Being voted #1 Copier Company in Best of Omaha isn’t just an accolade—it’s a testament to the people behind the Bishop Business name and the customers who trust us every day.
For 70 years, Bishop Business has been your locally-owned office equipment partner dedicated to one thing: delivering a WOW customer experience—the kind that makes running a business easier and more efficient. And the real secret behind that? It’s our people.
SEASONED SALES TEAM. Taking the time to assess your needs, our experienced Sales team provides tailored equipment solutions for every business need and budget. Bishop’s has office equipment from high-volume light production machines to desktop printers, with features from basic copy/print to cutting edge security and AI. Bishop’s carries more top equipment brands than nearly any dealer in the area, ensuring each customer has the precise solution to fit their needs.
CERTIFIED SERVICE TECHS. Our Techs are the problem-solvers, the fixers, the “I’ll-get-you-back-up-andrunning-in-no-time” professionals. They show up—rain or shine—armed with expertise, experience, and a relentless commitment to keep you operational. Most of them have been with Bishop Business for years (many, decades!), and that’s no coincidence. They take pride in what they do, and it shows.
STRONG SUPPORTING CAST. Behind every sale and service call, there’s a team of incredible associates ensuring seamless equipment installations, perfectly timed supply orders, easy online bill pay and our “WOW” customer care. Our Operations, Accounting and Admin team are the engine that keeps Bishop Business moving forward. They don’t always get the spotlight, but they always deserve it!
AND, OF COURSE, TO OUR CUSTOMERS—YOU’RE THE REASON WE DO THIS. When you choose Bishop Business, you’re not just getting a service provider; you’re getting a partner who’s all in on delivering a “WOW” experience every time. Whether it’s hand delivering toner, optimizing your workflows, or responding faster than you’d ever expect, we show up for you. Because at the end of the day, your success is our success.
Being voted #1 Copier Company in Best of Omaha isn’t just an accolade—it’s a testament to the people behind the Bishop Business name and the customers who trust us every day.
70 YEARS STRONG. This award is a reminder of why we do what we do. Customer satisfaction isn’t just a milestone—it’s a mission. And for seven decades, that mission has been simple: provide superior service to help businesses work better, faster, and smarter.
Want to see what award-winning service looks like? Call Bishop Business today and let’s talk about how we can make your workplace work better!
Chris Bell CEO/Owner, Bishop Business
For 70 years, Bishop Business has been your locally-owned office equipment partner dedicated to one thing:
Thank you for voting us
Our T
B2B Omaha is dedicated to empowering local CEOs and business leaders by delivering authoritative insights into emerging trends, visionary leadership, and economic indicators shaping our region. We strive to be the go-to resource for professionals seeking data-driven reporting on Omaha’s GDP, in-depth analysis of evolving market dynamics, and stories of the trailblazers who are setting the pace for growth and innovation in our community.
EXECUTIVE
CEO
Bill Sitzmann
EDITORIAL
interim editor-in-chief
Daisy Hutzell-Rodman
associate editor
Natalie Veloso
assignment editor
Isaac Nielsen
contributing editor
Jim Vokal
contributors
Kevin Coffey
Kyle Eustice
Dwain Hebda
Brandi Long-Frank
Lisa Lukecart
Holly McAtee
Jonathan Orozco
INFORMATION advertising information 402.884.2000
subscribe online omahamagazine.com/ pages/subscribe
SUBSCRIBE
omahamagazine.com
CREATIVE
creative director
Rachel Birdsall
senior graphic designer
Renee Ludwick
graphic designer II
Nickie Robinson
graphic designer I
Joey Winton
chief photographer
Sarah Lemke
photographers
Bill Sitzmann
Roger Humphries
Katie Anderson
SALES
executive vice president
sales & marketing
Gil Cohen
top level
revenue generator
Michelle Schrage
branding specialists
Dawn Dennis
George Idelman
Francine Flegg
Sandy Matson
contributing branding specialists
Greg Bruns
Tim McCormack
senior sales coordinator
Alicia Hollins
sales coordinator
Sandi McCormack
OPERATIONS
business manager
Kyle Fisher
ad traffic manager
David Trouba
distribution manager
Damian Ingersoll
publisher
Todd Lemke
ABOUT THE COVER
As CEOs look to the future, so does B2B. Brett Hoogeveen leads the way as the subject of this month’s coaching corner. Story page 05.
Nebraska’s future is shaped by the decisions we make today. As leaders, we have the opportunity to propel our state forward through education, advocacy, and strategic execution. So, when I was approached to fill this space on a regular basis, I was both honored and intrigued. The respect I have for this publication and its readers is immense, and I do not take the opportunity for granted.
For those who do not know my background, I have a foundation in business and corporate banking, and got the public policy bug after spending eight years on Omaha City Council. That public service continued for five years on the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority, and through other community interests. In 2012, I was asked to lead the Platte Institute, and I have been its chief executive officer for over a dozen years.
Many of you may be asking yourselves what the Platte Institute is, and what this guy is going to talk about in each edition. Well, they are intertwined for sure. The Platte Institute is a statewide economic policy think tank. Our mission is to eliminate barriers to growth and opportunity in Nebraska. We envision a state where Nebraskans have the freedom and opportunity to achieve their Good Life, Nebraska’s own version of the American Dream.
The policies we enact in Nebraska have real consequences for our daily lives. Often, government policies impose barriers that make it harder for Nebraskans to succeed. These obstacles may limit career choices, levy unfair taxes, or spend taxpayer money without transparency or public input.
The cost of these barriers is much greater than dollars and cents. When Nebraska unjustly limits opportunity, it can cost our state and communities their future vitality.
For Nebraska to be a place where everyone can live their Good Life, there must be a constant voice that unites Nebraskans around policies that enhance economic freedom and enable more people to build a future in our state. That is why the Platte Institute exists.
Because so many of the policies we try to advance are economic in nature with the goal of improving the economic climate in the state, you can imagine the interest in our work by the business community and entrepreneurs. Our main areas of focus are improving the tax and regulatory environment, increasing our workforce and government transparency. In addition, we strive to be the policy voice of the key industries that drive our state’s growth and economy. In general, we are driven by the regional competitiveness of the state and the barriers that hold us back.
In 2023, we championed the largest tax package not only in the state’s history, but it was the largest in the county that year, bringing Nebraska’s uncompetitive income tax rate down to 3.9% over five years. Last year, our team eliminated barriers that prevented out-of-state workers with a necessary state license to come to Nebraska and work immediately without having to start over with their education and credentialing.
Moving forward in this column, the conversation will not be on the Platte Institute, but rather the economic trends, workforce solutions, and policy challenges we face as a business community and as a state. I hope my insight leading the Platte Institute provides me with the foundation to give you valuable information that increases your awareness on what drives our state’s economy and how we are positioned in comparison to growing states in the region.
Once again, I am thankful for the opportunity extended by the B2B leadership and I look forward to our future conversations. I am passionately driven each day to make our state a better place to work, live and start a business. My hope is to share that passion with you via the solutions and information that will have meaning in your daily lives and businesses. B2B OMAHA
Jim Vokal is Platte Institute’s CEO. He can be reached for story suggestions and pitches at jvokal@platteinstitute.org FROM THE EDITOR
Once thought by many as a touchy-feely element of dot-com-era startups, company culture has gone mainstream. Companies of all sizes are discovering the concrete benefits of defining who they are and using that as a blueprint for all operations.
Brett Hoogeveen, co-founder of BetterCulture in Omaha, is a sought-after expert in the field of helping companies define, articulate, and leverage culture to their tangible advantage. He said moving companies past “culture” as a mere corporate catchphrase starts with a clear understanding of themselves.
“Culture is a buzzword you hear a lot, but relatively few people can succinctly define what they mean,” he said. “I would say probably 60 to 70% of the organizations out there don’t have that much clarity on culture, and they couldn’t tell you what they’re doing to get it.”
He continued, “One good definition of culture is simply the attitudes or the behaviors that a group of people come to expect from one another. If you want to have a great culture, at a very bare minimum, you need to be able to identify or describe the culture you’d like to have. Step two is to influence it, to do something about it.”
Hoogeveen said one of the most important benefits of a welldefined, and well-understood, company culture is in personnel. People stick with, and do their best work for, companies where they feel at one with the company’s culture, he said, inspiring loyalty and job satisfaction that go beyond compensation and benefits.
