The Saint Joseph Business Journal

Fall 2011

Education Edition:

Early Childhood Education Key to Workforce Development

My Success Event Inspires High School Students No Time Like the Present to Finish Your Degree

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

2

THE BLUE KC EXCHANGE. ONCE AGAIN PROVING THAT LEADERS LEAD AND THE REST FOLLOW. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) stays out in front by creating the area’s first health insurance exchange — well ahead of the government deadline of 2014. Now small businesses can better predict and control healthcare costs while employees choose a plan that fits their needs. It’s the kind of innovation you’d expect from the area’s leading health insurer. Call your broker or Blue KC at 816-395-2939 — and join the exchange today.

Many options. One choice.

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

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INDEX Economic Update.................................................................................4 Developing a High-Performance Organization...................................5 New Executives Recognized................................................................6 Improving Employees’ Health, a Priority for Employers....................7 Shop St. Joseph 2011 Kicks Off...........................................................8 Biggest My Success Event Ever Inspires High School Students.........9 Early Childhood Education Key to Workforce Development............10

Missouri Western Values Applied Learning..................................12 Downtown Digest..........................................................................14 Top Employer Profile: Hy-Vee Food Stores, Inc..........................15 Survey Finds Financial Skills Lacking in Parents/Kids.................16 Need to Finish Your Degree? No Time Like the Present.............17 Small Business Matters...................................................................18 Member Profile: ExperienceWorks................................................19

2011 St. Joseph Metro Chamber BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman

Brad McAnally Hy-Vee Food Stores, Inc.

President/CEO

Ted Allison, CEcD St. Joseph Metro Chamber

Chair-Elect

Matthew Dority KCP&L

Secretary/Treasurer

Vern Middleton Midwest Federal

Ted Allison, CEcD

President & CEO allison@saintjoseph.com 816.232.4461

Shannon Jobes

Vice President, Administration jobes@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4111

Directors Brian Bradley, News-Press & Gazette Co. Barbara Burns, B.J. Office Products Inc. James Carolus, Hillyard Companies Dr. Gary Clapp, Institute for Industrial & Applied Life Sciences Bill Falkner, City of St. Joseph Tim Knapp, Tim Knapp Construction Co. Dr. Mark Laney, Heartland Health Corky Marquart, Commerce Bank, N.A. Todd Meierhoffer, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory Byron Myers, Sr., City of St. Joseph Dan Nicoson, Missouri Western State University Foundation Dan Nowalk, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.

Kristi Rasmussen

Director of Communications rasmussen@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4108

Economic Development

Steve Hamilton

Senior Vice President, Economic Development hamilton@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4106 816.244-9533 (cell)

Maryann Skiles

Receptionist, Administrative Assistant

skiles@saintjoseph.com

Col. Mike Pankau, 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard Matt Robertson, Clifton Gunderson LLP Dr. Melody Smith, School District of St. Joseph Larry Stobbs, South St. Joseph Progressive Association R.T. Turner, Buchanan County Bob Wollenman, Deluxe Truck Stop LLC Mark Woodbury, General Counsel Polsinelli Shughart P.C. Rick Gronniger, Immediate Past Chair, Altec Industries Judy Hausman, Diplomats Club Representative, Taylor, Thompson & Hausman LLC Kylee Strough, Young Executives Network Representative, United Way of Greater St. Joseph

3003 Frederick Ave. 816.232.4461 or 800.748.7856

816.232.4461

Community Alliance

Membership

Brad Lau

Director of Business Attraction and Development blau@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4110 816.244.6221 (cell)

Mary Brown

Project Manager, Administrative Assistant brown@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4102

Natalie Redmond

Vice President, Member Relations redmond@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4107

816.364.4873 (fax) www.saintjoseph.com

Chris Schmitter

Director of Membership Sales & Retention schmitter@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4113

Keisha Holtman

Administrative Assistant, Membership holtman@saintjoseph.com 816.364.4101

Steve Johnston

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

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

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EconomicUpdate

Top 10 Employers Heartland Health Triumph Foods, LLC St. Joseph School District Altec Industries Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. Wal-Mart American Family Insurance City of St. Joseph Sara Lee Foods Western Reception, Diagnostic & Correctional Center

Health Services Meat Products Education Utility Industry Equipment Animal Pharmaceuticals

3,451 2,725 1,877 940 802

Department Store Insurance Government Meat Products Prison

780 777 665 650 576

Demographics

St.J oseph

business... by the good better life ! umbers

Unemployment (Sept.)

Population Housing units

76,197 32,495

St. Joseph Missouri

7.8 percent 8.7 percent

Average family size

3

United States

9.1 percent

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

Developing a High-Performance Organization Discussed Planning for the future “Care Givers,” he said. Everyone may be more important now than understands their role and its ever. Almost every business and importance to Heartland’s customers organization and subsequently their and the organization. employees are being challenged to Dr. Laney went on to say that do more with less. building an organizational foundation Dr. Mark of excellence Laney, President is a process, and CEO of a proven Heartland Health, business model addressed more for success. than 150 business Additionally, and community it is a team leaders at the building St. Joseph Metro exercise and Chamber’s a leadership quarterly St. Joe development Rising on Sept. program.

9 on the topic, Following “Developing a Dr. Laney’s High-Performance presentation, Organization.”

Steve Johnston, Two St. Joseph Director of the organizations, Community Heartland Health Alliance of Dr. Mark Laney speaks at St. Joe Rising. and Nestle Purina, Saint Joseph, are both highdiscussed a performing organizations that are new initiative called “Community of recent recipients of the prestigious Excellence.”

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality The Community of Excellence Award. brings a core group of business “It’s not about winning the and community leaders together, award,” Dr. Laney stated, “It’s about representing education, business, positioning your organization for nonprofit, local government, and success in the future.” health care. It starts and supports Dr. Laney encouraged a local Baldrige Performance participants to take a close look at Excellence Group and the entire their organization today, because community benefits, he said. in just three to five short years, The Community of Excellence there will almost assuredly be major provides a vehicle for learning changes. Those companies that ways to improve an individual focus on strategic planning and are organization’s performance, while at proactively looking toward the future the same time learning from other will have the best chance of success. members’ successful methods used in “Strategic planning is just one servicing customers, the community, component of developing a high the workforce and partners. It also performance organization,” Dr. Laney enhances interactions with each said. “Leadership, customer focus, other. This network allows for an developing your workforce to align exchange of ideas and best practices. with the organization’s objectives, and Mr. Johnston encouraged certainly, measurement and analysis interested organizations to learn more produce the highest level improved about the Community of Excellence performance.” at an orientation session slated of At Heartland, for example, they Nov. 10, at the Stoney Creek Inn. don’t have employees, they have

Steven L. Craig School of Business

5

Thank You to our Business Partners!

