March/April/May 2016 B2B by Omaha Magazine

SPRING 2016

RECLAIMED ENTERPRISES NEW LIFE FOR OLD WOOD

BEST OF B2B

THE RESULTS ARE IN

SARPY COUNTY REWRITING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAYBOOK

BOUND TO THE PAST

U.S. $3.25

PERFECT TOUCH BINDING

1 0>

74470 63856

GLOBAL MARKETING: EVERY PROPERTY. EVERY DAY.

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

NP Dodge Real Estate is an established leader with a reputation for expertise in representing the finest homes. Because of our powerful local brand, we were chosen to represent Luxury Portfolio International® – a “by-invitation” global, luxury real estate network. Luxury Portfolio International®, our global marketing partner: • Attracts millions of high net-worth buyers around the globe • Reaches 47 million affluent consumers each year • Markets over $44 billion of global luxury property in 50+ countries

VISIT NPDODGE.LUXURYPORTFOLIO.COM

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2016 Winner Terry Willis Business Development Consultant Supervisor Marco, Inc.

peace of mind Finding the right technology for your business is a powerful thing. But with technology inevitably comes questions. At Marco, we make it our business to know the answers. We have over 500 certified systems engineers and technical representatives who are ready to listen, advise, troubleshoot and—more often than not—save the day. Our highly trained staff empowers our customers to get the most out of their technology...and rest a little easier. That’s an ROI everyone will love. Learn more and get empowered at marconet.com.

marconet.com

#mpowering

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omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

taking technology further

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

volume 16 | issue 1

omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

Thank you Omaha Businesses

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2015 Winner

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2014 Winner

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for trusting TSYS Merchant Solutions with your payment processing.

2016 Winner

get to know us. 1601 Dodge Street Omaha, NE 68102 402.574.7224 www.tsysmerchantsolutions.com

© 2016 Total System Services, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. TSYS® is a federally registered service mark of Total System Services, Inc. TSYS Merchant Solutions is a registered ISO/MSP of both First National Bank of Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, and Synovus Bank, Columbus, Georgia.

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

volume 16 | issue 1

A difference you will notice as soon as you walk through our doors.

Ye a

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omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 | er for Eight

Omaha Outdoor Advertising SIGNS & DISPLAYS

Best Buy Signs Since 1989

OUTDOOR ADVERTISING PROGRAMS

Omaha Parks Program Sport Complex & Arena Advertising

Omaha Bus Bench Program More than 500 Locations

volume 16 | issue 1

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

publisher

TODD LEMKE editor

contributing writers

ROBERT NELSON

SCOTT ANDERSON KEITH BACKSEN LEO ADAM BIGA ANTHONY FLOTT JASON FOX MAGGY LEHMICKE BEVERLY KRACHER SEAN MCCARTHY KIM REINER DOUG SCHURING KARA SCHWEISS DAVID WILLIAMS

associate editor

DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN creative director

BILL SITZMANN art director

KRISTEN HOFFMAN senior graphic designer

RACHEL JOY account executives graphic designer

MATTHEW WIECZOREK junior graphic designer

DEREK TAUBERT contributed photography

SCOTT DRICKEY THOMAS GRADY TOM KESSLER MARK KRESL KEITH BINDER

SANDY BESCH MATSON account assistants

JESSICA CULLINANE DAWN DENNIS JUSTIN IDELMAN ALICIA SMITH HOLLINS

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operations

TYLER LEMKE

advertising information

402-884-2000 accounting

HOLLEY GARCIA-CRUZ

subscribe online

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM/ SUBSCRIBE $12.95 FOR ONE-YEAR (FOUR ISSUES)

distribution manager

MIKE BREWER

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BestOfOmaha.com

2016 Winner

Oma ha ’s

WEBSTER

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GREG BRUNS GIL COHEN KYLE FISHER ANGIE HALL MARY HIATT GEORGE IDELMAN GWEN LEMKE assistant to the publisher

layout design

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KETV 7 • Baxter Arena

B2B Magazine is published four times annually by Omaha Magazine, LTD, P.O. Box 461208, Omaha NE 68046-1208. Telephone: (402) 8842000; fax (402) 884-2001. Subscription rates: $12.95 for 4 issues (one year), $19.95 for 8 issues (two years). Multiple subscriptions at different rates are available. No whole or part of the contents herein may be reproduced without prior written permission of B2B Omaha Magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted, however no responsibility will be assumed for such solicitations.

omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FE ATURED STORY

SARPY, SARPY, SARPY!

REWRITING THE PLAYBOOK FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. FEATURES

BUILDING A NEW LIFE Facial Hair and Facade

RECLAIMED ENTERPRISES New Life for Old Wood

DEPARTMENTS

40 AFTER HOURS 60 IN THE OFFICE 68 FACES

Mike Pate’s Baseball Card Collection The Divine She.la

SPECIAL SECTIONS

70 FACES 72 ON THE RISE Teresa Gleason TOYO! 2016

Jason Fischer

11 43 81

BEST OF B2B The Results are In! THE FIRM DEAL REVIEW Life Cycle Edition BUY OMAHA PROFILE Harrison Financial Services

COLUMNS

42 PLAYING BIG 59 THE BRAND BRIEF

The High Cost of Workplace A-Holism Your Brand vs. the World

67 79

OMAHA CVB Local Champions Bring Millions Home OFFICE FURNITURE Can productivity be measured in the office?

82 ETHICS

Moral Myopia

BOUND TO THE PAST

Perfect Touch Binding Restores Family Treasures

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THANK YOU!

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

volume 16 | issue 1

For giving us the opportunity to serve your Search, Staffing, and Consulting needs.

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The Right Match the First Time! Helping our clients get from GOOD to GREAT, one hire at a time!

402. 334. 4800 | w w w. hemphi l l searc h. com

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Omaha’s business leaders chose Hemphill as Omaha’s Best Employment firm in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016

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2016 Winner

AND THE WINNERS ARE!… It’s time to reveal B2B Omaha magazine’s highly anticipated Best of B2B Winners List for 2016! The Omaha-area businesses listed in the following pages are here because readers and customers voted them the best in the city for the services and products they provide in their respective fields. Best of B2B results were tabulated from ballots sent in from the Winter 2016 issue of B2B. Ballots had to be original—not photocopies—and a minimum of 15 categories had to be filled out to be accepted.

The Best of B2B list is organized by categories. If you’re looking for a specific product or service, you can easily find the best. If you see a business you patronize in this year’s list, be sure to congratulate them. They’ll appreciate it! Best of B2B has developed into what it was meant to be and what we hoped it could be,” says Todd Lemke, the magazine’s publisher. “Business owners get it—it’s a a contest in which businesses recognize businesses. We feel honored to be able to showcase the very best our city has to offer.”

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

#1 in commercial landscaping serVices #1 in commercial snow remoVal

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4 years in a row!

5601 Harrison St. Omaha, NE 68157 (402) 932-5704 SunValleyOmaha.com www.commit20.com

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omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

2016 Winner

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ACCOUNTING OFFICE Frankel Zacharia fzacpa.com 402-496-9100

Bland & Associates

ADVERTISING AGENCY Sleight Advertising sleightadvertising.com 402-334-3530

Bozell

ARCHITECTURAL FIRM LEO A DALY Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COMPANY SilverStone Group The Olson Group

Thank You for Voting Us

BEST OF B2B

for Snow Removal Service • New Roof & Reroofs • Roof Maintenance & Repair • Licensed, Bonded, Insured & Locally Owned in Papillion, NE

The Roofing Specialists 2B

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apconstructomaha.com

Call us today! 402-740-0800

Oma ha ’s

theolsongroup.com 402-289-1046

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

Quality Carpet Cleaning Since 2004 Cleaning Services

*Carpet Cleaning *Upholstery Cleaning *Natural Stone Restoration *Tile & Grout Cleaning *Pet Treatments *Concrete Cleaning *Oriental Rug Cleaning *24 Hour Water Damage www.LegacyCarpetCleaning.com 402.680.6523

Clean Results. For all of your facility cleaning needs, Jani-King’s trained and dedicated franchisees deliver beyond expectations. It’s all of the efforts behind the scenes that prepare you for success. Call our local Jani-King office today and discover how our efforts help your business each and every day.

402.932.0514

5885 S. 118 Circle Omaha, NE

| janiking.com

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2016 Winner

EMPLOYMENT AGENCY C&A Industries ca-industries.com 402-891-0009

Hemphill Search Group hemphillsearch.com 402-334-4800

ENGINEERING FIRM HDR, Inc. Kirkham Michael

FINANCIAL PLANNING FIRM Feltz WealthPLAN feltzwealthplan.com 402-691-0200

Businesses Are Buying Smarter The All Makes’ team is trained to help you make design decisions and furniture purchases that fit your office atmosphere, your work style and your budget. Visit All Makes’ redesigned showroom to see the latest in new office furniture, pre-owned office furniture and business technology.

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hakco.com 402-861-7000

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INSURANCE AGENCY

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Callahan Financial Planning

Chastain Otis

LAW FIRM Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP akclaw.com 402-392-1250

Fraser Stryker

2016 Winner Thank you for voting us #1 for 11 consecutive years!

www.allmakes.com · Omaha: 2558 Farnam St. | 402.341.2413 · Lincoln: 3333 O St. | 402.477.7131

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2016 Winner

Lewis Art Gallery

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2016 Winner

402.333.3062 | planitomaha.com | 10832 old mill road, suite 5 | omaha, ne 68154

B2B Mag Winter 2016.indd 1

planitomaha: A national and regional powerhouse in meetings, conferences & events.

Oma ha ’s

• 1 WEEK CUSTOM FRAMING • ART, DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES & GIFTS • OVER 400 LAMPS • SERVING OMAHA SINCE 1971

2/11/16 12:10 PM

2016 Winner

2016 First Place KETV 7 • Baxter Arena

COME & BE INSPIRED BY OUR SERVICE & SELECTION 8600 CASS ST. • 402.391.7733 LEWISARTGALLERY.COM MON.-FRI. 9AM-6PM • SAT. 9AM-3PM

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2016 Winner

PROBLEM SOLVED.

Oma ha ’s

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omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

2016 Winner

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER Jeff Beals Van Deeb

PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM Zaiss & Co.

[hot-shot][dih-liv-uh-rees] noun. A team passionate about being your hero with a culture that stands for delivering excellence through trust and collaboration.

zaissco.com 402-962-9293

PROBLEM SOLVED.

Ervin & Smith

402.592.8080 | www.TeamHSD.com

SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT SMC Social Media Contractors Omaha Media Group

“

“To be acknowledged as the Best Printer in B2B Magazine for the past 11 years is not something we take lightly. Interestingly enough, many of our customers are also among your pages. Great company’s want to do business with other great company’s. Thanks to B2B Magazine and their readers for recognizing the company’s and people that make Omaha a great place to do business.” -STEVE HAYES

”

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

PROFESSIONAL IMPECCABLE

"Thank you for selecting us the Best Caterer in Omaha for the past 10 years!" - Joe Thallas Owner/General Manager

MEMORABLE ASK FOR BRANDEIS CATERING AT MANY FINE VENUES THROUGHOUT

THE OMAHA METRO.

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OUR EXCLUSIVE VENUES: LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE BALLROOM ANGLIM PLACE

(402) 334-5446 • www.brandeiscatering.com

2016 Winner

Thanks for honoring us for the 8th year in a row as Omaha’s “Best Financial Planning Firm”.* We’re proud to continue our service to Omaha’s great community. 101 South 108th Avenue, Second Floor • Omaha, NE 68154 www.FeltzWealthPLAN.com • 1.800.366.5448 • 402.691.0200 Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. | All rights reserved. Copyright 2016 Feltz WealthPLAN *Polls conducted by Omaha Magazine. Results based on popular vote.

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2016 Winner

BUILDING SERVICES CARPET & RUG CLEANING Legacy Carpet Cleaning legacycarpetcleaning.com 402-680-6523

Westwood Services

COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN Interior Design Group Gloria’s Elegant Interiors & Consulting gloriaselegantinteriors.com 402-964-0762

DOCUMENT SHREDDING Omaha Document Shredding DataShield

DOOR COMPANY

Order online

anytime

We offer all the B2B printing you need, including exclusive and custom coatings (like UV, Soft Touch TM, strike-through, reticulated varnish and more), skin board packaging & stellar fulfillment service—

or STop By! NT PR I E R

Omaha Door & Window

402.593.1080 | printcographics.com print . bind . mail . fulfill . design . packaging

Norms Door Service

...and much more!

