B2B - April/May 2023

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It’s What’s Inside That Counts

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We hear this all the time from our clients – and well, it’s true.

We couldn’t do business any other way.

To market our clients’ brands and help reach their business goals, we must dive deep to understand the product or service – and what the target audience needs to know, think and feel about the brand to take action.

The proof that we are the best at this is our 34-year success.

We make it our business to know your business – and to apply the art and science of marketing to take your brand to the top.

“I think you know our business as well as we do.”

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EXECUTIVE publisher

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associate publisher

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EDITORIAL

associate editors

Kim Carpenter

Julius Fredrick

Linda Persigehl

contributors

Bridget Fogarty

Dwain Hebda

Jeff Lacey

Lisa Lukecart

Andrew Nelson

Kara Schweiss

Joel Stevens

Mike Whye

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B2B Magazine is published six times annually by Omaha Magazine, LTD, P.O. Box 461208, Omaha NE 68046-1208. Telephone: 402.884.2000; 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.

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graphic designer 2

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photographers

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sales & marketing

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George Idelman

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INN-O-VATION FROM THE EDITOR

N ewly minted CEO of the Kiewit Luminarium, Silva Raker, put it best when describing the metro’s business community: “I found that there’s an appetite for actually doing things; people are less afraid to try something different here.”

Between Omaha’s humming economy and the city’s reputation as an ideal test market for experimental concepts, the people of Omaha have developed a taste for innovation. While the Kiewit Luminarium may be the newest, as well as brightest, example of this drawing in star-crossed talent from the West Coast, such as Raker the cityscape isn’t finished evolving; taking on a shinier, sleeker, and more STEMcentric form with each new development.

Take, for example, the flurry of cutting-edge inventions emerging from the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s technology transfer and commercialization division, UNeMed awarded 26 U.S. patents and launching seven startups in 2021 alone. Turn to page 60 for a sample of UNeMed’s newest innovations and the brilliant minds behind them.

Finally, the chrome and steel of Omaha’s cars have never sparkled like they do today; innovations in the car wash industry have ushered in a wave of fresh businesses and hightech options for area motorists. New to the region, Tommy’s Express Car Wash is upping the competition and the technology with its customizable license plate recognition software.

Where technology, hard work, and innovation converge, opportunity abounds and as you’ll discover in this issue of B2B, that place is Omaha, Nebraska.

Sincerely,

Julius Fredrick

B2B

Julius Fredrick is an associate editor at Omaha Publications. He can be reached at julius@omahapublications.com

KIEWIT LUMINARIUM CEO SILVA RAKER

MEDICAL

UNeMED SHEPHERDS INNOVATION FROM SURGICAL SUITE TO C SUITE

ABOUT

Silva Raker aims for the stars as she takes the helm of Omaha’s new cutting-edge science museum, the Kiewit Luminarium.

Much has changed since B2B Magazine first rolled out its annual contest 16 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: that Omaha is a hotbed for enterprise, and the industrious, adaptable, and hardworking people behind the city’s thriving business community deserve recognition.

Now, just as in 2007, this special edition of B2B Magazine just does 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.

Between these categories, and more, business owners can rest easy knowing Omaha’s business community is humming with possibilities and well-earned pride in their work.

Cheers to this year’s winners!

GARBAGE COLLECTION

Abe’s Trash Service, Inc.

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Papillion Sanitation

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Lueder Construction

The Weitz Company

HEATING/AC SERVICES

SOS Heating & Cooling

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A-1 United Heating, Air, & Electrical

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JANITORIAL SERVICES

Jani King

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Sparkling Klean

LANDSCAPE/LAWN CONTRATOR

Patera Landscaping

Sun Valley Landscaping

LOCKSMITH

Carl Jarl Locksmith

Big Red Locksmith

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2023 Winner

2023 W INNER ‘BEST OF B2B’ ! EIGHT YEARS RUNNING!

A sk for Brandeis Catering at Many Fine Venues

A Law Firm with over 30 years experience in representing retail and commercial creditors. BQ & Associates can assist you in getting the money you are owed.

Our Firm represents creditors throughout the United States through our network of attorneys. Please contact our office to see if your matter can be handled on a contingent fee arrangement. (402)-554-4400

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From business cards to window graphics, we’ve got your back with high-quality, high-definition and even heavy-duty printing services. We print on materials as basic as paper and as unique as metal.

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6935 N 97th Cir, Omaha, NE | (402) 930-0000

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BUSINESS CONFERENCE VENUE

Scott Conference Center

402.778.6313

scottcenter.com

1415 - The Meeting Space

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EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Monica Sempek A Better Exposure

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planit inc.

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402 Event Services

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FLORIST

Dundee Florist Janousek Florist

HOTEL

Omaha Marriott Downtown

Embassy Suites by Hilton Omaha La Vista Hotel & Conference Center

RENTAL SERVICE STORE

United Rent-All

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Thank

2023 Winner

Corporate Travel Management Your Travel Center

You know better than anyone that great gifts inspire, delight, and bring people together. That’s why we never stop looking for ways to bring your clients and employees the absolute best in every bite, every gift, and every experience. Every time.

To everyone who voted, THANK YOU for making Omaha Steaks the Best of B2B for Corporate Gifts.

BEST OF B2B 2023 SPONSORED PROFILES

BY

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.

B2B

PHOTOS BY KATIE ANDERSON & PROVIDED STORIES

ALLISON JANDA, SARA LOCKE, KARA SCHWEISS & PROVIDED

REVELA

Success in business and life often comes down to the most basic elements. Andrea Fredrickson, success coach and owner of Revela, an Omaha firm specializing in leading individuals to their highest levels of personal and professional fulfillment, sums up the most important of these elements in one word: Leadership.

“As a family-owned business, we’ve experienced the disconnects that exist when people problems meet strategic confusion,” she said. “Revela is here to give organizations a clear pathway to eliminate drama that destroys morale and harms performance.”

“To accomplish this, we offer coaching and leader development for all the stages of a person’s journey, from personal leadership to leading a large enterprise.”

Frederickson and her team of expert coaches and facilitators operate on the philosophy that people who become the best version of themselves in turn create game-changing businesses and dynamic market-leading teams. The firm serves a variety of audiences with a special affinity for medium to

large private or family-owned businesses that invest in employees’ individual and collective success.

The company’s thorough and proprietary process fosters continual improvement and helps develop clients into intentional and impactful leaders no matter where they reside in their company’s organizational structure.

“Most leaders don’t fully understand the impact they’re having on those they lead,” Fredrickson said. “As a result, many leaders get to a position where they think they’re ‘good enough’ and are not intentional about improving their leadership skills.

“We’re here to help make the unseen seen and to provide simple actions that have a positive impact on others. We love to find ways to help shift their mindset to be more effective.”

The company deploys its knowledge through a leadership development curriculum that includes a Basic program designed for highpotential employees and promising teams and an Intermediate suite of skills development for those new to management or those needing a refresher. Its Advanced training track is for individuals who have been in positions of leadership for three years or more.

In addition, the company offers one-on-one executive coaching services that help clients build their leadership skills, create business strategies and improve mindset in order to be better equipped in dealing with organizational challenges.

Revela also offers a variety of custom programs and workshops that engage employees, encourage interaction and support a culture of collaboration and continuous learning. The programs, 2 to 4 hours in length, address a number of topics specifically selected to meet the client’s needs and are applicable to any level of an organization’s workforce.

Fredrickson compared the company’s dynamic training methodology to a strength training routine where consistency of effort produces tangible results over time, results that improve performance at work and carry over into other aspects of clients’ lives.

“We’ve worked with private companies for over 30 years and we find joy in working with leaders individually and in group settings,” she said. “But our greatest joy comes from knowing the changes these leaders make have a greater positive impact on those they lead, their families, friends and communities.”

2023 Winner

“Growth” has been the watchword for FNIC, the area’s leading provider of creative risk management and financial security solutions including commercial insurance, employee benefits, surety bonds and personal insurance.

“Last year we broke all of our sales records, pretty much every business unit hit goal,” said Scott Hill, President. “We’re very proud of that fact. We’re ahead of what we call the Drive to 75; we’re trying to get to $75 million in revenue and after one year we’re significantly ahead of where we projected to be. We’re excited about that.”

With this sales success, FNIC has expanded its footprint and grown headcount. Now boasting more than 300 employees, the Omaha-based company’s market area covers Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois and as of January 1, Colorado.

Dave Jesse, COO, said the company completed five acquisitions in 2022 and the expanded footprint contributed to the company’s sales performance.

“The acquisitions that we made were mostly in smaller communities,” he said. “It helps show our commitment to those communities, as it allows us to bring a deeper level of industry experience to clients there. Our goal as we grow is to continue to expand our service model and grow out our strengths within the industries we’re serving today.”

Hill said FNIC accomplishes this mission in several ways, from offering a greatly expanded product line to highly specialized professionals, brought within the client’s reach. To that end, FNIC has hired aggressively to maintain its trademark concierge-level customer service.

“As we’ve continued to expand our culture, we’ve also expanded the people in our organization,” said Jim Garbina, Senior Vice President and Director of Employee Benefits. “In this way, we can keep the same service promise to all of our current clients and the new clients as we grow. That’s been a key to our differentiation.”

