B2B Omaha - June/July 2020 by Omaha Magazine

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BOOZE, BAR, AND BANQUETS BEAU STARKEL INTENDS TO DISRUPT THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY

CLIMBING THE STAIRCASE OF SUCCESS ZACH KLEBBA DESIGNS HIS CAREER

A CANTICLE FOR THE MIDWEST

OMAHA SYMPHONY PRESIDENT JENNIFER BOOMGAARDEN

MASTERS OF THEIR NEW DOMAIN NAM FINDS A MIX OF HIGH-TECH AND VINTAGE

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02 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

Prepare. Prevent. Protect.

EXECUTIVE publisher Todd Lemke

CREATIVE creative director Matt Wieczorek

vice president Greg Bruns

senior graphic designer Derek Joy

associate publisher Bill Sitzmann

graphic designer II Mady Besch

EDITORIAL managing editor Daisy Hutzell-Rodman

photographers Katie Anderson Keith Binder Scott Drickey Ariel Fried Sarah Lemke Jeremy Allen Wieczorek

senior editor Tara Spencer

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associate editor Linda Persigehl contributors Keith Backsen Mike Bell David Brown Robert Fraas Sara Locke Lisa Lukecart Kara Schweiss Scott Stewart Wendy Townley Houston Wiltsey INFORMATION advertising information 402.884.2000 subscribe online omahamagazine.com/ pages/subscribe

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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.

SALES executive vice president sales & marketing Gil Cohen senior branding specialist Mary Hiatt senior sales executive Gwen Lemke branding specialists Dawn Dennis George Idelman digital sales manager Jillian Dunn assistant to the publisher Sandy Matson senior sales coordinator Alicia Hollins OPERATIONS operations officer & Local Stubs ticketing representative Joshua Peterson ad traffic manager David Trouba accounting associate Kendra Hill distribution manager Mike Brewer

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

JUNE

· JULY | 03

TABLE OF CONTENTS MAIN FEATURE

FLEXIBILITY IS KEY

DESIGNING HEALTH CARE FACILITIES FEATURES

DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE HEARTWOOD PRESERVE

MASTERS OF THEIR NEW DOMAIN NAM

BOOZE, BAR, AND BANQUETS

BEAU STARKEL, DISRUPTOR

DEPARTMENTS

08 AFTER HOURS

12 HOW I ROLL

16 LEADERS

10 BIZ + GIVING

14 IN THE OFFICE

18 OMAHA!

JESSICA ERRETT RENNER

CHARLESTON HOMES

COLUMNS

05 FROM THE EDITOR 68,000 PEOPLE, 8 YEARS

SGT. JAMES CLARK’S GLIDER

CURT HOFER & ASSOCIATES

SPECIAL SECTIONS

22 CADE

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U.S. $3.25

BOOZE, BAR, AND BANQUETS BEAU STARKEL INTENDS TO DISRUPT THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY

ZACH KLEBBA DESIGNS HIS CAREER

OMAHA INGENUITY

40 GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER LEADERS LEAD IN CRISIS

ZACH KLEBBA

BUILDERTREND

CLIMBING THE STAIRCASE OF SUCCESS

40 OMAHA CVB

20 ON THE RISE

A CANTICLE FOR THE MIDWEST

OMAHA SYMPHONY PRESIDENT JENNIFER BOOMGAARDEN

MASTERS OF THEIR NEW DOMAIN NAM FINDS A MIX OF HIGH-TECH AND VINTAGE

ABOUT THE COVER Entrepreneur Beau Starkel celebrated the opening of his Wine, Beer, and Spirits in late April, one business that is coming into the struggling Oakview area. Story page 36.

04 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM JUNE · JULY | 05

FROM THE EDITOR

68,000 PEOPLE, 8 YEARS O

maha keeps growing. The 2010 Census estimated that Omaha had a population of 408,958; in July 2018 the Census Bureau estimated the city’s population at 468,262. The Metro Area Planning Board estimated the total population of the metro area at more than 950,000 in 2015. That means lots of jobs in the construction industry are created annually. Omaha also boasts many architecture firms, which are creating some of the biggest projects in the metro, including medical facilities that have been in high demand this spring. Architects for medical facilities have unique infrastructure challenges that the public never sees, and you will learn some of those in our feature on designing medical facilities. Then there is the visible part of the building industry—the design aspect. Nonprofit Association of the Midlands moved into a beautiful space in the Mastercraft Building on March 6—and two weeks later the staff had moved out of the building and started working from home. The design will be a big factor as NAM holds meetings and conducts business there in the future. Building doesn’t always mean starting new. There are many structures in Omaha that have been repurposed over time. One area of the city that has seen change lately is Oakview at 144th Street and West Center Road. Toys “R” Us and Golf Galaxy have moved out, and other businesses are moving in. One of those businesses is Thunderhead Brewing Company. Why they chose to build in the location of a toy store is another feature.

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Daisy Hutzell-Rodman is the managing editor of Omaha Publications. She can be reached at daisy@omahapublications.com

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Catie Williams, Program Director for Bellevue University’s new undergraduate data science degree agreed. “The COVID-19 pandemic is a great example of a current issue that the field of data science could help,” she said. Business and industry aren’t the only ones to benefit from data science techniques. Consumers do, as well, said Williams, who also works in a senior data and analytics role at InEight, a Kiewit-owned company. As proof, she cites a metric known as the “Waffle House index” that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) uses to determine how much destruction a hurricane has left in its wake to adjust the agency’s disaster response. Another example of data science in action are the “flatten the curve” graphics that have been widely shared via social and news media. “It would be harder to understand the impact (of COVID-19) if a visual like the curve of predicted cases wasn’t being circulated,” Williams said. “However, the challenge most are going to face right now is seeing lots of varying images, articles, statistics, and not knowing where the right information is coming from.” The answer to all of the noise? Reliable data that provides context and meaning. Achieving that standard of quality takes “graduates who know how to analyze data, manage it at scale, and transform it into a powerful tool,” Dr. Mary Dobransky, Dean of BU’s College of Science and Technology, said. Dr. Mary Dobransky, Dean of the College of Science and Technology, and Catie Williams, Program Director for Bellevue University’s new data science degree program.

ESSENTIAL ROLE OF DATA SCIENTISTS ON DISPLAY DURING NORMAL AND NOT-SO-NORMAL TIMES NEW BELLEVUE UNIVERSITY DEGREE PREPARES GRADUATES TO ANALYZE, TRANSFORM DATA INTO ACTIONABLE SOLUTIONS Although data science might not sound like something that’s “essential” to your life, chances are you’re relying on it daily. That’s because almost as fast as data about the COVID-19 outbreak has become available, it’s being aggregated, analyzed and visualized by data scientists to tell a story that matters to citizens in countries all over the globe. In fact, according to ZDNet, a leading business technology news site, the novel coronavirus outbreak and COVID-19 outbreak data set may be the most visualized ever.

Preparing data scientists with applied expertise is the role of Bellevue Unvierstiy’s new 100% online BS in Data Science. Talented data scientists will continue to serve as the critical link between the “big data” that exists in healthcare and other industries like retail, banking and manufacturing, and the rest of us. “Today’s organizations are absolutely inundated with data,” Dr. Mary Hawkins, President of Bellevue University, said. “But data doesn’t have value unless businesses have skilled employees who are able to provide the kind of insights that turn that data into better decisions and strategies.”