ELECTRICAL SERVICE Miller Electric millerelect.com 402-341-6479 Since 1963

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Doors, Docks & Gates – Since 1963

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Commonwealth Electric

Thank you for Voting us Best of B2B for Commercial Door Service!

Installation, Service & Repair 402.331.8920 · www.normsdoor.com

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Thanks for Voting S&W Fence the Best Again in 2016! B

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2015 Winner

We’re Not Just About Fences.

www.sw-fence.com • 402-333-5722

Fas t- Paced Publ ic Rel ation s For the Connected World

Every story. Every tweet. Every interaction. PR is vital to your bottom line now more than ever. Join the world of innovative PR – partner with experts.

402-964-9293 11626 Nicholas Street

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Customer-Based Planning and Communications

Best PR Agency 8 Years Running!

zaissco.com

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2016 Winner

FENCE COMPANY S&W Fence sw-fence.com 402-333-5722

American Fence Company

GARBAGE COLLECTION Abe’s Trash Service abestrash.com 402-571-4926

Waste Management (formerly Deffenbaugh Industries)

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Lueder Construction lueder.com 402-339-1000

Vrana

HEATING/AC SERVICE A-1 United Heating and Air Conditioning & Electrical a1united.net 402-593-7500

SOS Heating & Cooling soshvac.com 402-391-2336

JANITORIAL SERVICE Sparkling Klean Service Jani-King janiking.com 402-932-0514

volume 16 | issue 1

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

Omaha – thanks again for voting us the #1 CPA firm in 2015!

We are nSightful products powered by CAS, Inc. provide you with digital marketing solutions to help decrease your cost and time to acquire quality leads. We determine the best prospects to attract for your campaign from our robust database and targeting techniques. We engage the customer through tailored mailing and email lists. We work with you to convert engaged leads by providing cost-effective data processing and marketing solutions that work.

DATA SERVICES

TARGETED ADS

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Since 1981, CAS, Inc. has established itself as one of Direct Marketing’s most reliable companies. CAS provides you nSightful solutions such as mailing and email lists, data append, privacy updates, and database hygiene services for all your data needs. We help you prepare and enhance your customer data as well as understand what makes each customer unique.

S traear! YILING LIST COM

Thanks for Voting us Your #1 Locksmith!

ABOUT CAS

www.fzacpa.com 402.496.9100

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5 thight

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MAILING LISTS

Tax Planning & Consulting Financial Statement Assurance Business Valuation & Litigation Support Information Technology Services Payroll / Bookkeeping Forensic Accounting Peer Review Services Employee Benefit Plan Audits Estate Tax Planning Wealth Advisory Services Cost Segregation Studies R & D Tax Credits

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2016 Win ner

2016 Winner

Thank You Omaha for Voting Us “Best Mailing List Company”! 10303 Crown Point Ave | Omaha, NE 68134 www.cas-online.com | nsightful@cas-online.com | 866-249-1977

Steve Kowalski Call or Text Message (402 ) 453-6000 abetterexposure.com steve@abetterexposure.com

Passion. Creativity. Experience.

Convenience + Peace of Mind + Protection

To see what else we are up to, check us out at:

CarlJarl.com

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omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

In Commercial Roofing, One Name’s On Top.

Nebraska’s largest roofing company is also Nebraska’s In Roofing, One Name’s On Top. nner 2016 WiCommercial best. When quality is critical to your project, be sure to specify Scott Enterprises.

you need expertNebraska’s design and installation, or our fully staffed, Nebraska’s largest roofing Whether company is also best. When dedicated service department, Scott Enterprises can quality is critical to your project, be sure specify Scott Enterprises. taketo care of you like nobody else.

LANDSCAPE/LAWN For more than 35 years, trusted CONTRACTOR on these and many other projects ... Sun Valley• Landscaping TD Ameritrade Park sunvalleyomaha.com • First National 402-932-5704

SCOTT ENTERPRISES

9684 N. 109th Ave. • Omaha, NE 68142 • 402-571-2364 • scottent.com

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Carl Jarl Group

LOCKSMITH

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Bank Tower • Midtown Crossing Forest Green Lawn & Landscaping • Village Pointe Shopping Center Celebrating our 37th year serving the community. We have forestgreenlawncare.com • UNO Weber Fine Arts Building | www.ScottEnt.com 402-556-0595 been trusted402-571-2364 on these and many other projects... • Children’s Hospital 9684 N 109th Street, Omaha, NE 68142

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Big Red

MOVING COMPANY Select Van & Storage selectvan.com 402-935-3700

Black Belt Movers (formerly Flat Rate Movers)

OFFICE FURNITURE All Makes Office Equipment Co. allmakes.com 402-341-2413

BOLD Office Solutions

PAINTING CONTRACTOR Gerst Painting Inc.

There’s a BOLD New Trend in Town… Thank you Omaha for voting BOLD Office Solutions Best Office Furniture Dealer!

Nebraska Painting

boldofficesolutions.com | 4526 F Street | 402.934.6644

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

Taking Pride in Our

PROFESSIONALISM & CRAFTSMANSHIP 2016 B2B WINNER! • INTERIOR PAINT

I have enjoyed serving

• EXTERIOR PAINT

have specialty painters home’s special needs.

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Mike Gerst - Owner

• REFINISHING OF EXISTING CABINETS & WOODWORK

that can work with YOUR

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• WALLCOVERING

Omaha for 38 years. We

THANK YOU OMAHA for Voting Us Best Residential & Commercial Lawn Care

2016 Winner

• WALLPAPER REMOVAL • DRYWALL REPAIRS • STAIN & FINISHING

US ON Thank you B2B Magazine readers

for voting ACCESSbank —

BEST BUSINESS BANK

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www.gerstpainting.com

402-556-0595

www.forestgreenlawncare.com

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38 YEARS OF

BUSINESS IN OMAHA!

2015 Winner

2016 Winner

Customized Banking Solutions

tail›ed to yµr needs

Locally Owned and Operated

decisive, resp¯sive

Strong Partnerships

built ¯ ´¹th and ¥ust ®

Midtown 8712 W. Dodge Rd. • Omaha 402.763.6000

Oakview 2625 S. 140th St. • Omaha 402.905.4100

Shadow Lake 774 Olson Dr. • Papillion 402.281.4567

Village Pointe 203 N. 180th St. • Omaha 402.281.4585

NMLS #456056

accessbank.com

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omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

2016 Winner

PEST CONTROL COMPANY Lien Termite & Pest Control Orkin

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Cushman & Wakefield | The Lund Company

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2016 Winner

402.392.1250 8712 West Dodge Rd, Suite 300 | Omaha, NE

AKCLaw.com

scottent.com 402-571-2364

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Scott Enterprises, Inc.

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Ciaccio Roofing ciaccioroofing.com 402-293-8707

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ROOFING COMPANY

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nainpdodge.com 402-255-6060

NAI NP Dodge

REAL ESTATE – COMMERCIAL

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Business & Commercial Law • Litigation Estate Planning, Trusts & Probate Employment Law • Energy Law • Real Estate Municipal Law • Franchise Law • Special Needs Trusts e’s in

lundco.com 402-393-8811

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Micro Plumbing

A T T O R N E Y S

Oma ha ’s

Backlund Plumbing

Om ah a

PLUMBING COMPANY

AK &C in e

Ginger’s Hang-up

ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP

lewisartgallery.com 402-391-7733

Lewis Art Gallery

B2 B

PICTURE FRAMING

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

Cal Today for a

FREE In-home

Select Van & Storage

Storage Local Moves Oﬃce Moves Tractor Trailer State-to-State Container Services Internaaonal Moves You Load/We Drive Value Deal

Estimate!

selectvan.com - 402.935.3700 8006 J Street, Omaha, NE, 68127

SE Corner of 72nd & Paciﬁc

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“If you are in sales I cannot recommend Sandler Training with Karl Schaphorst enough. I’ve taken 2 classes with him and my sales have increased, the number of people I actually reach (or that call me back) have increased, and I spend less time on prospects that aren’t ready to buy what I’m selling. Sandler Training is a MUST for any person in sales.” -Jenna King / State Farm Agent

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We Can Help

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Suffering from Flatlining Sales? 2016 Winner

Are you tired of wasting time... •presenting to prospects that have no need? •presenting to prospects that have no money? •presenting to prospects that can’t make a decision?

Join us for an executive briefing to learn more about how Sandler Training can grow your business.

Let us cater your next office occasion!

T: 402-403-4334 3828 Dodge St • Omaha, NE 68131 kschaphorst@sandler.com

Karl Schaphorst Owner

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omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

2016 Winner

SECURITY EQUIPMENT/SYSTEMS SEi Tyco Integrated Security

SIGN COMPANY Best Buy Signs bestbuysigns.net 402-861-0384

Omaha Neon

WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED. For 100 years, The Harry A. Koch Co. has served regional industries and organizations with a full range of risk management and insurance products.

SNOW REMOVAL SERVICE Sun Valley Landscaping sunvalleyomaha.com 402-932-5704

A & P Construction apconstructomaha.com 402-740-0800

TOWING COMPANY Neff Towing Service 402-733-5500

Auto 1 Towing Inc.

WINDOW CLEANING Fish Window Cleaning

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The Harry A. Koch Co., 18th & Howard, 1920s

Thank you for voting us Best of B2B for the 5th straight year. 402.861.7000 | hakco.com

2016 Winner

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Window Pro

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FINANCIAL SERVICES BANK First National Bank We’re once again thrilled to be named Best Bank, Thank you for allowing us to travel this journey with you and celebrate all of the firsts that make up your life.

ACCESSbank

CREDIT CARD MERCHANT PROCESSING TSYS Merchant Solutions

402.602.5100 | firstnational.com

tsysmerchantsolutions.com 800-354-3988

American Payment Systems americanpaymentsystems.com 402-502-9985

“ Thanks Omaha for 30 Years! 2B

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Color: 4/C Publication: Omaha Magazine Insertion Date: Spring edition Insertion Order #: 1997-2 Size: L - 5” x 7.458”

“Here for all of your firsts.”/ Job #10514 Misc. print February 5, 2016 9:39 AM

Oma ha ’s

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8 Consecutive Years

402.399.9233 | www.sparklingklean.com

A+ Rating 20 Consecutive Years

“Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP is proud to have been voted a Best of B2B Omaha winner for a 6th year in a row. We appreciate everyone that voted for us, and extend our gratitude to B2B Magazine for its support of local businesses in the Omaha community.” -NICHOLAS DAFNEY

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2016 Winner

CREDIT UNION Centris Federal Credit Union Mutual First Federal Credit Union

PAYROLL SERVICE Paychex Inc. Payroll Express

FOOD SERVICES BANQUET FACILITY Thompson Center at UNO thethompsoncenter.org 402-554-2444

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Hiro 88 Kona Grill

CATERER Brandeis Catering Paradise Bakery & Cafe paradisebakery.com 402-699-5555

COFFEE PROVIDER Host Coffee LaRue Coffee

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BUSINESS HAPPY HOUR

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1415 - The Meeting Space

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Gretchen Detra Managed Service Client Relations Specialist Marco, Inc.

2016 Winner

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RESTAURANT – BUSINESS BREAKFAST

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carefree printing

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Imagine never having to worry about running out of toner or tracking down a technician when your printer acts up. Marco’s Managed Print Services empower our customers to work more productively, print more efficiently and do business more cost-effectively. That’s a powerful trio. Learn more and get empowered at marconet.com.

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Sullivan’s Steakhouse

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THANK YOU OMAHA!

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BEST FLORIST “Taylor Made” for ALL your floral needs since 1950”

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801 Chophouse Mahogany Prime Steakhouse

“Being recognized by our business peers as a Best of B2B winner is a great honor for Travel and Transport. There are many fine businesses in our community so to be acknowledged with the very best in one that we take great pride in. All of our employeeowners thank the voters for once again naming Travel and Transport a Best of B2B winner.” -KEVIN O’MALLEY

402-733-2322

Locally Owned Since 1950

12310 K Plaza, Ste. 108 www.taylorsflowers24hours.com

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TRAVEL & EVENT PLANNING

Serving the Great Customers of Omaha for 71 Years!