“A company’s culture is really the biggest incentive organizations have to attract, and build, and motivate, and keep people,” he said. “In the short term, you can do it with money, but eventually that wears thin. In the long term, it’s more about whether people feel connected to the company. Do they enjoy the relationships that they have? Do they feel there’s a purpose? And most of that, in my opinion, comes from culture.”
Efforts to improve a company’s culture must reach employees at all levels, Hoogeveen said, to the point management is willing to enforce the plan just like any other employee job expectation.
“If you say you want to have a great culture, you have to mean it, and you have to deal with people that violate it,” he said.
“If you’ve got someone who’s running contrary to company culture maybe they’re productive, maybe they get their work done, but they’re really hard to work with that becomes a performance management and a leadership responsibility.”
He continued, “If you don’t deal with what I call vacuums, people who are sucking the energy or just making kind of a toxic work environment, then your best employees will leave and the vacuums will stick around, and that’s not what you want.”
Stephanie Gould, executive vice president and chief communications and talent officer for American National Bank, said working with BetterCulture has paid tangible benefits for the company that have only grown more foundational with time.
“The tools that BetterCulture provided us (have) helped us do things like clearly define performance levels using a common vocabulary and things that people understand, because we’ve defined it for them in the program,” she said. “It’s helped us work across teams, especially in cross-functional efforts or projects that impact multiple different divisions where leaders are very collaborative. They can work from a common set of principles about what leadership means, especially as it pertains to working with a team that maybe doesn’t directly report to you.”
From a coaching standpoint, Gould said ANB’s well-defined set of cultural benchmarks and expectations helps provide a framework for conversations around employee career planning, leadership development, and performance improvement.
“We have had leadership development programs and we have done employee engagement surveys in the past, but what the partnership with BetterCulture has allowed us to do is frame it around the tenets of culture. It didn’t really change what we were doing except it gave us the tools and the vocabulary to roll it out in a consistent way and have people talk about it in a way that they understand and feel comfortable with.”
She continued, “People now feel more comfortable with having performance conversations, even when they have to have the hard conversations.” B2B OMAHA
For more information, visit betterculture.com
Years ago, fast and convenient travel to major cities was a bit of a distant dream for Omahans, but now passengers have more destinations than ever that are just one flight away.
International trips. Direct flights to Florida. Flying straight to Philadelphia. All from Omaha.
Omaha’s Eppley Airfield is spreading its wings with an unprecedented expansion and the addition of direct flight offerings and there’s more to come. Passengers find it easier than ever to travel to cities they always wanted to visit with fewer hassles, such as layovers or outof-the-way connections.
This major airport expansion marks a significant milestone in enhancing connectivity for Omaha residents.
Omaha passengers coming and going from Eppley are excited for the upcoming expansion of the airport and its available offerings, and so is the Omaha Airport Authority, which manages the airport. Their goal is to make Eppley Airfield a more enjoyable experience for travelers, whether they’re jetting off for a business trip or embarking on a long-awaited vacation.
“Omaha is a strong and growing community with a lot of opportunities,” said Steve McCoy, chief strategy and technology officer with the Omaha Airport Authority. “The airlines have recognized this and have provided more capacity, in terms of available seats, than ever before in Omaha. This has led to the growth in passenger activity we’ve experienced at Eppley Airfield both for business and leisure travel.”
Expansion in travelers a new record for passenger traffic was set in 2024 isn’t simply from Omaha continuing to be a great destination. It’s a direct result of Omaha’s efforts to greatly expand and modernize Eppley Airfield.
The new facilities and flights are due to the Build OMA Terminal Modernization Program,
a nearly $1 billion terminal modernization project that is scheduled for completion in 2028. It’s the most significant update to the airport in nearly four decades and is coming after nearly a decade of planning and research.
With the tagline “building a better travel experience,” the project will span several years and is focused on enhancing passengers’ travel experience and anticipating further growth of Omaha’s airport.
A multitude of changes will modernize the airport, including a single combined ticketing and security entrance that feels streamlined for passengers, more restaurants and shops to make for a better travel experience, larger gate areas, and expanded restrooms to provide more comfort for folks waiting to depart.
Perhaps most important of all will be a single, unified concourse, where passengers will have an easier time locating their gate.
“The additional space, amenities, and passenger processing systems will benefit business and leisure travelers flying into and out of our airport for decades to come,” McCoy said.
That has led to Eppley Airfield adding seasonal nonstop service to Sarasota, Florida. American Airlines will begin offering daily nonstop flights to Philadelphia in June. That’s in addition to nonstop flights already heading to dozens of major American cities, including Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
The Omaha Airport Authority works directly with airlines about expansion options.
“While the decision to start new routes ultimately rests with the airlines, we meet and communicate with them regularly throughout the year to share updates on Omaha developments along with passenger demand in our community,” McCoy said.
The news of more flights particularly more direct flights is good for passengers, especially those who are frequent travelers.
“I spent a lot of time in airports,” said Tommy Culhane, an Omahan who frequently traveled for his sales job for more than a decade.
Every year, Culhane made up to 25 round trip flights for his job and flew on numerous airlines including United, American, and Southwest as he went across the country for work. And he’s excited for more nonstop options.
I...COULD
A
OR DO TWO FLIGHTS TO GO TO THE FLORIDA KEYS, I’D GO TO CANCUN. -TOMMY CULHANE
FROM PAGE 07
Direct flights mean more convenience and less time traveling, which can be a huge time saver for workers. Traveling to Phoenix is about a two-hour flight, and Culhane has made the trip many times. If there’s a stop, it could be in Denver, meaning more time in the air, more time spent during layovers and, perhaps most importantly, more chances for delays.
If any leg of the flight is delayed, it can impact the next part.
“If your flight is delayed coming out of Omaha and you miss that, it can be a whole day of travel instead of a half day of travel,” Culhane said. “Ultimately, any time you can cut out a middle airport it’s going to speed it up.”
Direct flights from Omaha are continuing to prove popular with passengers. In 2024, the most popular destination was Phoenix, McCoy said. An average of 900 passengers flew between the two cities daily.
Of the top 25 destinations of flights from Omaha, 22 are served by direct flights, McCoy said.
Additionally, the expansion of the airport will provide opportunities for further growth, particularly with international travel. With the construction of a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection international arrivals hall, Omaha will be able to accept scheduled international flights.
“Over the years, we have seen significant demand to near international destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean...Omaha’s largest unserved destination is Cancún, Mexico,” McCoy said. “International nonstop flights will become possible, which is an exciting development for our community.”
In addition to work trips, Culhane has also traveled domestically and internationally from Omaha for vacations. If he was weighing where to go for a future trip, an international flight out of Omaha skipping the time and expense of adding a connecting flight through another city would factor in his decision.
“If I knew I wanted to go to a beach and I could do a direct flight to Cancún or do two flights to go to the Florida Keys, I’d go to Cancún,” he said. “That sounds fun.”
And it’s not simply the convenience, he said. It matters when you’re taking paid time off from work. Extra time traveling as well as extra time sitting in airports during a layover can force people to feel like they’re wasting their already limited vacation time.
Eppley continues to be a busy airport through construction.
In 2024, 5.28 million passengers a new record came through Omaha’s airport, marking a 5% increase over the previous year. The modernization program will allow for continued expansion of passenger traffic for years to come.
Construction continues at Eppley, but passengers have already seen benefits. Culhane said expanded parking near the airport is a godsend, especially when lots and garages nearest the airport used to be frequently full, necessitating a trip back up Abbott Drive to a different lot.
Work has begun on the airport’s new central pavilion, which will house a centralized security checkpoint and new concessions areas. The central pavilion is set to open in 2027.
Additionally, work is continuing on the roadway and canopy projects outside the airport building. That will include an additional passenger drop-off lane, expand ADA accessibility, and provide cover from weather, which makes for smoother dropoffs and pick-ups amid unpredictable Midwestern weather. That should wrap up this spring.
“This project is set to deliver an enhanced experience for travelers and add capacity to also accommodate long-term growth for Eppley Airfield,” McCoy said. “With the Build OMA Terminal Modernization Program, we’re expanding the number of available gates at Eppley Airfield, which will provide the airlines with more opportunities for growth in the future.” B2B OMAHA
For more information, visit flyoma.com/omaha-airport-authority.
HUTZELL-RODMAN PHOTO
SARAH LEMKE DESIGN
RENEE LUDWICK
n April 2024, Nebraska Medicine launched an employment brand called “Together. Extraordinary.”
The internal campaign cost plenty of dollars and included several expenses, such as indoor murals at both Nebraska Medical Center and Bellevue Medical Center; a dedicated, specially branded selection of apparel and merchandise for employees; and improved resources for development and career paths.
