irish bands.

Foster’s Martini Bar is hosting the event “Shamrock on the Square” from 1 to 9 p.m.

On Sept. 27 and 28, Bluegrass Battles Hunger, a benefit for Second Harvest Community Food Bank, will be held at Coleman Hawkins Park at Felix Street Square. The event is free to the public, but people are urged to bring non-perishable food items or cash donations to help fight hunger in our community. The hours of the festival are 5:30 to 10 p.m. on Friday, and 3 to 10 p.m. on Saturday. For a complete listing of the bands playing at the event, check out their website at www.ourcommunityfoodbank.org, or call the Downtown Association at (816) 233-9192.

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Fun Festivals Are Planned for the Fall For a great time, Downtown is the place to be!

Labor Day weekend, the JoeStock Festival will take place at Coleman Hawkins Park at Felix Street Square. Starting on Friday, Aug. 30, the festival will be three days of awesome, live, musical entertainment, with the festivities and music beginning at 4 p.m., and continuing until 11 p.m.

On Saturday, the event begins at 11 a.m. and goes until 11 p.m. On Sunday, the music starts at 11 a.m.

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Summer 2013

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Employers Learn About ACA With impending changes coming in healthcare reform, the St. Joseph Metro Chamber and Polsinelli held a breakfast educational session to discuss that and other legal matters of which local employers should be aware.

Brian M. Johnston, Polsinelli Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group Leader, discussed the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) and its current and future impact for employers in the session held on April 16.

“It’s the law, it is what it is. We have to deal with it,” he said.

He provided many key points:

• ACA creates access to health care, and does not reform the healthcare system;

• there are new duties for employers under the ACA;

• some health insurances practices will be prohibited or reformed;

• there will be an opportunity for individuals and smaller companies to purchase coverage through state health benefit exchanges;

• individuals will be responsible for purchasing coverage through a health care exchange or electing through an employer’s group health plan;

• companies with more than 50 full-time employees will have to offer health plan coverage or pay penalties.

If they haven’t already, employers should be discussing how the law will affect them with an attorney and/or healthcare provider.

The issue is very complicated and ever-changing. Mr. Johnston provided a flow chart from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation that helps explain penalties for employers who don’t offer affordable coverage beginning next year.

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Summer 2013

No More Boundaries for Small Businesses!

Many small business owners consider their market to be within a specific geographic area, such as their city or state. But why limit your product or service to such boundaries? In today’s economy, you need to think beyond the typical borders of your community and reach the rest of the country or the rest of the world!

Technology allows us to reach as far as we are willing to go in order to expand our market area. The internet allows small business owners to compete in the global economy.

And, don’t believe that if you have a service business that you can’t do the same thing, either. Professional service providers, such as architects, computer techs, accountants, consultants, and many more are able to utilize technology such as Skype or FaceTime to have visual access to their clients, and documents can be shared back and forth via e-mail or a Dropbox. Even physicians are utilizing tele-medicine when appropriate to allow for greater access to health care.

Some studies show that up to 97 percent of customers have gone online to look for local products and services at some point. In addition, three of four smartphone users have contacted a business they found first on their phone. Yet, according to

Google, 64 percent of all Missouri businesses do NOT have a website.

This means those businesses aren’t even a consideration when potential customers are looking to purchase!

To remedy this situation Google, in partnership with KCSourceLink, the Hispanic and Greater Kansas City chambers of commerce, KCnext, Intuit, SCORE and others are offering small business owners free websites for a year. So now there is no excuse not to be found, be known, be seen, and increase your market.

This offer includes a domain name and hosting for a website on Intuit for one year, three free pages and 5GB of bandwidth. What happens after a year is up? The fee is $6.99 per month if you registered a domain with Intuit or $4.99 per month if you did not sign up for a domain.

And, according to Google, you can build a basic, functional website in about an hour. Go to “Missouri Get Your Business Online” www.gybo. com/missouri for more information.

Let’s not forget about exporting as an excellent way to expand your market reach, as well. There is export training available to small business owners who want to learn more about this option. To explore if your business is ready for exporting or how your business can prepare for exporting, you can use the “Export

SmallBusinessMatters

Business Planner” tool available through the SBA at www.sba.gov/ exportbusinessplanner.

Geographic boundaries no longer need to limit the small business owner. Websites, technology, and exporting offer the means to

expand your market area and grow your business in today’s global economy. Rebecca Evans with the St. Joseph Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) can assist you with reaching new worlds.

ACCESSIBLE EXPERTISE, RESPONSIVE SOLUTIONS, TRUSTWORTHY RELATIONSHIPS • Tax Preparation & Planning • Payroll & Accounting Services • Reviews & Compilations • QuickBooks Assistance • Outsourced CFO Services • New Business Formation • Non-Profit Status • Strategic Business Planning

The Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) is located inside the St. Joseph Metro Chamber. You do not need to be a member of the Chamber to receive services. The SBTDC can complete a walk-through of your business to determine if there are any wastes that are causing your operation to run inefficiently and what can be done to correct those situations. All services performed by the SBTDC are pre-paid by the Small Business Administration, so there is never a charge to the business.