The following area businesses provide internships to students in Western’s Steven L. Craig School of Business, giving our business majors invaluable experience. We appreciate their support!

American Family Insurance Bartlett Center Bath & Body Works Belt Sports Complex Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. Citizens Bank & Trust Clay County Parks & Recreation Dept.

Community Foundation of Northwest Missouri The Communities of Solarbron Countryside Pharmacy Eagle Communications Evans Realty Family Investment Center Farmers State Bank Farmland Foods, Inc. Flightline Graphics Grubb & Ellis/The Windbury Group Hausman, Akers, & Associates, P.C. Heartland Health Herzog - North Texas Rail Group Hillyard Companies The Home Depot Home Exchange Bank Horizon Outdoor Hy-Vee Food Store Imáge Salon & Day Spa Johnson Controls, Inc. Mastio & Company McBride’s Yamaha McTel Co., Inc. Menards Missouri Western State University Nestlé Purina Petcare

Nodaway Valley Bank Nor-Am Cold Storage, Inc. Northwest Health Services Pershing Memorial Hospital Pizza Hut Pony Express Community Bank Randolph Medical Plus, LLC Raymond James/Mercantile Financial Group Riverside Church Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau St. Joseph Country Club St. Joseph Mustangs St. Joseph News-Press St. Joseph School District St. Joseph Tractor St. Joseph Youth Alliance St. Luke’s Northland Hospital Sara Lee Corporation Savannah Pizza Shoppe Save-A-Lot Corporate Office Sears Special Olympics State Street Sun Loan Company & Tax Service Teva Animal Health Tony Conforti, LLC, CPI Top Hand Property Management Trexcon, Inc. USA 800 Unger & Associates, PC Wear Concepts, Inc.

Steven L. Craig School of Business Missouri Western State University missouriwestern.edu/business For your intern, call 816-271-4338 Western is an equal opportunity institution.

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

New Executives Recognized On Tuesday, Sept. 27, the St. Joseph Metro Chamber Diplomats Club hosted the 39th annual New Executives Luncheon at the St. Joseph Country Club.

The purpose of the New

Executives Luncheon is to recognize and welcome those who are new to management in St. Joseph and introduce them to other business leaders and Chamber members. Please congratulate these new executives.

6

New Executives Class of 2011 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard Col. Mike Pankau Ag Processing, Inc. Brent Heintzelman Agri Labs Jim Glassford Altec Industries, Inc. Sean Farris Matt Griffin Attic Storage of St. Joseph Tim Lawrence Charming Charlie Kelsey Schenecker Stephanie Yates Chiropractic Healing & Restoration, LLC Dr. Joshua Middendorf Citizens Bank & Trust Mike Holden City of St. Joseph Austin Rice Dustin Smith Mary Novinger Bob Bangerter Mike Neylon

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East Hills Shopping Center Regan Lyons

Missouri Western State University Foundation David K. Repulski

Family Investment Center, Inc. Chris Danford

Morton, Reed, Counts, Briggs & Robb, LLC William Kariker

Green Family Chiropractic Dr. Crystal Green

Omnium Rafael Castro

Heartland Regional Medical Center Kristie Arthur Mandi Atkinson Debi Cradic Craig Dieringer Michelle Faris-Rowe Katie Hartman Angela Kline Janelle Lee Lori Mallory Tamara Meier Adriana Nabors Tracy Osborn Cheryl Portman Cristie Skeen Kim Turner Cheryl Williams Hinde & Company David Richmond InterServ Brett King

Commerce Bank Nick Limle

KCP&L Michael H. Jackson

The Commerce Trust Company Andrew Fent Justin Shelman

Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living (MERIL) Carla Rickabaugh

Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph Carol Clark Melissa Leander Jami Lewis Anthony Stiens

Midland Marketing Group Nicole Cook Missouri Western State University Laura Buhman Isaiah Collier Mark Stier Donnell Turner

One Home Realty, Inc. Raquel Hopper Prudential Summers REALTORS Tara Horn Frank Leone Sam’s Club Scott Marquess Stoney Creek Inn Jennifer Hawkins Scott Quigley Suddenlink Steve Ward Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions Rachel McCoy Lisa Smith Taylor, Thompson & Hausman, LLC Ronilu Thompson The State of Missouri State Rep. Delus Johnson Tilton, Thomas & Morgan, Inc. Kim Sherlock Chris Weddle United Way of Greater St. Joseph Kylee Strough US Bank Justin Dennis Grover Musser Jennie Stewart

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

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Improving Employees’ Health Becoming a Priority for Employers Article Submitted by Heartland Health Nearly 200 guests attended the St. Joseph Metro Chamber’s Community Roundtable for Health and Productivity Summit, Create a Healthy Workforce Culture, to learn about the importance of encouraging healthier lifestyles and personal wellbeing improving to develop a happier, healthier workforce.

The Community Roundtable, comprised of 17 local employers, has been exploring the subject of wellness in the workplace and developing a new community-wide program for the last 20 months. For this initiative to be successful, it was necessary to get the attention of local employers up front by raising their awareness of the alarming trends in public health, how cost-effective it is to develop a wellness program for their employees, and provide them with a guidebook on how to do it.

Chamber Board Chairman Brad McAnally, dressed as a Kansas City Chiefs football coach, opened the Sept. 14 event by blowing his whistle on some eye-opening statistics about our population. In Missouri, Buchanan County ranks 112 out of the 115 counties in healthy behaviors. The top two concerns from this statistic needing attention are smoking and obesity. As a result of these findings, it is time that leaders in our community adopt the far-reaching goal of ‘becoming the healthiest community in America,” which will require a culture shift in order to achieve that goal.

Keynote speaker Health Futurist Leanne Kaiser Carlson helps organizations and individuals consciously evolve and shared that healthy behaviors are 50 percent of the influences that lead to poor health. The remaining 50 percent are genetics (20 percent), environment (20 percent) and access to care (10 percent).

“If we continue on the path we are at, with those kinds of statistics, if you play that out nationally, one in three people is going to be a diabetic,” Ms. Kaiser Carlson said.