FNIC, traces its roots back to 1916 as the Harry A. Koch Co., which forged a stellar reputation for service, trust and integrity. In 2021, the company became FNIC and adopted the iconic Circle One logo as a nod to its association with First National Bank of Omaha, FNBO and the

Lauritzen Corporation. The iconography also gave FNIC instant brand recognition, even in communities it enters for the first time.

“A key part of our growth strategy is expanding where FNBO has an established presence,” said Amy Argo, Chief Sales Officer. “Northern Colorado is a perfect example of where the bank has a strong reputation in a developing market, allowing us to grow together through existing relationships.”

“The synergy with the bank has been outstanding,” agreed Clyde Wilberger, Senior Vice President and Director of Sales, Commercial Insurance. “Something we’ve focused on is strategically crossselling between us and the bank. We’re getting referrals from the bank, and we’ve given a lot of referrals to the bank, too. Continuing to use the Circle One to our benefit is our big plan in the future and it’s exciting to think about where we’ll grow to over the next five years.”

2023 Winner

Y E A

BLUEPRINT ADVERTISING AGENCY

BluePrint Advertising Agency is proud to be a 5time winner of the Best of Omaha BluePrint had another banner year in 2022, servicing clients in over 30 states and running campaigns from New York City to Los Angeles. They also welcomed their first international clients, compelling them to learn about new laws and procedures and the challenges of working in different time zones

BLUEPRINT ADVERTISING AGENCY

BluePrint Advertising Agency is proud to be a 5time winner of the Best of Omaha. BluePrint had another banner year in 2022, servicing clients in over 30 states and running campaigns from New York City to Los Angeles. They also welcomed their first international clients, compelling them to learn about new laws and procedures and the challenges of working in different time zones.

making their clients campaigns more successful at the same time. Pankoke puts it simply, “Efficiency saves time and money.”

BluePrint accomplished this by investing in new software programs geared towards organization, campaign tracking, demographic data, and new tools for creative. The learning curve has been a challenge for BluePrint, but after implementing it their efficiency has vastly improved, providing more time to focus on producing even better results for clients.

“Making custom software wasn’t easy, it was expensive and time consuming; but the long-term benefits and results for the clients will make it all worth it” says owner Ryan Pankoke.

BLUEPRINT ADVERTISING

15705 W DODGE RD. SUITE 101 OMAHA

BluePrint accomplished this by investing in new software programs geared towards organization, campaign tracking, demographic data, and new tools for creative. The learning curve has been a challenge for BluePrint, but after implementing it their efficiency has vastly improved, providing more time to focus on producing even better results for clients.

OMAHA, NE 68118

402.669.9661

BLUEPRINTADAGENCY.COM

INVESTING IN THE CLIENT WITH CUSTOMER SOFTWARE

INVESTING IN THE CLIENT WITH CUSTOMER SOFTWARE

2022 was also a year of learning and reflection. In pursuit of constantly improving from the day before, BluePrint focused on growth by investing in staff and in new technology.“We believe that a good business should constantly be evolving, and most of all, embrace technology,” explains owner Ryan Pankoke.

INVESTING IN OUR STAFF

2022 was also a year of learning and reflection In pursuit of constantly improving from the day before, BluePrint focused on growth by investing in staff and in new technology.“We believe that a good business should constantly be evolving, and most of all, embrace technology,” Explains owner Ryan Pankoke.

With rapid growth in 2022, BluePrint decided to streamline as many tasks and jobs as possible. The goal was to make the staff more efficient while also

In 2022, BluePrint also wanted to enhance the customer experience by creating custom software that gives the client their own online dashboard. This dashboard gives the client the ability to see campaign information- such as monthly spend, vendor breakdown, creative, and even results- all in one place. The feedback from clients has been extremely positive and provided BluePrint an edge over competition.

In 2022, BluePrint also wanted to enhance the customer experience by creating custom software that gives the client their own online dashboard. This dashboard gives the client the ability to see campaign information- such as monthly spend, vendor breakdown, creative, and even results- all in one place. The feedback from clients has been extremely positive and provided BluePrint an edge over competition.

2023 Winner

2021 Winner

2022 Winner

2023 Winner 2022 Winner

2021 Winner

ARADIUS GROUP

With deep history in the Omaha area, Aradius Group, previously known as Omaha Print, is more than just a printer. They partner with their clients to provide the best print, mail, and marketing solutions available with the latest technology in the industry today.

Aradius Group started out as a newspaper print house in 1858, known as Nebraska Republican, then adjusted and grew to become to a print and office furniture shop in 1890, called Omaha Printing Company. Much of the success that Aradius Group has today is thanks to Frank Johnson, who was elected president in 1921, taking the company from a small business to one of the most successful printers in the region. Aradius Group’s building was located in downtown Nebraska for many years, until 1969 when it was moved to 4700 F Street, where it’s still located today.

In 1971 Harvey Hayes was named president of Omaha Print. He would go on to purchase a controlling interest in the company and his son, Steve Hayes, who was elected president of the company in 1992, still owns the business

today. In 2020, Chris Mueller was elected to be the 9th President of Aradius Group. Mueller has been with the company for over 13 years and previously served in the roles of COO and VP of Manufacturing with a focus on quality management and continuous improvement.

Aradius Group is committed to helping their customers find success in their print and marketing goals. To help with that, they’ve recently launched five print solutions to align with any brand’s strategy for growth. REACH allows customers to save money by using cost-effective mail formats, ENHANCE combines direct mail and digital channels to boost ROI, RETAIN uses personalized print to increase brand loyalty and customer retention, AXIS gives customers their own custom branded web to print platform and ATTRACT allows customers to acquire new business in a targeted area. Aradius Group combines their client’s marketing goals with their printing and mailing expertise to ensure a seamless customer experience from strategy and design to the final product.

Since 2008, Aradius Group has maintained their FSC certification by supporting their mission to promote environmentally sound, socially beneficial,

and economically prosperous management of the world’s forest. Other certifications include SOC 2, which is an annual auditing procedure that ensures data is being securely managed to protect the interests of organizations and the privacy of clients, a G7 Certification that ensures their print and color capabilities are at the highest level of global industry standards, and they’re also HIPAA Compliant by having digital and physical security processes in place to protect the privacy of individuals’ health information.

From 1858 to 2023, many things about Aradius Group have changed to adapt and grow, but one thing that hasn’t is their goal to keep their customers’ success at the center of their mission. Whether it be their commitment to quality, helping clients understand complex processes, or even helping their clients reach more customers with their brand message, Aradius Group strives to be a cornerstone for their clients and provide them with all of the high-quality print, mail, and marketing needs they may have.

ARADIUS GROUP

402.734.4400

ARADIUSGROUP.COM

2023 Winner

In nearly 40 years as a hospital administrator, Scott Kaminski developed a deep love of serving patients. That wealth of knowledge is the basis for ARCpoint Labs, which provides a wide range of medical testing.

“We provide a personalized service to businesses and consumers to help meet their goals” he said. “This can be a companies pre-employment screening program or their seeking to maintain drugfree workplace policies, as well as the consumer wishing to monitor their health.”

ARCpoint distinguishes itself in the marketplace by testing for myriad conditions all under one roof, from drug and alcohol testing to paternity, gender reveal, DNA, clinical testing and serum tears. The wide-ranging expertise is accentuated by local ownership and the personal touch..

“We’re a local vendor and provide a service that’s personalized, not trying to squeeze our clients into some preprogrammed box,” he said. “For instance, we’ll go to the worksite to do collections and work with employers in conducting their screening processes. We listen and assist our clients in how to best meet their objectives.”

ARCPOINT LABS OF OMAHA

310 REGENCY PARKWAY #110

OMAHA, NE 68114

402.505.9191

ARCPOINTLABS.COM/OMAHA

Thank you for making us your preferred choice! Sadoff Iron and Metal Company is a 3rd generation family-owned business in the recycled materials industry with headquarters in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. We celebrated our 75th year in operation in 2022 and have six physical recycling facilities in Wisconsin. Our commitment to Nebraska began in 1999 with a greenfield location in Lincoln serving ferrous scrap metal recycling needs in Lancaster County. Expansion into nonferrous and electronics recycling followed and in 2012 we moved into a new facility in the Lincoln Air Park.

Growth of our Sadoff E-Recycling and Data Destruction business unit led to our location in La Vista, Nebraska in 2016. Recently we closed our stand-alone nonferrous recycling business in Omaha to re-focus on our Lincoln and La Vista operations. Our commitment and enthusiasm for our business in Nebraska remains as strong as ever and we are a proud part of the Nebraska business community!

We Recycle Nationwide.

SADOFF IRON & METAL 4400 WEST WEBSTER STREET LINCOLN, NE 68524

402.470.2510

SADOFF.COM

Winner 2023 Winner

COLLEEN PAPEK

Colleen Papek reflects on her six-year journey at Milan Laser Hair Removal and looks forward to the company’s future as the new president.

When you talk to Colleen Papek about Milan Laser Hair Removal, it’s hard not to see her face light up. She loves to talk about what she refers to as Milan Magic.

