September/October/November 2015 B2B Omaha by Omaha Magazine

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BALLET NEBRASKA’S ERIKA OVERTURFF A PAS DE DEUX BETWEEN BUSINESS AND THE ARTS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER FE ATURE

BALLET NEBRASKA A PAS DE DEUX BETWEEN BUSINESS AND THE ARTS FEATURES

SCISSORS & SCOTCH Snip-Snip-Sip-Sip

OUTLOOK NEBRASKA A Sight For Non-Seeing Eyes

DEPARTMENTS

14 omAHA! 19 BRAND/REBRAND 30 HOW I ROLL Ervin & Smith

Controlled Comfort

SPECIAL SECTIONS

56 IN THE OFFICE 64 BIZ + GIVING

34 35

51 61

63 B4B 66 ETHICS

Co-Lab

Pink Shoe Cleaning Crew

BUY OMAHA PROFILES Cox Communications THE FIRM DEAL REVIEW Playing Big Edition

What’s That Thing?

COLUMNS

09 FROM THE EDITOR 26 OFFICE FURNITURE Playing Big

Office Origins

OMAHA CVB Husker Coach Has Tourism Twin THE BRAND BRIEF The Language Of Brand Irrelevance

TD2 Touts B4B Wicked Problems

YEAR OF THE STARTUP Entrpreneural Immersion

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T h e N e w e s t Eve n t Ve n u e B l e n d s T i m e l e s s C r a f t s m a n s h i p w i t h Eve r y A m e n i t y

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FROM THE EDITOR

PLAYING BIG

BY DAVID WILLIAMS

Compiling this issue of B2B magazine got me thinking about Scott Anderson’s 2013 book, Playing Big. In it the founder of Anderson Partners who is now the CEO of Doubledare speaks of forgetting your limitations and remembering the powerful person you are. Erika Overturff was 27 when she realized that the ballet company of which she was a member was doomed. She was an artist, a professionally trained dancer. Business savvy? Management skills? An understanding of how to fund a new performance company? Not so much. Overturff had a list of limitations a mile long, but today she is a founding member and artistic director of Ballet Nebraska, the region’s only professional dance company, as it enters its sixth season. She discovered the powerful person that she was and, with a lot of help in mentoring and connecting along the way, she’s learned to play big in elevating the cultural landscape of a city. Our cover story is not about a dance company so much as it is about a community’s ability to get things done when its people and its businesses share a common vision. Omaha has always been a special place, one with a “can do” spirit. While other cities struggle, we survive, even thrive. Omaha knows how to play big. That theme is reflected throughout the stories on the pages that follow, stories of creativity, passion, talent—even faith.

The same motif, that of playing big, is mirrored in The Firm Deal Review, the magazinewithin-a-magazine found beginning on page 35. No one setting out to purchase a business thinks small, and the stories told by The Firm represent microcosms of the very definition of what it means to think, dream, and play big. Anderson’s book pays particular attention to smaller cultures, which is fitting because most of the entities profiled in this magazine dwell in the arena of small business. It’s a strata where core values are perhaps most critical, but how is it that, even in the smallest of businesses, the simple maxim of “staying true” can remain so very elusive? Read on to uncover what has worked for some of the most compelling entrepreneurs in Omaha. And don’t forget to play big. B2B David Williams is editor of B2B, a publication of Omaha Magazine, LTD. Williams can reached at david@omahamagazine.com.

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FEATURE | BY ANTHONY FLOTT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Scissors & Scotch Co-Owner Erik Anderson

SHAVE AND A HAIRCUT SNIP-SNIP-SIP-SIP

Erik Anderson was new to Omaha and needed a haircut. A good one. The guy had a sales job and needed to look sharp. But who to trust with his precious locks—some chain? “You never know what kind of haircut you’re going to get,” Anderson says. “You could get a great haircut or walk out of there looking like a doofus. I’m not going to go that route. “I started going to women’s salons. I knew I could trust them.”

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That was two years ago. Now, Anderson gets his ’do done at his own place— Scissors & Scotch, which opened in March at 2835 South 170th Plaza. As its name suggests, there’s much more to Scissors & Scotch than just a great cut. The new shop offers an upscale grooming experience featuring traditional barbering services (in plush, old-school barber chairs) and modern spa treatments: steamed towels; hot lather neck shaves; scalp, neck, shoulder, and hand massages; paraffin hand dips; facial and skin services; colorings…even nose waxings. There’s a shoe shine station on Thursdays. And full body massages are on the way. All for dudes. Oh, yeah, and when customers are done, one of five complimentary hand-crafted whiskey cocktails await them in a private lounge. “There’s nothing like this right now,” Anderson says. “I would put it up against any place in the country. “It’s not just a haircut at Scissors & Scotch, it’s an experience. We haven’t had one person come back and say, ‘That was terrible.’ Most guys are like, ‘Wow, that was awesome.’” Anderson didn’t do it all alone. He’s equal partners with longtime friend Sean Finley, whom he grew up with in Prairie Village, Kansas, and Tanner Wiles, a friend he met at the University of NebraskaLincoln, where Anderson played baseball before earning his degree in 2011. Anderson later worked for Federated Insurance, which moved him from Minneapolis to Omaha in April 2013. That’s when he first went looking for a haircut. While researching his options, Anderson saw that men’s grooming had become the fastest growing part of the beauty industry. “That really intrigued me and I got really excited about it.” CONTINUED ON 12

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Why not open his own place? Anderson brought that idea to Finley and Wiles one night at a bar in early 2014. Not one of them had any experience in the grooming industry but the trio soon discussed the idea by group text message. Then they met regularly, working on documents and video conferencing via Google Hangouts. Wiles worked in sales at Ambulatory Care in Kansas City; Finley completed his law degree in Columbia, Missouri (he’s now a corporate attorney at Husch Blackwell in Kansas City). They hammered out the concept of Scissors & Scotch, leveraged whatever assets they possessed at such tender ages (Finley and Wiles are 27, Anderson 26), and got an SBA loan. In August 2014 they signed a lease at Shops of Legacy. This March, they opened with nine employees, not counting themselves.