Those skills are in demand according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which projects that jobs for computer and information research scientists will increase 19% by 2026. Fortunately, in BU’s 100% online degree program, “students can expect to learn information and skills that can be immediately used when they start a job,” Dr. Dobransky added, “conducting research, using project management methodologies, creating algorithms and doing programming.using tools like Python and SQL.” But, for Williams, a North Omaha native who became the first in her family to earn a college degree, the most gratifying aspect of the data science field is simply what she describes as the “light bulb” moment. “I love seeing when someone realizes that the standards, the business process, the data collection, the need for integrated information, is all worth it,” Williams said. Visit https://www.bellevue.edu/degrees/bachelor/datascience-bs/ for more information.

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM JUNE · JULY | 09

AFTER HOURS | STORY BY SARA LOCKE | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

RENNER’S ENERGY (INDIE) ROCKS

FROM BRINGING THE ENERGY TO CONSERVING IT

he job of a mechanical engineer may have once conjured very specific imagery, while the idea of an indie rock frontwoman could come with its own set of bias. Splitting the difference between these extremes is the thoughtfully spoken and even more thoughtfully intended Jessica Errett Renner.

And considering the evocative lyrics that have spilled from her pen over the years, it isn’t a surprise to find that changing how people think would prove a daily passion. Renner plays, sings, and writes for a number of area bands, including Edge of Arbor, All Young Girls are Machine Guns, Bazile Mills, Fox, and Surfer Rosa.

“I have taken breaks from music when other projects became too consuming, but once I’d come back to it, I’d always find a big shift in my mood and motivation. All of my life is affected by the positivity I feel when I’m playing and working on music. Work, family, health, my emotional fitness— it’s all better when I have time to pour into music.”

By day, Renner serves as an engineer in the womanowned Energy Studio. While she wears many hats, she tilts this one in a greener direction.

“That’s kind of how the Omaha music scene is—you play for a band, then you come up with this sound you want to experiment with or a different mood of lyrics and you don’t want to change your band’s image, so you start another one. My first band was actually a country cover band with a few friends from choir. None of us had been in a band before, or even knew what we were doing, really. But it was fun and we loved every minute of figuring it out.”

Renner may benefit from her music, but her fans are just as grateful for her dedication.

“Most of my work here involves building and analyzing energy models for commercial architecture. I get to go to work in a community I love, and feel like I’m impacting the industry in a positive way. Even if it’s something small, like convincing a builder that adding more windows isn’t the most energy-efficient option. Every time I’m able to get that message across, it helps just a little, and it changes the way that builder thinks going forward.”

AND AS HER HIGH SCHOOL GUITAR LESSONS DEEPENED HER UNDERSTANDING OF MATH, TIME SIGNATURES, SCALES AND NUMBERS, SHE FOUND HERSELF SLIPPING MORE EASILY INTO THE ADVANCED NUMERIC STUDIES THAT EVENTUALLY PRODUCED A MECHANICAL ENGINEER OF THE POET.

And as her high school guitar lessons deepened her understanding of math, time signatures, scales, and numbers, she found herself slipping more easily into the advanced numeric studies that eventually produced a mechanical engineer of the poet. “It’s all so closely related, but music didn’t just help me understand math and engineering better, it really helps me understand my whole life differently.” Many people find their exercise regimen slipping when work and family life start to overtake them. Once they’ve given up their strength routines, they find that they have more time, but less capacity for dealing with the stress of the rest of their lives. Renner, however, finds music is her strength training.

Brent Malnack proudly hosted a number of rising and landmark acts at his former pub Mars Bar and Grill, but makes no hesitation to call Renner a fan favorite. “She had a regular spot at our space the first Friday of every month. We had very few regulars, but Jessica had to be on the list,” Malnack said. “She has the versatility to really read the audience each day and change things up instantly. Sometimes she’d come in with her bands, other times she’d play alone. It didn’t matter, if she was there, the energy was going to be great. Her voice is lovely, her original songs are beautiful, and her personality… everything about her we really enjoy.” Renner’s work is actively changing the energy of Omaha, one song and one structure at a time. Visit @jessicaerrettmusic for more information about her music, including live streams. B2B

10 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

BIZ+GIVING | STORY BY LINDA PERSIGEHL | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION OF BUILDERS

CHARLESTON HOMES’ MARC AND HEIDI STODOLA

arc Stodola strongly believes that the building trades—such as bricklaying, carpentry, and metalwork—can offer a fulfilling and lucrative career for many of today’s youth. “Not everyone is meant to go to college, so we’re trying to educate our youth that there are viable options for jobs in the construction field,” said Stodola, president and owner of Charleston Homes. “There’s a tremendous amount of opportunities…whether you go to college for a construction management/ technology degree or a trade school.” Founded in 2007, Charleston Homes employs 24 people and builds ranch-style, 1½-story, and 2-story homes in the $250,000-$400,000 range in neighborhoods across the metro. A recent report by the Associated General Contractors of America showed that 70% of construction companies nationwide are struggling to find enough workers. That is one reason why, for the past several years, Stodola and Charleston Homes’ staff have worked with the Builders of the Future program, whose mission is “to locate, encourage, and educate the next generation of construction trade specialists.” Builders Foundation, which sponsors the program, collaborates with local high schools and other organizations to teach teens construction skills through mentoring and hands-on projects. Stodola became involved with Builders of the Future through his affiliation with Metro Omaha Builders Association, a construction industry nonprofit and one of the foundation’s partners, along with Avenue Scholars Foundation and Metro Community College.

“Through our partnership with Builders and Elkhorn [High School], we’ve built a storage shed for the baseball team at their stadium,” Stodola said. “We have an employee with a connection to EHS, and we like to stand behind our employees and what’s important to them. We also have a relationship with the principal and staff there. And we live [in Elkhorn]. “Some of our biggest projects have been for Skutt High School, where our kids attended,” Stodola continued. “We built an arch there in 2013 and a ticket booth at the entrance in 2016 on their grounds.” The past two years, Stodola’s team has worked with Bellevue West High School, helping students in its CAD IV and Construction II classes design and build a brick and metal entrance arch for their recently renovated baseball complex. (LymanRichey Corp., Sign It, Fireplace Stone & Patio, and Bender Ornamental also contributed to the project.) Joe Nadgwick, skilled and technical sciences teacher at Bellevue West, said Stodola also brought in Bellevue city inspectors and planning directors to speak to students on the process of buying land, developing a neighborhood, code enforcement, and construction of homes. BWHS students had planned to visit Charleston Homes’ worksites before schools were closed due to COVID-19, he added.

Helping schools is one of Stodola’s favorite projects. “By bringing real life experiences into the classroom and schools, we are supporting the teachers by giving them an extra tool to help educate students,” he said. “Supporting teachers is important, as both of my parents were teachers. My father was my mentor. My summers during high school were spent painting or roofing houses with my dad. He thought getting my hands dirty and doing hard work was one of the best forms of education.” Marc and wife Heidi Stodola, advertising and marketing manager for Charleston Homes, have also built great relationships with several other Omaha nonprofits. One group the Stodolas are committed to is Habitat for Humanity. “For the past nine years, we’ve worked with Habitat in some way,” Heidi said. “The last few, we worked with the Elkhorn coalition on a build doing general contracting or donating materials. “We’ve installed wood floors and cabinets and countertops…One year, we donated an entire house, from the foundation to the entire build, then had the fun of handing it over to [the new owners] with no debt,” Marc added. “All of our vendors and contractors contributed to it. It was a group effort.” Summarized Marc: “We’re always open…When you see someone in need, particularly someone you have a relationship with, you help.” Visit thebuilderfoundation.org for more information.

“I have known Marc for a few years now, and he is a very professional, personable, and kind-hearted person who really gives of his time to others,” Nadgwick said. “The students at Bellevue West are very grateful…We look forward to working with him and Charleston Homes in the future.”