“That’s where we are headed. We actually have the first generation in the United States that may live less long than their predecessors, in the country that has the most advanced medicine in the world. Something is wrong with this picture. We have 130 million people right now who have chronic disease. This is a major issue for business; this is a major issue for health care.”

Voice of the Kansas City Chiefs Mitch Holthus explained the importance of health and wellness and applauded the audience for taking the initiative for putting into place a program that makes a difference for employees. Mr. Holthus explained that with the Kansas City Chiefs, there are three main focuses.

The first, comprehensive, is about training athletes on three levels: physically, mentally and emotionally.

It’s a total person concept and focuses on mind, body and spirit — complete — exercise, nutrition and nontraditional ways.

The second is accountability.

“When it comes to health, wellness and nutrition, accountability is a very, very strong dynamic,” he said. “When it comes to businessto-business or a management team, it starts with you personally as a leader to set up this horizontal accountability.”

Third is being consistent, to continuously encourage and incentivize efforts to help employees adopt healthy lifestyles.

“St. Joe can do it; it starts with YOU!,” Mr. Holthus said.

It’s time a culture shift is made in today’s workforce so St. Joseph can be the healthiest community in America. Employers see an improvement in overall productivity, employee retention, reduced absenteeism and more control over runaway health-care costs; and the entire community becomes more attractive for new quality employers.

Therefore, the Roundtable will continue meeting monthly to chart and pursue a course of growing

St. Joseph Metro Board Chairman Brad McAnally served as a coach for the Create a Healthy Workforce Culture pep rally. participation among local employers and measure its progress along the way. An aggressive outreach process will be conducted to call on local employers one-by-one to urge them to sign on and help them successfully go forward.

“These businesses realize that

many of their employees need to quit smoking and focus more on a proper diet and exercise program,” says Chamber President/CEO Ted Allison. “It would not only improve the companies’ bottom lines, but the earning capacity of their workers as well.”

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

8

Shop St. Joseph 2011 Kicks Off The St. Joseph Metro Chamber is conducting the fifth annual Shop St. Joseph Holiday Program.

The purpose of the campaign is to encourage customer loyalty, retain sales revenue for participating businesses and raise public awareness of retail products that are available in St. Joseph during the holiday shopping season.

The program works by residents shopping in participating stores and the merchants giving tickets to customers (one free, others based on amount spent). At the end of the program, one lucky shopper wins $10,000, just for shopping at local businesses! Shoppers can also win prizes from merchants.

Each year participating

businesses give out thousands of tickets. This year’s program kicked off Tuesday, Nov. 15, and will conclude on Monday, Dec. 19, with the grand prize drawing.

Check the Chamber’s web site, www.saintjoseph.com, the St. Joseph News-Press, Q Country 92.7 or Radio Disney for the winning number.

(Merchants as of Nov. 11, 2011)

BANKS M&I Bank, a Part of BMO Financial Group 4305 Frederick Blvd.

US Bank 2701 S. Belt Highway 415 Francis St. 1000 Fifth Ave. 800 N. Belt Highway 3115 Ashland Ave.

BEAUTY SALONS BeautyFirst Professional Products & Salon 3833 Frederick Blvd.

Loox 214 S. Belt Highway

FLORISTS Butchart Flowers & Gifts 3321 S. Belt Highway Village Flowers by Rob 3841 Frederick Blvd.

(East Ridge Village)

FOOD RETAIL/RESTAURANTS

Mr. Goodcents 4315 Common Wealth Court (In front of Menards) Pappy’s Grill & Pub 2501 Messanie St.

FURNITURE Big Bob’s Furniture & Flooring Outlet 3715 N. Belt Highway (Woodlawn Shopping Center)

St. Jo Frontier Casino 777 Winners Circle St. Joseph Mustangs 2600 S.W. Parkway (Phil Welch Stadium) St. Joseph Visitors Center 502 N. Woodbine Road T.B.A. and Service LLC 405 s. 36th St.

Colony House Furniture & Bedding Frederick Boulevard & Riverside Road

Weaver Overhead Door 2324 Locust Street

Home Style Furniture & Bedding 302 S. Third St.

XPress It Solutions, Inc. 2327 N. Belt Highway Ste. C

Peoples Furniture 3603 Frederick Blvd.

GROCERY STORES Apple Market 3734 Pear St. 2300 Mitchell Ave. 903 N. 36th St. Hy-Vee St. Joseph 201 N. Belt Highway

JEWLERY

RETAIL 2 Trendy 613 Edmond St. 3500 N. Village Drive (Green Acres Building) CVS 1301 S. Belt Highway 930 N. Belt Highway East Hills Shopping Center Information & Gift Certificate Center 3702 Frederick Blvd.

Jesse James Antique Mall & Rusty Chandelier Interstate 29 & Highway 71 Lil’ Pink Bubbles Bath Boutique 114 N. Seventh St. 3702 Frederick Blvd.

(East Hills Kiosk) Mod Podge Boutique 624 Francis St. On-Site Golf 1213 N. Belt Highway, Ste. A (Pony Express Plaza) PBE’s Toys and Dolls 2241 N. Belt Highway (Woodlawn Shopping Center) Pawn Plus 603 A S. Belt Highway (Next to Payless Shoes) Real Deal Tobacco Company 2314 N. Belt Highway Record “Wear” House 1401 S. Belt Highway (Belt and Mitchell Shopping Center) St. Joe Harley-Davidson 4020 S. Highway 169

36th Street Food & Drink 102 S. Third St. (Inside the Holiday Inn)

Creviston & Son Jewelry 510 N. Belt Highway

Eisenberg’s Better Living 2204 N. Belt Highway

St. Joseph Auction & Antique Mart 3600 S. Leonard Road

Carlos O’Kelly’s 3818 Frederick Ave.

Kristen’s Coin & Jewelry 3855 Frederick Blvd.

(East Ridge Village)

Fairview Golf Pro Shop Corner of 33rd & Pacific Streets (Fairview Golf Course)

St. Joseph Electronics 516 N. Belt Highway

Cold Stone Creamery/Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory 5301 N. Belt Highway (Shoppes at North Village) Country Cookies 2013 S. Belt Highway Fredrick Inn Steakhouse 1627 Frederick Ave.

MISCELLANEOUS Ashley Lynn’s Tanning 1815 N. Belt Highway Merry Maids 1006 Pacific Street St. Joseph Chiropractic, LLC 2335 N. Belt Highway, Ste. A

Gordman’s 3702 Frederick Blvd.

(East Hills Shopping Center) JC Penney 3702 Frederick Blvd.