FALL 2015 |

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12050 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE 68154 | +1 402 255 6060 | nainpdodge.com Response exceeded expectations. Six weeks after opening, Scissors & Scotch averaged 80 new clients per week and about 30 haircuts a day. More than 60 percent of the customers opted for the $52, “15-year service” (as in the age of fine Scotch). Its membership program—the Scotch-inspired 10-, 15- and 25-year packages with escalating benefits at each level—was expected to generate 100 sales the first year. Scissors & Scotch sold 90 the first month.

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“It’s really encouraging,” Anderson says. “Each week we’ve done more haircuts than the previous week since we opened.”

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OMAHA! | BY ANTHONY FLOTT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

GOING TO THE DOGS ERVIN & SMITH’S RELAXED, AWARD-WINNING VIBE Want to know how much fun it is to work at Omaha digital marketing firm Ervin & Smith? Just ask Peanut, Gwen, Duke, or Daphne Jane.

“People are free to come and go as long as they are fulfilling their client commitments and meeting their other goals,” Mausbach says.

They won’t talk to you…but you’ll probably see their tails wagging.

So have employees been abusing the policy with copious vacation days? Mausbach can’t say—Ervin & Smith isn’t tracking days. If there’s any challenge to the time-off policy it’s been with employees not taking enough personal time. Mausbach, who joined the agency 15 years ago, was among those who took “a lot less” vacation than she typically would.

“Any week we have probably a couple dogs in the office,” says Heidi Mausbach, Ervin & Smith president and CEO. “You find them at your desk begging for a little treat. They follow their owners around the agency.” The furry friends are there as one of many workplace benefits garnering Ervin & Smith attention here and nationally. In February the agency founded 31 years ago by Executive Chairman Doug Smith made the 2015 Best Places to Work in Omaha list sponsored by Baird Holm and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. That came three months after Advertising Age ranked Ervin & Smith number 13 on its list of 40 Best Places to Work in Advertising & Media based on hiring practices, benefits packages, salaries, office perks, and more. “You spend…a good percentage of your life at work,” Mausbach says. “You want to be at a place you love to come to. People do love it here. You don’t dread Monday morning.” Even if you’re on vacation—which is unlimited at Ervin & Smith, as are sick and personal days. The new leave policy, established in January 2014, is among the most intriguing initiatives at the agency.

“People need vacation to recharge and get inspired to continue to love what they do,” she says. “A lot of times when you give people that break they come back more energized and with great ideas. It makes them happier, it makes us a better company.” While employees appreciate the flexibility the policy allows them to get away from work, Ervin & Smith has seen benefits in the office—less idle activity, greater communication and collaboration, and, perhaps best of all, fewer and shorter meetings as employees focus on goals and commitments. CONTINUED ON 16

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CONTINUED FROM 15 The company also allows employees to work from home as needed or even full-time from cities across the country (one Ervin & Smith employee lives in Washington, another in Colorado). The company also established an annual “Slush FUNd,” giving each employee $100 to spend on something that will enhance company culture, such as a popcorn machine. Some pooled their money to buy meditation classes open to everyone. Others adopted a family at Christmas. Workplace enhancements can be simple. A couple of years of ago the agency added a ping pong table. Sometimes, that’s where the best work happens. “It’s interesting how their minds work,” Mausbach says. “A lot of times they’re playing and brainstorming. There are amazing ideas that come out of work and play at the same time.” Other initiatives to enhance the Ervin & Smith environment include redesigned offices, an expanded client conference room,

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“Of all the benefits, they feel this is the one definitely helping them the most professionally and personally,” Mausbach says. The initiatives seem to work. Ervin & Smith promoted 12 employees and hired 15 others last year. Its retention rate in 2014 was 84 percent, better than the typical industry rate of 70 percent or worse, Mausbach cites. Ervin & Smith is building employee relationships. Perks are great. People are better. Making Ervin & Smith a doggone great place to work. B2B

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Discover what thousands of CEOs already know. Vistage works. If you are a CEO, key executive or business owner, call 402.401.7560.

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Get answers. Take action. Like you, the members of a Vistage Advisory Board are proven business leaders and critical thinkers. They have smart ideas and insightful opinions and this is the forum to express them. At our monthly meetings, you’ll encounter lively discussions where business leaders tell it like it is. If you find that refreshing, then be our guest at our next monthly group meeting.

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BRAND/REBRAND | BY ELIZABETH MACK | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Leo Costanzo, Anne Taylor, and Alan Hove of Controlled Comfort

SINGING A HAPPY TUNE JINGLING ALL THE WAY

Jingle writers have done their job if they create an earworm—a song so catchy it sticks in your head and won’t leave. “When I tell people I work at Controlled Comfort, they immediately start singing the jingle,” says Alan Hove, who, along with co-owners Leo Costanzo and Anne Taylor, purchased Controlled Comfort in 2004. “It’s the best form of advertising we could ever hope for.” CONTINUED ON 20

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CONTINUED FROM 19 Most people in the Omaha metro area are familiar with that animated female voice belting out, “Controlled Comfort–Keep it Under Controooooool!” Many locals probably would not guess the company’s logo (an angel), but could at least hum a few bars of the jingle. Whether a catchy tune is annoying or enjoyable is a matter of opinion, but once that musical worm has worked its way into your psyche, you are forced to remember the product, which is exactly what advertisers hope for.

Businesses Are Buying Smarter The All Makes’ team is trained to

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furniture purchases that fit your office atmosphere, your work style and your showroom to see the latest in new office furniture, pre-owned office furniture and business technology.