“What we have is so special, and it’s so much more than just another job; it’s a passion,” Papek beams. “Our culture, motivation, and the dedication of our corporate employees and clinic teams are magic. We’re making a huge difference for many clients, and none of us take that lightly.”

Just six years ago, Papek worked as vice president and director of stores with Bonton Stores. But in 2018, she was captivated by the vision of Milan Laser Hair Removal’s co-founders, doctors Shikhar Saxena and Abe Schumacher.

“I remember asking myself, ‘Is this too good to be true?’” Papek recalls. “But it wasn’t. I knew I had to be part of this. Every day I’m so grateful to be

on a team with highly motivated individuals who live out our core values.”

The South Omaha native studied business marketing at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and then spent 25 years in sales and operations at multi-unit companies. At Milan Laser, Papek started as the Chief Operating Officer, where she implemented business strategies, established policies that promoted company culture, and set goals for performance and growth.

“I’m motivated by seeing results and making a positive impact not only for clients but also our employees,” says Papek. “Being part of Milan during its explosive growth, and seeing the impact on people’s lives has been truly exhilarating.”

Papek has been instrumental in leading Milan Laser’s explosive growth and nationwide expansion efforts, growing the team to more than 1,700 employees and 260+ clinics in 30 states. In 2022, Milan Laser celebrated their 10th anniversary and officially became the country’s largest laser hair removal provider.

“Being part of all our milestones over the years and seeing our team grow and evolve has been incredible,” Papek says. “We have a relentless

focus on success, and we’ve become such a trusted name in the industry. As a result, we’ve emerged as the number one laser hair removal company in the country!”

In October 2022, Papek was appointed president. Part of her duties includes working with all departments to foster alignment around Milan Laser’s strategy and vision to become the world’s number one laser hair removal company. Working with senior leadership, Papek will help define company direction while focusing on short- and long-term goals, prioritizing initiatives that support Milan’s growth and stability.

Another passion of Papek’s is developing the future leaders of the organization.

“We believe strongly in internal growth at Milan, and it’s one of my driving forces,” says Papek. “Nurturing and developing individuals to take on leadership roles and drive the organization forward is something we are very proud of.”

Papek is incredibly excited about the future of Milan and honored to lead the organization into its second decade of success.

“TO US, THE MISSION IS OBVIOUSLY AMAZING. CANDACE [GREGORY] IS A REALLY HANDS-ON CEO, AND SHE’S REALLY INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS. IT FEELS LIKE EVERYBODY IS 100% ONBOARD.” -DARCIE DINGMAN

STORY BY JEFF LACEY | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

REPAIRING DAMAGED LIVES

DINGMAN’S COLLISION CENTER AIDS OPEN DOOR MISSION’S EFFORTS TO HELP THOSE IN POVERTY

Each day, the Open Door Mission campus offers 917 safe shelter beds to people experiencing homelessness. They serve over 4,747 nutritious meals to feed the hungry and provide resources aimed at preventing homelessness to more than 1,000 people living below the poverty line, empowering them to remain in their own homes.

The nonprofit’s goal is to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in Omaha, and their mission depends on community support especially from partners like Dingman’s Collision Center. ODM has been in partnership with Dingman’s which provides auto body reptair and painting at its four locations in the metro for more than two decades, and it’s been a felicitous match.

Dingman’s Collision Center, first established in Waverly, Iowa, has operated in Omaha for 25 years. Darcie Dingman, the marketing and human resources director at Dingman’s, explained the family-owned company has had a heart for people from its inception.

“Our company still has a small-town feel, and we care about people,” Dingman said. “We care about our community and the people, and we want to support it.”

Why ODM? Dingman said that while the work the Mission does is inspiring, its people are, too.

“To us, the mission is obviously amazing. Candace [Gregory] is a really hands-on CEO, and she’s really

involved in the day-to-day operations,” she said. “It feels like everybody is 100% onboard. We like that about her. You just believe Candace when she talks.”

Dingman’s commitment to the Open Door Mission is more than just financial, and that’s what makes it unique. Not only has Dingman’s provided monetary support to ODM campaigns like Kids to Kamp, Hope for the Hungry, and Project Santa; the company has volunteered its time and talent as well. For example, when COVID hit in 2020, Dingman’s employees completed a no-contact Stuff a Truck campaign, which filled the Mission’s storage capacity within a few weeks.

“Many companies had to decide what to do with employees during COVID,” Dingman explained. “We decided to keep all employees on staff and pay them what they got the year before, and we put them to work volunteering. We made that choice even before the federal loans were announced. We made sack lunches, lots of things. For us, that was the best of COVID during that rough time.”

In this age of increasingly competitive employment, and a workforce looking for meaning (a 2022 report from McKinsey stated that “63% of people we surveyed said they want their employer to provide more opportunities for purpose in their day-to-day work”), Dingman’s decision to reach out to the metro’s disadvantaged was an easy choice.

The company’s years of commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed. Candace Gregory, whose tenure at ODM is 28 years, said that Dingman’s Collision

Center has provided invaluable service to the Mission’s work.

“They are hands-on. It’s incredible,” Gregory declared. “They were integral in building community support through the Stuff a Truck program for our existing Elkhorn location. Dingman’s has given us opportunities and sites that are convenient, so other people can have a meaningful impact on the Open Door Mission. They are always asking what are your greatest needs and how they can be involved.

“They are an excellent advocate [for us] in the community, and we need people who are willing to be that advocate,” Gregory explained. “There are many worthy charities in our community, and we are thrilled that Dingman’s chooses to partner with Open Door Mission.”

Visit opendoormission.org for more information.

B2B

“THERE ARE MANY WORTHY CHARITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE THRILLED THAT DINGMAN’S CHOOSES TO PARTNER WITH OPEN DOOR MISSION.”

-CANDACE GREGORY

HOW I ROLL | STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

‘DISTINCTIVE, NOT FLASHY’

BRUCK’S

911 EXUDES ELEGANCE AT EVERY TURN

I’ve always wanted to have a sports car,” Lori Bruck said, and her 2021 Porsche Carrera 911 4 Cabriolet has the power, performance, and speed to make it one of the best.

It’s also a reliable vehicle that holds its value and, with all-wheel drive, handles like a dream no matter the road condition. But as well-engineered as the Porsche is, Bruck admits she didn’t buy it for practical reasons.

“They say, ‘Separate your needs from your wants,’” Bruck explained. “I didn’t really buy this car for need. I bought this car because I wanted it.”

And Bruck, the chief marketing officer for Tenaska Marketing Ventures, made some outstanding choices, Porsche Omaha general manager Mitch Schneringer said.

“I personally love the jet-black metallic exterior combined with the black/Bordeaux red full-leather interior that Lori selected,” he explained. “To me, the color combo is a powerful and elegant statement that reflects her personal style. Jet-black metallic provides depth and power, while the metallic nature of the paint adds the perfect level of understated sophistication. The black and Bordeaux red leather interior is dynamic, bold, and a classic Porsche interior that represents style, heritage, and uniqueness. And, of course, the beautiful wheels that Lori ordered on her 911 Cabriolet are a perfect finishing touch to a well-specified 911.”

“It’s so sleek. I love the look of the Porsche; it’s a timeless, classic automobile,” Bruck said of her vehicle. “There are a lot of sports cars that are beautiful; they’re gorgeous. They’re not understated; they’re flashy. […] People who know this car and appreciate it, ‘get it.’ In my mind, it’s not an in-your-face kind of thing. It’s distinctive, but it’s not flashy.”

To protect it from road salt and debris, Bruck puts the Porsche in storage during the deepest part of winter. However, she’s been known to push into dry days early in the season with the top down, seat warmers on, and heat blasting.

“It’s my daily vehicle when it’s nice outside. I love taking it to work. I have to say, it’s just a joy to get in to,” she said. “I don’t ‘save’ it; it was meant to be driven, meant to be enjoyed.”

Bruck said she misses the car greatly during the weeks it’s stored offsite.

“When we were storing it at our previous house before we had kids driving and needed more garage space I would go start it in the winter so I could hear it,” she said. “The sound of it makes me happy.”

According to Schneringer, about one-fourth of Porsche owners are women. Bruck speculates that the percentage is lower for the sports models. People often look surprised to see a woman behind the wheel, she said, but the Brucks have owned

three Porsches since 2009. Their teenage daughter is already coveting the Carrera as a future hand-medown, and although she’s enjoyed being a passenger, she hasn’t been allowed to drive it yet.

“They’re a little tricky to drive because they have so much power and they sit low. You have to drive very aware, because you can’t always be seen,” Bruck said. “But I think it appeals to everyone. You appreciate the beauty and the gravity and the grandeur of it.”

“Porsches mean a lot of different things to different people, and the German engineering allows the vehicle to easily adapt to wide audience of individual needs and wants,” Schneringer said.

It’s a fun ride, too, serving up a maximum horsepower of 443 at 6500 rpm on command.

“It’s a beast,” Bruck said, adding that she’s considered taking lessons at a race track someday. “I would think I’d enjoy that…to push it a little further, just to know what it could do. Because I know it’s there.” Visit

LORI

PORSCHE

IN THE OFFICE | STORY BY LISA LUKECART | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

BRIDGEPOINT INVESTS IN DOWNTOWN VISION

BANK BUYS INTO THE 15TH FLOOR AT LANDMARK

Asweeping, stunning vista of downtown Omaha greeted guests as they stepped off the elevator in the Landmark building at 13th and Farnam streets. The energetic glow of the city lights illuminated the office space. Wine corks popped, and lively conversations ensued.