AUDIO-VISUAL SERVICE conceptsav.com 402-298-5011

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Concepts AV Integration

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CCS

Thank You for Voting Us #1 for 5 Years!

BUSINESS CONFERENCE VENUE

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Tiburon Golf Club

EVENT PLANNING SERVICE planitomaha inc. planitomaha.com 402-333-3062 to-Busi essne ss sin MA

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Janousek Florist & Greenhouses

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Taylor’s Flower Shop & Greenhouse

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Lukas Partners

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Thank You for Voting Us Best of B2B™ 5 Years in a Row! AUDIO VISUAL SERVICES OFFERED INCLUDE: • System design/engineering • Sales

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Accredited | Accurate | Affordable

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Thank you, Omaha – for again voting Chastain Otis

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built for YOU...

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“Leo A Daly takes great pride in serving the Omaha community and we are honored by this recognition as Best Architectural Firm by B2B Omaha’s Best of B2B.” -CHRISTOPHER J. JOHNSON

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BUSINESS SERVICES ADVERTISING SPECIALTIES Bergman Incentives bergmanincentives.com 402-661-7900

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Performance Group Inc.

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BUSINESS FORMS & SYSTEMS

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A+ Rating

Office: 402.964.0762 Mobile: 402.670.7566 • www.GloriasElegantInteriors.com

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volume 16 | issue 1

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

Plantronics CS540 Wireless

Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth

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Virus Check and Removal Clean Your Browser Remove Temporary Internet Files Delete Adware and Cookies Defrag Hard Drives Intall Current Microsoft Patches Install Microsoft Security Updates Update Drivers

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DELIVERY VEHICLE DEALER Mercedes-Benz of Omaha omahamercedes.com 855-420-1831

LAUREN GARRISON Surly Lass, British Sass BOBSLEDDING? IN NEBRASKA? Olympic Gold Medalist Curtis Tomasevicz

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Quality, Dependable Trash & Recycling Service

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omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS For Over 60 Years

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ELECTRONICS RECYCLING PC Recycling Midwest Electronic Recycling

FLEET LEASING Atchley Ford

CAS Inc cas-online.com 402-963-2000

RESIDENTIAL

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DBS Burke Omaha Mail, Inc.

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volume 16 | issue 1

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Emergency Service

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“

“I am impressed with the quality of the B2B Magazine. I enjoy reading articles that highlight the growth and success of companies based right here in the Omaha area. Their quarterly issues include articles about companies of all sizes, industries, and stages of a company’s life from startups to others who are more than a century old. I am often drawn to the key factors contributing to the success of these companies.” -DAN HEMPHILL

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volume 16 | issue 1

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

38 FEATURE | BY ANTHONY FLOTT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

BUILDING A NEW LIFE FACIAL HAIR AND FACADES

Eric Price has built beautiful rooms. And he’s built big beards.

There have been previous incarnations, but the current model is more than two years old (the last one bit the dust for his brother’s wedding).

But a whole new life? That’s something new. Until August 2013, that is, when Price packed his wife and five children, his carpentry tools, and all the know-how from his father and left Baltimore for Omaha. Just months later Price launched Bearded Builders, a residential renovation and remodeling company that already employs eight people and earned a Best of Omaha award for Best Home remodeling. “It is crazy,” Price says. “Omaha just has been great, far beyond anything I would have ever expected or dreamt. The customers we get to work with have been great.” Many of whom can’t help but mention the beard when they first meet Price. It’s a chestgrazing bird’s nest with long strings of gray.

Without it, says the 33-year-old transplant, “I look like a baby.” He sure made a big-boy decision leaving Baltimore, where he and his wife, Amanda, were born and raised. “It was not easy.” He left behind his father, mother, and three brothers with families of their own. Two of them also are carpenters, just like their old man. But Baltimore living doesn’t come cheap. Worse, business was slow. “We were not seeing bright lights or dollar signs,” Price says.

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He and Amanda have five children (now ages 4 to 10, all home-schooled). “We were falling farther and farther behind on our bills,” Price says. “Cutting what we could, but we also realized that with five kids, things don’t get cheaper. It was just becoming more; the numbers telling us it was time to go.”

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Thank You Omaha!

For voting the Sprinter #1 in Best of B2B - Delivery Vehicle category.

They researched places that had a lower cost of living, strong economy, and good market for home remodeling. “Omaha seemed to fit the bill.” They’d never been here before, but the family of seven made a weekend visit and liked what they saw. It was small, but clean. Hillier than expected, and people drove the speed limit. They found a church, too— Emmaus Bible Church in South Omaha. Price initially worked for a small remodeling company. In March 2014 he launched Bearded Builders. His first gig was a tile job downtown. Business came quickly thereafter, about 150 jobs since—bathroom and kitchen renovations, basement remodels, and more. So much work that he’s hired six full-time carpenters and an office assistant. He’s also opened an office near 156th and Center streets and is installing a high-end kitchen showroom. “Beyond anything I ever anticipated,” Price says. “Especially in this short a time. “We’re just starting out but we want to build a reputable company that people can continue to trust and rely on. A place where guys can have a career they are excited to be a part of and hopefully one day retire from.” He’s gone from short-term worries of paying the bills to long-term dreams of building something special. By the hair, you might say, of his chinny, chin-chin. Visit beardedbuilders.com to learn more. B2B

of Omaha

Mercedes-Benz of Omaha 14335 Hillsdale Ave, Omaha, NE 68137 www.OmahaMercedes.com Contact John Williams anytime at 402.981.9262 MSRP for a 2015 Sprinter Standard Roof 2500 is $37,455 excludes all options, taxes, title, regis., transporation/destination charge and dealer prep. 2015 shown with high roof option at $39,950 . (High Roof option $2,495) Options, model availability and actual dealer price may vary. See dealer for details. ** Please obey all speed laws. ©2015 Authorized Mercedes-Benz Dealers. For more information, call 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES, or visit MBUSA.com

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volume 16 | issue 1

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

AFTER HOURS | BY DAVID WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEITH BINDER

Pate owns thousands of baseball cards, but he spices up the hobby with themed subset collections. He seeks the cards of every MVP of the last half century or so. No, not their rookie cards; Pate collects the player cards for the year in which they won the award. A 1965 Topps Zoilo Versalles is rarely a linchpin of any collection, but for Pate it changes the game in how he approaches the pastime. “Just how does a guy like Versalles come to win such a thing in ‘65, the waning days of the Golden Age of baseball?” asks Pate. “The year before it was Brooks Robinson, and the year after it was Triple Crown-winner Frank Robinson. Both of those players are legends. Both are in Cooperstown. Beyond the fairly knowledgeable baseball fan, players like Jensen, Groat, and Versalles are all but footnotes to baseball history. That’s one of the things that make this collecting style fun.” Zoilo Casanova Versalles Rodriguez, for example, was the Cuban-born sparkplug that propelled the Minnesota Twins to the 1965 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted a mere .273, but led the American League in plate appearances (728), at-bats (666), runs scored (126), doubles (45), triples (12), extra-base hits (76), and total bases (308). He was second in assists (487) and third in stolen bases (27). A near-unanimous winner of the MVP award, the shortstop garnered a startling 19 of 20 first-place votes. The next year the career .242 hitter slid back into relative obscurity and batted just .246.

A MOST VALUABLE STRATEGY WHO THE HECK IS ZOILO VERSALLES?

For Mike Pate, it’s as easy as fielding a can-of-corn pop fly.

“You learn so much more about the game when you collect this way,” says Pate, “and it adds additional layers of interest. Lots of guys seek only rookie cards. Some concentrate on completing entire sets for any given year. But this MVP strategy can really stretch a collector’s budget. Rookie cards, for example, are expensive, and putting together complete sets means you’re tracking down about 700 cards. Many of those are players that you may not care too much about but you have to get them just to complete the set. Subsets have a special focus…a deeper meaning. It amps up the thrill of the chase.”

“All those guys won an MVP Award,” says Pate, United Republic Bank President and CEO, “and all are part of my baseball card collection.”

Pate began collecting as a young boy in the ’60s and is a life-long Yankees fan. His childhood heroes were Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.

It takes a fairly decent baseball trivia geek to connect the dots between Jackie Jensen, Dick Groat, and Zoilo Versalles.

omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

“I even knew their birthdays by heart and celebrated the occasion every year,” Pate explains. “I didn’t know how to bake a birthday cake, so I had a ritual—I know it sounds stupid—of making Jello every year on September 10th [Maris] and October 20th [Mantle].” Pate laments what he calls the gimmicky “Beanie Baby-ization” of the hobby in the ’90s when card companies created feeding frenzies by introducing such limited edition subsets as autographed cards and game-used uniform swatch cards.

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new way to push product and increase demand. Age has meaning, no matter what you like to collect. And I’m one of those lucky guys whose mom never tossed my shoeboxes of baseball cards. Collecting is a history lesson in baseball, and few things define America like baseball.”

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Just as it is with his management style in leading his team at United Republic Bank, Pate finds hobby satisfaction in carving out creative strategies, ones that look at opportunities in new, imaginative, and sometimes offbeat ways.

as voted by B2B readers

O MA H A ’

“I have a friend,” says Pate, “who has a subset limited to catchers, the guys whose equipment is called ‘the tools of ignorance.’ He’s just fascinated by catchers for whatever reason. He also collects Don Mossi just because the guy is so…well…‘homely’ would be putting it politely. I mean the guy has ears the size of Rhode Island!”

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Why not collect the first player to break each team’s color barrier? That’s where you’ll learn about the otherwise unknown Elijah “Pumpsie” Green of the Boston Red Sox. He’s important because Boston was the last team to integrate, and it took them a shameful 12 years to do so after Jackie Robinson first joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Or how about the card for the last year of every Hall of Famer? Forget about their pricey rookie cards and instead go after their final card, the one that’ll have the fullest accounting of their career stats on the back.

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Theme-based collecting, says Pate, is limited only to your imagination.

2016 Winner

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volume 16 | issue 1

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

PLAYING BIG

THE HIGH COST OF WORKPLACE A-HOLISM

by Scott Anderson

One of the more insidious characteristics of the malady is that most a-holes don’t even know they’re a-holes. Or would dispute it to their dying breath. And probably won’t read this article anyway.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

Fortunately, Stanford professor, Robert I. Sutton, author of The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t (2007), suggests certain litmus tests, roughly translated as:

•

• 1.

I’m Scott. I’m a recovering a-hole. And “Nebraska Nice” as we all are, I’ll bet you’ve been one, or are one, or have been effected by one, too. Managers that bully subordinates who can’t retaliate (the very definition of workplace a-holism) have no place in our businesses. This goes beyond fundamental ethics. The lowest unemployment rate in the nation translates to workforce leverage, meaning that Nebraska’s business leaders have a strong economic incentive to address workplace a-holism. In other words, it pays to be nice. A-holism drives much-coveted employee engagement to near zero, which correlates closely to zero productivity, zero creativity, and, eventually, zero business. Even worse, a-holes (I include myself…wait for it) do personal harm far beyond mere business metrics. I cringe (I’m groping for a much stronger word than “cringe”) when I reflect on my 30-plus years of managing people. Even today I can still feel former employees stabbing much-deserved hatpins into my pin-striped voodoo doll. Toxic leaders, even if they are only momentarily so, even if it only happens just once a career, can eviscerate that which your team worked so hard to build.

After being with you, do people feel hurt, depressed, humiliated, or otherwise worse about themselves? 2. Have you ever been an a-hole to anyone senior to you in your business? Didn’t think so. More likely you target people who can’t fight back and over whom you have a disproportionate power advantage?

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS? • •

Sutton identifies the 10 most common symptoms of a-holism as: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Insults Violation of personal space Sarcasm Flames Humiliation Shaming Interruption Backbiting Glaring Snubbing

Workplace a-holism occurs much more frequently than, say, embezzlement, but costs billions more in terms of low engagement and lost productivity. Paradoxically, we prosecute embezzlers to the fullest extent of the law, but usually don’t even fire assholes. If anything, we promote them.

How does a-holism contribute to corporate health costs? Depression and anxiety are the largest cause of sick days in the American economy. What is the cost of a-holism to GDP? Gallup says the cost of low engagement to American business is more than $450 million per year in lost productivity and more. What impact on productivity and global competitiveness would reducing a-holism by 20% have? Is it even possible to reduce it by 20%? Or at all?