“This was based on the input and voices of thousands of our colleagues collected over many months in 2023. This reimagined approach did not replace our consumer tagline, “Serious Medicine. Extraordinary Care.,” but it was complementary to it,” said Frank Lococo, vice president, Marketing and Communications. “This was not a ‘marketing campaign,’ but rather a movement. This was a collaboration with our people team, and marketing and communications. It involved many different areas of our organization, taking colleague feedback and then packaging it up, internally and externally. The results have exceeded expectations, positively impacting the retention of our amazing colleagues and welcoming more talented patient care and support individuals.”
An internal movement of this kind is easy to make, and makes a large impact with an organization as large as Nebraska Medicine, but it is just as important for companies of any size to focus on marketing. Marketing and communications employees are not just spending dollars to place a company’s name on air or in print, they are strategically trying to figure out what is best for a company.
Elizebeth Murphy, president of Emspace + Lovgren, said, “It’s important for us to have that direct conduit to leadership, so we are always…aiming to be working with that C suite, and hopefully it is their CEO. When we have direct communications with the leadership of the organization, it
allows us to really understand and internalize what they are aiming for. And once we are kind of in that head space with them, we are able to really help them think on long term strategy.”
No matter whether a company has a dedicated marketing and communications team of 20, of one, or of zero, there are key questions that relate to strategically creating a marketing messaging. Those questions include:
What does the company want to see happen?
What does a company need people to know, and what do they want people to do once they know?
Getting those high-level strategies right takes time and effort, but they pay off in the end.
“We create perceptions that drive consumer choice, which is growth,” Lococo said. “We nurture and protect the brand, internally and externally, through exceptional story telling using our various owned, earned and paid channels, and we interact with consumers and respond to comments, questions, inquiries, and other methods of outreach to be engaged and to grow and protect our reputation.”
Even within a team, marketing tactics can really help create a great company culture.
“We’re working in a bit of a softer world. A huge amount we do is internal communications,” Murphy said. “How are they communicating with their teams? That tends not to factor in ROI, but those dollars often come through having a great team.”
“We also want to do our part to support and protect the many faces of our brand, including the CEO or other senior leaders,” Lococo said. “We do this by fielding media inquiries, for example, understanding the ask, determining the pros and cons
of responding, and then ensuring we understand the brand or CEO position, working with him or her so we have clear alignment with what we want to say and how we want to say it.”
With a great team in place, it’s easier to create great rapport with the community, which is sometimes easier to measure.
“How many new partnerships have you been able to develop?” Murphy said. “There are lots of strategic measures such as likes, clicks…How your service to the community is impacted?”
The number of the people on the marketing team is up to individual organizations, but hiring managers and C-suite employees should research what roles best suit their organziation.
“There is such a conflation with roles and responsibilities,” Lococo said. “Marketing is different from communications, which is different than public relations, which is different from sales, etc. While there are similarities, there are clear differences. To me, it depends on the size and complexity of the organization, what we are tasked to do and then ensuring the right skill sets are in place to support enterprise goals and objectives. Sometimes, subject matter expertise is needed whereas smaller, less complex organizations could maybe try to get away with a ‘jack-of-all-trades.’ There are pros and cons to both approaches. And there are resource and cost implications to consider.”
As marketing is done strategically, intentionally, and by the right team, growth will happen. B2B OMAHA
STORY
JONATHAN OROZCO DESIGN
RENEE
LUDWICK
The year 2024 was a record-setter for the state of Nebraska, which was projected to exceeded over 2 million people in population. At the same time, the U.S. Census Bureau has estimated the population of Omaha proper fell by 2,716 from 20202023, a -1.7% change.
What is the future of Omaha’s most populous city, and the state as a whole? Here are a few key figures that lay out changes over the past few years.
In the last quarter of 2024, unemployment in Omaha slightly decreased, from 3% in October to 2.8% in December. Out of the 509,000 people in the labor force, 14,300 are unemployed, according to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Across Nebraska, there were at least 52,000 job openings each month from September-December 2024, with monthly hiring falling short by at least 13,000 workers. October 2024 had over 18,000 jobs not filled.
Degrees conferred at any level rose, then dipped, from 2019-2023 across finance, health care, transportation, information technology, education, and agriculture. The 2021-2022 academic year saw 18,920 graduates across all these sectors, with the most recent data collected, for the year 2022-2023, shows 17,576 degrees were granted a 1,344 decline.
The sectors with the most degrees awarded in that period were finance (23,772), health care (23,530), and education (13,996); those with the fewest degrees awarded were IT (5,995), agriculture (3,961), and transportation (598).
Traffic along major I-80 entrance and exit ramps has remained stable, with some variances. Using the Estimated Annual Daily Traffic metric by the City of Omaha, the entrance and exit ramps on 72nd and 84th streets were the busiest in 2024, with 84th Street having an estimated average of 65,712 vehicles passing through it daily.
The busiest intersections were within the city, whereas the intersections at the city outskirts had the least amount of traffic, with the entrance at Irvington Road and Ida Street having 10,594 estimated vehicles passing daily.
The Omaha metro’s GDP has been growing positively, indicating steady economic expansion. From 20202023, Read GDP grew 15.5%, from $65,207,768 to $75,322,726 in 2017 dollars. The years 2021-2022 had the highest rate of growth with a 7% increase, and the years 2022-2023 had the lowest rate of growth at 2.2%.
Using the FDIC’s most recent Nebraska state profile, the banking industry remains stable with increasing profitability. There are 148 total banks in the state with $109.7 billion in assets. Past-due and delinquent loans rose from 0.41% in Q3 2023 to 0.59% in Q3 2024. Banks are benefiting from high interest rates, with a net interest margin of 5.69% in Q3 2024, up from 3.9% in 2022.
Among industries, agriculture has the highest loan concentration based on the median % of Tier 1 Capital plus the reserve for loan and lease losses. At 213% in Q3 2024, this means banks have lent over twice their core capital and reserves to this sector. This indicates a high interest and confidence in agriculture among banks across the state.
Sources
United States Census Bureau, Quick Facts, Nebraska | United States Census Bureau, Quick Facts, Omaha city, Nebraska | City of Omaha Public Works, Traffic Information Center, reports from 2021-2024 | FDIC State Profile, Nebraska, Third Quarter 2024 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Midwest Information Office, Nebraska Job Openings and Labor Turnover December 2024 | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Midwest Information Office, Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA Economy at a Glance, accessed March 1-2, 2025 | Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, Degrees and Other Awards Conferred by CIP Code 2019-2020 - through 2022-2023 | Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, CAGDP9 Real GDP by county and metropolitan area, Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA (Metropolitan Statistical Area), 2021-2023
Tax time requires speedy service, especially during the busy months from January to April. Advisers become booked and must complete customers’ taxes before the deadline.
Omaha H&R Block owner Robert Alderson noticed times when the internet would crash and burn a headache no preparer wants to deal with during the tax season. Alderson switched from coaxial to fiber last year to ensure exceptional customer satisfaction, becoming one of the first businesses in his area, near Walnut Grove Park, to do so.
“I haven’t now heard any clients complain, and most of them in my office jump on our internet because it’s way faster than their phones,” Alderson mentioned.
Business owners must consider options between a slower coaxial or faster fiber cable option when dealing with large file sizes. Fiber pulses light through a glass core compared to coaxial, which utilizes electricity that flows through a copper core. Plus, lag time happens far too often for those who have chosen coaxial over fiber. If the two ran a race, the coaxial competitors would remain in the back of the pack with download speeds somewhere around 100 Mbps (megabits per second) to 1 Gbps (gigabits per second) and uploads of 5 Mbps to 50 Mbps. Fiber’s sprinters would easily outperform the coaxial team with downloads and uploads at about 300 Mbps to 10 Gbps. The symmetrical speed pushes fiber into an advantage, such as a runner who sprinted uphill and downhill the entire race, as opposed to one who jogged on declines but walked inclines. It may seem small, but waiting an extra 15 minutes for a file to be sent may result in a lost client.
Not only that, but congestion also clogs up the lines. If those sweaty 20 runners drank from the same spigot, water would flow more slowly like a communal coaxial cable network. Fiber’s direct line ensures fewer freezes when uploading mega files because no one shares the “spigot.”
“It definitely matters when you need it,” said Jason Johnson, the Omaha Market Manager of FiberFirst.