Jason Fisher, CEO of real estate firm The Lund Company, decided a happy hour seemed a perfect opportunity to host his friends from Bridgepoint Investment Banking who wanted to make a move into a new office. Fisher believed the independent financial boutique was a great fit since the available space could be a valuable tool to entertain clients, recruit employees, and enhance advancements.

“The 15th floor in downtown Omaha in a luxury property says something more meaningful and successful than any property in the suburbs,” Fisher said. “There is nothing like the city center.”

Natasha Plooster, Bridgepoint’s COO, remained unconvinced until she experienced the atmosphere herself that summer night the “hidden gem” in the recently renovated Landmark Center mingled a soft elegance with a vibrant vibe.

She visualized dressing up the lobby for entertaining. The front desk could transform into a bar, while the conference room could house catered food. Subtle jazz music might filter through the speakers to create ambiance. Industry leaders, partners, and clients could feast at premier restaurants nearby or stay at the The Farnam, Autograph Collection Hotel. Employees could partake in revitalizing walks, lunches, or boot camps in the Heartland of America Park on the riverfront.

Natasha and her husband, Matt Plooster, Bridgepoint’s co-founder and CEO, could see the potential of the space far outweighed their long commute from Malcolm, Nebraska. The company made the move two years ago, and has since kept the previous owner’s design scheme, which gels with Natasha Plooster’s vision.

“I want clients to feel at home and to feel the expertise of the group,” she said.

Tobacco leather chairs sit outside a meeting area next to the windows, showcasing an eye-catching view of the city. A chandelier hangs down for opulent indoor lighting. The area rug mirrors the Farnam Hotel, a topographical abstract of golden wheat, muddy fields, and blue rivers.

The Malcolm conference room, so named after the Ploosters’ home residence, seats 20 while the Omaha meeting room holds 10. A click of a button controls the enclosures, frosting the glass like a car window on an icy day, encasing the rooms in privacy.

Modular walls make it easy for whiteboards, pinboards, or even monitors to be easily inserted. Plooster thought this detail would allow for growth as needed. Charcoal chairs and local artwork lend a vibrant yet classic feel to the bigger offices. Cubicles keep the open area neat and tidy with sit-to-stand desks, stylized wooden rolling cabinets, and smudge-proof surfaces.

In another meeting room, comfortable chairs in navy the signature hue of the Bridgepoint brand surround a fully equipped table. The airiness

feels intimate due to the walnut acoustic clouds embedded in the ceilings. A big-screen monitor pops against the espresso-colored paneling.

“We are a group that loves to have fun,” she added.

This is evident in the lobby, where a hidden butler’s pantry for catering and wine resides. Customized lucite awards fun “deal toys” used to commemorate closings cover the shelves up front. A shiny, black automobile, a wooden rolling pin, and metallic car keys all add a sense of playfulness and competitiveness. Matt Plooster loves baseball; an array of personalized bats hang on plastic hooks in a meeting room. When a closing happens, each transaction member receives a colorful hardwood reminder of all their hard work. A ring of the bell calls team members to convene for a drink and a celebratory cigar on the outdoor patio overlooking a broad swath of the city.

The lounge area, utilized for internal meetings, contains taupe leather sofas and a soft gray chair. Photographs of team-building trips to Vail in Colorado; Cabo San Lucas in Mexico; Sonoma in California, and other leisure destinations line the walls.

With the backdrop of energetic downtown Omaha, the company is galvanized to continue its successful financial ventures.

Visit bridgepointib.com for more information.

B2B

| STORY BY JOEL STEVENS | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

PEPPERJAX IS ‘COOKING WITH GAS’

NEW MENU ITEMS, DRIVE-THRUS PUSH OMAHA-BASED CHEESESTEAK CHAIN GROWTH

n 2002, Gary Rohwer started PepperJax Grill as a modern twist on classic fast food. The entrepreneur and innovator envisioned fresh, made-to-order Philly cheesesteaks prepared for customers as a grill-side experience.

Two decades later, the quick and casual Philly shop that started in Omaha is still going strong thriving in a highly competitive, always-changing market. They’ve managed to not only stay relevant but also grow in a labor-challenged, supply chain-snagged post-COVID environment.

And they’re doing it exactly as Rohwer intended.

“For us, it’s about the freshness of what we do and coming up with LTOs [limited time offers] and new, fun things to try, and being brilliant at the basics,” said Erin Palladino, PepperJax chief operating officer. “We like to be that go-to, reliable source for customers.”

PepperJax celebrated its 20th anniversary last year with the opening of a new, freestanding store, just a stone’s throw from its original location near 132nd and West Center Road. Rohwer sold the chain in 2016 to a private equity firm; then Nebraska-native Brett Weis acquired the brand in 2017. The chain opened its new corporate headquarters in Omaha near 144th Street and Interstate 80 last fall. Rohwer is no longer involved with the business, but is still a vendor partner, selling his patented, pre-portioned frozen steak to the company.

In the last year, the chain of 33 corporately owned stores across Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota has undergone a brand makeover.

The original red and green pepper logo has been revamped, and the stores themselves are being remodeled for a more modern look. The chain has always featured a mix of freestanding and inline (aka strip mall) retail stores, but they are trending toward more drive-thru access. The new kitchen concept caters to both their takeout and the dine-in customers who consider seeing their food being made as part of the PepperJax experience. In the last year they’ve launched two food trucks essentially micro-versions of the restaurant kitchens serving the Omaha area in addition to their own PepperJax app for easy online ordering.

“It took some trial and error and learning, but where we’re at now, we feel we have the best of both worlds,” Palladino said. “We have two lines; we grill to order whether you are in the drive-thru or in front of house.”

Staying relevant is a process that’s rarely stagnant in successful quick-casual chains. Company growth often hinges on brand growth and offerings matching, or even predicting, customer demand. The diverse offerings that started with steak and chicken Phillies also now include smoked brisket and pulled pork, in addition to rice bowls, salads, and loaded fries.

PepperJax’s updated branding and menu dovetails with the pandemic pivot they and many restaurants undertook post-COVID. When staying relevant meant keeping the same freshness and customization customers want without having to get out of their car, PepperJax led the way.

“COVID made us pause and take a look at what we needed to do to adapt,” Palladino said.

Prior to COVID, PepperJax customers were 80% dine-in, 20% takeout. When restaurant dining rooms shut down, the company didn’t delay, overhauling its point-of-sale system and rolling out online ordering in less than 90 days.

“We’ve gotten sharper about our execution and consistency,” Palladino said. “The service level and finding ways to serve all guests in all ways. And perfecting our drive-thru. The one thing we’ve noticed since COVID is that the convenience factor is still relevant with our guests, so being able to add that and get that same freshness and customization but not have to get out of the car, it helps.”

The 80/20 dine-in to takeout ratio has not returned post-COVID, Palladino said. She estimates most stores are in the 50/50 range.

“It’s interesting because we thought that [shift] was pandemic-related only, but here we are a couple years later and we’re still seeing a pretty heavy mix of people who are on the convenience, take it home side,” she said.

Plans to phase in more take-home options, the brand refresh, and the store remodels in the outer markets in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota are all ongoing. Two new PepperJax locations have opened in Omaha since August 2022, and a third will open this summer. Sioux City will get the first freestanding, drive-thru location in the Iowa market later this year.

Palladino, who started at PepperJax as a part-time crew member 18 years ago, said the company goal is 50 corporate-owned locations in its Midwest footprint. But the chain doesn’t plan to stop there.

“Franchising is being considered,” Palladino said. “But its behind our growth goals we have internally. It’s nice to see people are interested in us coming to Arkansas and Arizona and places further away. I do think there will be a point in time for us when […] franchising will be the next natural growth model for us and what we do.”

Visit

“FOR US, IT’S ABOUT THE FRESHNESS OF WHAT WE DO AND COMING UP WITH LTOS (LIMITED TIME OFFERS) AND NEW, FUN THINGS TO TRY, AND BEING BRILLIANT AT THE BASICS.”

-ERIN PALLADINO

“I REALLY BELIEVE IN EDUCATION AS A MEANS TO CHANGE THE WORLD, AND BUSINESS IS JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT.” -REBECCA ATKINS

ON

| STORY BY BRIDGET FOGARTY | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

REACHING ALL STUDENTS

UNO’S REBECCA ATKINS MAKES EDUCATION EVERYONE’S BUSINESS

Education has always taken a front seat in Rebecca Atkins’ life.

The years Atkins enjoyed as a student at St. Stanislaus and Omaha South High School instilled a love for learning in the born-and-raised South Omahan. But navigating life as a new college student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was a challenge.

“I come from a family where my parents went to college, I have siblings who went to college, and the transition was still very hard for me,” Atkins said.

She now looks back at the toughest moments of her college transition with gratitude like the time she failed, and subsequently had to retake, her organic chemistry class.

“It was that failure that made me realize, ‘okay you can’t do this alone, you need help,’” Atkins said. That lesson also made her realize she wanted to improve the scholastic experience for future students.