B2B

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM JUNE · JULY | 11

THE PAST TWO YEARS, STODOLA’S TEAM HAS WORKED WITH BELLEVUE WEST HIGH SCHOOL, HELPING STUDENTS IN ITS CAD IV AND CONSTRUCTION II CLASSES DESIGN AND BUILD A BRICK AND METAL ENTRANCE ARCH FOR THEIR RECENTLY RENOVATED BASEBALL COMPLEX.

12 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

“I’VE WORKED AS PART OF A KC130 REFUELING JET CREW, FLOWN CORPORATE AIRPLANES, AND PILOTED COMMERCIAL HELICOPTERS.” -JAMES CLARK

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM JUNE · JULY | 13

HOW I ROLL | STORY BY HOUSTON WILTSEY | PHOTOS PROVIDED

GLIDERS ON THE STORM

HOW SEARGENT JAMES CLARK GOT BACK-TO-BASICS IN THE AIR

gt. James Clark always wanted to fly.

“I knew that I wanted to be a pilot when I was 5 years old,” Clark said. “Back in those days [the early 1960s], air travel was still unrestricted and jet aircraft were just emerging, so it wasn’t uncommon to hear the sonic booms of the pilots at Offutt [Air Force Base].” It was seeing, and hearing, these flights, along with accompanying his uncle—a pilot—on journeys in the cockpit, that pushed Clark to join the Air Force upon graduating high school. Since then, he’s logged roughly 7,000 hours in the sky. “I’ve worked as part of a KC130 refueling jet crew, flown corporate airplanes, and piloted commercial helicopters,” he said. To this day, he continues to hold an airline transport pilot license, the highest level of certification a pilot can attain. With all this experience, it’s surprising that Clark’s current aviation obsession is the most basic method of flying—gliding. “I did it backward,” he said with a laugh. Even though Clark had been flying motorized aircraft for more than 30 years, he said that he didn’t give gliding a real shot until 2012 when he found out that a couple of his friends were members of the Omaha Soaring Club. He was hooked on this form of air travel from his first flight. “It’s the basics of flying,” he said. “Your glider is attached to a plane by a 200-foot rope, you’re dragged up into the air and relying on...you’re just relying on stick and rudder movements.”

“WHEN YOU FLY FOR A LIVING, YOU ENCOUNTER A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO PUSH THE LIMITS AND SEE WHO CAN GO FASTER, FLY HIGHER. WITH GLIDING, IT’S MUCH MORE COMMUNAL.” -JAMES CLARK “It’s a very peaceful experience,” he continued. “You’re flying for yourself, not worried about moving someone or something from point A to point B. You’re just catching thermals [columns of rising air caused by the warming of the ground] and see how long you can stay up for.” Clark claims that the pace can be so leisurely hawks will sometimes land on the wings of his glider. It is not a huge problem. Clark rebalances quickly, and his new rapturous friend rides along for a bit. After becoming president of the club in 2016, Clark has made it his mission to spread his love to newcomers of all ages and skill levels. “We’ve got a lot of different types of people— attorneys, doctors, railroad engineers, we’ve even got a high-school-aged kid,” said Clark of the club’s 35-person membership body, all of whom have access to the club’s two gliders—a LET L-23 Super Blanik two-seater for training and a single-seat LET L-33 for more experienced pilots.

“What I love most about the experience is surrounding myself with these high-caliber people,” he said. “When you fly for a living, you encounter a lot of people that are always looking to push the limits and see who can go faster, fly higher. With gliding, it’s much more communal. Usually, when you go out to fly on a Saturday, you might only get a 20 or 30 minutes session in the air, but everybody sticks around to help everyone else out with their sessions.” Despite the communal spirit, Clark still looks for ways to challenge himself in the air. That challenge comes in the form of badges which pilots attain by traveling certain distances, achieving certain heights, and staying in the air for certain durations. Clark is currently earning his Silver Badge, which involves traveling 50 kilometers over five hours and reaching a height of 1,000 meters. To practice, he takes trips across the country to a wide variety of locations, including Arizona, Colorado, and Lake Tahoe along the California border. However he’s gliding, Clark said the most important part of the experience is using it to find balance. “I just look at it as one spoke in the wheel of life,” he said. “Gliding is there to make me feel rejuvenated so I can tackle the next week feeling 100% because, really, that’s what any good hobby should do.” Visit omahasoaring.org for more information. B2B

14 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

IN THE OFFICE | STORY BY KARA SCHWIESS | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

GIVING HOMEBUILDERS AN EDGE WITH DESIGN

CURT HOFER & ASSOCIATES HOME BASE

lients expect custom home builders like Curt Hofer & Associates to be resourceful in finding solutions to meet the changing needs of their families. So, when it came to maximizing their former office space at South 156th Circle and Bob Boozer Drive to accommodate the growth they saw over two decades, the team was easily able to turn their ingenuity inward. They reconfigured furnishings and fixtures. When the bay next door opened up, they removed a separating wall and expanded. They even constructed a mezzanine. By 2015, however, it was no longer enough. “After 20 years…we were debating what to do,” President Steve Huber said. “Do we sink money into a big remodel, or do we move further west?” The decision became easier when a space the team had considered five years earlier became available again. It was only a few minutes west, at 168th and Frances streets in the Lakeside area, on the ground floor of a 15-year-old building with ample parking and quiet neighbors like an ophthalmology clinic and a mortgage company. Because the space formerly housed a bank and then a land developer, it provided an ideal footprint with fixtures like large work surfaces in common areas with wide, shallow drawers perfect for blueprints. “So we jumped,” Huber said.

“PEOPLE LOOK AT IT ON PAPER, BUT THEY CAN’T SEE IT IN THREE DIMENSIONS. THESE THINGS HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT PRODUCTS ARE ABOUT.” -STEVE HUBER Some updates to paint and wallpaper, along with other cosmetic improvements like upgraded surfaces and flooring, made the new offices move-in ready in March 2016. The look of the suite is contemporary but with touches of warmth and elegance such as sconce lighting, eight-foot-tall interior doors, a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and rich textures befitting a high-end residential builder. “It has a little bit of that ‘house’ appeal to it. It’s not just your white Manila-envelope office space,” Huber said. “It’s worked out pretty well.” A spacious meeting room accommodates a large conference table brought over from the old office, and all seats have a clear view to a wall-mounted monitor. Most appointments with clients take place there, Huber said. “Years ago, people would come in with a big stack of magazines with all these sticky tabs,” he said, explaining that clients now pull images online from sites like Houzz and Pinterest to explore ideas for new builds and remodels. “Everything is so visual. And there it is on the 50-inch screen.”

The company retained the room’s tall cabinets, which fit displays of surfaces and finishes like granite samples, moulding and millwork, and windows. “People look at it on paper, but they can’t see it in three dimensions,” Huber said. “These things help people understand what products are about.” A smaller collaborative space serves as a “war room” for project meetings. Common work areas boast large counter spaces for viewing blueprints. A cabinet company helped create desks with broaderthan-typical tops for the offices located around the perimeter of the suite. “One appeal to this space is that we have individual offices now,” Huber said. Not only do the windows bring in abundant natural light, project managers and clients alike appreciate the privacy and relatively quiet atmosphere. Function comes first, Huber said, but ambience is also important—and he thinks the company nailed it. “It’s edgy, but not over the top. We’re conservative in nature, so at the same time we wanted it to be nice and inviting for the clients we work with,” Huber said. “We want them to feel comfortable.” Visit curthofer.com for more information. B2B

“WE ARE ALWAYS WORKING TO USE MUSIC TO IMPACT THE COMMUNITY. ORCHESTRAS ARE INCREDIBLY VERSATILE. IN ONE DAY WE CAN BE PLAYING [CLASSICAL MUSIC BY GUSTAV] MAHLER, ROCK MUSIC BY QUEEN, AND TEACHING STUDENTS.” -JENNIFER BOOMGAARDEN

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM JUNE · JULY | 17

LEADERS | STORY BY MIKE BELL | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

A CANTICLE FOR THE MIDWEST

OMAHA SYMPHONY PRESIDENT JENNIFER BOOMGAARDEN

fter 18 months in her role as president and CEO of the Omaha Symphony, Jennifer Boomgaarden recalled her excitement to return to Nebraska after eight productive years with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra as their executive director. After all, she formerly worked as the Omaha Symphony’s vice president and staff conductor before she stepped away from the podium so as to create a “greater impact” through administrative duties with the SDSO.