“We love our jingle!” says Taylor. “When we purchased the company, we knew we wanted to maintain the image and keep the logo and jingle. We couldn’t ask for a better form of advertising.”

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Research shows that music increases recall, and simple melodies with simple lyrics stick with a consumer not only for the short term, but often the long-term. Remember, “I Wish I Were an Oscar Meyer Weiner?” Even if it has been years since you have actually heard it, chances are you can still sing the entire song. Controlled Comfort’s brand may not be as huge as Oscar Meyer’s, but their jingle has stood the test of time, being sung on local radio and TV for nearly 20 years with no end in sight.

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When companies change ownership, one major decision is whether or not to maintain the same brand image, and the current owners of Controlled Comfort knew they wanted things to stay pretty much the same when they took ownership.

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Taylor recounts how, in the mid-1990s, local musician Johnny Ray Gomez produced the jingle for a radio spot. “The previous owners purchased a year of radio advertising and it came with a jingle,” Taylor says.

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“I just recently heard the song while I was traveling in western Nebraska. It was quite a shock!” she adds with a laugh. Branding is all about creating an image of a business that will stick in a customer’s mind. Though most businesses rely on visual advertising to create their brand, jingles can be an additional way to increase awareness and create staying power. People often remember a catchy tune. Throw the company name and their phone number in the jingle lyrics, and customers may not even need to look up the contact information. “If I forget the phone number, I just sing the jingle,” says one local customer. Though original jingles declined in recent years as more large companies turn to popular songs for their advertising, a few local companies still spend at least some marketing dollars on jingles. Whether you think it annoying or catchy, a jingle may be your best advertising investment. B2B

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BY DAVID WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN COVER FE ATURE

BALLET NEBRASKA A PAS DE DEUX BETWEEN BUSINESS AND THE ARTS How is it that Midlands Choice has come to make an investment in, of all things, a ballerina? Sure, the bottom line of any insurance entity is driven by risk management—the investing of premium revenues to hedge against claims. But taking stock in Claire Goodwillie, a company dancer with Ballet Nebraska? The Midlands Choice example is repeated all across the metro as area businesses support a broad array of arts nonprofits, ones that dwell in everything from tutus to tempura. And the table is set for a new era of collaboration between business and the arts because philanthropic giving in America has finally returned to pre-recession levels. Contributions, which totaled $358 billion in 2014, surpassed 2007’s pre-recession level of $355 billion. Additionally, giving was up from all major sources—individuals, corporations, foundations and bequests—according to Giving USA, an annual report compiled by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and the Giving USA Foundation of Chicago. “Eight out of nine types of charitable organizations we measure saw increased contributions, and that’s good news for the

philanthropic sector as a whole,” W. Keith Curtis told Omaha Magazine in an email. Curtis is chair of Giving USA Foundation and president of the nonprofit consulting firm The Curtis Group. “The 60-year high for charitable giving in 2014 is a great story about resilience and perseverance.” Themes of resilience and perseverance define the Ballet Nebraska story. Erika Overturff was 27 years old when the ballet company of which she was a dancer and resident choreographer appeared doomed. She had no money. She had no business acumen. That was 2009. Flash forward to 2015 and Overturff, now 33, founder and artistic director of Ballet Nebraska, is leading the region’s only professional dance company into its sixth season. In a city known for its “can-do” spirit, this story could be about almost any local arts nonprofit, but the unlikely saga of Ballet Nebraska is told here because it is perhaps the most improbable of tales, one that best reveals what a business community and the arts can do when they share a common vision. CONTINUED ON 24

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CONTINUED FROM 23 Like settling into your seat with a program before the lights dim at any performing arts venue, it’s probably best to start by reviewing the cast of characters:

THE CONNECTOR

Hal Daub knows people. Especially in a city of six degrees of separation that is, in reality, much more like two or three degrees, the former Omaha mayor (1995-2001) and U.S. Congressman (1981-1989) who has served on countless nonprofit boards and is now a partner at Husch Blackwell…knows people. “When I was first introduced to Hal and he offered to help,” Overturff says, “I assumed that meant he was going to maybe make a few calls and do a little name-dropping.” Daub, it turned out, would become a key player in the often delicate pas de deux that is the coupling of business and the arts. “He not only made those calls, but he set up the appointments…and then he came along to personally introduce me and stand by my side in front of those who would become some of the most generous funders of Ballet Nebraska.” “The reason I am so fascinated by what Erika has done,” says Daub, “is that Omaha is a city that has clearly evolved to become a place that is not just metropolitan, but truly cosmopolitan.” And investing in the arts, Daub believes, makes good business sense. “The social environment of a city—its arts and entertainment—is critical in attracting and retaining the best workforce. Ballet Nebraska, Opera Omaha, the Omaha Symphony, Omaha Performing Arts…those and so many others are the organizations that help keep the best talent in Omaha.”

THE ADVOCATE

THE BULLDOG

“Employee generosity is furthered by the use of the company’s matching gifts program,” Clark explains. “This creates a sense of pride for employees, and Union Pacific is supportive of the communities in which we live and work. The employees of Union Pacific are very generous and have supported fundraising drives not only for Ballet Nebraska, but a number of organizations such as the Women’s Center for Advancement and JDRF.”

“Midlands Choice has always been supportive of my work in the community,” says the board chair of Ballet Nebraska.

Michelle Clark is Union Pacific’s general director of information technologies, which means she probably knows more than a little about computer viruses. As a three-year board member of Ballet Nebraska, she’s also seen how supporting the arts can go viral.

Employees should never underestimate their power to play a key role in advocating for nonprofits within their organizations. “I am passionate about the art of dance, especially ballet and Ballet Nebraska,” Clark says. “Dance inspires my creativity and provides insights to see beyond the obvious. My hope is that by providing individuals with the awareness of opportunities to experience and support the art of dance they will find their own inspiration to apply to their own life.” And just as stubborn computer viruses are often cloyingly messy to eradicate once discovered, Union Pacific’s relationship with Ballet Nebraska has a “stickiness” of its own. Clark was preceded on the Ballet Nebraska board by Gayla Thal, the company’s senior vice president and general counsel.