Over the past 10 years of working in higher education, Atkins has connected young people, offering them vital support as an admissions counselor, academic and career advisor, and teacher at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. These days, she leads UNO’s College of Business Administration Prep Academy as its inaugural director. The CBA Prep Academy offers free to low-cost business and academic camps for grade school and high school students in the metro-area. While the program aims to support first generation, low income, and historically excluded students, all students are welcome, Atkins said.

“I really believe in education as a means to change the world, and business is just another piece of that,” she said.

The idea for the CBA Academy first came up in conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in UNO’s College of Business Administration following the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020. Data showed students of color in Douglas County were underrepresented in the business school.

“I call her my little sister,” Sewell said. “She’s a true pleasure to be around.”

Atkins has had a successful past few years beyond launching the new program. She served as the first Latina chair of the Omaha Chamber Young Professionals Council and was named to Midlands Business Journal’s 40 under 40 list in 2021. She helped establish a permanent standing Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion Advisory Council in UNO’s College of Business Administration. She was recently sworn in as a chair for the Omaha Home for Boys Board.

Most importantly, she started another new role as a mom.

-DESTYNIE

“DEI work isn’t easy; it takes a lot of stamina to endure,” said Destynie Sewell, an assistant professor in the college who worked with Atkins to develop the program. “Rebecca is not about addressing symptoms; she’s about the root cause.”

Through initial programs, the Omaha business community has been eager to connect with CBA Prep Academy students, Atkins said. The young participants “seem very unafraid” to ask questions and learn, “which I love,” she added.

Sewell said she admires how Atkins is making a brand-new program meaningful and sustainable.

“It’s not like she had shoes to fill or a road map to go after,” Sewell said. But that’s just Rebecca she sees things through.

In many ways, this is a kairos moment for Atkins and her career her goal has always been to help make higher education more accessible for everyone, especially students of color, low-income, or firstgeneration status. But she sees herself as one piece of the larger puzzle.

“I enjoy being a leader, but I also feel like I’m privileged to be in a place of leadership,” Atkins said. “I always need to use that to make Omaha and the world a better place.”

“DEI WORK ISN’T EASY, IT TAKES A LOT OF STAMINA TO ENDURE. REBECCA IS NOT ABOUT ADDRESSING SYMPTOMS, SHE’S ABOUT THE ROOT CAUSE.”

SEWELL

THE RISE

| STORY BY LINDA PERSIGEHL | PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY

HOW ARE YOU ADDRESSING IT?

Worker productivity fell at the fastest rate in four decades in 2022, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Employee burnout post-pandemic, stress over inflation/finances, and lack of workplace engagement are some of the believed causes. We asked three business owners if they had seen productivity fall and how they’re responding Shannon Lofdahl, president of Travelex; Nick Strawhecker, owner of Dante; and Dave Nelson, owner of SecretPenguin. (Answers have been edited for length and clarity.)

B2B: Tell us briefly about your company, i.e. products/services, customers, years in business.

SL: Headquartered in Omaha, Travelex Insurance Services has been a leading U.S. provider of travel insurance for 26 years. Travelex offers an array of products designed to protect travelers and the moments that matter most while they explore the world. We are part of the Zurich family of global brands and a woman-led organization.

NS: We’re in our 14th year now. We do wood fired Italian and Neapolitan pizza and Italian wine. We also do events. The majority of our revenue comes from dinner. We have a location in west Omaha. Our demographic is the 40- to 65-year-old crowd with extra income. They come in and enjoy beautiful Italian wine and food.

DN: SecretPenguin creates and refines brands to stand out. We do identity design, developing their brand’s identity (logos, colors, fonts, messaging, etc.) and experience design, because no matter how great a logo or ad is, a customer doesn’t become a

repeat customer if the experience falls short. We’ve been in business for 23 years. Our clients include: restaurants/bars; nonprofits; living spaces; retail and services; arts and culture; healthcare; and localities.

B2B: How do you measure productivity? Have you seen it fall the past two years? Why?

SL: Travelex has a structured goal-setting process where our people leaders work with their team members to set SMART goals that align with the organization’s objectives and with the employee’s own objectives. Goals are a fundamental way we measure employee productivity quarterly and annually. On a daily basis, our project managers lead cross-functional project teams tasked with executing our projects and initiatives to meet the organizational objectives. Over the past two years, we’ve seen productivity increase, and we attribute this to the transformation of our workplace culture using the CliftonStrengths® model, developed right here in Omaha by Gallup.

NS: It’s very easy to measure productivity frontof-house from a dollars standpoint. We pay close attention to guest [ticket] average. But we can also look back-of-house [productivity] and easily see if [employees] are doing their job or not. It’s not like an office setting or where you have a team working from home and have no idea what they’re doing.

For us, productivity has actually increased. The restaurant business and in fact, the whole hospitality industry has completely changed since COVID, in part because we lost 20-25 percent of our workforce. Everyone decided they were working too hard for too little. Work culture has been pushed to the very front of our business. We take

care of our team. We offer many benefits, including 401(k) and life insurance […] and we give them what they need to succeed, including a product they’re proud of selling.

DN:  We have financial goals we need to hit, but we don’t make that the reason to get things done. Instead, we focus on doing great work for our clients to make their lives easier.  Productivity got harder as we transitioned into remote work and processed the pandemic. It lowered at first, then rose back up. We really prioritized physical health, mental health, and relationships during that time because if anyone was struggling, how could they possibly do good work? As a by-product of prioritizing people, productivity excelled.

B2B: Have you changed processes to address productivity? What’s been effective?

SL: At Travelex, we care about [employees’] wellbeing and all aspects of their lives. CliftonStrengths has been significant in creating a positive, supportive, accepting culture with DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) inherently woven into it. We foster a strong learning and coaching environment where employees can find mentoring, job shadowing, and professional development opportunities to help them explore their strengths and interests.

Employee recognition is another element. We use Yammer internally so employees can share information, knowledge, and interests. We have our #STARS group, where any employee can acknowledge another employee. We have a monthly Extra Mile Award, for which any employee can nominate another. We also have quarterly awards, like our Game-Changer Award for employees who’ve made

significant contributions to advance the business. By creating a workplace culture where employees want to be engaged and can thrive, we’ve seen our productivity soar.

NS: This is a review-heavy business. It’s easy to see real guest interaction, and we give positive shout-outs  [to our employees] all the time. We give thorough training, then set expectations and let people thrive. My management team and I meet every Wednesday, and we’ve deployed EOS Entrepreneurial Organizational System. It’s a tool we use that helps us determine our values, focus […] and achieve our goals.

DN: We stack our meetings so they’re mainly on two days of the week. This allows for more “deep work” the rest of the week. Mondays and Fridays no meetings. And we’ve gone to a 4-day workweek Fridays off. This almost gamifies work tasks to try and get everything done so you can have an additional day of rest. This has actually increased productivity and led to more creative work. And first Mondays of the month are off. It ensures we close out all work tasks, billing, etc. by the end of the month so we can have it off. These days off mentally create an endpoint to hit versus a feeling of never-ending tasks. This all creates freedom. Objectives are made clear, but how you accomplish it is all up to you. The goal isn’t to control how someone works, but to have the end result be great.

B2B

Dave Nelson

Shannon Lofdahl

Nick Strawhecker

FEATURE | STORY BY ANDREW J. NELSON

PHOTO BY PROVIDED

A CINDERELLA STORY

ELITE GOLF COURSES DRIVE BOOMING SANDHILLS TOURISM

The Nebraska Sandhills have long been known for ranching, for scenic beauty, for the long lonely drive up Nebraska Highway 2, or for being, as the National Park Service says, roughly 34,000 square miles of the largest and best developed sand dunes in the Western Hemisphere.

But in recent years, the Nebraska region has become known for something else: being among the top destinations in the world for golf.

“The Sandhills of Nebraska has almost become a Mecca for golf. It’s a really special place in America,” said Joel Jacobs, CEO/owner of the Dismal River Club near Mullen. “We’ve seen an onslaught of world-class golf courses.”

Many of the premier courses aren’t what you might expect to find around Omaha a good place to shoot nine or 18 holes after work and get a drink at the clubhouse before heading home. In fact, they’re more aptly described as golf resorts, with cabins, restaurants, and a host of other activities… necessary, in part because some of these courses are out in the middle of nowhere, even by Nebraska standards.

Take Dismal River southwest of tiny Mullen, Nebraska, (Census Bureau pop. 734) in Hooker County and more than an hour’s drive from the nearest city. The club, founded in 2006, today offers offers horseback riding, sporting clays, fall and winter pheasant hunting, bison hunting, and a 25,000-square-foot clubhouse. Inside, guests can

enjoy a pub, a fine dining area for corporate events, custom wine tasting, and meals prepared by an executive chef and a culinary team that produces five-star results, Jacobs said.

Five new four-bedroom cabins are under construction, eventually bringing the club from 80 rentable rooms to 130. And all that is in addition to two 18-hole golf courses the White Course, designed by legendary PGA champion Jack Nicklaus, and the Red Course, created by golf course architect and author Tom Doak.