Sure, the lower latency, ping stability, and dedicated bandwidth allow fiber a crucial edge for gamers. It could mean life or death for a character. Similarly, businesses compete in a market designed for quick turnarounds. Environmental factors from wind or
ice storms don’t impact underground glass as much as a metal conductor, meaning the open sign stays on despite poor weather.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic changed people’s perspectives, where the need for speed increased, when forced to work from home.
“We saw an uptick of people switch from coaxial to fiber,” said the regional general manager of Allo Fiber Dave Miller. “Once they experienced it, they never switched back.”
Allo president Brad Moline sought to create more options for his native Nebraska state and began building a fiber network in Scottsbluff and Gering in 2004-2005. Coaxial has some advantages in this arena since its availability reaches rural and settled neighborhoods with its existing infrastructure, while fiber requires costly new lines. The federal initiative Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD), with $405 million allocated to Nebraska, ensures access for all to affordable, high-speed service that should close the divide.
Fiber has existed in Omaha since the late 1990s but flipped to residential in the 2000s. Fiber providers lay a stake, like the land rushes of the late 1800s, to build in certain zones. Providers like Google Fiber rushed into the city, turning on service in Aksarben last year, and settling at Millwork Commons as their home base.
Rachel Larson, the community brand manager at FiberFirst, works for the company because she likes how it develops in underserved parts of the city rather than just new construction areas.
“Multiple players in the market offer consumers a choice on what is best for them,” Larson said. “These newcomers are giving COX a run for their money.”
Since fiber doesn’t build over each other, Allo partners with its competitors to offer companies services some may lack like cybersecurity, nextgeneration firewalls, and manageable IT services.
Cable costs less than fiber, but beware of hidden costs such as router fees, maintenance, installation, and data caps. Linda Deegan, a technology assistant at Millard West High School, pays $320 monthly for internet, telephone, and cable with COX; however, she doesn’t believe she’ll switch to fiber as her husband, Thomas, suffers from Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Deegan said, “The only pleasure he has anymore is to sit in his chair and watch television.”
Although cable still seems a viable option for average streamers, some businesses would also rather stick to cable because the latest technology of DOCSIS3.1 allows for multi-gig speeds, keeping them at an optimal pace, and the future DOCSIS 4.0 will mean additional upgrades.
“I think we will see an increase in fiber optic connectivity, and copper technology will go the way of DSL,” Miller said. B2B OMAHA Visit allocommunications.com or fiberfirst.com for more information.
FIBER’S DIRECT LINE ENSURES FEWER FREEZES WHEN UPLOADING MEGA FILES BECAUSE NO ONE SHARES THE ‘SPIGOT.’ -JASON JOHNSON
[L TO R] TERI BRUENING, VICE PRESIDENT OF PATIENT CARE SERVICES & CHIEF NURSING OFFICER AND PAULA PITTMAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
HOW METHODIST HOSPITAL IS COMBATING NURSE SHORTAGE
The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly felt by nurses. A report by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing claimed over 610,000 nurses are hoping to leave the field within the next two years.
Here in Nebraska, Vivian Health reported that approximately 27,760 registered nurses were employed in the state of Nebraska in 2020 compared to 19,870 in 2022. The Nebraska Center for Nursing projects Nebraska will experience a workforce shortage of 5,436 nurses in 2025, with nearly 1,000 nurses between the ages of 24 and 55 “very likely” to leave their employment over the next 12 months. Coupled with the turnover rate, which can be anywhere from 8.8% to 37%, the statistics sound grim.
Health systems around the metro are working to help retain nurses, and Methodist is one that has found several methods to alleviate the issue. As Methodist Health System Vice President of Human Resources Paula Pittman explained, “We have rededicated our retention efforts and adopted a dynamic and multifaceted approach to both immediate and long term workforce needs.”
She cited collaboration as a key aspect, and that they maintain good partnerships with their H.R. and customer departments.
Vice President of patient care services & Chief nursing officer Teri Bruening stressed Methodist’s “robust” orientation programs for new nurses and the ability for a new employee to shadow a more established nurse have been integral in finding the right person to bring on board. One of the newest initiatives is a reversal of an exit interview.
“Our new initiative is to focus on stay interviews,” Pittman said. “At 30, 60, or 90 days, we want to catch our nurses and other employees before they become a risk of leaving the organization and really find out what is keeping them engaged here, what other levers can we pull to make sure that we retain them, and ensure they’re engaged and connected to our mission and culture.”
Recognition goes a long way. It can be formal like their DAISY, Clinical Excellence, and The Dove awards or simply getting positive feedback from a fellow medical professional.
“One of the doctors sent me an e-mail talking about the quality of the nurses at Methodist Hospital, and that doctors know that it’s the nurses who are the backbone of medical organizations,” Bruening noted. “They appreciate that.”
Another strategy Methodist Hospital is implementing, Pittman pointed out, is “a commitment to a continuous evaluation of those workforce needs and the needs of our employees in this ever-changing landscape, and just trying to be sensitive to that.”
Another recent method of retention is the newly-established RISE program, which stands for “Resilience In Stressful Events,” and has proven to be beneficial for nurses who are on the front lines every day.
“It’s run by our staff’s peers,” Bruening explained. “So after a stressful event it could be a mom who hemorrhages, a code, or a family member who starts to blow up they can call the RISE peer responder 24/7 to have somebody to talk to about it. Nurses are pretty famous about saying they are ‘OK’ when they’re really not OK. We’ve become more aware and attentive to the emotional needs of our staff.”
Like with any profession, there are challenges, but there are also rewards. Nursing can be a transformative career.
“At the end of a long day, most of us nurses leave wanting to know we made a difference,” Bruening said. “Part of the way we support that at Methodist is a positive work environment. Our staffing ratios are really very good. Having that positive work environment, having the resources they need whether it’s RISE, equipment or supplies, staffing and that supervisor that they can go to share whatever with helps them to provide excellent patient care.
“Nursing is about compassion. Certainly there’s the science of nursing, but it’s really the art of nursing, and that compassion, that draws us to this profession.”
For Pittman, it’s even more personal. When her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she was treated at Methodist, and Pittman saw firsthand what a difference a skilled nurse can make.
“She eventually she passed away, but there’s not a day that goes by that I am not eternally grateful for the care my mom received and our family received,” she said. “Those nurses saved me.”
B2B OMAHA
To learn more, visit bestcare.org.
NURSING IS ABOUT COMPASSION. CERTAINLY THERE’S THE SCIENCE OF NURSING, BUT IT’S REALLY THE ART OF NURSING, AND THAT COMPASSION, THAT DRAWS US TO THIS PROFESSION.
-TERI BRUENING
For more than 25 years, Plaza Latina has been a fixture in the heart of South Omaha, offering various retail and service businesses to the community. Trust is a commodity here, as non-English speakers communicate in their native tongue, eliminating the fear some have of being cheated for lack of language.
The winter months are, year in and year out, the slowest of all, but so far in 2025, Tony Vega, who opened Plaza Latina in 1999, has felt a sharper-than-normal chill in the air. This year, the already-reduced crowds have further thinned dramatically, and sales are off because of it. It is an expression of the nervousness many in the community feel, given what’s playing out with federal immigration officials in cities coast to coast.
“At least 50%, you know, is the decrease,” Vega said through an interpreter. “Some of the small business owners say that because of the situation, they’re struggling financially right now, and they even start thinking about withdrawal from the business because of that lack of traffic.”
In late January, the Trump administration announced and implemented a new focus on locating and arresting individuals who are in the country illegally. It set off shock waves that reverberated in ethnically heavy communities, both those affected directly as well as those such as South Omaha, where coordinated action has yet to take place.
The impact is already being felt in segments of the business community, as illustrated in Plaza Latina, a microcosm of what might come citywide if or when federal authorities reach Omaha, not only for the loss of those individuals as employees, but as consumers as well.
“Before the political issue was put in place, right, the traffic was just normal traffic,” said Marco A. Cervantes, who owns a financial planning business. “After it was on the news and everywhere in the nation about mass deportation, you know, several places and this, this, and that, the fear of people coming down to the South Omaha businesses, it’s just so great. The fear of thinking that (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is going to be in South Omaha, it’s going to be in the surrounding areas creating, you know, deportations, that adds to a lack of business.”
From any vantage point, the potential impact of the new effort is a slippery thing to get ahold of even for something as fundamental as pinning down accurate numbers. A commonly held estimate states about 11 million undocumented U.S. citizens, or 22% of the overall immigrant population, resided in the country in 2022, per the Pew Research Center, which also suggested about 8.3 million of those individuals were in the workforce. But as both numbers have likely ballooned considerably over the past two years, the fact is, no one really knows for sure how many people actually fall into these categories. Assuming the workforce number is closer to 10 million, and Pew suggests that it is, that would be 6% of the U.S. workforce.