Call us to find out how your expert staff can help guide your business development decisions.

Helen M. Taylor, CPA 75008403

Rebecca Evans is the Associate Regional Director of the SBTDC. You may contact her at: 816-364-4105 or evansr@nwmissouri.edu

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Summer 2013

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Summer 2013

18

BusinessBriefs Polsinelli Receives High Rankings In Publication

Chambers USA, the world’s leading guide to the legal profession, released its 2013 rankings for lawyers and practice groups.

Polsinelli received high rankings for 53 attorneys and nine practice areas in four states. Chambers rankings are based on submissions put forward by law firms, interviews during the course of research and Chambers’ own database resources.

Law firms and individual lawyers are ranked in bands from 1-6, with 1 being the best.

“Thank you to our clients who provided Chambers with valuable insight into our strategic partnerships,”

said Chairman Russ Welsh. “It’s a strong reflection of our dedication to understanding the challenges our clients face as general counsel and business leaders. We are proud to have this acknowledgement of so many of our lawyers across the country.

Two St. Joseph attorneys received high rankings in the publication: Ranked 3 for Carol C. Barnett in Labor & Employment (Kansas City & Surrounds) – Missouri Ranked 3 for Dan R. Boulware in Litigation: General Commercial (Kansas City & Surrounds) - Missouri

Griffon Athletics Win Four Marketing Awards Griffon Athletics was recognized for excellence in the athletics marketing field Friday, June 14, at the annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics

Convention in Orlando, Fla. Four pieces were submitted for awards, of which three won first place in its category; the other took third place. First place entries were in the following categories: Promotional/Schedule Poster (2012 Griffon Football poster “Together As One”), Promotional T-Shirt Design (2012 Griffon Basketball Tip-Off Party T-shirt), and Static Display Advertisement (2012 Griffon Football “Welcome to Game Day” ad). The third place entry was in the Sales Piece Category (2012 Griffon Football “4 for $99” ad).

MWSU and Embry-Riddle University were the only schools to win first place in three categories across all divisions of the competition.

This is the 14th marketing piece to be recognized by NACMA since MWSU began entering the competition.

Graphic design for these projects was provided by Jena Williams of

MWSU Campus Printing & Design, photography by Eric Callow of Double E Images, and T-shirt design

by Kiley Bodenhamer of Dream Weaver Graphics.

Chamber Classic Ends In Exciting Fashion The annual Chamber Classic Golf Tournament ended with three teams scoring a 54 on Fairview Golf Course on June 19. Officials had to go to the scorecards to determine a winner.

The tournament ended with Gloggner Metal Fabricators on top. Team members included Phil Gloggner, Scott Burnham, T.J. Hundley and Jackson Trotter. The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City team placed second and the Community Health Improvement Solutions team (event sponsor) placed third.

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Summer 2013

19

Get The Most Out Of Networking Opportunities When the St. Joseph Metro Chamber surveys our members, we continually find that one of the main reasons people join is for networking opportunities. But, just like with a gym membership, if you don’t actually go to the gym and use the equipment correctly, you won’t see the desired results. The same is true with Chamber events. If you don’t go (or you go and don’t talk to anyone new), you won’t make many new business contacts.

Meeting new people can be exciting and scary at the same time.

When faced with a full room of strangers, it’s very easy to want to turn and walk the other way. Here are a few helpful hints to get you into the room and on your way to making meaningful business relationships:

• Bring a buddy. It’s a lot easier to walk into a new situation if you recognize a friendly face. But make sure you talk to more than just him or her throughout the event.

• Don’t have a buddy to bring?

Ask the Chamber (or the group holding the event) to pair you up with a volunteer who can help you make the rounds. Networking can be difficult for a lot of people. There is no shame in asking for help!

• Have a goal in mind of the number of people you’d like to meet.

Keep it reasonable. If there are 50 people in the room, you may have a goal of having five meaningful conversations. That will make it easier not to become overwhelmed.

• If you’re a natural salesman and networking events are easy for you, keep in mind that the attendees

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didn’t come out just to hear your sales pitch. Remember, the best relationships are give and take. Learn about the person you’re talking with and they’ll want to get to know you too.

• Exchange business cards.

Give out your own and remember to take notes on the back of the ones you receive. If you write down a thing or two about the person you meet, or their business, it will make contacting them in the future more seamless.

• Follow up. Either call or e-mail the people you meet and keep going to more networking events!

You’ll see limited results if you attend just one event. Keep broadening your circle by attending more events. With many groups, like the Chamber, there are other groups and clubs to get involved with to make connections.

While business mixers are fun after hours events, many clubs offer breakfast and lunchtime meetings and offer the chance to get to know people better through committee work.

• Once you’re a networking pro, remember what it is like to be the new guy. When you see someone new, don’t just stick with the friends you’ve made in the past. Introduce yourself and bring the new person into your conversation.

Of course, the most important thing is to make networking a priority.

If you want to grow your business, making personal connections is an important step. Put it on your calendar and make it a priority to attend and engage.

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