“We turned it from just pure golf…to doing more outdoor adventure,” said Jacobs, who played 8-man football in Mullen, then found success in the NFL as a tight end for the New England Patriots before his business career. “The golf courses and all the experiences that we offer…we are not even close to touching the capacity.”

Wild Horse Golf Club near Gothenburg in southcentral Nebraska began in 1996 when a group of members at the old nine-hole municipal golf course decided they needed something better. They knew a cow pasture northwest of town was available and figured they could buy it, said Tony Collins, Wild Horse’s director. They brought in nationally known golf course architects Ben Crenshaw and Bill Core to design the new links.

CONT. PAGE 50

Wild Horse Golf Club

It was soon named one of the top in the country. Then they added a clubhouse and lodging.

“I compare it to field of dreams, but for golf,” Collins said.

It offers fewer amenities and activities than clubs like Dismal River. But with its proximity to Gothenburg, they may not be as necessary. Wild Horse cabins sell out a year in advance during golf season. Restaurant and bar services are still being developed, but you can pre-arrange steak dinners. It also benefits from its proximity to the North Platte Regional Airport about a 30-minute drive.

And with less offerings, that helps the Gothenburg economy.

“We definitely benefit from the folks that come from outside of Gothenburg,” said Deb Egenberger, executive director of the Gothenburg Community Development Office. Golfers who travel to Gothenburg “are going to buy a tank of gas. They are going to buy a meal. They are going to buy something to take home to one of their kids.”

Jacobs said Dismal River and other golf clubs in more remote parts of the Sandhills offer one thing rare in today’s world: peace and quiet.

“It’s really about the freedom you experience when you are in the absolute middle of nowhere,” he said. “It’s the freedom you don’t really have in today’s world.”

Dismal River and Wild Horse are hardly alone on the jagged, grassy hills. Sand Hills Golf Club is located near Dismal River in Hooker County, and the CapRock Ranch and the Prairie Club are southwest of Valentine, Nebraska, in north-central Cherry County.

With Both CapRock and Prairie Club offering guest accommodations, that brings in lodging tax dollars to help promote the Valentine area even more, said Regina Osburn, director for Cherry County Tourism. Some avid golfers have purchased second homes in Valentine.

“It’s really helped the local downtown and city sales tax, said Osburn, who is also director and president of the Nebraska Travel Association. “We are pretty much booming and busting at the seams during the summertime.”

In Gothenburg, local tourism officials promote the city to visiting golfers, luring them to nearby attractions like the Pony Express Station museum.

Dismal River is an exclusive club, with a $25,000 bill up front for membership. But local residents and nonprofit groups are allowed limited access. This benefits the high-rolling members, too, Jacobs said. They get the opportunity to dine with ranchers and Mullen-area locals, not something you normally get to do if you’re a guy from New Jersey.

Wild Horse is less exclusive, as it is a public facility. “You can show up and play pretty much whenever you want,” Collins said. “There is no requirement to be a member. We do have memberships available.”

At Wild Horse, 18 holes with a cart costs $99 Friday through Sunday and $85 during the week. That includes a driving range pass. The average pace of play is 4 hours, 20 minutes.

Both Wild Horse and Dismal River get their fair share of celebrities. Comedian Larry the Cable Guy and various Huskers like Eric Crouch make regular appearances at Wild Horse, Collins said. Egenberger recalls Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan coming out to play a round.

“There was a group from India…they came to Gothenburg just to play golf,” she said.

Dismal River hosts a bevy of athletes, politicians, and other notables from the business and entertainment worlds. Jacobs said he can’t talk much about that; in some cases, he’s bound by nondisclosure agreements. Both courses respect the privacy of their famous visitors.

Another reason for the success of the courses is no doubt the geography itself mixed-grass prairie and rolling hills topped by course sands for as far as the eye can see. Both Jacobs and Collins likened the landscape to that seen at the site of golf’s origins in the British Isles.

“It really is a step back in time to the courses where the game of golf originated,” Jacobs said. “Those link-style courses are all very similar to the experience you have in the Sandhills.”

Said Collins: “It kind of takes you back in history a little bit…very natural wispy grass in the rough.”

But geography can be a challenge, too. If the grass doesn’t get covered in snow, it can die in the harsh cold and blowing wind of the arid region. “You can live and die by the winters in Nebraska,” he said.

Erosion is more profound in the Sandhills. Jacobs recalls a broken valve on an irrigation pipe one winter that washed out 500 feet of road and the side of a hill. And since you can’t backfill frozen dirt and sand, they had to wait two months to fix it.

“Once you open up a sand dune, that sand just starts moving,” he said. “It was like a crater as you enter the club.”

The golf courses look out for each other and support each other.

“They are all just world-class experiences around the region. It’s a benefit to everyone to have as many as we have,” Jacobs said. “It’s exciting for the state of Nebraska. And I’m happy to be a part of it and be an advocate for all the other courses as well. Because you get these guys coming in, flying in, they want to try to play them all.”

And with the February announcement that Dismal River has plans to add a third course, thanks to a partnership with Chicago-based KemperSports, the appeal of the private course is expected to grow.

What brings people from around the world to the Sandhills isn’t just about the remoteness, or the beauty. “It’s about how they are treated,” Egenberger said.

“Folks that come here, they enjoy their experience here,” she said. “And they come back. It’s that come-back thing that becomes really important. They make an annual reservation. So they bring their money back year after year. And then they tell their friends…and then their friends want to come.”

For more on things to do in western Nebraska, go to visitnebraska.com/sandhills.

B2B

OMAHA’S Favorite DRY CLEANER

EST. 1917

UNIFORM RENTAL SERVICE

EST. 1974

Since 1917, five generations of the Walker family have served the retail, and then the commercial, laundry markets in Omaha and the surrounding areas. We’re Dry Cleaners, but many Omaha business owners have also depended on our Uniform Rental Service since 1974.

www.maxiwalker.com & www.maxiwalkeruniform.com

ONE OF ROCKET’S HIGH-END CAR TREATMENTS IS WHAT IT CALLS ‘HOT LAVA.’ “IT’S A CERAMIC COATING WHICH IS A MAJOR STEP UP. IT OFFERS A GREATER RESISTANCE TO SOAPS, WATER, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS.”

-JASON RICKS

FEATURE | STORY BY MIKE WHYE | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

CAR WASH CHAINS CLEAN UP

CONSUMERS ENTICED BY CONVENIENCE PROGRAMS, BOLD DISPLAYS, AND BETTER RESULTS

Even before the first car wash in the U.S. opened in 1914, car owners have been washing their rides, aiming to keep them looking as sharp as the day they drove them off the lot. Fittingly located in Detroit, Michigan at that time the capital of the world’s auto industry the car wash arrived just six years after Henry Ford began mass producing his Model T, the first automobile that was affordable to most consumers.

Initially called an “automated laundry,” it was far from machine-driven or self-operating. Several men would have to push a vehicle through a building, where they would rinse it with water, apply soap, rinse it again, and then dry it with towels, all by hand.

The next major advance in car washes took place in Hollywood in 1940, when a winch device pulled cars through a tunnel of sorts where, again, men worked over the car. Not until 1951 did the forerunner of the modern automatic car wash come into being when three brothers in Seattle created a conveyor system that transported vehicles past a series of nozzles spraying rinses and soapy waters, revolving brushes, and finally, blowers that dried everything.

Today, it’s easy to see the latest offspring of those early car washes as one drives around Omaha. They’re everywhere, it seems. Their buildings are bold and eye-catching with many favoring bright red or blue signage and architectural accents. Exterior glass walls allow passersby to see in as cars are cleaned. Indoors, LED lights produce bursts of color as water jets spray, soaps foam, and brushes whirl and dance across every surface of the cars.

While facility aesthetics help draw attention and customers, many newer car washes offer more than just good looks and flashing lights. Some use special waxes those tougher than the traditional car waxes that owners have applied for years. Others feature water nozzles that blast the undercarriage of vehicles to remove the brine and grime that gathers there. Still others have membership programs, with several tiers of service and monthly fee options to choose from.

There are even more bells and whistles at Tommy’s Express Car Wash, one of the newer companies in the region, said field manager Marcus Krenz. One of its most popular features is its license plate recognition system. Members can download and log onto the TommyClub app on their cell phone, register their car’s license plate, and preselect what type of wash and service is desired that day. Upon entering the member wash lane, a camera recognizes their license plate and sets up the prearranged wash sequence. The cost of the wash is then billed to their account.

In fact, anyone coming in for a wash can get the app and, without enrolling as a member, arrange the features of the car wash and be charged just for a single wash. There are also lanes for non-members who want to pay a cashier or use a credit card onsite.

The TommyClub app itself is also a major convenience. “If you want to upgrade, downgrade, cancel your plan, or change your membership to another vehicle, you can manage everything on that app,” Krenz said.

The first Tommy’s in Nebraska opened near 132nd and F streets in October 2018. As field manager, Krenz oversees this location as well as two others in Omaha and Lincoln. The company has eight more in Omaha, Lincoln, Columbus, Fremont, Kearney, Grand Island, and Norfolk, plus more facilities in Omaha, Bellevue, and Council Bluffs are planned. Krenz said demand for its services only continues to grow, and market saturation is not a concern. “I don’t think expanding too much will be an issue,” he said.