•

Zero Tolerance: Zero. No matter how “good” they are at their jobs. A-holism Awareness Training: Remember, friends don’t let friends be a-holes. Comprehensive Leadership Training: Some a-holes are flat-out sociopaths (see first bullet point), but most act out in a crisis because they haven’t learned more effective techniques.

The first step is admitting we have a problem. Yes, even us Nice Nebraskans. Our teams will leave for nicer employers if we remain in denial.

Scott Anderson is CEO of Doubledare, an executive coaching, consulting, and search firm.

Selling Her Startup

CHILDCARE OWNER TURNS SEED MONEY INTO SERIOUS CASH PG. 8

A Franchise Can Make ‘Goodcents’ DIVERSIFYING YOUR DAY JOB PG. 5

Manufacturing Business Changes Hands HOW HE BOUGHT & SOLD AFTER AGE 55 PG.12 A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Spring 2016

LIFE CYCLE EDITION

Volume 1 Issue 7 Published by The Firm Business Brokerage

President/Editor • Cortney Sells Director/Assistant Editor • Cassandra Powers In-House Legal Counsel • Susanne Miller Accounting & Finance • Cassandra Waltrip Brokerage Principal • Rene Rademacher Market Development • Rachael Rand Paralegal • Julie O’Brien Mail Marketer • Adam Jaime Outreach Coordinator • Julie Williams Research Analyst • Daniel Hayes Strategic Development Officer • Brittnie True Community Relations • Mike Sells Intern • McKenna Thorngren

Design • OBI Creative

Contributing Writers • Kathy Rygg,

CORPORATE OUTFITTING JUST STEPPED UP ITS GAME.

Maureen Tierney, Jeff Cremers

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The Firm Deal Review

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A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

The Bottom Line

Selling Her Startup Childcare Owner Turns Seed Money Into Serious Cash

pg.8

Special Section

Features

7 Fresh Off The Firm

5 Diversifying 8 No Kidding Around

The Firm Business Brokerage has over

$90 Million Dollars in Assets Under Management of current cash flowing

businesses for sale—from residential

Buying a Franchise Made ‘Goodcents’

Amber Cushman is Poised For Her Next Big Thing

design companies to professional service

12 Never Too Late

businesses to medical-based services.

Buying, Then Selling Later In Life

Columns

4 Net Worth

Jeff Cremers, CEO of Cremers CPA What Tax Time Means to Your CPA

14 Executive Impact 15 Feature Follow-Up

Retirees as New Business Owners

Success at Goodrich Veterinary Clinic

Sells Insights

Active Arena in Entrepreneurship Sees No Age

I by Cortney Sells president/editor

t’s safe to say that most of us think of buying a new business as the domain for the young. They have energy and time on their side, as well as the financial leeway to pay down debt and plenty of time to accumulate wealth. However, what we fail to see in this equation is the greater impact that experience provides and can only be found in those who have already succeeded and

failed more than once. The hardest lesson a business owner learns is finding what works and what doesn’t, and the resumes of those who have time-tested business and life experiences are veritable playbooks for success. In this issue we explore the life cycle of business ownership and adventure of starting over at different stages through life. The FIRM

Spring 2016

The Firm Deal Review

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Net Worth:

What Tax Time Means to Your CPA written by Jeff Cremers, CEO of Cremers CPA

Jeff Cremers

usiness owners should always have their business’ accounting and business records current and in good condition, but this is much more important if the business owner is even considering selling his/ her business. Whether you are retiring or not your business is most often your most valuable asset and unlike most of your other investments you can control what the business is worth. There is a very large pool of buyers out there so once you decide to sell your business the requests for information from interested buyers will come very quickly. Many times the buyers will be guided by their CPAs with which questions to ask and which financial reports to request so as the business owner it is very important to speak with your CPA well ahead of time as they will be able to prepare you and your business

The Firm Deal Review

Spring 2016

for looking its best at the time you put it on the market. If possible inform your CPA of the potential of selling your business a year or two beforehand, as having growth trend in profits and revenues will dramatically increase the value of your business. Advance planning with your trusted business advisor is very valuable. Tax time is here and business owners will be working with their CPA soon, anyway, so now is a great time to have that discussion. Included in that discussion is the dreaded question, “How much will I pay in tax when selling my business?”. Most business sales are structured as asset sales where the business owner is selling the equipment, customer files, business name, website, and the overall business operations, which means

that taxation could be a significant factor in determining how much the business owner walks away with in the end. The allocation of the sales price between the tangible assets and goodwill is very important when it comes to taxes, so as the selling business owner you need to discuss this ahead of time with your CPA. Because of the tax treatment available for installment sales the seller “carryback” portion can be advantageous as it can shift the taxable income to future years, which may result in lower tax rates and therefore lower overall taxes paid. You have worked very hard to build your business to what it is worth today so utilize your trusted business advisors to help you maximize the value of your business and the amount you will end up with after the sale of your business. THE FIRM

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Buying a Franchise Made ‘Goodcents’ written by Kathy Rygg

The Firm Deal Review Buyer Requirement: Business must be a franchise Employees: 9 Location: Village Pointe, Omaha Valuation Method: Cost to Create

hen choosing a business to purchase, buying an existing franchise is often a cost-effective option. Start-up and build-out fees are clearly budgeted and proven, plus there is a marketing plan available to draw in a customer base. These are all factors that led William and Gina Gregalunas to purchase the Mr. Goodcents deli fresh sub sandwich shop at Village Pointe in Omaha.

OWNING THEIR OWN BUSINESS HAS BEEN IN LINE WITH WHAT HE EXPECTED AND WOULD CONSIDER PURCHASING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE The couple wanted to make the investment as a way to secure additional income and searched for the right opportunity for about nine months. “We thought it [Goodcents] was a good product, liked the location, and it’s a relatively new franchise in the Omaha area,” Will said. Another appealing aspect was the support that corporate provided to its franchisees. “They are involved enough to make sure all stores provide a quality product that meets their standards,” he added. Will kept his fulltime career in IT, and their business is an additional form of income to their family.

Other companies aren’t as involved in their individual franchisee locations, which can result in quality and inconsistencies across the brand. But customer perception is key, and if one location isn’t holding up the standards, then it reflects poorly on all locations, regardless of ownership. “It’s no different than owning a home in a neighborhood,” Will explained. “They all reflect on one another.”

William Gregalunas

Spring 2016

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Corporate also provided training, which was valuable since this was Will and Gina’s first experience as owners in the food industry. They also provide business liaisons so that owners can call with any questions. “The support structure is really in place to help us be successful,” Will happily reports. With turnover high in the industry, hiring and employee retention is a challenge, so the couple has focused on creating a friendly work environment and providing competitive pay. “We try to treat everyone like family,” he said. “There are a lot of jobs to choose from in Omaha, but the laborers are great here.”

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Managing costs is a critical component to owning a franchise, and Will explains they have focused on those areas they can control, such as labor and portioning. Since most of their products are cold sandwiches, they don’t have to deal with equipment such as fryers. Rather, they try to keep food costs down by teaching employees how to keep portions consistent. Will said owning their own business has been in line with what he expected and would consider purchasing again in the future if it was the right opportunity. In the meantime he and Gina plan to diligently work on their current investment. “This first year has been a learning curve, now we’re fine tuning operations so that next year we’ll be even more productive.” His advice to others considering the purchase of an existing business is to research the industry and ask other business owners about their experience. He also said to make sure there is a support structure in place. “The franchise wants to see us succeed just as much as we do.” THE FIRM

The Firm Deal Review

Spring 2016

ALWAYS LOC AL, ALWAYS BEA UTIFUL

PLAIN S LIVI N G

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TAINOUS SCALE

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Fresh Off The Firm:

Featured Listings for Sale Salon with Booth Rental Income

Emergency Medical Service & Transport

OWNER’S PROFIT $30,398 PRICE $87,000

OWNER’S PROFIT $813,038 PRICE $2,736,000

Full-service salon with nails and esthetics. Renters fill stations with spaces included for esthetics and massage. Turnkey business bustling with excitement and great interstate access.

Over 50 years of expertise and safety in EMS Services. Basic and advanced life support in Nebraska and Iowa with a focus in the Omaha & Lincoln areas. 50+ welltrained and certified employees.

CPA Firm Established in 1979

Passively Owned Childcare

OWNER’S PROFIT $100,000 PRICE $100,000

OWNER’S PROFIT $151,961 PRICE $524,000

Retiring owner/accountant looking to sell his book of business providing tax return prep, write-up work, and bookkeeping. Over 70 business returns and 180 personal returns filed annually. Seller will transition for up to 2 years to retain clientele if desired.

After 19 years in business, the current owner of this profitable commercial childcare is retiring. Currently enrolled with 61 children. The owner works only 10 hours a week with an assistant director in place.

Midtown Gourmet Sandwich Shop

**Successful Online Retail Store

OWNER’S PROFIT $72,827 PRICE $252,000

OWNER’S PROFIT $396,485 PRICE $1,700,000

This popular sandwich shop is part of a successful national franchise and comes with the master territory rights to the Omaha market. A full-staff of nine is on hand to serve customers who create a line out the door every lunch hour.

With annual sales close to $4,000,000, this Omaha-based online store has both longevity and sales history and an emphatic fan base with over 30,000 likes on its social media page. Includes over $300,000 in sellable inventory.

Project Manager on Fixed Fee Base

Inspection & Environmental Testing with Licensed Staff

OWNER’S PROFIT $424,917 PRICE $1,014,0000 Serving clientele of custom home builders in the $350,000 to the $5 million range, this project manager allows owners a cost plus model, charging a fixed rate for scheduling and oversight of contractors. Over $26 million in custom-built homes in 2015!

OWNER’S PROFIT $596,204 PRICE $1,900,000 This successful testing company performs completes over 400 projects per year and offers geotechnical, materials testing, and environmental testing to its clients. More than $800,000 in assets and inventory are included in the purchase price.

** Broker’s Choice | 110+ Available Business Opportunities For Sale. Please visit TheFirmBusinessBrokerage.com. Spring 2016

The Firm Deal Review

Amber Cushman

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Selling Her Startup

Childcare Owner Turns Seed Money Into Serious Cash written by Kathy Rygg | photography by Bill Sitzmann

“I LEARNED SO MUCH DURING THE SALES PROCESS, I ‘M HOPING TO TAKE WHAT I EARNED AND REINVEST IT IN A NEW OPPORTUNITY” -Amber Cushman

The Firm Deal Review TINY TOWN USA Reason for Sale: Opportunity for a Second Chapter Childcare Capacity: 125 Startup Funds: $30,000 in Seed Money; sold for more than 16x initial investment Type of Sale: Asset Purchase Agreement

here are a number of reasons as to why someone decides to purchase their own business. Some are looking for a career change, others want an investment to earn extra income. Amber Cushman wanted to provide high quality child care at an affordable cost. In May 2010 she purchased Tiny Town USA in La Vista for $100,000. Five years later she sold it for $395,000; nearly 400% Return on Investment. Her road to success didn’t veer far from her passion. She said she has always enjoyed working with children, and as early as age 16 worked in different positions for Papillion La Vista Schools’ after school programs. Amber’s sister, Neena Chase, followed a similar path that led her to the position of director at Tiny Town, which is

how Amber learned that the daycare was soon to be for sale. Amber was nine months pregnant with her daughter when she bought Tiny Town, but that didn’t stop her from diving in. “I felt that all children, no matter their economic demographic, deserved to have the same opportunity to be in a safe, loving environment where they can learn,” Amber said. When she and Neena took over the center, it was only ¼ full with 43 children. Five years later enrollment had grown to 121 children. “I was really proud of that,” she added. Child care centers typically endure a lot of turnover with employees, pay minimum wage, and don’t offer many benefits or perks. Some of the ways Amber and Neena rewarded employees for their hard work was by buying the staff pizza, handing out gift cards, and even giving them two 10-minute breaks throughout the day. “Allowing employees to take a mental breather from any situation really helped the staff quite a bit,” Amber said. Having happy employees resulted in having more kids enroll at the center. “Most of the contact parents have is with the child’s teacher. If that teacher is happy, loves their job, and believes in the center, then they are going to relay that to the parents. And when parents are happy, then word of mouth results in more students enrolled.”