The national number is only one step in reliably considering impacts on a city like Omaha. Getting a reliable count of how many people in this category reside in the metro, and in what capacity they are employed, is a fool’s errand. It also must be said that not every immigrant lacks the proper documentation to reside in the U.S., nor is the issue limited to one ethnic group or country of origin.
At the national level, entities ranging from media to higher education and government to nonprofit organizations dealing in the immigration space have extrapolated the economic impacts of deportations on a massive scale, and the consensus picture is gloomy. The American Immigration Council released a report last fall to address the question. It stated mass deportation would reduce the U.S. gross domestic product between 4.2% and 6.8%.
It also predicted a significant reduction in tax revenues, noting in 2022 alone, undocumented immigrant households paid $46.8 billion in federal taxes and $29.3 billion in state and local taxes. Undocumented immigrants also contributed $22.6 billion to Social Security and $5.7 billion to Medicare, the report stated.
CONT. PAGE 22
PAGE 21
The impact would likely deal a particularly crippling labor blow to select industry sectors. AIC estimated about 14% of construction workers were undocumented, representing roughly one-sixth of the homebuilding workforce. The Economist, meanwhile, reported nearly 40% of farmworkers were undocumented, and Pew estimated 9% of service workers were without proper work authorization.
Logic suggests the immediate impact of loss of a labor group that size includes slower, more expensive homebuilding and higher prices at the grocery store or a favorite restaurant, assumptions that are not without precedent. A study by the University of Utah, for instance, found housing prices for new homes jumped 18% after mass deportations between 2008 and 2013, while prices for existing housing stock climbed 10%.
A more surprising statistic is also being reported, that of the boomerang effect on U.S.-born workers. While it is suggested in some circles that freeing up jobs held by undocumented immigrants means greater employment opportunities for natives, history does not bear this out. A Brookings study released last year compared the number of immigrant and U.S.-born workers in the 15 most common occupations held by undocumented immigrants. It found unauthorized immigrants frequently take jobs that are low-paying, dangerous, and otherwise less attractive in greater numbers than both native workers and authorized immigrant workers.
This fact was further verified in a survey by the National Council of Agricultural Employers, taken during the pandemic, to see how many unemployed U.S.-born workers would take 100,000 seasonal farm jobs. It discovered less than 350 applied, lending some credence to the argument that many undocumented workers are filling jobs Americans are simply unwilling to do.
All of this takes a toll on employers, of course, and when an industry suffers, that trickles down to the front lines. In fact, as the Joint Economic Committee Democrats claimed in December, one of the hidden impacts of deportation is that for every 500,000 immigrants removed from the labor force, 44,000 jobs held by U.S.-born workers are lost due to subsequent hardships such as business closings, reduced hours, and more.
Narrowing the focus to Nebraska specifically, one must take into account the fact that the state is currently in one of the tightest labor markets in recent history, with only 39 workers for every 100 jobs, per the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The meat industry already offers some of the best wages going for unskilled workers, paying meat trimmers in packing plants nearly $18 an hour, almost $5 per hour above the state minimum. Yet, the industry remains desperate for workers and a sudden, wholesale loss of current employees to deportation would likely be devastating.
Speaking to NPR in January, Al Juhnke, executive director of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, said he’s fielded calls from producers demanding a labor solution by any means necessary.
“Al, I got a great idea,” Juhnke said, mimicking one member’s phone call. “Why don’t we invite any immigrants? Legal, illegal…I don’t care. Invite them to Nebraska because we have lots of openings out on our farm and we need help.”
Many business owners aren’t quite as blunt. In fact, many are loathe to talk about the issue on the record. Inquries by B2B to several business groups and individual companies alike went ignored or politely declined, something NPR reported experiencing as well, which suggests how emotionally and politically charged the issue has become. Mike Boyle, president of Kawasaki in Lincoln, was an exception, and wasn’t afraid to address the situation on the ground.
“We have three plants that I’m in charge of, one in Lincoln and two in Missouri,” he said. “The Lincoln plant, probably about 28% of our employees are of a recent immigrant group. Without the immigrant workforce, we could not generate the revenue that we do now because we’d have to turn away work and send that work to another Kawasaki manufacturing plant, probably somewhere out of the country. So the direct effect to Nebraska and to the U.S. would be a reduction of the GDP of our state.”
Boyle said the hit doesn’t stop there, given the many parts suppliers and other vendors the plant uses to assemble its products. He said Kawasaki has an exhaustive vetting and credentialing process to help ensure all direct employees are
cleared to work in the United States no small feat, given the diversity of his plant alone, where 17 languages are spoken. Yet, he said, the facility could be brought to its knees if vendors are not as thorough.
“There’s a multiplier effect in manufacturing,” he said. “We can’t produce everything internally that goes into our product. So, for example, a rail car that we build in Lincoln has 40,000 different part numbers on it. We can’t make all those, so we have a lot of manufacturing plants around the country making product for us and sending it to Lincoln.
“Those companies have some immigrant workforce that varies by location, but the same thing would happen to them. So, there’s a big multiplier effect that people don’t understand that really could trickle down and really limit who we are as a country and the growth of our economy.”
Boyle, who has decades of employment with the Japanese manufacturer, said there’s a growing amount of evidence that documented immigrants are also growing so fearful of immigration authorities, and it is taking a toll on local workforce. He relayed a story of a colleague whose company was facing an I-9 audit, which reviews worker documentation.
“This buddy of mine was a CEO of another manufacturing company here in Nebraska, and they had some issue come up,” he said. “There were people who...had some questions about their employment status who had to have a scheduled interview with the Department of Homeland Security.”
Boyle then noted, “Every one of those people did not go to the interview and never went back to work. This buddy of mine was saying he was sure that most of those people were qualified and had no problem, but the fear of going in for the interview really rocked that group.”
Back at Plaza Latina, Vega and Cervantes know well the fear that is paralyzing the community, keeping many from going to the doctor or the store, let alone to their jobs. Things are being made worse, they said, by rampant speculation and agitation that is further tightening nerves.
“The main concern is to stop the fear of people within the community, and that starts with people that are spreading fear and concern,” said Vega, who also founded, and remains president emeritus of, the Nebraska Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “People who are not Latino leaders, they don’t know the law, they don’t know the circumstances, but they create rallies, they create protests, and they’re ignorant of the situation.”
Vega continued, “And then, within our own community there’s people spreading false news on social media about, you know...‘immigration is coming down to your house, they’re gonna knock on the door,’ all that stuff. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is the one that has to be involved, engaged within the Hispanic community. We have to get people the real truth, the real answers to these problems.”
Vega said the everyday Omahan is unaware of how deeply the mass removal of undocumented immigrants of all ethnic backgrounds from the workforce would affect daily life.
“Definitely not,” he said. “I believe the community we are living in doesn’t understand the impact of the Latino community. They just live their lives like in normal days and they don’t see what we see, what we are experiencing right now. We are going through a phase that we have never seen before within the last 20 years.”
He went on to say, “Definitely the impact of the workforce will be felt, not only by businesses in South Omaha, but construction, restaurants, and some other businesses where Latinos work all over the city. You see Latinos on the farms, you see Latinos in the restaurants, you know, the impact of the Latino workforce is so, so great. But right now, most Anglo people don’t understand that.”
B2B OMAHA
Visit nebraskalegislature.gov for more information on state immigration laws, and congress.gov for more information on national immigration laws. Information presented in this article is correct as of presstime.
WOULD BE A REDUCTION OF THE GDP OF OUR
Craig Nashleanas and business partner Jonathan Kayser weren’t thinking about becoming a leader in high-end music production when they started Lens Distortions in 2014. Their business began in the world of visual effects, aiming to create premium tools that would simplify the workflow for video professionals. Today, Lens Distortions is trusted by some of the world’s most iconic brands including Porsche, Leica, and SpaceX marking a remarkable evolution from its early days.
“We’ve become more synonymous with high-end music for brands in recent years,” Nashleanas said. “But…we got our start in visual effects and still have a strong reputation there. Most recently, our visual assets were used in the closing credits of the new Wicked movie and a Chanel commercial with Margot Robbie.”
The company was born out of necessity. Nashleanas and Kayser came from video production backgrounds and understood the challenges independent video professionals faced having to manage every aspect of the edit themselves.