(East Hills Shopping Center)

St. Joseph Sewing Center 2828 N. Belt Highway Walgreens 3645 Frederick Ave. 4022 N. Belt Highway 2620 S. Belt Highway

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

9

Biggest My Success Event Ever Inspires High School Students More than 2,500 high school sophomores from 42 Northwest Missouri high schools met with representatives from Chamber businesses during the 2011 My Success Event on Oct. 12 and 13.

The fifth annual event was held to help educate students – tomorrow’s workforce – about possible career fields that may be in their future.

More than 75 businesses and university, college and technical centers were represented at the St. Joseph Metro Chamber event.

“This year’s MSE was our biggest event ever, 2,500 students,” said Mary Brown, Project Manager at the St. Joseph Metro Chamber. “We are starting to run out of room, which is a good problem to have. We were thrilled to welcome Chillicothe High School to our event for the very first time.”

When students arrive, they have taken a skills test to help determine what kind of field in which they may excel. That career path leads to them to a different section of the Civic

Wilsons to Lead March for Babies Campaign John and Donna Wilson, both from Heartland Health, will again chair the 2012 March for Babies Campaign. Mr. Wilson is the CFO of Heartland, and Mrs. Wilson is in charge of youth services. Heartland is the presenting sponsor.

“We are so privileged to have them chair the walk again this year,” said Randi Banker, March of Dimes Division Director. The event will be held on April 21, 2012, at Hyde Park. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. and the four-mile walk will begin at 10 a.m.

“John and Donna know the importance of the March of Dimes and its mission to find a cure for prematurity,” Ms. Banker said.

Arena where professionals in that field have set up booths. The career paths are: arts and communication; business, management, marketing and technology; engineering/ manufacturing and industrial technology; health sciences; human services; natural resources and agriscience.

Many businesses use visual aids like televisions, computers and interactive games to try to get the students’ attention.

“There were some fantastic hands-on displays for the students -- the businesses did a great job this year,” Ms. Brown said.

Initial feedback from the participating business representatives was very positive, stating the students were very engaged and asked great questions. Several of the business representatives stated they are already thinking about next year and ways they can improve their hands-on interactive displays, Ms. Brown said.

The My Success Event was

BusinessBrief One out of every eight babies is born prematurely, half for no known reason -- the moms did everything correct, yet their babies were born too small or too soon.

Two hundred babies are born prematurely each week in Missouri, many spend months in a NICU, costing insurance and businesses millions of dollars.

Many babies have life-long difficulties and many never see their first birthday. Nov. 17th is National Prematurity Day. If your business or organization would like to join the Wilsons in March for Babies, please call the March of Dimes office at (816) 2388707, or register online at www. marchforbabies.com.

presented by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., one of St. Joseph’s largest employers and is made possible by the help and dedication of many volunteers.

“A huge debt of gratitude to our sponsors; without your support, this workforce development initiative would not be possible,” Ms. Brown

said.

New this year was the attendance of Northwest Missouri State University nanoscience instructors, Northwest’s geography/ geology department and Dr. Larry Sutton of Sopharmia. He is a tenant at the Christopher S. “Kit” Bond Science and Technology Incubator.

Students learn from professionals about career fields at the My Success Event.

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

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Early Childhood Education Key to Workforce Development of the Partnership for America’s Economic Success. Mr. Dugger spoke at the St. Joseph Metro Chamber’s Fall Chairman’s Breakfast on Oct. 27.

“Unless the business community gets involved and changes the number of kids ready to learn… the talented kids and talented parents will look to move somewhere else.”

Emil Sechter, Commerce Bank Robert Dugger spoke at the Fall Chairman’s Breakfast.

President, said in St. Joseph only about Every parent wants their child 50 percent of children entering to succeed and responsible parents kindergarten are academically ready work to ensure their children do their to begin school. Mr. Sechter is very best. However, it’s important to look involved with Success by Six, a outside of an individual home and program of the United Way that consider not just one child, but an brings public and private partners entire generation of children. together to create a community where “Who is going to leave St. all children thrive. Success by Six Joseph and who is going to stay?” sponsored Mr. Dugger’s appearance at asked Robert Dugger, Founder the Chamber event. and Managing Partner of Hanover Early childhood education Investment Group and Co-Founder

funding is often looked at as a place to cut funding in government budgets, but Mr. Dugger warned against that practice.

“Manufacturing people get it,” he said. “They know that if you don’t do it right from the beginning, a lot of times you have to scrap it.”

He said every stage of a child’s development depends on what happened before – so how a toddler develops is based on how caregivers treated him or her as an infant. How that infant learns and grows is based on the mother’s prenatal care. This pattern repeats itself through the child’s teenage years.

A recent Department of Defense report said, according to Mr. Dugger, that 75 percent of a sampling of 17 to 24-year-olds weren’t qualified to be a U.S. Army private because they didn’t have a high school diploma, they had a criminal record, they couldn’t pass a drug test or they weren’t physically fit.

“There has been no revolution,” Mr. Dugger said of previous efforts.

He said businesses must get involved and advocate for quality early childhood education for the future of America’s workforce.

Mr. Sechter said this is povertydriven and correlated that 50 percent of children aren’t ready to enter kindergarten and that 50 percent or more of the babies born at Heartland Regional Medical Center have parents on Medicaid and 62 percent of children in the public school system are on free or reduced lunch.

“You have to see the economic benefit to this town,” he said of improving early childhood education efforts. “Potential employers care what the workforce is like. If you have time to volunteer for just one cause, early childhood education is it.”

Mr. Sechter said that businesses should partner with a childhood agency (like Success by Six) and read to children, tutor students or make monetary donations.

Mr. Dugger said businesspeople must go to legislators. Successful business and education coalitions in Pennsylvania and Alabama have stopped the government from making these detrimental cuts, he said.

“We must build a culture of parental responsibility,” he said.

The Bad News:

The Good News:

What Can Be Done:

According to the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, test scores indicate that U.S. students are not on pace to become the workers we need.

• The majority of fourth or eighth graders are not proficient in both math and reading in any state.

• Most children reading well below grade level at the end of fourth grade will not graduate from high school.

• A 2006 survey of students in 30 developed countries found that U.S. 15-year-olds ranked 25th in math and 21st in science.

• About 20 percent of U.S. workers are functionally illiterate.

Current workforce and education trends can be reversed. The research is clear: High-quality early childhood programs can have a significant short- and long-term impact on children’s lifelong success and on our economy.

• Giving young children a good start reduces health problems and special education costs in the first few years of school.