Don’t let the gentle demeanor of Midlands Choice vice president Greta Vaught fool you. Supporting the arts is often a visceral experience, and Vaught’s passion for dance exerted itself on multiple levels in the early stages of growth at Ballet Nebraska.

“We like to listen to our people when making such decisions,” says Midlands Choice President and CEO Thomas E. Press. ”It is important for us to know that our giving has real meaning for them, their families, and their communities.” “I looked at what Erika was trying to do,” Vaught continues, “and I thought it was brave, but impossible. But all along the way I just kept going back to the thought that if one of my daughters [Mia, now 15, and Hannah, now 19] wanted to try something so bold one day that”…insert long pause… “I’m sorry, this is making me cry. I would just hope that people with experience and connections and dollars would shepherd my daughters along like so many people have done with Erika and Ballet Nebraska.” Okay, so maybe “The Bulldog” wasn’t such a great character name for this role after all.

FALL 2015 |

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THE ARTIST

“I had to do a lot of on-the-job learning when I decided to try to launch a dance company,” Overturff says. “We were lucky in that we got our nonprofit status right away, but I didn’t know anything about the business side of things, and really nothing about raising funds. I was moved by every $5 check that came in, but it took a lot of mentoring, advice, and counsel to get us to where we are today as a fully funded, professional performance company.”

Fas t- Paced Publ ic Rel ations

Ballet Nebraska now has a paid staff of 22, including nine salaries paid to company dancers. Today, Overturff’s oncenonexistent business connections run deep. Personal contributions from the likes of philanthropists Richard Holland, and Fred and Eve Simon, further fuel the growth of ballet in Omaha. Foundations also play a major role in funding. A recent gift of $124,000 from the Iowa West Foundation is the largest in Ballet Nebraska history.

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“Talented professionals from all over the world that have trained their whole lives to pursue a career in dance now come to Omaha in the hopes of performing with Ballet Nebraska as we serve the state and western Iowa in performances, education, outreach, and more” she says. “A ballet company—any performing arts company, any arts organization—is about its people…the artists, the staff, and hardworking, selfless volunteers. But it is the people of Omaha, from the smallest donations to the relationships we have with such great businesses, that makes it all happen.”

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volume 15 | issue 3

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

OFFICE FURNITURE

BY DOUG SCHURING

OFFICE ORIGINS A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MODERN WORKPLACE For all the time we spend in our office, very few of us are familiar with how that space came to be. You may actually be surprised by the events and inventions that helped form the work environment we know today. From the development of the railroad to innovations in communication, our current corporate habits, structures, and tools have all played a role. In his book Cubed—A Secret History of the Workplace, Nikil Saval shapes the advances that created the conventional office we are familiar with today. The advent of the Morse telegraph spawned long-distance communication. Then, starting in 1860, a series of technological innovations changed the possibilities of the workplace: the use of iron framework permitted the construction of taller buildings, and elevators assisted the climb. The Remington typewriter entered the office in 1874; Bell’s telephone was patented two years later. At the same time, railroads expanded across the country, reducing transportation costs and extending markets for goods and services. Additionally, railroads produced an organizational transformation still in use today. The coordination of trains required employees, housed in structures all across the country, bringing a variety of offices to the American landscape. Between the executive, the manager, and the worker… the organizational chart was born. The invention of telecommunications fostered the speed of information to surge, creating more

work and, subsequently, more workers. As these workers moved into new structures, the spaces reflected their various levels of management. In 1915, the Metal Office Furniture Company (now Steelcase) invented the modern desk—a flat metal table outfitted with file drawers. The new desks, massed together in defined rows, offered managers full visual access to the goings-on of the workplace; and this “sea of desks” became the norm for decades. Lockers and various cabinets, popular in the Great Depression era, became vertical files once steel became readily available after World War II. In 1968, Herman Miller introduced the first panel system with attached components. Designed by Robert Propst, the Action Office system revolutionized the “office” in form, flexibility, and cost. Other furniture manufacturers mimicked the modular system, which became the norm for many businesses. Up to the ’90s, the personal computer’s popularity grew, and the relative size of work stations decreased between 25-50 percent. By the middle of that decade, the dot-com revolution on the West Coast created an unprecedented workplace culture. The formal atmosphere of the office became much more casual, and discontent for the Dilbert-esque cubicle grew. Subsequently, creative furniture solutions evolved, with the desire to be more mobile leading the way. In the early 2000’s, collaborative, open offices grew in popularity. New and improving

technologies now offer connectivity in the office, home, or public spaces. As a result, nearly every company today is adapting and using new furnishings as a tool to attract new workers. At the same time, retaining existing employees is equally important. The goal is to make everyone more effective and efficient in their work. Whether you work in an office, from home, in the local coffee shop, or out of an airline terminal, you may start to notice that much of the furniture is beginning to look very similar. As long as you are able to connect to technology, you can work from virtually anywhere. B2B

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

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

Outlook Nebraska CEO Eric Stueckrath

volume 15 | issue 3

FALL 2015 |

29 omahamagazine.com

FEATURE | BY APRIL CHRISTENSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLIN CONCES

A SIGHT FOR NON-SEEING EYES OUTLOOK NEBRASKA On the surface, it looks just like any other office or factory. As you enter Outlook Nebraska Inc. (ONI), you’re greeted by a friendly front desk attendant and led past a perfectly ordinarylooking workspace. Entering their factory where they manufacture such paper products as rolls of hand towels, you wouldn’t suspect that it is different from any other assembly line. But explore a little deeper. Walking past one office, you might see a man typing away on a keyboard, his laptop closed in front of him. He doesn’t need it open to know what he’s typing. He’s visually impaired and utilizing computer software that reads the words aloud as he types. On the factory floor, raised edges guard the walkway so sightless employees can feel their way around. Over on the assembly line, visually impaired workers can use a computer screen to zoom in on the product at various stages of production to assess the process. ONI is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the life of the blind and visually impaired, through employment opportunities and training. Almost all the employees at ONI are blind or visually impaired, from factory workers to IT professionals. Some were born blind, others lost their sight later in life. ONI aims to help them all re-enter the workforce in a meaningful way.