There are about 130 more Tommy’s Express operations across the country, making it the sixth largest car wash company in the U.S., according to Commercial Plus, a commercial real estate company that tracks the car wash industry. The firm, headquartered in Holland, Michigan, opened its first car wash in Canada last October.

Krenz said some car owners are reluctant to use automatic washes because of bad past experiences where debris in the rapidly rotating brushes has scratched their cars. “We are way more careful with what goes into our brushes,” he said. “If a vehicle has large clumps of dirt that could have rock and sand, we won’t let that go through our wash.”

If a vehicle is dirty but not dirty enough to be denied entry, employees use a 200-psi fire hose to power-wash the brushes that came into contact with that vehicle and remove the dirt from them before they can touch another vehicle.

CONT. PAGE 54

FROM PAGE 53

Krenz also pointed out that Tommy’s developed a conveyor belt to transport the vehicles through the wash tunnel without chains or rollers that can damage tires and rims as has happened at some automatic car washes in the past. Using the conveyor belt also allows Tommy’s to position vehicles closer together so the brushes scrub the vehicles’ front and back ends better.

In a 2021 speech to Tommy’s employees, Ryan Essenburg, the founder and president of Tommy’s, said that people simply wanting to get out of their houses during the COVID epidemic helped to boost car wash sales, creating an industry boom. He also said that, because of the complexity of the equipment used by car washes, it’s easier to build a new location with current technology than to refurbish an outdated car wash. He expects older locations to go out of business for that same reason.

One thing that is not readily apparent is that newer car washes use less water than ever before due to technological advances in water reclamation. Studies of how they use water, such as one by the Western Carwash Association whose members are in a severe drought and must pay attention to water consumption show some conveyor-equipped car washes use as little at 3.5 gallons of water per minute on cars and light trucks. Considering that Tommy’s runs a car through its wash tunnel in 60 to 90 seconds, that’s just over 5 gallons. In comparison, a 1960s carwash used about 72.5 gallons per vehicle.

Even washing a vehicle with a soap and hose at home tends to use more water than a modern car wash. According to the the Environmental Protection Agency, washing a car in the driveway uses between 40 and 118 gallons. In addition, wastewater from home washing contains detergent chemicals that typically flow into storm sewers and, ultimately, the nation’s waterways. On the other hand, new car wash’s reclamation processes remove substances like detergents from wastewater before it heads to a city sewer. It is then processed again at a waste treatment plant, which is better for the environment.

Like Tommy’s, Rocket Car Wash has experienced tremendous expansion in recent years. Rocket’s chief operating officer, Jason Ricks an Air Force veteran and vice president with Bucky’s Convenience Stores before joining Rocket Carwash in March 2022 is encouraged by the industry’s growth potential.

“Rocket’s in 11 states with four [locations] in the Omaha-Lincoln area, and four more are coming,” he said of the chain, which plans to open another 27 soon across the U.S. Started in Pennsylvania, the company opened its first Nebraska locations in 2007, eventually moving its headquarters from Pittsburgh to Central Park Plaza in Omaha. Rocket’s parent company is City+Ventures, an investment and development firm.

One of Rocket’s high-end car treatments is what it calls ‘Hot Lava.’ “It’s a ceramic coating, which is a major step up,” Ricks explained. “It offers a greater resistance to soaps, water, and environmental hazards. They’re more durable than wax…resist heat, UV rays, and harsh detergents. While wax could come off at the local wash, ceramic coats will not and can last two to five years.”

Employees hand-dry the vehicles coming out of the wash at Rocket. Cloth towels are available for the customers who want to dry their vehicles themselves, Ricks said.

In addition to having a wash tunnel at its 168th and West Maple streets location, Rocket has a tunnel for cleaning car interiors. After getting an exterior wash, which takes about three minutes, customers can drive into a parallel tunnel where attendants spend about 10 minutes cleaning everything from door jambs to cup holders to mats and the insides of the windows. “We have one of these installations in Lincoln, too,” Ricks said.

Although Ricks spoke specifically about Rocket, his words about the technological advances in the car washes can be applied to the industry. “The evolution is not only on the equipment, but the soap side,” he said. “Those coupled together have revolutionized the process, so [the machines do] a better job than doing it yourself. That’s all propelled the growth.”

Visit tommys-express.com and rocketcarwash.com for more information.

B2B

“THE EVOLUTION IS NOT ONLY ON THE EQUIPMENT, BUT THE SOAP SIDE. THOSE COUPLED TOGETHER HAVE REVOLUTIONIZED THE PROCESS, SO [THE MACHINES DO] A BETTER JOB THAN DOING IT YOURSELF. THAT’S ALL PROPELLED THE GROWTH.”-JASON RICKS

FEATURE | STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

KIEWIT LUMINARIUM CEO SILVA RAKER

LEADING

OMAHA’S SCIENCE CENTER WAS ‘IN THE STARS’ FOR THE STEM ADVOCATE

AOmaha’s much-anticipated nextgeneration science center, Kiewit Luminarium, is slated to open this spring under the leadership of inaugural CEO Silva Raker, who most recently served as senior business director of global collaborations for the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Although both the Kiewit Luminarium and Exploratorium focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and Raker has her feet planted firmly on the ground, she can’t help but wonder at a few points of cosmic significance.

“My first official day [at the Kiewit Luminarium] was August 16, 2021. And I remember that day because, strangely enough, it’s exactly the same day I started at the Exploratorium in 2010,” she said.

Nebraska also happened to be the first place Raker, a native of rural northern California, ever traveled to by plane; as a teen, she attended a National Science Foundation summer residency program at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.

“It does feel like there’s kind of a full-circle aspect of it,” she said.

Successful new beginnings may be in the stars, but Raker also comes to the Kiewit Luminarium CEO role with an extraordinary background. She earned a zoology degree from the University of California at Berkeley and worked as a field biologist for several projects. She went on to developing proprietary products, innovative programs, and partnerships for The Nature Company. She later served as chief operating officer and leading

strategist for Backroads, Inc., an active-adventure travel company, before joining the Exploratorium. It was Raker’s role there that connected her to the Kiewit Luminarium in 2018 as part of a consulting team when the Omaha project was still in the study phase. In November 2020, Omaha Discovery Trust announced that construction was officially underway for the $101 million privately funded science center at Omaha’s Lewis and Clark Landing.

“When we set out to develop the Kiewit Luminarium, we focused heavily on being responsive to community needs and interests, reinterpreting what STEM is and how it touches our lives, and bringing out the pure joy that comes with discovering something new or unexpected,” said Exploratorium’s Project Director of Global Collaborations, Allyson Feeney. “Silva is an expansive and creative thinker with a passion for life-long learning. She is comfortable taking risks, trying new things, and adapting as needed, which is not the status quo in this industry. These attributes make her a perfect fit for the Kiewit Luminarium, which is setting out to try some very new and exciting things.”

Raker said she had to consider many factors as she contemplated joining the Kiewit Luminarium as CEO and its first official employee, including relocating to the Midwest and the responsibility for leading a new venture.

“It is not a solitary effort. I’ve been part of a very collaborative and wonderful team that for several years was about designing, developing, populating with exhibits, thinking deeply about it,” she said.

As concept fully becomes reality with the opening of the 82,000-square-foot facility now imminent, Raker sees her responsibilities shifting.

“My job as I see it is to is to really put together a team and set up relationships in the community that make this a really vibrant and sustainable not only organization, but kind of an idea of what this place can be,” she said. “I’m obviously going to spend a tremendous amount of time just learning and meeting people.”

During her time at the Exploratorium, Raker transformed programs and founded a global consultancy to support worldwide impact, crosscultural learning, and financial sustainability. The Exploratorium team also developed new museum models to address equity and economic disparity while still providing exceptional learning experiences. That experience gave Raker a solid foundation for what the Kiewit Luminarium could be, but she said that during her past year and a half in Omaha, she’s had an opportunity to consider the community’s particular opportunities, as well as challenges, and how the Kiewit Luminarium should be shaped to uniquely serve it.

CONT. PAGE 58

“IT IS NOT A SOLITARY EFFORT. I’VE BEEN PART OF A VERY COLLABORATIVE AND WONDERFUL TEAM THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS WAS ABOUT DESIGNING, DEVELOPING, POPULATING WITH EXHIBITS, THINKING DEEPLY ABOUT IT.” -SILVA RAKER

FROM PAGE 56

“[The Kiewit Luminarium] is going to be different in some really important ways from what’s come before. And then there’s nothing quite like it in Omaha, either,” she said. “I found that there’s an appetite for actually doing things; people are less afraid to try something different here...I’m definitely thinking on a multi-year basis and the things that you want to be doing in five years and things you want to see happening in 10 years you know, those seeds. All of that is in the DNA that we create now, right?”

Raker said being able to come on board early helped her and the project’s team bring the Kiewit Luminarium together successfully.

“I had the luxury of having already been engaged with the project for quite a bit of a head start, but I also have a very visionary board and incredible funding support,” she said, also crediting the leadership of Heritage Omaha, who developed the project. “Before I even came on board, we had a group of community advisors who have been deeply involved in the design, development of the project, advising on everything from program strategy to exhibit content…When I arrived here, I’m like, ‘Okay, now we need to build out from there.’ So, we started engaging people in the community, really listening, and having them be part of some of the exhibit content, but also building a staff that’s representative of the incredible diversity that’s here.”