• Investing just $6,692 in quality prekindergarten for at-risk children substantially improves outcomes such as education levels, home ownership and salary levels, while reducing negative behaviors like substance abuse and crime. The net result was a lifetime societal benefit of up to $69,937.

The Institute for a Competitive Workforce recommends supporting the expansion of high-quality programs to serve early childhood development. Also: • Ensure early childhood educators have the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job right.

• Integrate the delivery of health and education services to children from before birth to age 5.

• Make the best use of existing resources by coordinating local, state and federal efforts.

• Increase the availability of quality child care programs that cover parents’ full work days.

Locally, get involved with workforce development initiatives with the St. Joseph Metro Chamber, the United Way’s Success by Six program and the school district’s PACT (Planning a Course Together) project.

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

11

Workforce Development Initiatives

An initiative by the United Way of Greater St. Joseph, Success by Six is a community-based movement of public and private partners working together to deliver proven solutions for children. The goal is to ensure that all children ages zero to 6 are healthy, nurtured and ready to succeed. Check out www.readsingplay.org for more information. Additionally, Success by Six launched the Family Friendly Employer program in 2008. The program encourages employers to evaluate programs or policies to help working parents better manage the stress in balancing work and home.

The Profit In Education program brings the knowledge of local business leaders together with schools to boost the city’s high school graduation rate. A program of the United Way of Greater St. Joseph, Profit in Education has worked with local employers since 1989 and also seeks to improve the percentage of adults who attain their GEDs, encourage life-long learning, and provide an educated workforce. The initiative is paying off with tangible results, elevating St. Joseph’s high school graduation rate to more than 88 percent – higher than the Missouri state high school graduation rate of 85.7 percent.

As the overall umbrella for our workforce department programs, this important initiative promotes “life long learning,” based on the premise that additional education and training can provide a better job and a better life.

Founded in 1982, Heartland Foundation shifted its focus in the early 90s from raising monies solely for hospital projects to finding ways to catalyze pioneering community revitalization efforts to improve the region’s health and quality of life. Strategic planning efforts led the group to understand that educational attainment unlocked the door to healthier communities. The council’s mission is committed to promote healthier, more livable communities through connecting a diverse partnership committing to, advocating for, and achieving optimal educational outcomes and ensuring a prepared workforce now and in the future.

The St. Joseph Metro Chamber also participates in a Business Ethics Workshop for high school students, the Show-Me Scholars academic achievement program for high school students and hosts an annual career fair for area workers, which includes educational resources.

“Character Is…” is a St. Joseph Metro Chamber educational program that encourages learning key terms and practicing them in real life. Posters featuring St. Joseph School District students who have demonstrated terms like integrity, compassion and responsibility hang in schools and workplaces alike as a reminder for children and adults to use these terms in their daily lives.

Area businesses promote career opportunities available to more than 2,500 area sophomore students from 42 Northwest Missouri high schools. Held in October each year at the St. Joseph Civic Arena, representatives from more than 75 businesses meet one-on-one with students and encourage them to develop a career path. Through a career laboratory, they share the educational and technical skills necessary to pursue their career interests in the local economy.

Heartland Health’s contributions to the local community include a state-of-the-art youth development campus, emPowerU, drawing thousands of regional students and community-focused groups together to solve civic challenges. The multi-million dollar emPowerU campus is built on a restored industrial brownfield in the city’s downtown area, which continues to see exciting revitalizations. EmPowerU is an initiative for youth and civic development from the Heartland Foundation, and the campus and initiative serve as an award-winning national model for youth development. Its purpose is to equip and retain the city’s future leaders.

St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Thousands of MWSU Students Participate in Applied Learning Article Submitted by Missouri Western State University

Luke Crowther participated in an internship at Altec. He’s pictured here with Jennifer Pellersels.

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John Morin helps Amanda Hausman with her intership at American Family Insurance. She later was hired on in a full-time capacity.

As a student at Missouri Western State University, marketing major Amanda Hausman completed an internship at American Family Insurance. When she graduated in May 2011, the company offered her a full-time job.

Ms. Hausman was just one of more than 3,000 Missouri Western students last year who completed an applied learning experience, such as faculty/student research, study away trips, service learning and internships.

Missouri Western, designated “the statewide institution of applied learning” when it became a university in 2005, continues to be committed to offering students valuable experiences outside of the classroom.

Having the applied learning stipulation as part of the university legislation has cemented the university’s commitment to applied learning in the past six years, according to Dr. Cindy Heider, associate provost and associate vice president of academic affairs. In the 2010-11 academic year, 3,353 students engaged in an applied learning experience.

Many of those students chose

internships as their applied learning experience, and thanks to an abundance of partnerships between Missouri Western and the community, students have ample opportunities to complete internships at businesses and organizations throughout the region.

The nursing and allied health department, for example, works with more than 50 health care facilities and organizations in the St. Joseph and Kansas City area to provide clinical experience for nursing students. Each semester, all students in the nursing program participate in clinicals, and often, students do more than one clinical in a semester.

“Clinical experience is vital for the students’ education,” said Dr. Kathleen O’Connor, department chair.

“The students have the opportunity to see, assess and treat people with various illnesses, use critical thinking skills for decision making, interact with patients and families, collaborate with other health care professionals and observe nursing role models.”

In the Steven L. Craig School of Business, every student is required to complete an applied learning

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BusinessBriefs Clifton Gunderson to merge with LarsonAllen

Eagle Radio Purchases Additional Stations

KESJ 1550ESPNAM and KFEQ 680AM in addition to StJosephPost.com in the St Joseph market.

Clifton Gunderson and LarsonAllen, ranked as two of the nation’s top 20 certified public accounting and consulting firms, recently announced plans to merge and form one of the top 10 accounting firms in the United States.

The partners of both firms have agreed to the combination. Pending final approvals, the merger will take effect Jan. 2, 2012. The new firm will be named CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA).

The new firm will have more than $550 million in combined revenue, employ more than 3,600 professionals, including 500-plus partners, and will operate from 25 states and Washington, D.C.

Eagle Communications has signed an agreement to purchase radio stations in Manhattan and Junction City, recently recognized by the Census Bureau as one of the fastest growing areas in the state.

An application has been submitted to the Federal Communications Commission for the purchase of 1420 AM-KJCK, Power Hits 97.5-FM- KJCK, and KQLA- Q103.5 -FM from Platinum Broadcasting. The transaction is subject to FCC approval and the two companies anticipate it closing in 6090 days.