Spring 2016

The Firm Deal Review

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“I learned so much during the sale process,” she said. “I’m hoping to take what I earned and reinvest it in a new opportunity.” On a typical business purchase, the buyer puts 10-15% cash down. Since Amber sold Tiny Town for $395,000, that gives her enough money to buy a new business with a purchase price in the neighborhood of $3 million. That type of reinvestment is in line with the philosophy of making your money work for you; a company with a 3 million dollar price tag should profit almost $1,000,000 annually.

“I KNEW THE FIRM WORKED HARD FOR ME DURING MY SALE OF TINY TOWN, I JUST DIDN’T KNOW HOW HARD THEY WORKED FOR EVERY TRANSACTION THEY DO,” -Amber Cushman

As with any business, social media is another tricky area to navigate. Amber said she taught all of the employees about public presentation and how to address comments posted to social media, whether positive or negative. She also insisted that any issues between employees be resolved immediately and in person. Amber’s success with Tiny Town led her to think about expansion. However, her personal life took a turn when her husband’s grandparents fell ill. They needed 24-hour care, and Amber started spending more of her time helping them and away from the center. She eventually made the difficult decision to sell Tiny Town. “It was my baby, and leaving was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done emotionally,” she said. She worked with The Firm to find a buyer, which Amber said was a very streamlined process. “Working with The Firm made it

The Firm Deal Review

Spring 2016

so easy. In today’s world, it’s hard to find a business with true integrity, and that’s exactly what The Firm has.” The sale took almost a year because Amber wanted to make sure she found the right fit for Tiny Town. She turned down a few offers (even full price) until she found someone she felt shared her vision and passion. It turned out to be a group of female partners, all with backgrounds in education, so Amber said their interests really aligned with hers. Post-close Neena stayed on as director at Tiny Town, and Amber said her sister was happy with the transition as well. As much as Amber loved working in child care, she wanted to explore opportunities that would enable her to spend more time with her family. After having a number of conversations with team members at The Firm, she realized she could reinvest her money in a new business that could potentially earn her an even greater income.

But taking that next leap is a big endeavor, and Amber wants to make sure it’s once again the right fit. Her experience with the sale of Tiny Town inspired her in another way: she wanted to help others interested in buying and selling a business. As a result, she joined The Firm as a way to find and connect potential buyers and sellers as well as keep as eye out for that next opportunity for herself. “It just seemed like a natural transition from where I was, to where I want to go,” Amber explains. Even though she experienced the sale of a business first-hand, Amber said watching how it’s done on the inside is even more fascinating and unbelievable the amount of work that must be done on each deal. “I knew The Firm worked hard for me during my sale of Tiny Town, I just didn’t know how hard they worked for every transaction they do,” she said. “Now that I’m on the ‘inside,’ what I admire most is how the entire team fights to beat their previous record and make themselves better than they were the day before.” Working for The Firm enables Amber to have a first look at businesses that come up for sale, but she said it’s also difficult not to want them all. She enjoys working for a company that doesn’t compare itself to others, since it’s already the prominent business brokerage in the state. “It’s incredible to see how the entire team shares the same mission,” she boasts. “And that’s to provide a win-win for all of their clients.” THE FIRM

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

From the Power Company to Men in Power Taking on Business Ownership Later in Life

written by Maureen Tierney

The Firm Deal Review Tran-Tec Corp. Industry: Manufacturing Customer Base: Only 2% in Nebraska # of Employees: 18 Year Established: 1971

t’s a specialized product made in small town Nebraska, but Jim Hanna and Bob Powers have made it work. The company they purchased in 2003, Tran-Tec Corp., makes heat sinks, which are aluminum pieces that siphon off heat from electronics and dissipate it through natural convection or fans. Heat sinks can be found everywhere from phones to industrial and medical equipment. The Columbus-based company has a wider national presence than statewide, as roughly only 2% of their work stays in Nebraska.

The Firm Deal Review

Spring 2016

When Hanna and Powers took the reins from the founding owner, neither had any real experience in the industry. “It was three years of sheer terror,” says Hanna in regards to the learning curve. While Powers handled the financial side, Hanna took some classes at the local community college to familiarize himself with the machinery and the process. That’s not to say they were total outsiders. Hanna spent 34 years working as an electrical engineer for Nebraska Public Power District, while Powers had been employed in a similar arena. Both of them had connected over the years through their common field and on occasion even traded equipment in order to “dig ourselves out of the holes we had gotten into.”

But getting himself into a financial hole was not what Hanna had in mind when NPPD began reducing numbers and offered him a buyout. Just as Hanna was thinking of retirement, Powers approached him with the possibility of owning Tran-Tec. When asked why he chose to take such a large risk at that time, Hanna simply states that, “he likes a challenge. Besides, it is hard to turn down a good business opportunity at any age.” Hanna and Powers were gifted with the previous owners staying on in a part-time capacity throughout their ownership of Tran-Tec. In business since 1971, Tran-Tec’s founder had sought to “help make sure we were successful,” says Hanna. He and Powers are paying it forward in kind.

THIS PARTNERSHIP HAS ALLOWED TRAN-TEC TO “CREATE WITH EVEN MORE PRECISION THAN IN THE PAST” -Jim Hanna

Just this past September the two decided to sell their company after 12 years in order to fully retire. Both partners have signed contracts to help transition the new owners over the next year. In the 12 years that Hanna and Powers ran Tran-Tec, they managed to double the sales and growth of the business. Hanna is humble about this success. When asked to name one of his favorite projects, Hanna mentions a California-based company that manufactures large, high-powered microwave amplifiers used in military communications equipment. Tran-Tec’s responsibility is to incorporate the heat sinks into the base of the amp, so that not only is it a functional part of the equipment but also a way to get rid of the heat produced by the electronics in the piece. On the surface it doesn’t seem exciting, but this partnership has allowed Tran-Tec to “create with even more precision than in the past.” It’s been a cooperation that has stretched their capabilities to greater distances than they imagined possible. This same curiosity for innovation and exploration bleeds into Hanna’s keen interest in railroads and railroad history. Hanna sees the advent of railroads “as an interesting time of history in our country and a really vital part of the economics of this country.” He hopes to devote more time to his hobby in retirement. While Hanna does not plan to dig back into business ownership, his mantra is “never say never.” THE FIRM The Firm Business Brokerage introduced the 2 Buyers to each other, which they then formed a partnership and bought Tran Tec.

Spring 2016

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A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Executive Impact

A Change of Pace to Business Ownership, Retirees as new business owners written by Maureen Tierney

Cassandra Waltrip, In-House Accountant for The Firm Business Brokerage

ith Baby Boomers retiring, many businesses are being passed down to the next generation. For a growing number, retirement is no longer a case of flying south for the winter, but hunkering down and diving into a new venture. Many built their savings with hours of sweat equity, and while they profited from the years dedicated to earning a living, they aren’t ready to get out of the game yet. Instead, the appeal of self-employment leads an enterprising few to reinvest for equity and a challenge. As Cassandra Waltrip, in-house accountant for The Firm, points out, the older generation “has worked for other people” and “many find the advent of the Internet and technology exciting and it makes it easier to get into business themselves.”

The Firm Deal Review

Spring 2016

Finding the right business to fit one’s lifestyle is key, and running a company through passive, or more absentee, approach is a great way to increase earnings well into full or semi-retirement. Waltrip herself is also looking to increase her retirement earnings potential through investing this way. She and her husband, Scott, are currently pursuing opportunities to become serial owners, and their approach to ownership is “100% a numbers decision.” The erratic nature of the stock market leaves many on edge, prompting “most older buyers to look toward diversifying their holdings” through business ownership, says Waltrip.

As the go-to person preforming business valuations for The Firm’s current and potential clients, Waltrip focuses on a company’s books and whether or not “it will have the ability to produce cash flow for a new owner.” This is crucial to those not sure about their retirement and to those re-evaluating where they are and where they would like to be financially. Most buyers aren’t looking to turn a business around, but rather to continue a proven trend of profitability. Waltrip sees many older buyers looking into businesses outside of their realm of expertise. With the advantage of age and the right numbers, industry experience for a buyer is hardly a prerequisite for success. As Waltrip states, “older owners are doing multiple things, and they want to diversify.” THE FIRM

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Feature Follow Up

Goodrich Veterinary Clinic’s Success Exceeds All Expectations Winter 2015

written by Kathy Rygg

EXIT PLANNING EDITION

The Firm Deal Review GOODRICH VETERINARY CLINIC • Purchased: October 2014 • Projected Sales in Year 1: $600,000 • Actual Sales in Year 1: Over $1,000,000 • New Omaha Jobs Created: 6

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uccess comes in many forms. For Dr. Sarah Mongon and Dr. Melissa Garner, owners of Goodrich Veterinary Clinic, success has come in the form of rapid growth. In less than a year and a half, their active client base has gone from 2,216 in September 2014 to 3,861 in January 2016, an increase of 1,645 active clients in only 17 months. And they are on a path to continue that growth for the foreseeable future.

When Mongon and Garner purchased the clinic, they said they didn’t expect to draw a salary for some time. Within two months of opening, they were able to take one. Now, almost 18 months later, sales have quadrupled what they originally anticipated. “We far exceeded any of our expectations,” Garner said. They retained a large percentage of clients who were already patients of Dr. Goodrich post-close.

Mongon and Garner did make physical changes to the clinic as well. They thoroughly cleaned and painted the interior and added additional staff. They started with four employees and now have eight. They also hope to add a third veterinarian within the next couple of years. “We’re not the fanciest clinic in town, but we’re clean, have good equipment, and really good people,” Mongon said. “We really haven’t changed much from when we started 17 years ago, which is trying to be a full-service yet affordable vet clinic.” Their goals for the clinic going forward are to continue to grow their clientele by attracting new customers as well as through referrals, and to ensure all clients receive the best care possible. Although in retrospect they wish they had made the leap to purchase their own clinic 10 years earlier, they both feel the timing ended up being right. “We couldn’t have done it without our family, staff, and clients, especially those new clients who were willing to give us a chance,” Garner said. “We went through some growing pains, and we’re so grateful for everyone’s support.” THE FIRM

Spring 2016

The Firm Deal Review

omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

THE BRAND BRIEF

BY JASON FOX

YOUR BRAND VS. THE WORLD Do you know who your competition is? This is not a trick question. Nor am I expecting you to answer in the negative (although if you did I’d like to interview for that CMO position you so desperately and obviously need). Rather, I would bet that you know exactly who your competition is. And not just your primary competition, either. After all, it’s no great mental feat to notice that if you’re a pizza joint, your arch nemesis is probably pushing pie as well. I’d also illegally wager that you, theoretical dough wrangler, know your secondary competition includes other restaurants, grocery stores that offer take-out, GrubHub.com, and lazy trips to the fridge for leftover chicken tikka masala. And that is awesome – because it’s hard to win when you don’t know whom you’re playing against. But, just as importantly, do you know who your marketing’s competition is? This is also not a trick question, although it is pondered less often than my previous query. And the answer is actually a bit intuitive if you stop to think about it: Products compete against similar products, but ads compete against everything. See, your marketing efforts don’t just have to out-hustle, out-work, out-imagine or out-think your competition – they have to be good enough to stand apart from the din of daily existence. In some cases, like when someone sorts their not-quite-extinct physical mail, that means standing out against other self-mailing ads from disparate companies. But usually it’s more challenging than that. Much more. It is, after all, quite rare for someone to actually be searching out an ad, let alone yours. So your messaging has to be more than just something you want to say. It has to be something people

want to hear, to know, to act upon. Related in such a way that they enjoy hearing it or viewing it or experiencing it. And since your ad always begins as an interruption, reading, watching or clicking on it better come with a reward – be it a smile, a laugh or a bit of useful knowledge. Otherwise, you’ve just wasted the consumer’s time and your own efforts in getting their attention in the first place. Naturally, the idea of your marketing taking on the thousands of other brands vying for the same eyeballs can seem more than a touch daunting. And while I, as a writer and creative director, would love to tell you that a great piece of creative work will solve the problem, the truth is that it won’t. Not on its own. The creativity and wise decisions must not only flow from the final, produced pieces, but also from the media strategy, the messaging strategy and the overall marketing strategy. A great message seen by the wrong people or at the wrong time is irrelevant. The wrong message presented artfully is dead on arrival. And a fantastically viral video, tweet or Instagram will be much ado about nothing if it’s not reinforcing (and being reinforced by) a broader effort. (And if your business is primarily B2B, don’t fall into the trap that people reading an industry publication or website take off their consumer hat when viewing the advertising. No one picks up an industry rag and thinks, “Two men shaking hands in front of columns really speaks to me.”)