During her tenure, the Omaha Symphony has maintained a focus on its endowment campaign, working on agreements with musicians that were finalized in December, while more irons are in the fire. “We are always working to use music to impact the community,” she said. “Orchestras are incredibly versatile. In one day we can be playing [classical music by Gustav] Mahler, rock music by Queen, and teaching students.”

“We worked through significant financial challenges with the South Dakota organization,” she said. “They lived a mission of serving throughout the state with tremendous amounts of community support. I’m very proud of what we were able to accomplish there.”

Meeting the demands of a diverse audience is only part of what the orchestra does—education takes up a third of the organization’s time, Boomgaarden said. More than 25,000 students a year are served, from preschool age to high school, connecting students with professional musicians in unique programs, she added.

Boomgaarden replaced former Omaha Symphony President James M. Johnson, who left the job in April 2018 to become CEO of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Partnerships with local organizations like Joslyn Art Museum allow students to gather in workshops— and other events benefit the ongoing education of the orchestra’s teachers to become better instructors.

Boomgaarden said after eight years she was ready for the next opportunity to make a difference.

“We take a good hard look at our programs to see how they will serve our students. We ask what changes must be made to improve,” she said. “It is about staying relevant.”

“I love the Omaha organization, its commitment to education, and collaboration with others,” she said. It was another milestone in her career, having previously been awarded for exceptional accomplishment in orchestra management from the League of American Orchestras in 2015, among other industry awards.

Music has the power to bring people together and break down barriers—to heal divisions and lift spirits. Boomgaarden said one example was a recent collaboration with The Union for Contemporary Art in Omaha and the symphony for a production of “Whispered Like the Wind,” by the Union’s 2019 fellow Liz Gre.

“TO SEE DIFFERENT GROUPS WORKING TOGETHER, WHEN WE THINK OF WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE COMMUNITY, THAT’S IT—CELEBRATING CULTURES.” -JENNIFER BOOMGAARDEN “It was an opera about mother-daughter relationships. [The Union] asked us to work with [Gre] and it was a powerful concert,” she said. “To see different groups working together, when we think of what we can do for the community, that’s it—celebrating cultures.” The 2021 season will be the 100th anniversary for the Omaha Symphony, which is undergoing a re-branding to be unveiled soon. Boomgaarden said Thomas Wilkins, the organization’s music director, will perform the next season as his last before stepping down—but he will continue to work with the symphony in other ways. Meaning they are already searching for the next music director, a decision that will influence the organization’s next decade, she said. “The future is bright, and I’m fortunate to work with an incredible group of people,” she said. “I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.” Visit omahasymphony.com for more information. B2B

18 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

omAHA! | STORY BY HOUSTON WILTSEY | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

CONTENT FOR COVID

BUILDERTREND CREATES A RESOURCE PAGE FOR CUSTOMERS AND CASUAL READERS

t’s become customary in the age of COVID-19 for companies to put out a press release or Facebook post about the steps they’re taking to ensure the safety of their employees, customers, and the general public. Construction management software company Buildertrend, however, determined to make the most of their website to educate, inform, and keep their customers’ businesses moving forward. “We view ourselves as more than just vendors for our customers,” said chief operating officer Scott Siegert. “We want to give customers content that will help them run their businesses more efficiently, and sometimes that assistance comes outside of our platform.” When the quarantine and social distancing became the norm in mid-March, Omaha-based Buildertrend created a support page on their website to help their construction industry customers navigate this new COVID-19 economy. The wide range of content includes articles such as “How to Master Buildertrend From Your Sofa,” highlighting eight ways to maximize productivity from home, to articles on how small business owners can take advantage of the Coronavirus Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. They are also producing podcasts on everything from what it takes to be a compassionate contractor to the economic effects of the virus, often asking noted industry experts to be a part of the podcast.

“KEEPING CUSTOMERS SAFE AND INFORMED IS OUR MAIN CONCERN. WE’RE WORRIED ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE FIRST, EVERYTHING ELSE IS SECONDARY AT THIS MOMENT.” -SCOTT SIEGERT

Siegert says everything is holding steady for Buildertrend. The company had not laid off a single employee at the time of publication. Since construction is considered an essential industry, Siegert said that most of Buildertrend’s 14,000 customers across the world have seen virtually no drop-offs in construction.

“We realized that we had in-house legal and financial experts that our customers could utilize,” said Siegert. “We just threw our content team on it full [time].”

“We’re still signing up a bunch of new customers and doing as many support training sessions as ever,” he said. “Contractors are super resilient people and we know that from working with them for over a decade.”

The company also moved its annual educational seminar, Buildertrend University, online so that they could offer assistance to their new clients. Siegert said they plan on holding additional webinars as a way to interact with and educate their customer base.

A silver lining for Buildertrend is that the virus might push more customers to demand a digital experience from their contractors, though that’s not a concern for Siegert at the moment. He said that Buildertrend is planning on keeping the site up as long as COVID-19 is a threat.

Part of that communication is coming during “COVID Conversations,” Buildertrend’s Instagram live series. “The goal is to have candid conversations with our customers on how they are managing their businesses and coping during COVID-19,” said Megan Longo, Buildertrend’s vice president of brand and public relations. She said the company has plenty of great content, including posts on building a marketing strategy, diversifying revenue, and why now is the right time to invest in your business.

“Keeping customers safe and informed is our main concern,” Siegert said. “We’re worried about taking care of the people first, everything else is secondary at this moment.” Visit buildertrend.com/covid19-resource for more information. B2B

“WE VIEW OURSELVES AS MORE THAN JUST VENDORS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS. WE WANT TO GIVE CUSTOMERS CONTENT THAT WILL HELP THEM RUN THEIR BUSINESSES MORE EFFICIENTLY, AND SOMETIMES THAT ASSISTANCE COMES OUTSIDE OF OUR PLATFORM.” -SCOTT SIEGERT

SHORTLY BEFORE GRADUATION, KLEBBA USED HIS CREATIVITY TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF LEO A DALY, ONE OF MANY ARCHITECTURE FIRMS REPRESENTED AT UNL FOR A ONE-DAY CAREER FAIR.

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM JUNE · JULY | 21

ON THE RISE | STORY BY WENDY TOWNLEY | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

CLIMBING THE STAIRCASE OF SUCCESS

ZACH KLEBBA DESIGNS HIS CAREER

he next time you find yourself walking up (or down) a flight of stairs, think of Zach Klebba.