Eagle Communications, Inc. is a Kansas-based company with more than 250 employee-owners and operates KSJQ 92.7FM, KKJO 105.5FM,

Local Attorneys Featured in U.S. Top Lawyers List

experience before they graduate, and most students complete internships.

They have worked throughout the community and across the country, and one student even completed an internship in London.

Tom Williamson, assistant to the dean, said often, students who are completing an internship at a business are offered a full-time job there after graduation, like Ms. Hausman was. More than 100 businesses and organizations provide internship opportunities for Craig School of Business students.

“Internships are valuable to us as a business,” said Julie Woods ’96, personal lines operations director at American Family Insurance in St. Joseph. “It gives students the opportunity to have real-world experience, and the company has the opportunity to develop resources and talent for the future.”

Dawn Davis completed an internship at Legal Aid of Western Missouri in St. Joseph, where she was the agency’s first social work major.

Legal Aid has taken on Missouri Western students as interns as long as anyone can remember, and they

usually have three or four working there each semester.

Ms. Davis said she really liked the opportunity to work with actual clients.

“In class we role play but it’s great when it’s real,” she said. “The internship made me want to work in a law setting even more. Going into court was a huge learning experience, too.”

This fall, nine businesses have hired student interns from the engineering technology department.

“Not only do students get work experience, but they learn what skills and knowledge are needed in the real world. They learn about problems as well as problem solving,” said Dr. George Yang, chair of the department.

“Internships go to the very core of being a competent, prepared professional,” Dr. Heider said. “You don’t just know something, you can do something.”

Polsinelli Shughart congratulates 109 of its attorneys from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. who are among those included in The Best Lawyers in America® 2012. The firm takes pride in the fact that attorneys from all major offices were selected for the prestigious ranking. Best Lawyers® is one of the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession.

Best Lawyers® compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading

lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.

The following is the list of Polsinelli Shughart attorneys chosen as Best Lawyers® for 2012 from the St. Joseph office: •

R. Dan Boulware (2005) Commercial Litigation Personal Injury Litigation

•

Grace S. Day (2009) Family Law

•

Mark R. Woodbury (2012) Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

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DowntownDigest Information provided by the St. Joseph Downtown Partnership

Work Continues on CID

Text NPNOW to 46988 to download the News-Press NOW Mobile App.

The work continues on a Community Improvement District for downtown. Downtown property owners overwhelmingly were in support of this important funding initiative for downtown. The City Council formally approved the formation of the district.

Currently, an election is taking place to formalize the actual tax of 50 cents per $100 of assessed value for property owner and a ½ cent sales tax for retail businesses.

Funding from this district could pay for various needs and improvements downtown such as: Security: The CID district could hire some downtown ambassadors to monitor the district, pick up trash on the streets and report suspicious activities to the police.

Marketing: A dedicated funding source would allow us to be more pro-active with marketing downtown. This budget would go toward developing and maintaining a website and promoting events.

Capital Improvements and Land Acquisition: We have several capital improvements that would assist us in creating a more vibrant downtown.

We also need a funding source to assist in obtaining land to assimilate for some of the larger projects (like the events center) that we are trying to construct. It is also imperative that we address some of the derelict properties that hinder development.

Landscape Maintenance Installation and Improvements: Over the last 10 years we have added several beautification elements downtown.

Attributes like the gateway park, landscape nodes and flowers in the planters all add color and vibrance to the district. It is very important to take care of what we have, as well as add more to enhance the environment in the district.

Economic Development: Additional revenue will enable us to provide the Partnership with more revenue

to be proactive with downtown development and events.

Downtown Events: With a dedicated funding source, we could enhance and expand the events and activities downtown.

The results of the election should be known on Nov.18.

3 New Businesses Open

The Downtown Partnership is proud to announce the addition of three new businesses. New Creations is a web design business located in the MoKAN building. Spectacular Settings does decorating for special events and is also located in the MoKAN Building. Little Pink Bubbles is a new bath and body store located in the Kirkpatrick Building.

City Lights Festival

The Downtown Association will usher in the holiday season with the 13th annual “City Lights Festival.”

The festival will be held on Nov. 19. The theme of this year’s event is “Dreaming of a Green Christmas” to promote a healthier environment.

Festivities will kick off at 5 p.m. at Felix Street Square with live entertainment, free carriage rides, homemade cookies, hot cocoa and coffee. A former tradition, the lighted Christmas Parade will return this year beginning at 6:30 p.m. As in the past, all entries must have lights and the committee is encouraging entrants to use recycled materials on their floats and “green” methods to pull their entries (like horses).

The festival will also feature a live nativity by Wyatt Park Christian Church, roaming carolers in recycled Christmas sweaters, face painting, balloon animals and food vendors.

Santa will hear all Christmas wishes.

Deputy Mayor Byron Myers will flip the switch to light the park at 8 p.m. A 15-minute fireworks display will be shown immediately after the lighting ceremony.

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TopEmployerProfile Each quarter in the Business Journal we will profile one or more of St. Joseph’s top employers. A top employer may be based on number of employees, or because the business operates in a St. Joseph-focused industry. Often, we all may recognize a company name, but may not know exactly what they do. In this question and answer piece, learn a little bit more about:

Hy-Vee Food Stores, Inc. Grocers Brad McAnally, Store Director 201 N. Belt Highway St. Joseph, MO 64506 (816) 232-9750 www.hy-vee.com

How long has Hy-Vee been in St Joseph?

The St Joseph Hy-Vee opened up on June 24th, 2003 How does being employee-owned affect your business and employees?

Being employee-owned allows us to make decisions in our store based on our customer’s needs.

Since our employees are part owners, they have the ability to do what they feel necessary to make our customers happy.

St Joseph’s Hy-Vee is part of a Midwestern chain of grocery stores.

How large is the Hy-Vee company and how does St Joseph’s store compare among these?

There are 238 Hy-Vee stores in eight different states. The St Joseph Hy-Vee is in the top 15 of all HyVees.

How many workers do you employ?

The St Joseph Hy-Vee has approximately 340 employees.

How did Hy-Vee get its name?

The name Hy-Vee was thought up through an employee contest to rename the company and is derived from the last names of our company’s founders, Charles Hyde and David Vredeburg.

WE SELL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

Why did your company choose to locate in St Joseph and what keeps you here?