Luckily for you and me and the few other folks who understand that marketing done right is always an investment and never a cost, the dearth of good strategic marketing benefits our own efforts. Yes, awful marketing may be a blight upon our inboxes, senses of good taste and culture at large, but the one good thing about bad ads is the stark contrast they provide for the great ones. So really, when you push yourself or your CEO or your agency to craft better plans and better creative, you’re doing the smartest, safest marketing of all – the kind capable of taking on the world. The kind that actually works. B2B

Jason Fox is the executive creative director at Webster, and the chin behind @leeclowsbeard.

60 |

volume 16 | issue 1

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

IN THE OFFICE | BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

THE DIVINE SHE.LA CHRIST AND SANTAMARIA CREATE A WORLD-CLASS SPACE “I’m divinely happy where I am,” She. la owner Sheila Christ says of her store’s new location. In fact, you could almost say her choice of location for her women’s and children’s apparel business, in the Sterling Ridge development near 132nd and Pacific streets, was “divinely” inspired; Christ was attending a memorial service at nearby Temple Israel when she was struck with the realization that she had finally found the perfect site— after a year of searching—for relocation. “I looked around and I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, the light out here is magical,’” she says. “It turned out to be a beautiful fit for us. We knew our lease was up and we had been looking at all kinds of options including the purchase of our own building, and we just couldn’t find the right size and the right corridor of the city…long story short, I come out here after looking and looking and looking and struck a deal with the Lockwood Development people within about 36 hours. It was very quick.” So, in November, after 18 years (and two remodels) at Countryside Village, She.la moved three-and-a-half miles directly west into its new 4,000-plus square-feet location. Excited to have the opportunity to start with a vanilla shell for the first time, Christ worked with Eddy Santamaria of Contrivium Design + Urbanism to design the new space. Santamaria, who Christ calls a “visionary,” had served as Christ’s architect for several residential projects and the last remodel for the former She.la.

“He ‘gets’ us,” Christ says. “His architectural eye will weigh in and make you think outside of what (you think) is possible… If the architecture will allow for it and the pocketbook will afford it, anything is possible.” The former location encompassed two floors, and Christ says having all operations on one level ensures all employees feel connected. The new She.la also boasts a flexible space including a kitchenette, which was first put to the test with a successful trunk show in January. And the sky’s the limit for potential events; Christ is considering everything from wine tastings to meditation seminars to hands-on art demonstrations for children. “It’s a space that allows for complete intimacy but you’re able to have a connected event happening,” Christ says.

omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

Moving after 18 years was an inspiration to streamline, Christ says, and the new store has an upscale, spacious feel. It retains, however, some longstanding features familiar to established patrons, including its signature shade of orange. A careful selection of lighting elements and major fixtures were transferred or replicated. New décor was incorporated, including creations by local Hot Shops artisans like fabric art from Kris Khan, metalworks from Chris Kemp and glass art by Valerie Spellman Batt. With both northern and southern exposure, the space is filled with natural light that showcases both environment and merchandise.

“It’s high-style but it has warmth. That was important to me,” Christ said. “And it’s an absolutely unbelievable space to work in.” It sounds magical. Visit shopshela.com for more information. B2B

Owner Sheila Christ

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FEATURE | BY KIM REINER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

NEW LIFE FOR OLD WOOD RECLAIMED ENTERPRISES

Deconstruction—the methodical disassembly of buildings—is not a new practice. In recent years, though, it has become an in-demand practice to provide muchcoveted building materials: Reclaimed lumber that gives a piece of furniture, a wall, or a countertop a unique appearance. It’s a practice that taps into the interests of trendsetters as much as environmentalists. “Reclaimed material is a hot trend,” says Jason Gilbreath, president and founder of Reclaimed Enterprises. The design and marketing company in Omaha sells reclaimed wood and products made from it.

Reclaimed Enterprises didn’t bring the practice of deconstruction to Omaha, but it has created an expanding marketplace for the reclaimed materials that have come from it. The business makes it easier to connect property owners to service providers and makers, and obtain beautiful materials for their projects. The stylish look of salvaged materials is popping up all over Omaha thanks to Gilbreath’s oneman business. You’ll spot the reused material in the Tip Top Building and in the dining room of Avoli in Dundee. The makers at Bench use reclaimed materials sold by Gilbreath, as does Dan Vollmer at Barnwood Trays.

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Some of the residential properties that have been deconstructed had been donated to Habitat for Humanity—they were beyond rehabilitation and Reclaimed Enterprises offered the nonprofit a solution to reducing the waste generated from demolition. Reclaimed Enterprises was born from a hobby. In 2011, Gilbreath wanted to make a dining table for his home. Determined to reuse materials, he sought salvaged wood for the project. He had to buy it online. One beautiful table down, and before long, he was building tables for friends and family. Still, he had no local resource for his building materials. While still a vice president of customer strategy at First National Bank, he began developing a solution. Gilbreath knew there was literally tons of waste from demolished homes going to landfills each year. “We had more than 800 blighted properties” in Omaha, he realized. “There had to be a better way.” He started researching how other businesses sold reclaimed materials. He analyzed business models. Soon, he formed Reclaimed Enterprises.

“Design drives the use of this material more than environmental concern,” according to Gilbreath. Sustainability is a valuable benefit that comes with the product, though. By deconstructing blighted homes, barns, and warehouses, Reclaimed Enterprises has diverted up to 95% of demolition waste from a landfill. Since launching Reclaimed Enterprises in July 2014, Gilbreath’s company has deconstructed 20 properties, including a 5,000-square-foot warehouse and a schoolhouse, as well as nearly two dozen partial-deconstruction projects.

By offering the solution of deconstruction over demolition, he created a local marketplace for unique building materials while finding a sustainable solution for ridding a community of blighted properties. Smart use of partnerships have helped Reclaimed Enterprises grow. Gilbreath now focuses on growing the marketplace while others do the deconstruction. Among his partnerships are Johnson Deconstruction in Omaha and a contractor out of Hastings Nebraska who deconstructs barns. The result is an ever-growing selection of reusable materials for customers. Customers browse and purchase materials from Reclaimed Enterprises’ website or at its

headquarters in north downtown Omaha, where Gilbreath provides consultation on their projects. He likes to ensure the right wood is used for projects. The bulk of his business is large-scale residential and commercial projects, though he also offers design services and custom building for clientele, and lumber for craftsmen and DIYers. A tour of the Reclaimed Enterprises warehouses reveals projects in various states of finish. Gilbreath points out a large, curved countertop will soon be ready for an Old Market salon and spa. Not far from it lies a 24-feet by 8-feet piece of lumber, which will become a light fixture for a restaurant. Whatever a customer dreams up, Gilbreath can design it, and then reach out to his vast network of makers to make it. Each purchase at Reclaimed Enterprises comes with the story behind the wood. Gilbreath says the history of the piece is as much of the focus as the aesthetic. Online, the lumber for sale is not labeled by type of wood, but where it came from. The warm, weathered wood on the walls and tables at VooDoo Taco in Aksarben Village came from one of the deconstructed Habitat for Humanity homes. You can tell Gilbreath enjoys the stories behind each thing he sells. He smiles when recounting a recent customer who purchased wood from an old school house… where the customer had once been a student. Whatever the driving force behind a purchase—beauty, sustainability or the fascinating story behind it—Reclaimed Enterprises offers its buyers more than just a piece of building material. Visit reclaimedenterprises.com to learn more. B2B

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BY LEO ADAM BIGA | ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT COOK PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY SARPY COUNTY TOURISM FE ATURE

SARPY, SARPY, SARPY! REWRITING THE PLAYBOOK FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

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In 1999, an online-banking company with a nonsensical name built a sprawling operation center next to the I-80 corridor on the edge of Papillion. Baffled passing commuters wondered how long a company named “PayPal” could possibly survive. Six years later—to the delight of the region’s outdoor enthusiasts—Cabela’s opened a 128,000-square-foot sportsmen’s paradise that transformed the Cornhusker Street exit along I-80 into a bustling retail hotspot. As the companies moved into the area, so did the employees, and the shoppers. Once boasting only sleepy rural charms, quaint main streets, and Offutt Air Force Base mystique, Nebraska’s smallest county by land mass is now also its fastest growing. Indeed, while the rest of the state lost 3% of its population (or 55,000 people) between 2010 and 2014, Sarpy County added 13,000 people—an 8% increase. How did it happen? Is there something to be learned by Nebraska’s other 92 counties? Sarpy’s formula was a mix of nature and nurture: Aggressive leaders with vision and a willingness to deal. The good fortune of having open land next to a major metropolitan area and one of the nation’s major east-west corridors. Lots of nearby suburbanites with cash. Also, an educated work force within driving distance. It was a perfect economic storm that even pulled off the outrageous and unthinkable: Dragging the Omaha Royals into the suburban Sarpy playground of the Omaha Stormchasers.

And now, in 2016, it’s all about synergy. Momentum. Winning begets more winning. Ernie Goss, a Creighton University professor of economics, says that when county leaders are successful in building a concentration of development like the one in Sarpy County, it becomes a catalyst for more growth. “There’s the impact of what we call clustering, Goss says. The perpetual motion machine is paying off for the county and state. PayPal alone generated $736,930.00 in tax revenue in 2014, more than any other commercial business in the region. Goss says the presence of PayPal and Cabela’s, among others, has undoubtedly propelled more development. After all, people want to be where the jobs and rooftops are.

“It’s the initial development that’s very costly in providing things like fire and police services and other government services.” Typically, he says, providing services becomes cheaper as the area grows more densely populated. That’s what’s happening in Sarpy County, where a growing resident and business tax base is helping make development cost effective. The area also benefits from ready access to interstate highways that feed into the Omaha-Lincoln metroplex. Goss says Sarpy is situated just enough outside the urban congestion sprawl to give it a semi-country, away-from-it-all appeal while being near enough to still share in the big city orbit. “It has a lot to do with interstate access,” he says. And convenience.

There’s a lot to be said for clustering and that’s what we’re seeing out there,” he says. Embassy Suites Conference Center in La Vista, developed in 2004, has brought in tourism dollars from conventions and weddings. Those tourism dollars also mean more people viewing the city, which builds awareness of the hotel and convention center, which, of course, increases chances that people will spread the word to other shoppers and convention organizers. Goss says the boom will continue as long as the benefits of providing essential services— such as sewers and roads—in support of new development exceeds the marginal costs. Once those infrastructure elements are in place, he says, the marginal costs tend to decrease and that, in turn, spurs more development.