When creatively stuck and looking for a little design inspiration, the Omaha-based architect with Leo A Daly goes backs to basics and searches online for, quite literally, sets of stairs. “By code they have to be 7 inches tall by 11 inches deep,” Klebba explained. “You start to feel as a designer that there’s only one way to design stairs. And then you go online or visit a building and you see the millions of different ways that people have designed stairs. And I use that as a springboard for another design project.” It could be said that Klebba’s professional successes and community achievements have happened just like those stairs: one step at a time. Klebba’s selection as a recipient of Midlands Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 last year highlighted the breadth and depth of his work, his creativity, and his passion for Omaha. Born in Fairbanks, Alaska (although his birth certificate really does list the North Pole), Klebba, his twin brother, and their parents moved a handful of times around the country. Klebba’s father served in the Air Force and later worked in construction, which found the family of four living in Maryland, Virginia, and Colorado. They eventually settled in greater Omaha to be closer to family.

Following graduation from high school in Gretna, Klebba, now 32, enrolled at UNO with an undeclared major. A year later, with little focus on a field of study, Klebba joined his brother at UNL. The first few semesters as a Cornhusker found Klebba enrolled in English and journalism classes and considering a news editorial degree. But an architecture course changed the remainder of Klebba’s UNL career—and his life. He dove into this new professional passion, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the field with no break in between. Shortly before graduation, Klebba used his creativity to attract the attention of Leo A Daly, one of many architecture firms represented at UNL for a one-day career fair. Klebba created a postcard featuring his photograph, design history, and an overview of his graduate school project. Following a brief conversation at UNL, Klebba drove to Omaha soon after for an interview that lasted several hours. Within the week, Leo A Daly offered Klebba a full-time job, which he accepted shortly before graduation. In the seven years since, Klebba has collaborated on design projects such as the Cloisters on the Platte religious retreat center, the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, and the Wynn Hotel Casino and Resort in China. It was Klebba’s community involvement that made him a solid candidate to join Leo A Daly. That volunteer work, on initiatives big and small, remains a sizable part of Klebba’s life today.

He founded the Omaha Midnight Run in 2011 to raise money for local charitable causes and has volunteered for the American Heart Association, the Greater Omaha Young Professionals Summit, and Glad Tidings (now Good News) Church. He has served on the AIA Nebraska Board of Directors, the Greater Omaha Young Professionals Council, and was a member of Leadership Omaha Class 39. He’s an avid runner and finds great enjoyment in competitive sports of all kinds–including volleyball. “Zach loves people and brings people together,” said Chris Johnson, vice president and managing principle with Leo A Daly. “He always offers a unique perspective that is inviting, engaging, authentic, and fun. Zach is dependable and can always be counted on to give his all.” Klebba’s professional and community contributions have remained consistent since landing in Omaha, a city he wants to call home for the foreseeable future. At 32, he brushes off the millennial label, instead embracing an “old school” work ethic of loyalty, teamwork, and commitment, remarking: “The grass is not always greener elsewhere.” “I never took for granted what makes Omaha special,” he said. “For me, it’s that blend of small enough to know people, big enough to offer some of the resources of a larger city. There are plenty of things to do here if you’re willing to look for them.” B2B

22 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

SPONSORED CONTENT

C.A.D.E. PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN | STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS

maha has long been known to have great architecture and design. Tech High, when built in 1923, was noted to be the largest high school west of Chicago. And Kountze Park was home to dozens of buildings in Grecian and Roman Revival styles, all created for, and demolished right after, the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in 1898. These days, Omaha is still turning out great architecture and design. The park at Aksarben Village features a notably 90-foot-tall obelisk. The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center has effortlessly blended art and architecture together to create useful and beautiful spaces for health and healing. And Omaha is home to great feats of engineering, also. The Bob Kerrey Bridge is a 3,000-foot cable-stayed bridge over which thousands of people traipse each year, having their photos taken with one foot in Nebraska and the other in Iowa. The following pages of sponsored content bring stories of great engineering, construction, and architecture firms. B2B

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CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD /THE LUND COMPANY JASON FISHER As president of Cushman & Wakefield/The Lund Company for the last 10 years, Jason Fisher heads a team of over 350 professionals who offer a host of services: brokerage, asset management, property and facility management, project management and development, valuation, and consulting. It’s a lot to oversee, but Fisher said he relishes the challenges. “We’re a full-service commercial real estate company. So, if you want to own it, sell it, lease it, or ‘live, work and play’ in it—we can help,” Fisher said. “When you’re a management company, it’s a 24/7/365 business. Those relationships are forged in good times and in bad times but we’re in it together, it’s a long-term relationship.” A pandemic certainly qualifies as “bad times,” but it’s also emphasized the importance of his work, Fisher said. “One of our taglines that I love is ‘We’re at the intersection of real estate and real life.’ We’ve always believed that real estate matters. It matters to people, and that’s never been more meaningful than right now, when it’s been declared an ‘essential business,’ Fisher said. “I’m proud that we’ve been able to serve in that capacity. We’ve been an adviser to our clients when they’re looking to us for answers, most of which

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we have had to figure it out in the absence of any historical data to help us. We’ve never felt such a vital part of the community, which has been invigorating to us.” The team at Cushman & Wakefield/The Lund Company had to be responsive even in the earliest days of the pandemic, Fisher explained, constantly assessing cleaning practices and implementing maintenance measures in its buildings to help keep people safe. They also assisted owners and tenants as businesses adjusted by mandate or choice, from amending leases to working with banks on their behalf. “Everyone pretty much worked together to find short-term solutions with long-term in mind. We don’t know what ‘normal’ is going to look like in a few months or years,” Fisher said. “Buildings and physical environments are going to have to change and continue to adapt. What’s next? We’re excited about how that plays out in the future.” No matter what, supporting the community will continue to be an important objective, Fisher said. Befitting a mission that includes the statement, “We believe we can make a remarkable difference,” in 2013, the company implemented a volunteer time off program to support employees who wanted to give back to the community. Participants’ experiences have been inspiring, Fisher said, and “we’re looking forward to rolling out some initiatives that will help even more in the community.”

| 23

Fisher joined Cushman & Wakefield/The Lund Company in 2004 after leading a local, major commercial interiors firm. Since he became president in 2010, the company has experienced tremendous growth. “We’ve expanded our service into other areas, notably Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas,” he said. “We primarily operate in Omaha and our headquarters are here, but I think we’ve done transactions in over 20 states now.” Fisher has many high-level responsibilities in his position—like providing strategic leadership and establishing long-range goals, plans and policies for the organization—but he also still enjoys overseeing the details of what he calls a “people intensive business,” even the everyday tasks like making sure routine janitorial services are executed properly and walkways are cleared of snow in the winter, he said. “I was always interested in physical environments. I really like figuring out ways to make places more functional and better for people,” he said. “With more than 100 commercial properties and 11,500 apartment units to manage, there’s never a dull moment and we’re never bored.” 450 REGENCY PARKWAY, SUITE 200, OMAHA, NE 68114 LUNDCO.COM

24 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

FEATURE | STORY BY SCOTT STEWART | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