What started as a handful of top-quality, easy-to-use visual effects soon turned into a growing suite of creative tools. Eventually, they realized that the market was lacking user-friendly sound effects tailored specifically for video editors. This led to the creation of their groundbreaking sound effects products, which became an instant success. That success then naturally led them into music production.
“We started by making music for our own product advertisements,” Nashleanas recalled. “But over time, we realized that what truly set us apart was our commitment to tastefulness and quality. Although we originally focused on independent video professionals, we were also always thinking about our needs as a growing brand.”
The company’s long-term vision was inspired by “true north” brands, such as Porsche and Leica Camera, that carry a deep, enduring ethos. Today, those very brands use Lens Distortions’ assets. “Our true north became theirs,” Nashleanas said proudly.
The team took a disciplined approach, guided by the wisdom of Charlie Munger: ‘Show me where I’ll die so I never go there.’ Nashleanas and Kayser focused on avoiding major pitfalls rather than chasing quick wins. “Avoiding foolishness is more important than being super clever,” he added. “So we’ve just tried to avoid catastrophe and keep a long-term view.”
For Lens Distortions, technical excellence is a given. “If you don’t make music or effects that are technically perfect, you have no business having a business in this arena,” Nashleanas stated. But
beyond technical quality, the company places a strong emphasis on tastefulness.
“Taste is subjective, but you can tell when something is lacking it,” he explained. “We’ve always held ourselves to incredibly high standards, even if it meant growing our catalog more slowly than other creative asset providers. The result is a collection of work that we’re 100% proud of.”
One of the most defining moments for Lens Distortions came in 2020. “That was the year Apple and Adobe called,” Nashleanas recalled. “It was a strange year for the world, but for us, it marked a turning point.”
Both Apple and Adobe companies that serve as pillars in the creative industry took notice of Lens Distortions. Apple prominently featured their mobile app, while Adobe licensed some of their assets. “That’s when we really hit our stride with music,” Nashleanas said.
Since then, their music has been used in projects by some of the most well-known brands and organizations, including SpaceX. “Much of what we compose is rich with a deeply human element soulsearching, meaning, significance so it’s perfect for soundtracking bold missions like those of SpaceX,” Nashleanas noted, continuing, “I’ve always liked the saying, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Having a business partner that I completely respect and am inspired by has been everything. Lens Distortions wouldn’t have existed without Jonathan, and I know we both feel it couldn’t have become what it is without both of us challenging and encouraging each other every step of the way.”
He also stresses the reality of the entrepreneurial grind. “Every ‘overnight success’ is 10 years in the making. We just hit our 10-year mark, and that saying couldn’t feel more true. Why wasn’t Omaha Magazine knocking on our door in 2014?” he joked. “Because it can take a decade to build something noteworthy. Long-term thinking with long-term people is the only way I know.”
Lens Distortions’ journey from visual effects to sound effects, and ultimately to high-end music, showcases the power of adaptability, discipline, and taste. By staying true to their creative vision and maintaining a long-term approach, Nashleanas and his team have built a company that is not just surviving, but thriving in a competitive industry. And with major brands now using their assets, it’s clear that their “true north” approach is paying off in ways they never could have imagined. B2B OMAHA
To learn more, visit lensdistortions.com.
INFINET TECHNOLOGY INTERVIEWS FOR, AND MAINTAINS, A GOOD FIT
InfiNet Technology has intentionally created a workplace focused on culture, and their core values enable employees to thrive.
In an early 2020s study by Forbes, the majority of people noted that driving a good culture empowers people (43% of respondents). The primary drivers of that culture are management style, employee experience, and company reputation. The same study also noted that the majority of workers are looking to business owners, not management, to drive that culture.
InfiNet Vice President Chris Breci said creating that culture was a process.
“The culture took us a long time to figure out,” Breci said. “We had a lot of high performers that weren’t culture fits. In 2017, we realized there was something that needed to change. We started focusing on culture. And we have had the best team since then, and we have also had quarter-overquarter revenue growth. We realized that culture is so important for everything.”
Cultivating that culture now starts from the hiring process.
“We figured out that we needed to hire around culture. Over the years, we have refined our hiring process to make sure that employees will fit our culture and grow with us. We created a culture interview, and we became very particular about who would join our team,” Breci said.
In the culture interview, both parties are questioned to decide if this potential hire is someone who has buy-in on the team. Anyone from a Level 1 technician to a team lead could help make the decision. The culture interview is the last step, and it could make or break their hiring decisions.
“We want to make sure when people come in, they feel comfortable, and we understand there is a ripple effect. If they feel comfortable, then that carries over into how they interact with other employees, clients, and vendors,” Breci explained.
Although it sometimes seems like yet another task, focusing on culture means financial growth. At InfiNet, this wasn’t the goal but it happened.
“Culture was probably the most challenging thing we had to do. It wasn’t something we could just make a procedure and do. We had to live it and breathe it in every level of the company,” Breci said. “So, our core values are an example. We couldn’t just create a poster that showed our core values.”
This culture is wrapped around InfiNet’s core values: relationship builder, lifelong learner, own it, do what’s right, and passion.
Relationship Builder
InfiNet’s employees focus on building strong relationships internally and externally, which allows employees to have a deeper understanding of their peers and clients.
Lifelong Learner
Everyone at the leadership level who was succeeding has an insatiable hunger to grow, and leadership encourages all employees to consistently grow.
Own It
They want people to treat everything as though they own the company.
“Treat every problem like your mom called you and needs your help for it. We don’t run into the ‘not my job’ thing,” Breci explained.
Do What’s Right
They strive to make the right decision for the company and the client.
“If we make a mistake, we aren’t going to hide it. It’s simple but important to us,” Breci said.
Passion
InfiNet wants their employees to have a drive for their own passions because that gives them energy.
“If I’m at work and we are talking about a work task, and an employee shows me a song that they have written, it gives me energy,” Breci said. “Our whole thing we do is help people. (CEO Steve Johnson) wants everyone to succeed. It’s very important for him that we are growing as people and not just an organization,” Breci said.
To attain this culture, the company has invested in several resources. Each person in the company has a 1:1 coach and a development plan. They believe that people’s passions and their skill set should determine where they go.
“We make sure our growth plans are matched with, and are guided by, each person. They get to have a say in their growth plan,” Breci said.
One of the biggest resources is a program called InfiNet Cares. About once a quarter, the company allows employees to volunteer for a day, and that day is considered a paid work day by InfiNet. Employees are also allowed to pick their own organization that they can volunteer for on the clock every month.
In this day and age, company culture often revolves around work-life balance. At IT companies like InfiNet, that means staying on top of often intense workloads.
“Being in IT, our employees are all on-call at times of the month,” Breci said. “We make sure that our on-call hours are reasonable and are stretched out... we will also do split shifting so most of the on-call is covered by regular work times.”
The leads will make sure the employees are working through tickets, and they provide daily coaching to help them manage their workload, and help them release tickets if they are bogged down.
“We are big on staying agile with our workloads to make sure that the right people are handling the right tasks,” Breci said.
All the strategies at InfiNet help create a healthy workplace and foster retention. Finding great talent and keeping it is important to Johnson, who lives these values himself. “As owner and founder, I make sure I get 1:1 time with everyone and for them to know we truly appreciate them. Everyone wants to feel valued and part of a community that cares,” Johnson said. B2B OMAHA
For more information go to omahait.com
Much has changed since B2B Magazine first rolled out its annual contest 17 years ago fresh categories to reflect shifting industry trends, fresh faces at the helm of businesses new and old, and even a fresh look for the coveted Best of B2B winner’s badge. However, at least one aspect remains constant: Omaha is a hotbed for enterprise, and the adaptable, industrious people behind the city’s thriving business community deserve recognition.
Now, just as in 2007, this special edition of B2B Magazine does just that showcasing and celebrating the best companies the metro has to offer, as chosen by the business community.
In the Building Services category, readers can learn where area business owners go for electrical services, snow removal, and more. Meanwhile, the Financial Services category offers insight on business-to-business necessities, such as payroll and investment services.
But not all categories revolve around work. The Food Services category informs leaders the best places to go for lunch-time meetings and happy hour, while Travel & Event Planning reveals the best avenues to plan the annual employee retreat.
Among these categories and more, business owners can rest easy knowing Omaha’s business community is humming with possibilities and wellearned pride in their work.
Cheers to this year’s winners!
“People don’t think about how things end up on their doorstep. We do.”
Brian Elsasser Commercial Lending
For giving us the opportunity to serve your Search, Staffing, and Consulting needs.
Omaha’s business leaders chose Hemphill as Omaha’s Best Employment Agency in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025!