Raker said respecting and embracing diversity, both in workforce development and patronage, was an important consideration from the beginning.

“You have to think about what community means, what whole community engagement looks like,” she said. “You have to get at issues of identity; of who senses how, when, and where to feel; people feeling a sense of belonging… If we truly want to do diverse workforce development, what would it look like to create a place where everyone feels welcome?”

Visit kiewitluminarium.org for more information.

B2B

“WHEN YOU WORK IN AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, YOU CONTINUOUSLY HAVE CHALLENGES THAT YOU’RE CONFRONTED WITH. FINDING BETTER WAYS OF DOING THINGS IS ALMOST A DAILY THING FOR US.”

-DR. MICHAEL WADMAN

FEATURE | STORY BY DWAIN HEBDA | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

MEDICAL PIONEERS

UNeMED SHEPHERDS INNOVATION FROM SURGICAL SUITE TO C SUITE

As an emergency physician, Dr. Michael Wadman is constantly problem-solving on the job and, as chairman of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s emergency medicine department, he’s also charged with research and developing an innovation mindset in others.

“When you work in an emergency department, you continuously have challenges that you’re confronted with. Finding better ways of doing things is almost a daily thing for us,” Wadman said. “In an area where we have limited resources, we’re trying to figure out how to do things more efficiently, how to do things better, and ultimately, we’re looking at what is best for patient care.

“In our case, we’re also an academic department of emergency medicine. One of our missions is research and scholarly work. We are supposed to create new knowledge that is different from the traditional academic model.”

But while physicians and medical researchers have inspiration in abundance, most lack the training, experience, or general understanding of what it takes to fund, develop, test, and manufacture new medical devices, drugs, or other inventions and bring them to market.

That’s where UNeMed comes in. As the technology transfer and commercialization division of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, founded in 1991, UNeMed works with inventors at UNMC, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Nebraska Medicine to help guide the process from idea to its logical conclusion.

“The pathway starts when a researcher does some work or a physician comes up with a better way to do something or finds a new drug or imagines a new device,” said Michael Dixon, UNeMed president and CEO. “The next step really is where we jump in and we take a look at it from two major perspectives. We look at it from a patent perspective. Can we protect it? And then the second thing we look for is marketability. What’s already out there? How does this fit?”

If both of those initial questions are satisfied, UNeMed assists the founder with everything from patents to research and development to forging partnerships with investors and outside companies to fully develop the concept. Each project faces its own challenges to develop especially in the medical field where the time from cocktail napkin idea to market product is typically measured in multiple years and at great cost.

“The university gets research dollars, but the National Institutes of Health does not pay us to develop things,” Dixon said. “To go from an idea to an approved drug is often over $1 billion. Even devices are hundreds of millions of dollars, which is a lot of money.

“As far as the time it takes, one of my colleagues in a different department has often said all of his overnight successes took 10 years. To me, that has become our theme. It’s just a really long path, especially in bio-medical innovation, a lot of two steps forward, one back.”

Progress may plod, but UNeMed’s track record shows the department is well-utilized by prospective inventors. According to the group’s latest annual report, the group saw 105 new invention notifications from 170 unique inventors in 2021, rounding out the most active five-year period of the past 20 years. Between 2017 and 2021, more than 500 new inventions have been introduced over 100 more than 2012 to 2016, and more than double that of 2002 to 2006.

In 2021 alone, UNeMed reported 117 active licenses, 40 products on the market, and 161 total patent applications. It was also credited with spawning seven new startups. The organization’s efforts generated $2.15 million in revenue, as well as $1.46 million in sponsored research. Its 102 U.S. patent applications and 26 U.S. patents awarded that year were both records for the organization.

Dixon said several factors combined to provide the level of activity and success UNeMed has enjoyed over the past few years, not the least of them being the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Initially as people went home, we thought all of our numbers were going to go down, when in fact the first two quarters after the shutdown were the two busiest quarters ever,” he said. “And it wasn’t what we expected; it was researchers who didn’t work on infectious disease coming up with new ideas for better nasal swabs, better isolation chambers. And all of these ideas had value.”

CONT. PAGE 62

2023 Winner

FROM PAGE 61

One product, Microwash, exemplifies this innovation. Wadman and Thanh Nguyen, assistant professor of emergency medicine, came up with the concept of a safer and less painful means of testing for infectious diseases compared to mere nasal swabbing. After attracting investors, Microwash is currently working through manufacturing logistics.

Nguyen is effusive in his assessment of UNeMed’s help and expertise on Microwash, one of 62 ideas he’s floated during his career.

“One thing I’ve learned while working with UNeMed that has been the most valuable is being able to look at your idea from different angles,” he said. “Everyone incubates an idea in their head and it kind of becomes your baby. You don’t want to hear any nay-say about it. For that reason, we either cultivate it in our brain and never let it grow or we hold it so close to the chest we never see that maybe it’s not a good idea or it needs some tweaking that would get it to become a great idea. That’s where UNeMed comes into play

“Now, if I come up with an idea, I don’t wait a long time trying to incubate it in my head. I submit it to UNeMed right away and let their experts look at it. I used to jokingly say I held the record for the highest number of crazy ideas submitted to UNeMed, but it wasn’t until last year that I actually found out I’m second, by one. Most fall into the category of ‘needs more research,’ but I’d say 20, maybe 25 percent of them fall into the category of ‘good idea’ where we can start looking around for partners to incubate this forward.”

Visit unemed.com for more information.

B2B

“I USED TO JOKINGLY SAY I HELD THE RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CRAZY IDEAS SUBMITTED TO UNEMED, BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL LAST YEAR THAT I ACTUALLY FOUND OUT I’M SECOND, BY ONE.”

-THANH NGUYEN

OMAHA CVB BY DEBORAH WARD

TRENDS IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM

A s we near the summer travel season, tourism in the metro will be on the rise. According to industry projections for 2023, travel is expected to surpass 2022’s impressive performance thanks to vacation-starved people ready to take a trip.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, even with inflation tightening budgets, travel will be on the increase. Nationally, domestic travel is expected to reach 104% of pre-pandemic levels.

Locally, data from STR, a research company that tracks Douglas County hotel data for our organization, projects 59% of all of the hotel rooms in the county will be filled in 2023. That is a 1.6% increase over 2022. With more hotel rooms occupied, hotel revenue for the metro is expected to reach $258 million, a 3.9% increase over last year’s record-setting numbers. In 2022, Douglas County hotel revenue hit $248 million. During the months of March, April, June, July, August, and September, revenues reached the highest levels of each month’s history.

In 2023, Omaha has a busy calendar of events to draw travelers to the city. In April, the FEI Equestrian World Cup Finals will take center stage at CHI Health Center Omaha, followed by concerts ranging from Kane Brown to Thomas Rhett to Lizzo. The Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting in May will bring crowds of Warren Buffett followers to this annual event. In June, baseball fans will travel the road to Omaha for the Men’s NCAA College World Series, and Triple Crown’s SlumpBuster, the world’s largest youth baseball tournament.

Attractions opening this year including the Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing at The RiverFront, the Kiewit Luminarium, and Steelhouse Omaha will also draw more tourists to the metro.

The encouraging travel trends and the added entertainment development bodes well for a successful tourism year, which means more economic growth for our community.

PRODUCTIVITY BY VETA T. JEFFERY

B2B DRIVES OMAHA’S SUCCESS

I t’s official: You and your team have been recognized as one of Omaha’s “Best of B2B”! This esteemed award is a testament to your dedication, expertise, and impact on your clients and customers. Your commitment to serving other businesses has not only grown your own company, but has helped other companies achieve their goals as well. This aligns with the mission of the Greater Omaha Chamber, which is to serve as “the first stop for all things business.” Our goal is to help connect businesses in a manner that promotes growth in our economy. The way in which you operate and your commitment to excellence demonstrate why those connections are so valuable.

As it turns out, serving other businesses is a vital part of our local economy. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, professional and business services make up a significant 12.4% of the Omaha-area GDP a whopping $9.2 billion. It’s especially exciting to see small- and medium-sized businesses recognized alongside larger corporations. The U.S. Small Business Administration reports that businesses with 500 people or fewer make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses, and they play a

crucial role in driving a majority of new job creation and nearly half of economic activity nationwide.

Being voted the best is about consistently delivering top-quality service and outcomes, as well as being adaptable and innovative. Serving other businesses requires the ability to identify opportunities across various industries, and a focus on innovation that drives business growth. As our business attraction and expansion team works to bring exciting projects to our region, the specialized services and knowledge of our B2B community make all the difference. Your success drives Omaha’s success, which in turn supports continued growth and vibrancy in the area.

Last but not least, let’s not forget that this award is ultimately a celebration of you and your team. Your organization has developed a unique combination of service, product, and professionalism that sets you apart from the competition. You have achieved a level of excellence that others can look up to and aspire to imitate. So, let’s give it up for all of this year’s winners congratulations, and thank you for your invaluable contributions to our community!

Veta Jeffery is president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber.

B2B

Deborah Ward is the executive director of Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau.

B2B