“They get used to being on their feet,” says ONI CEO Eric Stueckrath. “We offer jobs for [people with] entry-level skill sets and all of the positions are at or above minimum wage. We give them the tools to help build those skill sets.” ONI also offers personalized life-skills training geared to what’s important to the individual, from personal banking to cooking to operating a computer. The American Foundation for the Blind estimates that as many as 70 percent of blind adults in the U.S. are unemployed. As the largest employer of the blind in the Omaha metro area, ONI is working to make an impact. “We work with organizations that are committed to hiring the visually impaired,” Stuekrath says. “Advocacy is definitely part of what we do.” ONI is currently in the midst of a $2 million capital campaign that will allow them to complete a large-scale renovation project at their facility. The renovation will create more space for the general public and give them the ability to offer additional training programs. In addition to working with adults, blind and visually-impaired youth are a primary focus for Stuekrath and ONI.

“My heart really gravitates toward them,” Stuekrath says. ONI partners with youth organizations on a number of initiatives, including a sports camp for visually-impaired youth called Camp Abilities Nebraska. Attendees can try archery, swimming, bowling, track and field, and more as a means to build confidence. “They don’t need to be coddled,” Stuekrath says, adding that he often tells parents of blind children, “Your kid needs to get out there and bump his head and experience life.” At ONI, everything comes back to the organization’s mission, Stuekrath says. “We give them the tools they need to gain greater independence.” B2B

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volume 15 | issue 3

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

HOW I ROLL | BY ANTHONY FLOTT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Layne and Pam Yahnke and Their VW Thing

WHAT’S THAT THING? LANE YAHNKE’S UNUSUAL VOLKSWAGEN

Shakespeare wrote of love and betrayal. Tolkien of hobbits and wizards. Steinbeck and Faulkner of the indomitable American spirit. Layne Yahnke writes about his VW Thing. Yes, the two-wheel-drive, off-road convertible military vehicle first manufactured for the West German Army as “Type 181” in 1968. VW churned them out until 1983, including two years in the United States when marketed as “The Thing.” Yahnke got his Thing in 2000 for $5,500. He’s lovingly restored it, most importantly giving it a peppy new motor that makes it Autobahn-worthy.

There’s only one other Thing in Omaha and Yahnke’s gets lots of second and third looks when he’s whipping down the Dodge Street Expressway from his Elkhorn home. Especially when the doors are off and windshield is down. Everyone wants to know about…the Thing. Thus Yahnke penned, “It Takes a Village to Build a VW Thing,” an ode to those who helped him with his beloved ride—his sons, Omaha VW Club members, engine and body shops, and parts stores. CONTINUED ON 32

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volume 15 | issue 3

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CONTINUED FROM 31 “I wrote that right after the engine transplant,” says Yahnke, an Omaha native and vice president at Essex Corp., provider of senior living communities. “I guess I was moved. I get so many inquiries about it and I really feel so fondly about it.”

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It’s not his first Thing. Yahnke and his wife of 38 years, Pam, owned one before their four children came along. As the kids have come and gone, so have the cars. Lots of them. Yahnke figures he has owned 60 automobiles in his life. His car fancy began as a kid growing up in Dundee where a friend’s dad spent his spare time restoring English cars. Yahnke spent hours in his garage and developed a love for Triumphs and MGs. His first car purchase was a 1962 Triumph for $425 in 1972. It wasn’t long, though, until he sold it at a profit. “That’s what kicked off the buying and selling of English cars,” he says. “I discovered I could enjoy my transportation, but then as soon as someone wanted to buy it for more than I paid for it, out it went.”

FALL 2015 |

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These days, you never know what will be parked in the Yahnke driveway. Currently, there’s a Honda pickup, a VW Jetta, VW Multivan, and a 2001 Audi TT Quatro Convertible—purchased in apropos silver for his 25th wedding anniversary. It’s the Thing he most enjoys driving. He logs about 1,000 miles on it each year. Most of those have come topless—Yahnke long ago gave it away to another Thing enthusiast and now only drives it sans roof. “Anyone who sees this car has only seen it topdown,” he says. “I just got caught once in the rain, and that was probably a month ago. The cool thing about the Thing is you leave it out in the sun and it dries out and is ready to go.” It says, “Summer is here,” Yahnke says. “People speed up all the time to try to figure out what it is. It’s just a happy car and it’s so darn versatile. It puts smiles on peoples’ faces.”

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COX BUSINESS LYNNE SANGIMINO

ABOUT OUR BUSINESS Cox Business started in 2000 as the commercial services division of Cox Communications. Over the past 15 years, we have experienced strong growth and are on our target to achieve $2 billion in revenue in the near future. Cox Business owns, operates, and maintains its own network, providing leading-edge technology solutions for voice, internet, networking, and digital TV. We also offer robust business continuity and disaster recovery solutions, which is of increasing importance to businesses in the greater Omaha area. Our customers include such key verticals as education, hospitality, government, and healthcare. We maintain a significant focus on Omaha small business, mid-markets, and large local companies as well. We consider our employees to be our most precious asset as they have the responsibility of taking care of our customers. At Cox Business, we are fortunate to have an extremely tenured and engaged team of employees. What sets us apart from our competition is the fact that while we are a large, robust, and progressive company, we still possess

the nimbleness of a smaller company in our ability to deliver creative solutions under tight timelines. We pride ourselves on having very little bureaucracy, and that translates to happy customers. The fact that Cox Business has won 15 J.D. Power Awards for customer satisfaction over the past 11 years is a notable accomplishment for us, and we work hard to deliver on that promise of excellence every day. ABOUT LYNNE

is a challenge in STEM fields of under-represented groups. My company, Cox Communications, is also very passionate about this and holds the distinction of inclusion in Diversity Inc.’s top 50 companies. My personal passions include travel, social media, and Italian cooking. B2B