- Joe Thallas Owner/General Manager
Since our opening in 2007, we've grown to become Omaha's 10th largest bank, earned 12 'Best Bank' titles, received six Excellence Awards from the Omaha Chamber, and, for two consecutive years, been recognized by American Banker as a 'Best Bank to Work For.'
BANQUET FACILITY
Omaha Design Center
Scott Conference Center
CATERER
Brandeis Catering
A Catered Affair
COFFEE PROVIDER
Host Coffee Service, Inc. hostcoffee.net
402.339.0440
Ideal Pure Water
RESTAURANTBUSINESS BREAKFAST
Wheatfield’s Eatery & Bakery
Early Bird
RESTAURANTBUSINESS DINNER
Mahogany Prime Steakhouse
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse
RESTAURANTBUSINESS HAPPY HOUR Hiro 88
Local Beer Patio and Kitchen
RESTAURANTBUSINESS LUNCH
The Drover Steakhouse droversteakhouse.com
402.391.7440
Charleston’s Restaurant
Attend 60+ Networking Events to make life-long connections and customers.
Build Your Reputation as part of our 3,000+ strong community, from Fortune 500s to local startups.
Cultivate Skills through our premier professional development programs for you and your team.
JOIN THE BEST NETWORK IN TOWN: OmahaChamber.org/benefits
PHOTOS & STORIES PROVIDED
Business involves many moving parts, as all owners and managers know. One day’s work may involve finding the best advertising agency to help with their marketing needs and managing IT solutions. The next day might involve meeting with an executive coach to help navigate HR decisions.
The following pages feature native content from Best of B2B winners, and because they won this contest, readers can be assured that they offer quality products and services.
James Mackiewicz has always been a connector. It’s one of his top five strengths from the CliftonStrengths assessment. “I love activating people,” he adds. Building upon his decades of corporate leadership development work, Mackiewicz has expertly channeled that drive for working with people into Crestcom, a defined management training system. The company tagline is, We develop managers into leaders…and we’re different. “We really pride ourselves on proving ROI and truly measuring results,” Mackiewicz adds. “It sets us apart from the crowded business coaching field,” he explains.
Crestcom covers the three major components of an optimal leadership development program. It starts with great material: expert training assets. With Mackiewicz’ set up, clients get a defined twelve month approach with twenty four classes. This thoughtful programming draws from subject matter experts focused on ten core competencies that CEOs want to see in their leaders. Participants learn the proper way to actually delegate, foster multigenerational connections, and rebuild trust.
But training is only part of the puzzle. The next piece is a plan of action for implementation. At the
end of each two hour class, participants document their best idea, how they’re going to apply it, and what the measurable benefit could be. This makes sure they are truly engaging with the material and properly applying it to their specific business needs.
The final pillar of Crestcom is accountability, a component that many people dismiss. “Accountability makes things happen, and high performers want to be held accountable,” Mackiewicz shares. Direct accountability is central to long term success in a leadership development setting. Defined check-in sessions for ongoing progress reports help change behavior and pave the way for leaders to lead.
Ultimately, Mackiewicz adds, “everybody wants to do a good job, but they’re not always equipped with the tools that they need to actually do a good job.” That’s where the Best of B2B award winner steps in. Visit crestcom.com/leadership-trainer/jamesmackiewicz to book a complimentary leadership skills workshop to get started.
CRESTCOM 402.399.9239 CRESTCOM.COM
People don’t care about your business–they care about what your business can do for them. I know that this is a hard truth to hear, but it was also hard to accept when people told me I could not pull off neon hot pants–but they were right.
This is essential to understand when it comes to marketing your business (the part about what people want, not the neon hot pants). Content is the unique and cost-effective opportunity for your business to provide true value to your customers’ lives. In the age of the algorithm, content isn’t just king; it’s the entire kingdom.
Forget the old days of overt advertising. The modern marketing funnel isn’t about shoving links and screaming “Buy Now!” All of us do our own internet research and the key to the modern marketing funnel is understanding that everyone is going to Google you and look you up on socials. This is how your business is validated; it’s how you build trust.
Think about it. When you encounter a new brand, product, or business, what’s the first thing you do? You Google it. We all do it. We Google ourselves, we Google weird things happening to our bodies, and we Google the directions to that new coffee shop. Without Google, I wouldn’t know when to show up let alone where to show up.
And when people Google your business, what do they find? Hopefully, your content.
Content is the key to building trust and credibility. It’s the way you show potential customers that you genuinely care about solving their problems and improving their lives.
Think of it this way: your content is your brand’s online personality. It’s the equivalent of the clothes you’re wearing right now and, without any content, it’s like your business is walking around naked… and no one wants to see that.
When people see content from your business, they see the real you. They see your passion, your personality, and your commitment to helping them.
The most effective content isn’t about selling; it’s about serving. It’s about providing value, answering questions, and helping people improve their lives.
I like to call this the “Midwest Mindset” – helping others without expecting anything in return. And ironically, that’s what generates the highest return of all.
People crave authenticity. They don’t want to be sold to; they want to connect with real people who genuinely care.
Your content should reflect that. It should be informative, engaging, and most importantly, authentic to your brand and your values.
In the modern marketing funnel, content is king. It’s how you build trust, establish credibility, and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
So, if you’re serious about growing your business, you need to get serious about your content. Create content that serves, content that educates, content that entertains.
Content is your greatest opportunity to demonstrate how you can help people achieve their goals, solve their problems, and improve their lives.
TWO BROTHERS CREATIVE
8790 F STREET, SUITE 712 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68127
531.232.9811
TWOBROTHERSCREATIVE.COM
Family businesses are the heartbeat of local economies, fostering innovation, creating jobs, and building legacies that span generations. Yet, they face unique challenges, particularly in communication, clarifying roles and authority, balancing tradition and innovation, and navigating the transfer of leadership from one generation to the next. At Revela, they understand these complexities because they’ve lived them and are here to help family businesses thrive.
Communication within a family business can be complicated. Generational differences often lead to misaligned expectations, unclear decisionmaking, and blurred lines of authority. For Gen Two leaders, stepping into a position of authority while honoring the legacy of Gen One is a delicate balance. Succession timing can further complicate the picture, leaving families grappling with how and when to transfer leadership.
These challenges are deeply personal and often intertwined with family dynamics, making professional solutions critical for long-term success.
Revela’s team brings unparalleled insight into these challenges. Andrea, a Revela leader, grew up in a family-owned business, experiencing firsthand the joys and struggles unique to this environment. Other members of the Revela team have owned their own businesses, worked within family enterprises, or served as non-family employees in family-led organizations. These diverse experiences provide Revela with a 360-degree understanding of the complexities family businesses face.
When Revela partners with a family business, the process is as unique as the family itself. They begin by interviewing both family and non-family team members to uncover their goals, frustrations, and communication styles. Through these conversations, they gain a deep understanding of the perspectives of each generation, ensuring every voice is heard and respected.
With these insights, Revela collaborates with the family to establish clear, actionable goals. They focus on fostering healthy business-related communication that increases professionalism and bridges generational divides. By helping
family members better understand one another’s perspectives, they create an environment where decision-making becomes more transparent and authority is clarified.
Their ultimate goal? To empower families to continue their legacy while fostering a culture of respect and professionalism.
Every family business has a story, and at Revela, they’re passionate about helping family businesses write the next chapter. By addressing communication challenges, clarifying roles, and supporting succession planning, they help ensure the family business thrives for generations to come.
REVELA
1508 LEAVENWORTH STREET
OMAHA, NE 68102
712.322.1112
5L Performance Group is a leadership consulting firm committed to helping businesses thrive through structured, principle-driven strategies.
Founded by Jesse DePriest and Rick Faber, the company is built on five foundational pillars: Love, Listen, Learn, Lead, and Lean. These principles shape leadership development, enhance efficiency, and drive sustainable growth.
The Five Pillars of 5L Performance Group
• Love – Passion for leadership and people fosters extraordinary results.
• Listen – Understanding employees, customers, and stakeholders leads to better decision-making.
• Learn – Continuous growth and adaptability keep businesses competitive.
• Lead – Visionary guidance is key to organizational success.
• Lean – Efficiency and waste reduction optimize operations.
Meet the Founders
Jesse DePriest – Lean Leadership Expert
Jesse DePriest is a seasoned Lean coach and educator with extensive experience in business transformation. His expertise in process
improvement and problem-solving has helped numerous organizations achieve sustainable growth. Jesse is dedicated to equipping leaders with tools to navigate business complexities.