“A lot of folks out west of Omaha find it easier driving to a conference at the Embassy Suites in La Vista than having to drive to the Embassy Suites in the Old Market,” Goss says. “That’s certainly part of it.” All this growth, too, has come amid a national economy that has generally lagged. But, as the economy sputters, interest rates remain low. In the environment of the last decade, the cost and major development has remained lower as interest rates continue to hover around 4%. CONT. PAGE 66

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66 stores was planning a major expansion. A new $15 million complex of stores is scheduled to open by Christmas. Karen Gibler, president of the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce, says there soon will be announcements about coming neighborhoods and businesses spurred by the new Highway 34 bridge, 84th Street developments, new I-80 exits, and planned sewer and transportation projects. Gibler cites many reasons why investors and residents choose to work and live there:

FROM PAGE 65 The surge is not slowing. La Vista anticipates yet another spike once the Nebraska Multisport Complex is built on 184 acres to encompass a natatorium with Olympic regulation pools, an indooroutdoor tennis center, and soccer fields with field turf and lighting. The facilities will be available to local teams, clubs, schools, and nonprofits. Hosting regional-national tournaments is a massive money generator as families follow players for long weekends of play. Projections estimate the complex would generate $17.8 million in new economic impact and attracting 1.2 million visitors annually. The win streak extended down the road to the edge of Gretna, where the massive Nebraska Crossing Outlets defied the doubters by doing $140 million in sales in its first year of operation. Within a year of its 2013 opening, the $112 million, 335,000-squarefoot mall featuring buzz-worthy brand name

“Quality of education and life keeps residents looking to move into our area,” she says. “This growth has opened the eyes of developers. Our leadership in the cities and county are a contributing factor. Land availability and easy access to good highways and the interstate make it easy to access from around the area.” Smart planning helps, as do plentiful jobs and affordable home prices. And people feel safe.” That success has brought recognition. Papillion now ranks second on Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live for its high median income ($75,000), job growth (10%), thriving cultural life, and great access to the big-city amenities of Omaha. National awards show up in national magazines and websites. People and companies looking for good homes read about this happenin’ place called Sarpy County in Nebraska. And so, the wheels of progress keep on turning. Once you can get it going, Goss says, “one activity draws another activity or one company draws another company. “They have it all going in the right direction right now,” Goss says. B2B

omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

OMAHA CVB

BY KEITH BACKSEN

LOCAL CHAMPIONS BRING MILLIONS HOME It’s one thing to love a city, it’s quite another to try and convince national associations, sporting organizations, and groups to plan a a meeting,convention meeting, convention, or or event event in in your your city. If city. it wasIfeasy it was cities easywouldn’t cities wouldn’t need Convention need Convention & Visitors Bureaus, & Visitors butBureaus, the unsung but the unsung champion champion in the whole in theprocess whole is process you. is you. More than 25 local Omaha residents, from the powerful to the average Joe, have helped bring convention, meeting meeting,and and event business to our city this year. With Harold Cliff’s leadership the Omaha Sports Commission (local community leaders who volunteer their time) worked to have Omaha selected to host the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials for a third time. It didn’t hurt that the 2012 Omaha event broke attendance records for any swimming event ever held in the U.S. including the Olympics in Atlanta and Los Angeles. President and Founder of TotalWellness, Alan Kohll, proves that persistence pays off when Omaha was chosen as the location for the 2016 USA Triathlon. Omaha Zoo CEO, Dennis Pate helped convince the Associations of Zoos and Aquariums to meet in Omaha, the event will bring in 900 attendees from all over the world and more than $1 million in visitor spending. Omaha City Clerk Buster Brown, having gone to conventions in other cities for years, convinced the International Institute of Municipal Clerks to look at Omaha; they did and will be holding their annual conference here in May. here in May. UNO’s UNO’s Deepak Deepak Khazanchi, Khazanchi associate ,dean Associate for Academic Dean forAffairs, Academic is constantly Affairs, isputting

constantlyname Omaha’s putting in the Omaha’s mix, and name thisinyear the helped mix, Omaha and this bring year helped the World Omaha Intelligence bring theCongress World meeting to Omaha. Intelligence CongressFollowing meeting to in Omaha. Warren Buffett’s footsteps, Following in Warren Lori Buffett’s and Paul footsteps, Hogan, who own and Lori Home Paul Instead Hogan, Senior who Care, own Home hold their company’s Instead Senior international Care, holdconvention their companies in Omaha every year–they international convention could go in anywhere, Omaha every they choose year – they to bring couldthe gomeeting anywhere, business they choose home. to bring the meeting business home. This is just a small sampling of the convention and sporting This is just a small business sampling comingoftothe Omaha convention in 2016, and sporting yet itbusiness means more coming than to $53 Omaha million in 2016,inyeteconomic it meansimpact more than for the $53city. million in economic impact for the city. From the Omaha Lions Club to the local cat clubs, the From Omaha Omaha residents Lions are Club making to the alocal real impact. Cat Clubs, AndOmaha it’s simple residents for you aretomaking do the a same. real impact. If you And are ait’s member simpleofforanyou organization, to do the association same. If youorare sporting a member group of an think organization, about bringing your association or sporting organization’s groupmeeting think about or

bringing event to Omaha. your organization’s We’ll do allmeeting the heavy or lifting;towe event Omaha. just need We’ll a local do all boost the from heavyyou. lifting; we just need a local boost from you. B2B B2B

Keith Backsen is executive director of the Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau

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FACES | BY LEO ADAM BIGA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

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JASON FISCHER MASTER OF MANY MEDIUMS The design team for Omaha’s bold “We Don’t Coast” campaign included 30-something Jason Fischer, owner of boutique marketingbranding firm Surreal Media Lab. “It’s great to know it’s been used so well and been so widely accepted,” Fischer says of the slogan. This master visual stylist grew up drawing, airbrush illustrating, and acrylic painting. Then he turned to graphic art. He taught himself photography, film-video production, software programming, and computer coding as digital, Web-based platforms came in vogue. All the while, he fed wide-ranging interests in art, culture, media, and history. “I just wanted to do something creative for a living. It’s nice to be able to have these disciplines and ultimately connect all these dots. I think that’s what really helps me be successful in the marketing-branding area. My brain lives on the big picture scale. “I like the challenge behind the collaboration of taking what a client wants and creating something that is me but that captures their vision.”

His diverse clients span the metro but he’s done “a body of socially conscious work” for the Urban League of Nebraska, No More Empty Pots, Together, the Empowerment Network, and others.

He’s known tough times himself. Raised by a single mom who labored hard to make ends meet, he used that work ethic to build The Lab. Then a burglary nearly wiped him out. Insurance didn’t cover the loss.

“At one point I was asked by a few community leaders to get involved. I would be the fly on the wall at meetings and events. That led to opportunities. I really care about community and want to see changes. Everybody has their own part they play. I’m just doing my piece, using what my calling is, to be an advocate the best way I can.

“It put me at ground zero. I was fortunate to have enough resources to get a loan through the SBA (Small Business Administration).

“I am really inspired by the work these nonprofits are doing.” His feature documentary Out of Frame gives voice and face to Omaha’s homeless. His short docs Project Ready and Work Their Best won festival awards. His new art film, I Do Not Use, puts images to Frank O’Neal’s powerful poem decrying the “N” word. He’s in-progress on another feature documentary, Grey Matter, about being biracial in America.

He moved his business from North O to the Image Arts Building’s creative hub at 2626 Harney Street. “If it hadn’t happened I feel like I would still be stuck doing the same thing, smaller jobs, just turning the wheel. The move brought greater expectations and bigger opportunities to express myself and raise the bar. Before, it was more the hustle of making the dollar. Then it switched from dollars to passion. I think the passion part has definitely shown through and propelled the work and the business.” Visit surrealmedialab.com to learn more. B2B

Fischer’s M.O. is “asking the right questions and getting people to tell their own story,” adding, “I go in with the end in mind but I’m fluid enough to be open to the unexpected. Then it’s piecing it together.”

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FACES | SEAN MCCARTHY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

TERESA GLEASON THE BLACK AND WHITE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Naming your public relations business after a close relative of the weasel family is a dicey move for a startup. But not if you know the backstory. Teresa Gleason and her husband, Tim McMahan (creator of the long-running music blog Lazy-i), were driving around Benson trying to figure out a name for her new PR company. McMahan suggested Polecat, the beloved, defunct Omaha band. The name stuck. “Public relations people, a lot of times, are thought of as weasels,” Gleason says. (Polecat, incidentally, is another term for a skunk.) “But both weasels and public relations people are necessary to keep the world going around. I kind of like the symmetry of that.” Wearing a grey knit stocking cap and a camouflage Lutmer Construction hoodie on an inhumanely cold Saturday in January, Gleason surveyed her Benson office. It didn’t take long. “I’m literally in an 11 by 14 box,” Gleason says. As Gleason spoke, a calm stream of water came out through a pipe, and flowed to a drain near her office couch. “Every time someone runs the kitchen faucet, it drains there,” Gleason observes. “It’s just all part of the quirky charm of Benson.”

Gleason described Polecat as a “one-shingle communications agency” that focuses on content creation and promotion for small businesses and non-profit companies. Her office is also home to her art gallery. After graduating from Iowa State with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in journalism and mass communications, Gleason worked for small daily and altweekly newspapers in Iowa. Like most start-up employees, Gleason had to fit many roles as a reporter—covering sports one day, then covering city council and board meetings the next. Gleason moved to Omaha in 1995. Her original plan was to live here for a year, then move on. She got a job as a writer and editor for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Three years later, she joined the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she later became director of communications. In 2006, she joined the non-profit organization Omaha by Design, where she was communications manager. In addition to writing grants and generating media releases, Gleason organized grassroots projects. Connie Spellman, former executive director of Omaha by Design, says Gleason’s defining project was her work with the $2 million sidewalk expansion project in Benson.

“Her general ability to communicate has always been something I admired and respected,” Spellman says. Spellman retired in June 2015. Gleason says Spellman’s retirement played role in her decision to start her own business. Gleason was drawn to Benson for its wealth of creative-minded neighbors and business owners. “People up here are interesting, quirky, out-there...they’re not afraid to try stuff on their own,” Gleason says. Gleason opened an art gallery within her business to give local artists a venue to display their work. In March, artist Jennifer Radil will present “You Are Here: Paintings on Paper and Wood.” Radil’s work draws heavy inspiration from landscapes, topographical maps, and wildlife. “I really love artists,” Gleason says. “The way they think, and the way they process things, and the way they’re just not afraid.” Visit polecatcommunications.com to learn more about the company and the gallery. B2B

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ON THE RISE | BY DAVID WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED BY THE JAYCEES

TOYO! 2016 TEN OF OMAHA’S BRIGHTEST ARE HONORED Outstanding is a word that is used often to describe an ideal situation or person. The Omaha Jaycees uses it to describe the Ten Outstanding Young Omahans (“TOYO!”), individuals between the ages of 21 and 40 who have exemplified the ideals of their communities and exhibited extraordinary leadership qualities. Visit omahajaycees.org to learn more. B2B

HEIDI MAUSBACH President and CEO, Ervin & Smith Advertising and Public Relations Mausbach has won such awards as Midlands Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, the Silver Beacon International Award for excellence in financial services advertising, ADDY Awards from the Nebraska Advertising Federation, and several awards from the Public Relations Society of America’s Paper Anvil Merit and Excellence Awards. Passionate about helping women and children, she has served such non-profit organizations as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Go Red for Women, Habitat for Humanity, YWCA, and ICAN. She’s developed new programs at Ervin & Smith to keep women in the workplace and transition them into leadership roles and is a mentor for several organizations that are committed to the advancement of women.

omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

DAVID ARNOLD

SHONNA DORSEY

MOSAH GOODMAN

Managing Director, Straight Shot

Co-Founder, Interface: The Web School

Corporate Attorney and Business Development Parter, Gavilon

Arnold serves on the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Board of Directors, the Omaha Public School’s Career Education Advisory Council, the Advisory Board for The Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic at the University of Nebraska College of Law, as well as the Metcalfe Park Neighborhood Association. In 2012, after serving as deputy communication director for the Omaha Mayor’s Office, Arnold joined MindMixer–a civic tech startup founded by two Omahans. As account manager, he helped create and lead the company’s Client Services division. He saw Straight Shot, a business accelerator, as an opportunity to combine community building and new venture creation, becoming Managing Director in 2013.

Dorsey is currently involved in Web Developer Training at Do Space, Flywheel, the Omaha Public Library, and various other venues, as well as managing website development for Nelson Mandela Elementary. She also coordinates the website and web application development for local nonprofits and small businesses via students of Interface: The Web School. Interface helps people build skills for the web, supplying startups, small businesses, and corporations in the Midwest with technology talent. In addition to her TOYO! award, she has also been recognized by the Midlands Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 (2014) and as an AIM Tech Community Builder of the Year (2015).

Goodman serves on the board of directors for the Child Saving Institute, is a co-founder of 24 Hours of Impact, served on the metro area board for TeamMates, and is a graduate of Leadership Omaha. Upon graduating with a J.D./MBA from the University of Iowa, Goodman accepted an offer to join Gavilon, where he currently serves as counsel. He has managed the construction of the company’s downtown headquarters, supported various business development efforts, and has worked on a variety of legal and compliance issues. Goodman is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild and a former nationally ranked chess player.

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ROGER GARCIA

ANDRES TORRES

JULIE SEBASTIAN

Student, Theology

Engineering Project Manager, Valmont Industries

President and CEO of New Cassel Retirement Center

While at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Garcia became involved in various leadership opportunities, earning him the Senior Vice Chancellor’s Leadership Award and the Student Leader of the Year Award. He has also been involved in the Nebraska Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Family Violence Council, the YWCA, and Justice for Our Neighbors— Nebraska. Garcia has been working in the nonprofit and public sector for more than 10 years and is now serving as the executive director of Centro Latino of Council Bluffs, Iowa. He also has served within public office as a member of the Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors since 2013.