I have led sales and operations teams in the communications industry for 20 years, 10 of those years with Cox Communications. My husband, Pat, and I just celebrated our first full year in Omaha and wonder why it took us so long to find this jewel of a community. Our daughter, Kaylin, starts law school next month at the University of San Diego. I have two passions in my professional life; mentoring employees who are working on leadership development (which includes working with two to three emerging leaders at any given time), and continuing to drive efforts in hiring / fostering a diverse workforce. There

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TEXAN RETURNS HOME FOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY PG. 8

Marlon Lofgren Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. KEEPING THE FOCUS WHERE IT BELONGS PG. 4

Seasoned Advice for Buyers (THE BOUNCY KIND) PG. 5 A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Fall 2015

PLAYING BIG EDITION

Volume 1 Issue 5 Published by The Firm Business Brokerage, LLC

President/Editor • Cortney Sells Director/Assistant Editor • Cassandra Powers In-House Legal Counsel • Susanne Miller Outreach Coordinator • Rene Rademacher Marketing Development • Rachael Rand Business Broker • Breann Becerra Referring Broker • Elizabeth Jones Marketing Division • Adam Jaime Development Liaison • Holley Garcia Client Services • Nycole Wandvik-Tolle Client Services • Julie O’Brien Community Relations • Mike Sells

Contributing Writers Marlon Lofgren • Kathy Rygg • Maureen Tierney

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The Firm Deal Review

Fall 2015

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

The Bottom Line

Husker Power Texan returns home to Nebraska for business opportunity

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7 Fresh Off The Firm

The Firm Business Brokerage has over $80 million dollars in assets under management of current cash flowing businesses for sale â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from medical practices to commercial services to large manufacturing companies.

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5 Seasoned Advice for

4 Seller Financing

(The Bouncy Kind)

Keeping the Focus Where it Belongs

Building Racks

Getting Into the Big Office

Business Buyers

12 Building a Legacy while

Koley Jessen P.C., LLO

14 Executive Impact

New Chapter to Becklerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Career

Sells Insights

Playing Big

by Cortney Sells

any business owners have marginal experience in the trades in which their organizations specialize. While it may seem counterintuitive to buy or start a company situated around an industry in which one has little experience, there is a certain competitive edge to the equation. A buyer or president need only know enough to begin before surrounding him or herself with the right personnel to tackle the minute details. What is paramount is the grander scheme of

management and operations, which allows one to flex refined business acumen. Not only does distance from fieldwork free up time to put in place a robust and refined plan, but it leaves open other avenues for portfolio expansion. Grow your business, expand operations, or begin other business ventures. The possibilities are only as small as the mindset held by your team. The FIRM

president/editor

Fall 2015

The Firm Deal Review

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Seller Financing:

Keeping the Focus Where it Belongs written by Marlon M. Lofgren, Attorney & Partner, Koley Jessen P.C., LLO

Marlon M. Lofgren, Attorney & Partner, Koley Jessen P.C., LLO

eller financing can often be a critical factor in getting a business sold. If properly structured and documented, seller financing is really no different from financing that would otherwise be provided by a bank. Below is a brief guide to navigating the issues normally encountered in seller financing.

FIRST THINGS FIRST The first question is usually that of how to structure and document the financing. The buyer should be expected to sign a promissory note evidencing the loan from the seller, with interest and repayment terms mutually agreeable to both parties. The seller might also require that the buyer grant the seller a security interest/lien in the purchased assets to secure the loan. It’s also not unusual for a seller to require that the individual owners of the buyer (assuming the buyer is an entity) personally guarantee the loan. In most cases, the documents are usually pretty straightforward and do not need to be overly complicated.

The Firm Deal Review

Fall 2015

ADDITIONAL LAYERS If a bank is also financing the sale, the seller will most likely be required by the bank to sign a subordination agreement. This is an agreement between the bank, usually referred to as the “senior lender,” and the seller, referred to as the “junior lender.” A subordination agreement sets forth the terms between the lenders as to each entity’s right to receive loan payments from the buyer and the priority of their respective security interests/liens in the purchased assets. The document will usually state that the senior lender’s loan and security interest/liens shall at all times be superior to those of the junior lender until the senior loan is paid in full. Most lenders are willing to discuss and negotiate the junior lender’s right to receive loan payments from the borrower. Lien priority status, however, is rarely compromised by senior lenders in subordination agreements. The senior lender will insist on having a first priority security interest/lien in the purchased assets.

IF PROPERLY STRUCTURED AND DOCUMENTED, SELLER FINANCING IS REALLY NO DIFFERENT FROM FINANCING THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE PROVIDED BY A BANK. TYING IT ALL TOGETHER Even the most savvy of “numbers people” need a leg up in negotiating a purchase. As with so many aspects of doing business, retaining experienced legal counsel enables you to keep the focus where it belongs— employing your entrepreneurial skills in the identification and acquisition of profitable business ventures. The FIRM

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Seasoned Advice for Business Buyers (The Bouncy Kind)

written by Kathy Rygg

hether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a first-time entrepreneur or an experienced business owner, purchasing a company is a critical investment financially and emotionally. To help increase the likelihood of it being a success in both areas, there are a number of aspects to keep in mind when evaluating if a business is the right fit. >