BEHIND-THE-SCENES SAFETY

FLEXIBILITY INCREASINGLY A CRITICAL ASPECT OF DESIGNING HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENTS

s health care workers scrambled this spring to prepare for a deluge of patients, one design factor in their facilities made all the difference: flexibility. Flexible facilities could be adapted into isolation rooms, shifting capacity typically used for routine examinations or elective procedures into spaces suitable for those infected with the coronavirus. Facilities not designed with flexibility in mind couldn’t be stretched in the same way, limiting the number of beds available as cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus, began to soar around the nation. The design of health care facilities is inexorably linked to patient care and, ultimately, what the professionals working inside those built spaces can do to save lives. “We’ve been looking for years at how to design for more flexible use,” said Sheila Elijah-Barnwell, co-founder of architectural firm Pact Studios. “I can see clients wanting to consider that more going forward.” Elijah-Barnwell joined with her husband Chris Barnwell and fellow architect Shawn Coyle to launch Pact Studios last year. With locations in Omaha and Denver, Pact brings experience from both large international firms and small local firms to address the specific challenges related to the health care industry. “We want to do health care. We don’t want to dilute our practice,” Elijah-Barnwell said. “In health care, it is important to be in touch with what’s happening. It’s important to understand all the codes, all the regulations, because there’s a lot.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic places that importance in stark contrast, a lot of everyday, small decisions go into designing a space, but the consequences of that work can be heightened in a health care environment. Consider a typical patient room, for example. The placement of the sink matters because when a health care worker washes their hands, particulates can fly off for several feet. “You don’t want any of that landing on a patient, and you don’t want it landing on a door that you’re going to touch,” Elijah-Barnwell said. “Anytime we’re designing in the built environment – so this could be community planning, a whole building or just one room—that solution can positively or negatively impact the safety of occupants.” A lot of design goes into infrastructure that ultimately has patient safety in mind, said Michael Hamilton, managing principal of Altus Architectural Studio’s Omaha office. “When you walk into a patient room or an exam room, what you’re visually seeing is really the tip of the iceberg relative to the infrastructure it takes to support that space,” Hamilton said. “The mechanical systems, the electrical systems, the lifesafety components and the redundancy that is required to support those spaces is actually pretty amazing. The intention behind all of it is the health and safety of the occupants of that facility.” Nearly half of the costs for a typical health care project are spent on the behind-the-scenes infrastructure, he said – much of it behind the wall, under the floor or just over dropped ceiling tiles.

“There is just so much that you don’t see on the surface when you walk in that goes into health care design and engineering,” Hamilton said. The more infrastructure supporting a space, the more versatile it can be, Elijah-Barnwell said. A lot of new health care projects are designing their regular medical-surgical rooms to meet the stricter requirements for medical gases and electricity found in intensive care units, along with the ability to shift from a positive-pressure to negative-pressure to control airflow and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. “If we design those so that they have the requirements necessary to become an isolation room, then you can treat more critical patients in that room in the future,” Elijah-Barnwell said. She said her favorite example of a flexible space is at a small community hospital in Virginia she designed for a previous employer. The hospital placed its clinical decision unit—a space where patients are observed prior to admission—adjacent to its emergency department. CONT. PAGE 26

“IN HEALTH CARE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE IN TOUCH WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING. IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE CODES, ALL THE REGULATIONS, BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT.” -SHEILA ELIJAH-BARNWELL

Sheila Elijah-Barnwell

26 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

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VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

“COVID-19 IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY HEALTH CARE DELIVERY IS DONE IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS EVENT IS GOING TO REALLY DRIVE SOME PRETTY BIG CHANGES IN TERMS OF HOW THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS LOOKED AT IN A HOSPITAL. MOVING FORWARD, PROJECTS ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO ADDRESS THINGS LIKE THE PANDEMIC WE’RE SEEING RIGHT NOW.” -MICHAEL HAMILTON

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“It’s really been, in my opinion, one of the most flexible solutions I have ever been able to provide a client,” she said. “It’s self-contained. It’s separate access. It’s everything that you’d want it to be if it was its own little mini-building.” Looking ahead, that adaptability is going to be increasingly important, and both Elijah-Barnwell and Hamilton expects regulations will adjust to encourage flexible environments. “COVID-19 is going to change the way health care delivery is done in the United States,” Hamilton said. “This event is going to really drive some pretty big changes in terms of how the built environment is looked at in a hospital. Moving forward, projects are definitely going to address things like the pandemic we’re seeing right now.”

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Altus, which also specialized in health care with offices in Omaha and Denver, was working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate hotels, convention centers, and other spaces to be makeshift hospitals. Hamilton said hospitals will be more proactive moving forward.

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM JUNE · JULY | 27

In the short term, Hamilton said a lot of projects will remain on hold, as the hospital systems in Omaha and elsewhere evaluate their priorities and balance their budgets. He expects many of the projects will be retooled with pandemic preparedness in mind, even if it drives up costs.

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“Doing it right the first time pays dividend in the long run,” Hamilton said. Of course, other considerations will still remain important, Elijah-Barnwell said. Clients have come to expect health care facilities be designed with environmental sustainability as a key requirement, and designs will continue to emphasize patient experience. “Most people going to the hospital—unless you’re having a baby, you’re not going there for necessarily positive reasons,” she said. “You’re a little bit anxious. You’re already worried. So making it easy to get where you’re going helps elevate that stress.” Making it easy to find parking, clearly marking paths, and greeting patients with inviting, natural, aesthetically pleasing spaces makes a difference in health outcomes, Elijah-Barnwell said.

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Using durable materials is also critical, as health care facilities put up with a lot more wear-and-tear than a typical office environment. Physical safety—from an armed intruder or natural disaster—is another important consideration, and another area where flexibility is key. “All of those pieces come together in a health care setting,” Elijah-Barnwell said. “You’ll hear a lot of health care architects refer to it as designing for the patient experience. Our job is to make the environment support all the people who provide the health care be successful.” For more information visit pact-studios.com or altusstudios.com B2B

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28 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

THE DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED TO INCLUDE 500,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL SPACE FOR DIVERSE BUSINESSES

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM JUNE · JULY | 29

FEATURE | STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE

HEARTWOOD PRESERVE BRINGS NEW LOOK TO CLASSIC LOCATION

ne of the largest urban developments in the country is now underway right here in Omaha—and “it will be a magnificent development when it is all done,” said Jeff Silver, executive vice president and general counsel for Applied Underwriters, the company that is driving the project.

Noddle Companies is the lead developer for the project, and the consulting team includes HDR, Urban Design Associates, HR&A Advisors, and Lamp Rynearson & Associates. CBRE has been brought on as the brokerage firm, and Berkeley, California-based landscape architect David Meyer is another key partner.

Heartwood Preserve will encompass 500 acres on former Boys Town land and farmland southwest of 144th and Dodge streets. Occupancy is still largely in the discussion and negotiation stage, but the development is expected to include 500,000 square feet of retail space for diverse businesses from boutiques to national chains; several dining choices; 1.65 million square feet of Class A single-tenant and multi-tenant office space for lease or on a build-tosuit basis; a mix of multi-family and single-family residences from apartments and cottages to largelot estate homes; a 300-room hotel; and a senior living facility.

Everything has been carefully thought out in terms of how people experience Heartwood, including how they interact with the landscape and the social infrastructure within the development, said Bart Emanuel, Applied Underwriters’ national director of development and construction. He added that the Heartwood development will be a walkable community, with a large percentage of land intentionally dedicated to green spaces and recreational areas.

The grounds will boast more than 10,000 trees and 80 acres of parks and open space, and offer eight miles of paths and trails for the community to enjoy. Attractions will include an amphitheater, an ice rink, and Heartwood Park, “the jewel of Heartwood Preserve” and a gathering place for events and outdoor activities. Each neighborhood will have footpaths that lead to Heartwood Park, and tenants are planning for access to outdoor areas as well.

Applied Underwriters’ official dedication of Heartwood Preserve took place last September. In January, luxury auto dealer ONYX Automotive at 148th and Davenport streets became the first business to launch operations. Now that spring has arrived, passersby have seen a lot of activity in the area including the installation of traffic lights and street lights. “It’s going to be a busy year,” Emanuel said. “There’s a lot of steel going up right now.” Some of that steel is the framework for Applied Underwriters’ new headquarters building on its upcoming 55-acre campus, the development’s business anchor and the impetus for the entire project.