Torres is actively involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers and has held different roles, including President of the Nebraska Section and co-chair of the Younger Members Group. Since 2013, he has also served as Council Member for the Greater Omaha Young Professionals and is one of the founders of the Valmont Professional Network. Torres received the Greater Omaha 40 under 40 Award in 2012 and ASCE’s Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement in 2014. As an engineer, he designs tubular steel structures that are used to support transmission lines, highway lighting, and traffic lights for customers in more than 25 countries around the globe.

Aside from New Cassel Retirement Center, Nebraska’s largest assisted-living community and a nonprofit provider of services for the aging person, Sebastian also founded the Franciscan Adult Day Centre, one of few adult day service programs in Nebraska. She has volunteered with youth at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church for nine years and also serves as chair of the board at LeadingAge Nebraska, where she participates in LeadingAge’s national public policy congress. In her leisure time, Sebastian mentors young people she met through St. Andrew’s youth group, including spending a week each summer on the annual high school mission trip.

omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

ERIC WILLIAMS

BETH MORRISSETTE

BUTCH BURGERS

Natural Resources Planner, Papio-Missouri River NRD

Treasurer, Westside Community Schools Board of Education (WCS BOE)

Associate Athletic Director, Creighton University

In 2008, Williams founded the Omaha Biofuels Cooperative to recycle used cooking oil into local biofuels and reduce the use of fossil fuels in our community. His work with nonprofit organizations includes helping found the Dundee Community Garden, serving on the Board for the Green Omaha Coalition and Mode Shift Omaha, and serving as chair for Earth Day Omaha in 2014. Williams is president of Nebraskans for Solar for 2016 and has worked with the Office of Sustainable Development at the City of Omaha on climate legislation. At Papio-Missouri River NRD, Williams manages trail construction for active transportation and recreational access to natural resource areas, as well as urban stormwater management projects.

Morrissette recently left her position as executive director of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Network, a collective impact that works with community partners to provide a continuum of care for individuals with mental health and substance abuse needs. In 2013, the network received the NACo (National Associations of Counties) Achievement Award for the Alternatives to Incarceration project. Today, Morrissette continues to provide consulting and strategic planning services serves as the WCS BOE representative on the Learning Community Council. Since 2013, Morrissette has served on the United Way of the Midlands Community Impact Cabinet and is a member of the Women’s Fund Circles

Mark “Butch” Burgers is involved with Special Olympics of Nebraska, the American Heart Association, the Kyle Korver Foundation, Community Health Charities, Angels Among Us, the Omaha American Cancer Society, the Knights of Aksarben, and the Jaybacker Executive Board at Creighton. Before returning to his alma mater, Burgers served as associate athletic director at South Dakota State University for two years. At Creighton, he assists with day-to-day operations and oversees the operating budget, donor relations, and various sports. Creighton became the only university nationally to have top-10 attendance in soccer, baseball, and basketball and has reached record numbers in corporate sponsorship sales, season ticket revenues, and Jaybacker support.

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BY MAGGY LEHMICKE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Lucy and Jim Gierhan

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BOUND TO THE PAST PERFECT TOUCH BINDING RESTORES FAMILY TREASURES Just as it is with the heirlooms they handle, Lucy and Jim Gierhan’s Perfect Touch Binding is something of an antique itself. Despite existing in the digital age, the couple’s Plattsmouth business dwells in a world of 19th century machinery and trays of individual lead lettering awaiting the typeset process, all under the watchful eye of Beignet, the family’s French bulldog. “He actually runs the shop,” says Lucy. She and her husband have run the bindery for the last year and a half after buying it from Jim’s parents. It wasn’t until this past year that they moved the shop (and all its equipment) from Lincoln closer to their home in Plattsmouth. Perfect Touch Binding is a second generation hand bindery specializing in the restoration of rare books and old Bibles. The business offers a wide range of services, from restoration and repair to new, custom books and albums. “We don’t want the art to die. It’s our baby. Our blood, sweat, and tears,” Lucy says of the bindery. “People just don’t think it exists anymore. We’re able to offer a service they never thought they’d be able to have.” Often taking their work home with them, the Gierhans felt as though they never had enough time in Lincoln. It wasn’t until they lost their kitchen island to 70 textbooks for a Boys Town project that they realized something had to give. CONT. PAGE 78

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78 However, true excitement for the Gierhans doesn’t just come in the form of absurd requests. “We just finished a 1760s cookbook,” Lucy says. She was amazed by the simplicity of the recipes, along with the 60-page rant about people not knowing how to cook anymore. Lucy was flipping through the book when a small piece of paper dropped out. She assumed it was just another recipe. “It was the first two verses of ‘The StarSpangled Banner,’ handwritten,” she says. Though there’s no clue to determine when it was written or by whom—the anthem wasn’t written until 54 years after the cookbook was printed—but she says it was clearly very old. It’s not uncommon for the Gierhans to find multitudes of lost and forgotten personal items stored in the books. One Bible they’re working on held enough documents and mementos to fill an entire folder. FROM PAGE 7 7 “Most of the equipment we use is 19th century,” Jim says with a chuckle. It has one function… and weighs a ton, so the move was not so fun.” The central table in the shop is covered with family Bibles and antiquities, dating back to the 18th century. Some have been restored and others appear in tatters, with nothing more than several threads holding them together. “We do everything by hand,” Lucy says of work that ranges from creating new covers to sewing old pages back together. The couple rarely says no to a piece, but they have received some strange requests. “Someone asked if we had kangaroo leather,” Lucy says. Even then, she didn’t shoot the idea down until after checking with their supplier.

Birth certificates, death certificates, confirmation records, marriage certificates; from “hair clippings to four-leaf clovers,” the Gierhans have seen it all. One of their favorite discoveries was a single dollar bill wedged inside a Bible. Lucy asked the owner if it maintained any significance and he thanked her profusely. Stunned, he’d lost track of it over the decades. The simple dollar traced back to when he had just purchased the Bible as a young man who didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. A mentor in his Bible study group told him, “Take this dollar. You’ll figure it out.” Visit Perfect Touch Binding’s perfecttouchbinding.com to learn more. B2B

omahamagazine.com SPRING 2016 |

OFFICE FURNITURE

Easy question…but difficult to answer. Productivity is an elusive measurement in the modern office. Researchers have a hard time quantifying productivity in knowledge workers. As such, ergonomists struggle to justify the expense for these ergonomic tools to budget-conscientious buyers. Measuring productivity is a function of efficiency. To improve productivity, one must demonstrate an increase in outputs while maintaining or reducing the required inputs. Unfortunately, for many in the office environment, the inputs and outputs of our jobs are vague, varied, and hard to measure.

BY DOUG SCHURING

CAN PRODUCTIVITY BE MEASURED IN THE OFFICE? Often times, clients walk into our showroom and see the wide variety of adjustable height tables, monitor arms, keyboard trays, collaborative seating areas, etc. They ask the question: “How much more productive will my employees be if I provide them with those items?”

TROUBLE MEASURING OUTPUTS

FINAL THOUGHT…

While quantity is important when determining office worker output, quality is vital. Take a data entry worker who keys at a high volume. Productivity can be measured by keystrokes or logged computer time with this person showing great effort. Realistically, this high output individual may be far less productive than someone keying more slowly but with fewer mistakes. Quantity without quality becomes more visible yet hard to assess due to shifting individuals and roles.

At a time where companies are attempting to do more with less, using productivity to measure the justification for ergonomic tools is risky. The late Peter Drucker, renowned management philosopher, believed employees should be considered assets and should be empowered to be responsible for their own productivity.

ERGONOMICS IMPROVES THE POSSIBILITY OF PRODUCTIVITY

How much does it cost to create healthy working environments that suit the bodies, the work styles, and the work tasks of every employee? Think of this another way… how much will it cost you not to?

Although many productivity measurements are imperfect, a great deal of research suggests the benefits of workplace ergonomics go well beyond safety and health. A thoughtfully designed workplace will create the best opportunity for employees to be more productive.

TROUBLE MEASURING INPUTS While researchers have tried to measure office worker productivity for years, many of the metrics used have been unable to capture what it takes to complete a job. Likewise, none of these metrics can show us which activities are needed for us to be more successful in our careers. Collaboration, a popular initiative, is often highly valued in the workplace. Though it can’t be evaluated with traditional productivity measurements. There’s no denying that meeting with coworkers to brainstorm can be valuable and constructive. With the lack of a true measuring tool, this activity is difficult to quantify, even more so to link with work output.

When executed effectively, well designed ergonomic work environments have been shown to: • • • •

Reduce absenteeism Reduce worker fatigue (mental and physical) Improve efficiency with a practical layout Deliver a higher workplace satisfaction

Doug Schuring is the director of sales administration at All Makes Office Equipment Co.

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volume 16 | issue 1

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

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is creating cash flow beyond their lifestyle needs and they are not sure what to do with these funds. They think about business, family and legacy goals and worry about paying taxes on funds that have already been taxed. For many, most of their investments are in their business or in tangible things they can touch and feel. The challenges they have focused on range from rapid business expansion, talent recruitment and retention, acquisitions and partnerships or even a possible sale of the business. Many want to figure out what the next chapter of life looks like. Our knowledge, experience and intellectual capital allows us to help plan strategically to create financial independence in retirement outside of their business interests, so our clients can be confident they can live the lifestyle their family is accustomed to during a long healthy retirement.

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volume 16 | issue 1

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

ETHICS

BY BEVERLY KRACHER, PH.D.

MORAL MYOPIA What is a fair price for a cocktail drink? Sam Hohman, co-owner of LIV Lounge in Aksarben Village, has always run a responsible establishment. Patrons are treated with respect. If they are “too happy,” the lounge restricts drinks and helps them find a way home. But she had never thought of the ethics of pricing cocktails. Like most business owners, she has priced her product by calculating the costs of delivery and market standards.

Then Sam became a trustee for the Business Ethics Alliance. Her awareness of the different facets of business ethics in the hospitality industry was elevated. And so, as she was thumbing an industry magazine, she came upon an article about the ethics of pricing cocktail drinks. In the past, she might have flipped past it. Now, her interest piqued; she sent the article to me. Sam sees that pricing drinks has an ethical dimension to it. How could a smart businessperson like Sam, who has strong values and a love of community, not automatically think about the ethics of a practice that is basic to her business? Why was she skilled in seeing ethics when it has to do with how to treat her customers and employees, but not in how to price cocktails? The answer doesn’t just concern Sam. It applies to us all. In college or when learning the ropes in business, we are often trained to frame our work through a “it’s business” mentality. We decide what to do and measure our success by looking at budgets and financial projections that seem value-neutral. And any one of us can be so focused on our work projects, our goals, or just getting through the hurdles of life that we don’t think about the broader ethical dimensions. So when someone asks us about the ethics of this practice or that one, we are morally myopic. It’s as if we have blinders on. We simply don’t see the ethics in the situation. This is happening to Pam, too, who just told me her story. She has been applying for jobs and is four months pregnant. She wears clothes that don’t show her baby bump. During interviews she does not hint about the fact that she is pregnant and getting ready to start a family. I asked, not to judge but to learn about her, what she thinks about the ethics of her actions. Her response, “I need a job to pay my medical bills, period,” betrays moral myopia. But if ethics is a

lens through which she sees the world—even in a workplace context—then she should at least consider her moral principles and the impact of her action on a company and potential co-workers when considering how much to tell a prospective employer about her pregnancy. The psychological phenomenon of moral myopia is not only pervasive but deep. There is an Omaha firm that is currently examining what it charges for its service. Its leaders talk about being fair and making sure that lowincome customers can afford their work. But in conversation with its CEO, he was surprised to hear me congratulate him on his ethical thinking. Though he talked about fairness, it didn’t cross his minds that he was thinking about ethics. As my grandpa used to say, he didn’t put two and two together. What can we learn from all of this? First, be on the lookout. Moral myopia is a real hazard and happens to each one of us. Second, a good way to take off the blinders is to get in the habit of asking ourselves and others, “What are the ethics here?” And third, if you think the price of your cocktail is too high, engage your bartender in a conversation about the ethics of pricing your drink. You never know…. it might result in a two for one special.

Beverly Kracher, Ph.D. is the executive director of Business Ethics Alliance, and the Daugherty Chair in Business Ethics & Society at Creighton University.

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