Jerry Rachwalik

Fall 2015

The Firm Deal Review

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

< Jerry Rachwalik has been researching companies for the past three years, waiting for the right opportunity to arise. His search was the result of spending his career working for larger organizations in a number of areas, including delivery, installation, customer service, inventory, accounts receivables, and scheduling, where he managed up to 35 people at a time. Policies and philosophies can change when working for a corporation. Sometimes they become less family friendly. “With the previous companies I worked for,” Rachwalik says, “they switched from caring about employees to making money and the bottom line. I stuck it out for several years and then decided I needed something different.” An entrepreneur by nature, Rachwalik has, over the last seven years, built up a rental business buying foreclosed homes and duplex properties, completely renovating them, and then renting them back out. He now has 15 properties and enjoys helping families by providing nice homes that are affordable. “I want people to feel good when they come home at night after a long day at work,” he says. Rachwalik wanted to find a business that allowed him the flexibility to respond to his tenants when needed, from simple plumbing issues to furnaces going kaput. When he first started looking for a new business, Rachwalik was drawn to home health care because of his experience helping to take care of relatives. And it was a growing field. Nothing was available at the time, so he expanded his options and began researching businesses in a variety of industries. Those included a flooring company, sandwich shop, and even a hair salon. “I was open to anything, and if I could make the numbers work, then I would consider it,” he explains.

The Firm Deal Review

Fall 2015

Then The Firm Business Brokerage presented him with an opportunity that was the right match: Bounce U in Omaha. There were a number of factors that appealed to Rachwalik. First and foremost were the financials, but it would also offer him the flexibility he needed for his rental business. A big advantage was that an entire team was already in place, one seasoned in managing staff and scheduling parties. “They do a great job,” he says. “I don’t plan on making any personnel changes.” But what he’s most looking forward to with this new venture is the fun, positive environment. Bounce U’s primary business is its birthday party packages featuring the company’s oversized inflatibles, and Rachwalik said he can’t wait to watch the excitement on the kids faces when they walk through the door. “Everyone there is happy,” he says. “The kids are happy, the parents are happy, and the employees running the parties are happy. It’ll be a big change from the environments I used to work in.” He’s already planning to have his twin granddaughters’ birthday party there too. His transition included a week of training with the company’s corporate facility in Arizona as well as on-site training. Even though the Omaha location is an existing store, all of Rachwalik’s training was structured as though it’s a brand new site. Bounce U has traditionally partnered with local restaurants to provide food for birthday parties, but Rachwalik wants to explore the option to build a kitchen of his own. He also hopes to continue to grow the business by at least 5% annually. “Anything I do I will communicate with my employees and get their input and suggestions first,” he adds.

For anyone who is considering buying a business or is going through the process, Rachwalik stresses to be open minded and not rule anything out. “If an opportunity is presented to you, run the numbers and see if you can make it work,” he says. “I did a complete flip-flop on the type of business I thought I wanted versus what I ended up purchasing. But if you keep looking, you’ll eventually find a match.” The FIRM

“THE KIDS ARE HAPPY, THE PARENTS ARE HAPPY, AND THE EMPLOYEES RUNNING THE PARTIES ARE HAPPY. IT’LL BE A BIG CHANGE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTS I USED TO WORK IN.”

-Jerry Rachwalik

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

Fresh Off The Firm:

Featured Listings for Sale Rain Gutter Sales & Installation

Suburban Bar & Grill with Volleyball

OWNER’S PROFIT $145,200 PRICE $415,000

OWNER’S PROFIT $26,413 PRICE $115,000

This business is a dealer for high-end rain gutter covers. These products are constructed of high-quality aluminum and surgical-grade stainless steel, and are strong enough to hold up to four feet of snow or 20 pounds of debris. Profit margin is 48%!

Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity in an area with only two other bars nearby! Serving up a gorgeous and well-maintained volleyball court along with pool tables and a jukebox, this bar and grill is a favorite with the locals. Business is fully staffed—owner works very part time hours.

Photo Booth Business Running on Autopilot

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Photo booths are the “in thing” at weddings and parties! In business for seven years, this business is one of the largest in town. Wedding couples hoping to capture the fun memories of the day make up 67% of the clients. Includes four booths and one trailer.

This well-established installation and assembly business in central Nebraska prides itself on providing many numerous building solutions for businesses and building owners in their area. They install and assemble metal frames, including grain silos, pole barns, and buildings.

Southwest Omaha Dental Practice

Builders’ Material & Supply Company

OWNER’S PROFIT $129,745 PRICE $380,000

OWNER’S PROFIT $364,880 PRICE $933,000

Professional staff and excellent customer service are the hallmarks of this practice. Using the latest technology, the business offers an array of dental services, including teeth cleaning, veneers, crowns, bleaching, and trauma services. The owner is currently working only 20 hours a week!

This highly reputable company established in 1976 and located just north of Omaha provides quality and reliable services and supplies. Building supply inventory includes garage door, lumber, windows, trims, siding, roofing materials, and more. Approximately 90% of customers are repeat clientele.

High-Growth Plumbing Company

Small Animal Vet Clinic in Omaha

OWNER’S PROFIT $157,774 PRICE $445,000

OWNER’S PROFIT $158,287 PRICE $440,000

This non-union plumbing company has consistent growth of over $130,000 a year in sales. The full service plumbing contractor has business that is currently 50% commercial and 50% residential.

For over 30 years this animal care clinic has prioritized customer care. They are currently offering services to over 2,000 families and are the second largest veterinary clinic in the area. The business is split 70/30 between dogs and cats.