“Where we are located now (in the Old Mill area), we have three separate buildings,” Silver said. “We are growing, so we have been looking for a long time for a space to build.” The global risk services firm needed a significant piece of land and considered several parcels in different parts of the city before the Boys Town land became available. Its location, with rare undeveloped space in the midst of existing infrastructure, proved to be ideal. “144th and Dodge is really close to being the center of Omaha anymore,” Emanuel said. “It was the right time for us to make the decision to move, and when we decided to move, not only were we going to develop it for us, we thought it was an excellent opportunity to develop this wonderful piece of property for all of Omaha,” Silver added. “This is not just for Applied Underwriters and its employees, it’s also for the city itself…this development is going to be so unique.” CONT. PAGE 30

30 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

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THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM INCLUDED EMPLOYEE INPUT IN THE PLAN FOR THE 250,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE THAT WILL COMPRISE THE APPLIED UNDERWRITERS CAMPUS. Karl Schaphorst Owner

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FROM PAGE 29 The design and development team included employee input in the plan for the 250,000 square feet of office space that will comprise the Applied Underwriters campus, expected to be move-in ready in early 2022, Silver said. Efficiencies include a solar energy system and underground parking garage. The interior design fosters collaboration and interaction, and employees will enjoy beautiful views and have access to outdoor spaces. “It is going to be so attractive and easy for our employees to work in,” Silver said. “It creates an incredible environment for all…there are so many amenities that are going to make employees happy.”

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The company expects the Heartwood Preserve projects to create hundreds of new jobs in construction and landscaping and thousands of new jobs in the facilities that will be housed in the development. Valmont Industries and Carson Group are constructing headquarters facilities and Avamere, which is creating the Ovation retirement community, are also among the companies who’ve already started building. Neighbors like St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, which is acquiring 15 acres of the farmland for expansion, and Millard North High School, which is receiving donated land for access improvements, are benefiting from the project. Other neighbors and the community at large have been supportive and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, Emanuel said.

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“The mayor and planning department have been extraordinarily helpful,” Emanuel said. “They have absolutely been a partner in the whole project from day one.” For more information, visit the Heartwood Preserve website at HeartwoodOmaha.com. B2B

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FEATURE | STORY BY ROBERT FRAASS | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

MASTERS OF THEIR NEW DOMAIN

THE NONPROFIT ASSOCIATION OF THE MIDLANDS FINDS A MIX OF HIGH-TECH AND VINTAGE

he big day finally arrived for CEO Anne Hindery and her staff on March 6. That’s when the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands (NAM) moved into their new office at the historic Mastercraft building in north downtown. The new office smell hadn’t even worn off when staff began working from home 10 days later because of COVID-19. Still, the excitement and buzz remains for Omaha’s venerable nonprofit leadership organization and its members and friends. The organization that has provided leadership for local and regional nonprofits for decades now lives in digs where a tech-filled meeting room, airy natural lighting, sleek multifunctional spaces and furniture is nestled amid the industrial-retro comforts of an old factory space shared by dozens of tenants. “As a nonprofit we wanted it nice, but not too nice,” said Hindery, gesturing toward tables that can be used for working but also for buffet tables and cocktail bars. She noted their per-square-foot costs actually decreased from their old location near 112th and Q streets. It’s a new chapter in terms of both a new physical space for NAM and better service for its members. All the staff in one location will be better for communication, Hindery said. Members can use all the space for free including using all the technology or the board room for when a nonprofit wants to hold a meeting. When it was briefly open, Hindery was able to host a call for 59 human resources professionals without a hitch.

“Working morale has improved just by everyone having their own designated space. We had four people in one big office—and it was a big room— but now, no one is working on top of each other. You can have a phone conversation and not worry about if you are disrupting someone else’s train of thought.” In 1941, Mastercraft Furniture opened their 140,000 square-foot-factory at 1111 N. 13th St. The former factory, dubbed the Mastercraft Building, now serves as a budding creative center that attracts diverse small business owners and entrepreneurs—including some current NAM clients. At 4,100-square-feet, the NAM space is more than three times larger than its previous location. The industrial hallway leads to a doorway that opens into a generous reception desk and expansive kitchen that also can be used for meeting overflow and a break room. Through that space lies the technological wizardry of the meeting area draped in beautiful sightlines and clean whites, with up to 50 comfortable workspace seats, soft benches, microphones, hightech hanging tube-like buffers for great acoustics, and a videoconferencing stage for offsite meeting attendees that includes a planned push for its first members from Greater Nebraska.

In the opposite direction from the reception desk is a smaller meeting room, open workspace, and offices for Hindery and staff with hanging sound buffers and high-tech touches (such as L-shaped rising desks and preprogrammed white noise) that provide functionality and daylight flowing through the sawtooth skylights to reveal another leadingedge space—the under-renovation 180,000-squarefoot Ashton warehouse—rising to the east. Workspace to the east of the offices with its collaborative desks and resources is perfect for hands-on relationships—whenever those become possible. It’s a functional workspace that meshes the “way cool” of today with the “gee whiz” of World War II-era Omaha. “You can’t have a cooler space than the Mastercraft,” said Victoria Estep, the project’s lead interior designer for contactor Ally Poyner Macchietto Architecture. “Anything we did on top of that was hopefully a light touch to enhance the space and make it a little more interesting.” The design goal, Estep said, was to match NAM’s vision for the space. CONT. PAGE 35

34 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

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FROM PAGE 33 “We designed the open office space so they have workstations with room to grow. There are a few areas where they can reconfigure into additional desk spaces,” she said. “Our goal was to help them serve their small businesses and nonprofits with a training, kitchen, and reception area that can be used as one space.”

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The builders then turned the interior designer and architect’s dream into reality, said Scott Thompson, president of Lund-Ross Constructors. Other than linking sewage lines to the NAM space (“we pumped the waste line up and over to other draining systems”), the hardhats of Lund-Ross had a wide-open palette when turning three factory bays into one, Thompson said.

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“I like the new modern, with the old history,” he said. “When you keep brick walls and exposed structure and blend it with new, modern elements of technology such as the videoconferencing and the new finishes, it creates a great space.” The result is a highly collaborative workspace, said Hindery, who loves its multifunctional uses. The NAM Membership Board, she said, will be able to reach out to nonprofit organizations working in the Mastercraft building, either in NAM offices or in the common meeting rooms on couches where people gather, and tenants who have brought their dogs to work walk by. NAM members can pop in when they have a couple of hours between meetings or running around Omaha, Hindery said, and NAM staff can meet with other Mastercraft tenants. “When we started out, I said, ‘Oh, if we can double our space, we will be fine!’” Hindery said. ”But now, three times the space, it feels about right. “We love the high-tech industrial feel,” she continued. “My parents owned a mattress factory, so I appreciate the industrial vibe.” Visit nonprofitam.org for more information.