The community of St Joseph has been great to us for the last eight years. Because of the support we have received from our customers, our store in St. Joseph is looked at as a leader in all of Hy-Vee, Inc. Hy-Vee is an official sponsor of the Kansas City Chiefs and serves concessions at the training camp in St. Joseph. Do Chiefs fans prefer HyVee? Chiefs fans have always preferred Hy-Vee. Now that Hy-Vee is the Official Grocery Store of the Kansas City Chiefs, Hy-Vee customers are excited to get our signature bratwurst inside of Arrowhead Stadium and at the Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp.

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St. Joseph BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fall 2011

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Survey Finds Financial Skills Lacking in Parents/Kids Article Submitted by Consumer Credit Counseling Service, Apprisen Financial Advocates

American Family Insurance... for over 80 years the family you choose.

Regional Office 816-364-1541 4802 Mitchell Avenue, St. Joseph, MO www.amfam.com ©2011 American Family Mutual Insurance Co. and its Subsidiaries Home Office - Madison, WI 53783 003842964 11/11

Parents often reflect on the life skills they’re teaching their children. Nice manners, discipline, and a good work ethic top many lists. Not to be overlooked, however, are financial skills, because regardless of whether they are taught formally or by example, parents pass along their financial habits to their children.

This concept is confirmed by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling’s (NFCC) 2011 Financial Literacy Survey, in which the respondents, 42 percent, indicated that they learned the most about personal finance from their parents. At first glance, this appears to be a good thing, as the home should be the ideal place for children to learn skills and habits.

However, the same survey also revealed that 41 percent of adults gave themselves a grade of C, D, or F regarding their knowledge of personal finance. This is a disturbing decline in financial literacy, as one short year ago “only” 34 percent of Americans gave themselves a low grade. Further, five percent of U.S. adults, or about 11.5 million people, indicated that the failing grade of F best represented them, marking a sharp increase from previous years, when less than three percent of adults self-identified at this level.

Taken together, these results suggest that many parents are illprepared to teach their children sound financial principles.

“The good news is that Americans recognize and are willing to admit their financial deficiencies,” said Gail Cunningham, spokesperson

for the NFCC. “Now it is up to them to do something about it, particularly if they have children who will invariably model their parents’ financial behavior.”

There are many resources available to consumers desiring to improve their level of proficiency in personal finance, including self-help books, the media, the Internet, or financial professionals. on purpose.

Looking at gender, men were more than four times as likely as women to give themselves failing grades for their knowledge of personal finance, 8 percent versus 2 percent, respectively.

“During these painful economic times, it can be argued that keen personal finance skills are more important than ever,” continued Ms. Cunningham. “The NFCC calls on parents to stop the cycle of financial illiteracy by improving their own level of financial expertise, thus enhancing the likelihood that their children will someday be able to give themselves a grade of A in this important life skills category.”

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of St. Joseph, a local nonprofit credit counseling agency known nationally as Apprisen Financial Advocates, has been helping consumers manage their finances and get out of debt for more than 55 years. Certified counselors provide money management and debt counseling, HUD-approved housing counseling, and financial education. Information is available 24/7. Call 800-355-2227, or 364-3337, or visit the website, www.apprisen. com.

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Need to Finish Your Degree? No Time Like the Present Article Submitted by Missouri Western State University If you have college hours or if you have always thought that you would enroll in college, but haven’t yet, learn how going back to school can help you and the community.

The National Trend Nationwide, there is a growing emphasis on increasing college degree attainment at all levels (certificates, two-year degrees, and four-year degrees). The governors of Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, Utah, Virginia, and Washington set 2011 goals to increase degree completion in their respective states, citing the positive impact that reaching these goals would have on the economy of their states (National Governors Association, 2011). In Missouri, Gov. Jay Nixon set a specific target of 60 percent degree attainment for the adult population in Missouri by 2020 in his 2011 State of the State Address. Despite the lofty goals set by the governor, currently, only 32 percent of Missourians earn an associate or bachelor’s degree by age 27.

Why is College Completion Important?

It is widely projected that within the next 10 years, two-thirds of all new jobs will require some level of education beyond high school.

Completion of a college degree is becoming more important year by year. In addition to the benefits for individuals and their families, having a workforce with a large number of college-educated citizens is important for communities and states. Businesses who are looking to expand or to move to new sites will consider strongly the level of education of the workforce. They know that an educated and adaptable workforce is vital to the success of every business.

The 2005-2009 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau found that 20.3 percent of the U.S. population had attended college but had

not completed a degree (it is estimated that this number grows by 600,000 people per year). This failure to complete a degree has huge economic consequences for individuals and their families and for communities like St. Joseph.

According to a study recently released by the American Institutes for Research (Schneider & Yin, 2011),

5.4 percent for individuals with fouryear college degrees. High school graduates who were employed earned only 60 percent as much as those with a four-year degree. As shown in the graph, the average weekly earnings in 2010 for individuals with a high school diploma was $626, while the average weekly earnings for individuals with a four-year college

individuals who enrolled in college as first-time, full-time students in the fall of 2002, but who did not complete a degree by the end of six years, have cost approximately • $76.5 million in lost income for individuals in Missouri • $4 million in lost state income taxes for Missouri.

Lost income and lost tax revenue also means less revenue for local businesses, local governments, and local schools.

degree was $1,038.

Education in Difficult Economic Times When the economy is poor, the undereducated suffer the most.

Individuals without advanced training or a college degree often do not have the skills that are in demand, and they are the most easily replaced or outsourced. Those with college degrees or specialized training, however, remain in demand and are harder to replace or do without.

In 2010, when the economy was struggling, the unemployment rate among those with just a high school diploma was 10.3 percent; almost double the unemployment rate of

The Value of Education Going to college can be expensive. But not going will cost you more. A careful consumer of higher education can minimize the debt he/ she takes on and ensure that the value of the degree far surpasses the short-term cost. At Missouri Western, for example, current tuition and fees for a full-time student costs less than $5,000 a year.

A four-year college degree is estimated to be worth more than $1 million in earnings over a lifetime… that is an easy financial decision for anyone to make. An accredited twoyear degree is estimated to be worth $400,000 over a lifetime.

Some students may get in trouble with debt by taking out loans for luxury expenses rather than just what is needed to pay for their education – or by selecting an institution that charges high tuition or fees – or an institution that does not have recognized accreditation.

The College Board, a not-forprofit association with a mission to

connect students to college success and opportunity, has concluded that individuals who are most hesitant to go to college are the ones who will actually benefit most. It is among firstgeneration college students that the opportunity is largest to break a cycle of poverty.

Other benefits of higher education include:

• Increased job satisfaction.