Rick Faber – Leadership Development Strategist Rick Faber has decades of experience in leadership coaching, organizational growth, and executive mentoring. He specializes in leadership transformation, team development, and strategic alignment, helping businesses foster accountability and long-term success.
Driving Business Growth Through Leadership
Excellence Jesse and Rick believe strong leadership is the foundation of business success. By integrating 5L principles, they provide customized coaching and consulting solutions tailored to each organization’s needs.
Services Offered
Leadership Coaching: Programs to enhance leadership effectiveness and team performance.
Lean Business Consulting: Implementing Lean principles to improve workflow and efficiency.
Strategic Growth Planning: Aligning leadership vision with business objectives.
Cultural Alignment: Fostering collaboration, innovation, and engagement.
Organizational Operating Systems: A company cadence designed to align the leadership team with the vision and needs of the organization.
Professional Meeting Facilitation: Designed so all leaders can stay focused on the work of their team, not needing to worry about orchestrating the process. Maximize your results.
Conclusion
5L Performance Group helps organizations implement principle-based leadership strategies for success. Jesse DePriest and Rick Faber are dedicated to empowering leaders with skills and mindsets to navigate today’s business landscape.
5L PERFORMANCE GROUP
9661 S. 161ST ST. OMAHA, NE 68136 402.739.7607
5LPERFORMANCEGROUP.COM
More than ever, expert guidance is essential when it comes to employee benefits, said Julie Nelson, The Olson Group Chief Executive Officer.
“As a firm, we’re seeing so much complexity in regulatory requirements,” she explained. “It generally starts with the insurance company, but it also affects the employers and the plan sponsors.We’re very proactive, we’re constantly keeping employers informed of what’s on the landscape, and direct impacts to their plan.”
The Olson Group works with companies to develop customized group insurance and retirement planning benefits using a strategic trademarked process called BenefitsEdge™. The Olson Group’s mission statement to
inform, educate and empower is a testament to their commitment to helping clients navigate the ever-changing world of benefits.
“We educate employers about what’s trending. We then ensure team members understand their benefits and how to best utilize them,” Nelson said. “Our team is dedicated to creating benefit packages that resonate with employees, meeting their needs.”
THE OLSON GROUP 16820 FRANCES ST., SUITE 202 OMAHA, NE 68130
402.289.1046
THEOLSONGROUP.COM
Sandy Spady, with over 30 years in team sales, media advertising, marketing, fundraising, and events, is a dynamic public speaker and CEO of Power Up Leadership Coaching & Consulting. As the founder of Women with Voices, she empowers women to share their stories. Her impactful leadership has earned her awards, including the 2021 50/50 Award and the 2023 Phenomenal Woman Inspiration Award. Through her talk show Power Up KPAO, Sandy amplifies voices and fosters community transformation.
402.669.0041
SANDY@ POWERUPBYSANDY.COM
2024 has been a banner year for BluePrint Advertising Agency, the award-winning fullservice agency based in Omaha, Nebraska. Known for their creative ingenuity and strategic excellence, BluePrint has once again been recognized as Best of Omaha for the seventh consecutive year a true testament to their dedication to providing clients with top-tier marketing solutions. But this year, it wasn’t just their reputation that saw massive growth; the agency also underwent a transformation that is setting the stage for even more success in the years to come.
As BluePrint celebrated its continued success in 2024, the agency also marked a significant milestone in its journey: an era of growth that saw both structural and technological shifts. This growth was not just about expanding their team or client roster though that did happen in tandem but also about embracing cutting-edge technology to enhance service delivery.
At the heart of this transformation was BluePrint’s decision to fully integrate AI-driven software into their workflow. For a company that prides itself on staying ahead of the curve, adopting AI technology was a natural progression. The new platform they adopted brings a suite of sophisticated tools that allow for advanced audience targeting, more dynamic campaign management, and most importantly, complete transparency for their clients.
The new AI-powered software is a game-changer for BluePrint and their clients. This advanced system allows the agency to build highly-targeted audiences with unparalleled precision. By analyzing vast data sets, the software can predict consumer behavior and deliver content to the right audience at the right time, ensuring campaigns are more efficient and cost-effective.
In addition to AI targeting, BluePrint’s clients can now access a centralized dashboard that consolidates all their campaign results in one place. This level of transparency was a long-sought goal for many businesses, and BluePrint has answered the call by making it easier than ever for clients to track the performance of their marketing efforts in real-time. No more waiting weeks for reports or wondering how ads are performing clients have full access to campaign insights at their fingertips.
Another groundbreaking feature of the new system is advanced call tracking. For many businesses, phone calls are a crucial point of conversion. With the new AI software, BluePrint is able to track, record, and analyze every inbound call generated by a campaign, providing valuable insights into how well leads are being handled. This data helps clients fine-tune their sales approach, ensuring higher conversion rates and more closed deals. Moreover, the software also integrates seamlessly with review management tools, helping businesses boost their
SEO and online reputation. By encouraging positive customer reviews and tracking their impact on search engine rankings, BluePrint is giving its clients a powerful way to improve both visibility and credibility online.
The growth and technological advancements BluePrint experienced in 2024 are just the beginning. The agency’s commitment to innovation continues to fuel their success, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the marketing industry. By leaning into AI and embracing the power of data, BluePrint is setting a new standard for how advertising agencies can deliver results.
As they continue to scale their services and integrate new technologies, BluePrint’s clients can rest assured that they are partnering with an agency that is not only committed to their success but also willing to invest in cutting-edge solutions that provide a competitive edge. With 2024 marking the agency’s biggest year yet, BluePrint is poised to continue leading the way in digital marketing, proving that the best is yet to come in 2025.
2025 BEST PLACES TO WORK AWARDS LUNCHEON
APRIL 3
CHI Health Center Omaha 455 N. 10th St. 402-636-8356 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.
Kristen Belford, kbelford@bairdholm.com or —bairdholm.com
COFFEE & CONTACTS
ATHLETICO PHYSICAL THERAPY
APRIL 10
8-9:30 a.m.
1226 N Washington, Ste 1 402-339-3050 Claire London, chamber@sarpychamber.org —sarpychamber.org
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
FALCONWOOD PARK
APRIL 10
4-6 p.m. 905 Allied Road 402-898-3000
Melissa Sindelar, operations@BellevueNebraska.com —business.bellevuenebraska.com
COFFEE & CONNECTIONS
UNION BANK & TRUST
APRIL 11
7-9 a.m.
14400 Branch St. 402-289-9560 info@westochamber.org —westochamber.org
ICAN WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
APRIL 16
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha 455 N. 10th St. 833-587-7471 icanconference@planitincevents.com —icanconference.com
APRIL 17
5:30-9 p.m.
A View on State 13467 State St. 402-339-3050
Claire London, chamber@sarpychamber.org —sarpychamber.org
MIDWEST ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE
APRIL 18
7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
The Granary 7409 Main St. 402-554-2706 entrepreneurship@unomaha.edu —mwecomaha.com
SPRING EXECUTIVE
ETHICS BREAKFAST
MAY 1
7:15-9 a.m.
Mike and Josie Harper Center, Suite 3029 602 N. 20th St. 402-280-2235
Jessica Schaaf, jschaaf@businessethicsalliance.org —businessethicsalliance.org
VALUE INVESTOR CONFERENCE
MAY 1-2
Times vary Mammel Hall, 6708 Pine St. Scott Conference Center, 6450 Pine St. vicassistant@gmail.com or —valueinvestorconference.com
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY WEEKEND
MAY 2-3
Times and locations vary —berkshirehathaway.com
COFFEE & CONTACTS
MAY 6
7:30-9:00 a.m.
Goodwill Headquarters 4805 N. 72nd St.
Jamie Johnson, jjohnson@omahachamber.org —omahachamber.org
COFFEE & CONNECTIONS
MAY 14
OCI 4221 N. 203rd St. 402-289-9560
info@westochamber.org —westochamber.org
WEST O SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT
MAY 15
10 a.m. registration
Ashland Golf Club 16119 US-6 402-289-9560
info@westochamber.org —westochamber.org
BUSINESS ON THE GREEN
MAY 16
11 a.m. registration Tiburon Golf Club 10302 S. 168th St.
Jennifer Walcutt, jwalcutt@omahachamber.org —omahachamber.org
Event times and details are correct as of press time, but are subject to change.
B2B Omaha encourages readers to visit venues’ websites and/or call ahead before attending an event.
Helping businesses make their greatest impact.
2025 Winner