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“THERE IS A REASON I BUILT IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HY-VEES. IT WILL COMPLETELY DISRUPT THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY.” -BEAU STARKEL

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM JUNE · JULY | 37

FEATURE | STORY BY LISA LUKECART | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

BOOZE, BAR, AND BANQUETS

BEAU STARKEL INTENDS TO DISRUPT THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY

tuffed animals, building blocks, and action figures have been replaced with whiskeys, wines, and ales at the former Toys “R” Us store at Oakview Plaza. Wine, Beer, and Spirits planned to open its doors to liquor lovers with a soft opening the last week in April. The concept merges a bar, events, and shopping under one roof. “It’ll be Brix on steroids,” owner Beau Starkel said. Starkel brings experience as the owner of two Thunderhead Brewing Taprooms, one in the Old Market district and the other in west Omaha. Dressed in a long-sleeved plaid shirt, blue jeans, and work boots, the businessman looked more like a construction worker. “I’ve been building s--- my whole life,” Starkel explained, puffing on a thick Gilberto Oliva cigar. Some of his knowledge comes from growing up in rural Stanton, Nebraska. But his financial flair has helped him seize opportunities. When the building came up in a bankruptcy auction at $900,000 for 31,000 square feet, the 37-year-old businessman jumped on it. He saw an advantage in the location, a destination hot spot adjacent to Oakview Mall. “There is a reason I built it in the middle of the Hy-Vees,” Starkel said. “It will completely disrupt the alcohol industry.” He pointed with his cigar at the huge building interior, a blank canvas waiting for an entrepreneur’s brush to transform it. Starkel flipped his blue baseball hat backwards and radiated excited energy as he paced the space, much like a kid in a toy store.

Omaha does not have a massive selection of lowprice liquor, he explained. Starkel capitalized on that fact in a big way “to make money.” To the right of the black tiled entryway, a 45-foot solid walnut bar top invites guests to sample selections before deciding on a purchase. The bar walls will be covered in cedar and wood panels, giving off the vibe of a warm log cabin. Huge slabs of natural oak community tables will seat up to 50 people. An 800-square-foot mural of a vineyard along another wall should inspire wine lovers to share a bottle of cabernet, chianti, or chardonnay. While some will sip on Nebraska craft beers at the bar, others can take advantage of the 2,200 square feet of shopping space. Half of the light fixtures were taken down and the remaining converted to LED. The checkout counters from the old store remain, but most likely will be covered in natural pine wood. He kept the remodel simple, preferring to keep it low key, adding rows upon rows of metal shelves for the product. The lower cost in maintenance means customers will be charged less. A smaller 1,200-square-foot section has been reserved for “the library.” People could use the granite tables equipped with power outlets to work, read, host meetings—or perhaps play a game of shuffleboard. The east side of the wall is painted in burgundy to match the lipstick trim on the exterior. Pac-Man wallpaper remains on the wall, a holdover from the Toys “R” Us days. Starkel wants to keep it, but has been outvoted thus far by the rest of the crew.

The bulk of the demo work went into the event space. Architect Mark Sanford approached it as a retail remodel. The form and flow of the soundproof space seemed more important than the aesthetics. His company, Mark Sanford Group, added walls to create a 5,000-square-foot space for weddings, corporate conventions, or holiday parties. Two restrooms, a family restroom, and a bridal/green room added extra touches to keep the area private. Sanford collaborated with Starkel on both Thunderhead Taprooms. “Beau is a very energetic and farsighted young man. I have to keep up with him. He’s always ahead of me,” Sanford added. This is evident in how quickly Starkel adjusted his blueprint of the retail space due to the COVID-19 virus. He squinted behind his glasses, tugged on his brown beard, and nodded his head. “Take down all these shelves. We are going to throw down pallets instead,” Starkel told department manager Dave Ribar. CONT. PAGE 38

38 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

“BEAU IS A VERY ENERGETIC AND FARSIGHTED YOUNG MAN. I HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH HIM. HE’S ALWAYS AHEAD OF ME.” -MARK SANFORD

FROM PAGE 37 Ribar’s blue eyes widened. He bartended at Thunderhead for six months, but the coronavirus forced many restaurant and bars to shut their doors. Starkel didn’t want to see his employees laid off so he asked them to paint, build, and tear down the building at Wine, Beer, and Spirits instead. Ribar had little experience in construction so the shelves took him about 16 hours. “I can’t believe I have to take it all down,” he whispered. Ribar, 28, quit his job in heating and air conditioning to go full-time as a manager at the store. He is still a part-time senior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Starkel, an adjunct finance professor there these past three years, taught Ribar all about the pitfalls of small businesses. Ribar now has a hands-on entrepreneurial education building it all from the ground up. “In the beginning, I was nervous. I thought three months to open was hard, but we put in a lot of effort,” Ribar said.

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Along with adding pallets, the event area is temporarily halted. Food can’t be catered in anyway, so it is pointless during quarantine. This way the store can be up and running faster with curbside pickup in the 180-parking stall lot.

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Despite a temporary decline due to the virus, Starkel still hopes to open four more stores, insisting “it’s going to be a damn good value.” Visit winebeerandspirits.com/ for more information. B2B

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40 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 3

OMAHA CVB BY KEITH BACKSEN

OMAHA INGENUITY maha has always been a city of innovators. In 1916, business was slow for Joe Saunders and his three brothers. Their family’s Omaha real estate business was seeing few clients. Just when they thought it could not get worse, the car they used for real estate showings broke down.

One of the brothers arranged to borrow a car and agreed to pay six cents per mile for the use of the automobile. While the Model T made cars more common, most people could not afford to own one. Joe started thinking, how many others need to borrow a car for a temporary purpose or for a Sunday drive. Joe started with one car from his home on a trial basis. He placed an ad in the local paper, “Automobiles for Hire.” He offered the Model T for 10 cents a mile, and if you could not drive, he would provide a driver. In 1917, Joe changed the name of the company to Saunders Drive-ItYourself System and his one car grew to more than 100 cars and trucks by the end of that year. The Saunders family would eventually sell to Avis.

Omaha’s innovative ways and entrepreneurial spirit lives on today. In March, Brickway Brewery transformed its craft brewery business to make hand sanitizer for first responders during a time when none could be found on store shelves. Outlook Nebraska, an Omaha toilet paper factory staffed with visually impaired employees, worked overtime to churn out more product. Nebraska Medicine and UNMC developed a new way to disinfect masks to allow for extended use—something medical teams across the country desperately needed as they dealt with a severe shortage of supplies. The last few months have been challenging but have also provided an opportunity for us to witness the strength of our community and the resilience of its people. We know life feels different as we settle in to a new normal. However, one thing that will never change is Omaha ingenuity. B2B

GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER BY DAVID BROWN

LEADERS LEADING IN A CRISIS F

or the sake all the people you care for, stay safe. Practice social distancing. Work remotely if you can. If you have to go to work, do not go in if you are ill. Wash your hands. You might wonder how leaders are supposed to lead when you cannot be near other people? I know I have personally become adept at video chats on several different platforms. These chats have become a very important tool for me to speak one on one with staff, volunteers, members and community leaders. They have also allowed us to have conference calls with small and large groups locally and all around the country. But technology can only go so far. First and foremost, the leader needs to incessantly show support for their teams. All the members of the team. All of the time. Show your empathy for your people and their family situations. Show concern for your customers and suppliers. In a crisis, the leader needs to be the calm in the center of the storm. Show your ability and willingness to make decisions large and small. And show that you are nimble enough to jump from one issue to another, always with a clear goal in mind. People need to be able to depend on their leaders for clarity and guidance. Even using remote conferencing technology, the leader can show this calm to their teams.

Keith Backsen is executive director of the

David Brown is president and

Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau.

CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber.

Next, the leader must rally their teams to plan quickly and act promptly. Many companies have crisis response frameworks in place to begin to structure a response to crisis. But if you don’t, you can begin very quickly by pulling your key people together to discuss business continuity. Let the teams do their work. Use your influence to keep the conversations at a high level and then encourage smaller groups to work out the details. f you only have a small team, break the meetings into progressively more detailed conversations and get a topic completed before moving on to another. Use your influence to guide the process. Omaha is replete with this kind of leader. The kind of leader that guides people and companies through a crisis. Be safe. B2B

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