• Decreased need for social support programs. A college degree has been estimated to save society between $50,000 and $300,000 per person (depending on gender and race) in reduced social services.

• More security in retirement.

Individuals with advanced degrees are more likely to save, and are more likely to enroll in pension plans which provide for income during retirement.

• Higher likelihood of having health insurance.

• Increased Health. Individuals with higher education are more likely to eat a balanced diet, less likely to smoke, are more likely to exercise, and are less likely to be obese. Those benefits also apply to their children.

• Children more prepared to succeed in school. Parents with advanced degrees are three times more likely to read to their children every day than parents who haven’t finished high school, and twice as likely to participate in other educational activities like visiting museums and libraries.

• Increased social responsibility.

Individuals with higher education are more likely to vote, and more likely to volunteer in their communities.

In other words, higher education doesn’t just benefit you – it benefits your community and your family for generations to come.

Residents of St. Joseph and regional communities are fortunate to have fully-accredited, state-supported institutions in easy driving distance.

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SmallBusinessMatters The Next Big Thing for Business Have you heard of “the cloud?�

If not, you may be missing out on the next big thing in business efficiency. “The cloud� is a term that has been in use for a few years that essentially refers to shared resources, software and information that are delivered over a network (i.e., the Internet) via your computer or mobile device. Cloud computing is becoming more commonplace and, according to many information technology experts, is the way of the future for all business operations.

Essentially, with cloud computing, you no longer purchase the software or large hardware necessary to run your operations.

Instead, you log-in online, via your mobile device or computer, from wherever you are in the world, and

you can access your accounting software, your databases, and anything else that runs on software or a server.

This makes your vital business information more accessible when you’re traveling or at home, while at the same time allowing you the reliability that comes from knowing that if a disaster strikes (i.e., a

tornado, ice storm, fire, etc.) your vital business information is safe, providing you with business continuity.

If you’re worried about the security of such information being accessed over the world wide web, don’t fret. When you use a wellknown third party for your cloud computing, the security of your data is as good as what you have now, and, most of the time, provides better security through the cloud because the providers you use are

able to devote resources to solving security issues that the typical small business would not be able to afford.

This diagram, courtesy of Wikipedia, depicts some of the capabilities of cloud computing.

If you’re interested in improving your business performance and possibly lowering your operational costs, then you may want to check into “the cloud.�

If you’re interested, attend the SBTDC workshop that will review the pros & cons of cloud computing, how it’s really being used by both small and large businesses today, as well as review some of the common terminology that goes along with the cloud. Please see the information in the box below.

‘The Cloud’ Workshop

Put Your Trust In Us! Deciding where to put your money is an important decision. You need professional advice that takes your individual needs and goals into consideration. The experienced Mercantile Trust Services team can help! Our professionals are dedicated to helping you secure your financial future. If you are considering trust services, talk to us today for a no-obligation consultation.

Tuesday, Dec. 6 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. $20, lunch included Christopher S. “Kit�Bond Science & Technology Incubator 4221 Mitchell Ave. RSVP to Rebecca Evans

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T learn more, please contact Jason Horn, located at To Mercantile Bank in St. Joseph, MO. Jason has over M te ten years of trust experience and can help you determine the th h right services and solutions to meet your short and lo long-term needs. ““I am an active partner in helping yyou achieve your financial goals�

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Rebecca Evans is the Regional Director of the SBTDC. You may contact her at: 816-364-4105 or evans@saintjoseph.com 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.

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MemberProfile ExperienceWorks 301 S. Seventh St. P.O. Box 9006, St. Joseph MO 64501 (816) 676-1161 www.experienceworks.org

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? ExperienceWorks has been proving that old statement wrong by placing experienced senior workers in jobs -- helping employers fill positions and helping older workers get back in the workplace.

ExperienceWorks helps place workers 55 and older in jobs. There is no upper age limit. The organization’s website features two of “America’s Outstanding Oldest Workers” -- ages 102 and 101.

Locally, the oldest worker Debb Trautloff, Employment and Training Coordinator, has placed has 76 years in employment. The oldest participant will be 92 in January, she said.

“We have a variety of jobs hired for: cook, clerical, retail, human services and custodial,” Ms. Trautloff said.

ExperienceWorks trains seniors before they go into new territories in their careers.

“There are a variety of training opportunities for participants

Mustangs Have Successful Year in MINK League What a year it was for the St. Joe Mustangs. Its third season earned the team its first MINK League title, winning it at home on a no-hitter by Adam Maddox.

Off the field the Mustangs had its most successful season yet, finishing ninth in the country in attendance. It also introduced the St

according to their individual needs and interest in training,” she said.

There are many reasons seniors are working longer than previous seniors have in the past.

“There are a multitude of reasons, but the number one is money and quality of life,” Ms. Trautloff said.

To afford food, medication, transportation, housing and utilities is sometimes difficult.

“Also, they still want to be active, to contribute, to help with their social lives and be involved with other generations,” she said.

Additionally, seniors want to feel needed and have support in their lives, especially if immediate family support isn’t available.

Does your business have a position opening that could benefit from a little “experience?” If so, contact ExperienceWorks at the telephone number above, or learn more on its website.

BusinessBrief Joseph Baseball Hall of Fame and some interesting promotions. The team’s salute to the Military Night on July 3rd was phenomenal.

The Mustangs also won the prestigious Best in Community Service Award from the Summer Ball Conference for its efforts in support of Joplin relief.

The MINK League is comprised from teams from Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.

GREAT EMPLOYEES ARE THE FOUNDATION OF ANY COMPANY. AND WE’VE JUST BACKED UP THE CEMENT TRUCK.

Post your job openings today with the St. Joseph News-Press and get the power of Monster. With more candidates than ever, you’ll be able to match the best candidates to your qualifications. So you can find the great hires that will help your company succeed.

To learn more or to find your next great hire, visit stjoejobs.net or call 816.271.8666.

To learn more or to find your next great hire, visit stjoejobs.net or Dana Plowman at 816.271.8535

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Making life easier, happier and healthier.

Visit all of our wonderful Hy-Vee departments: FLORAL • KITCHEN • ITALIAN • CHINESE • DELICATESSEN PRODUCE • BAKERY • SALAD BAR • DAIRY • FROZEN MEAT & SEAFOOD MARKET• PHARMACY • HEALTHMARKET • WINE & SPIRITS

201 N. Belt Hwy. • 816-232-9750 Follow us on

@ STJOSEPHHYVEE and become a fan on

at facebook.com/stjoehyvee