90+ available business opportunities for sale. Please visit TheFirmBusinessBrokerage.com for details. Fall 2015

The Firm Deal Review

Matt Cradick

A Publication of The Firm Business Brokerage

From Retail to Roofing

How to be Successful When Buying a Business written by Kathy Rygg | photography by Bill Sitzmann

S The Deal Review Reason For Sale: Fresh start after 25+ years in the industry Seller Transition Period: Over eight months! Type of Sale: Asset Purchase Agreement Lender: Access Bank, Mack LaRock

“YOU SHOULD INTERVIEW FOR A BUSINESS JUST LIKE YOU WOULD FOR A JOB,” CRADICK EXPLAINS. “IT HAS TO BE THE RIGHT FIT. YOU DON’T WANT TO BE ONE OF THE MANY FATALITIES THAT HAPPEN SO OFTEN IN NEW BUSINESS.” -Shaun Heldt

pending almost 20 years working in retail for major corporations and then buying a siding and roofing contracting company may seem like a major leap, but for Matt Cradick, owner of Husker Hammer Siding, Windows, and Roofing, it was the best business move he’s ever made. And that’s saying a lot for someone who moved 11 times in 19 years across nine different states. Cradick had been living in Houston, Texas, where he worked for Target Corporation. He had worked his way up through the company and another promotion was on the horizon, which meant another move. With three young children at home, Cradick decided it was time to put down some roots. Having grown up in Lincoln, Nebraska, he wanted to be near family and Midwestern values. He started researching businesses for sale and was eventually led to The Firm, which, in turn, led him to Husker Hammer. The move from a big corporate environment to a small contracting business didn’t intimidate Cradick. With Target he oversaw 200 people, so he knew he brought strong management and operational skills. The challenge, he says, was learning the ins and outs of construction. He didn’t need to be the one hammering away on the roof—he needed learn a new business segment.

“Switching industries can be nerve-racking,” Cradick says, “but the owner was willing to stay on board for six months during the transition.” That partnership was an invaluable tool during the changeover. >

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< Husker Hammer was started in 1998 as a one-man operation and had been built up to a multimillion dollar business. Cradick was impressed with the mission statement, values system of the company, and the strong workforce that was already in place. And the price of the company lined up well with the financials. “What Husker has that others in the industry don’t,” says the man whose faith is central to his dealings, “is a strong ethical foundation with a Christian background.” There were a number of other elements Cradick sought when buying his business, ones he believes all potential business owners need to keep in mind. The first is to make sure you have a proper support team in place to help make a sound financial decision. That includes having a good business valuation and a good business broker who can point you in the right direction to ensure a match for both parties. Once you’re in the process of purchasing, he adds, make sure you have a capable network of attorneys, a seasoned financial team, and solid internal help to ensure you’re successful from the start. “You should interview

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for a business just like you would for a job,” Cradick explains. “It has to be the right fit. You don’t want to be one of the many fatalities that happen so often in new business.” To help ensure the company continues to be successful, Cradick plans to maintain Husker Hammer’s competitive edges, which he says includes his 11,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art showroom in Elkhorn. He reformatted the space to better fit his business model before building out additional second-floor space that is now rented to other entrepreneurs. The showroom features all of the window, siding, and roofing products available to customers. Samples are one thing, Cradick says, but he knows the power of customers seeing actual colors in actual sizes. “Our philosophy is to build peace of mind for homeowners and be with them every step through the process,” he says. “Word of mouth is our number one lead source, which was true in retail as well.”

Happy employees, to Cradick, are just as important as happy customers. He subscribes to a simple philosophy—listening to employees and doing so with respect. “With big corporations you deal with a lot of politics,” he says. “Now if there’s politics, it’s because I’ve generated it. It’s a nice change to be in a small business where you have more leeway to ensure you’re creating a positive work environment, which creates a happy workforce.” Working for a smaller company also allows for more opportunities to become involved in the community. Husker Hammer is active in local chambers of commerce, the Open Door Mission, and is currently helping on a Habitat for Humanity build in Waterloo. They have also been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2000 and won the Better Business Integrity Award. Cradick’s business is currently 90 percent residential and 10 percent commercial. He hopes to increase their reach in property management and general contracting while maintaining the high-quality residential sales that built the business. “Because of our showroom,” he says, “people come

to us. We don’t do the high pressure sales at the kitchen table. We listen. We let the homeowners do the talking.” Growing geographically is also a goal. Cradick hopes to expand to surrounding areas, including his hometown of Lincoln. “So far it’s been a great move,” he says, “and I look forward to continuing to be known as an ethical, long-lasting company. My daughters and wife are excited to be back in the Midwest around grandparents and family. Their school district is great, and the full year-round climate has been a welcome change from living in the south. Plus, I was averaging 50,000 miles per year in travel, so it’s nice to sleep in your own bed every night.” The FIRM For more information on this or any for sale listings call The Firm Business Brokerage directly.

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Back to the Future

Building a Business Legacy written by Kathy Rygg | photography by Bill Sitzmann

For purposes of this article, this overview is based on the buying and selling entities being corporations or entities taxed as corporations.

Scott Beckler

I The Deal Review Business Established: 1987 Reason for Sale: Retirement (Translation: More time with a fishing pole.) Owner’s Profit: $495,004 Type of Loan: SBA with Core Bank

t’s not uncommon for someone who has spent a number of years in corporate America to shift gears into entrepreneurship. Being your own boss certainly has its advantages. But for Scott Beckler, who recently purchased Lewis Installers in Gretna, his reason for taking on a new business venture had more to do with honoring not only his father’s legacy, but building one of his own. Beckler started his career as a business education teacher, then moved to a corporate career in technology. But for a number of years he kept an eye on businesses for sale, hoping that just the right opportunity would come along.

“My dad was an entrepreneur who owned his own real estate insurance company,”

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Beckler says. “Despite the fact he had ongoing health issues, he still got up every day, put on a coat and tie, and went out to make a sale. He was a very successful businessman, and I wanted to honor his legacy.” After contacting The Firm and discussing what he was looking for in a business, the team suggested Lewis Installers, which specializes in industrial conveyor and rack systems. At first it seemed like a big departure for him. “Shelving and logistical systems isn’t something that jumps out at you,” Beckler says. But the more he looked into it, the more he realized it had many of the elements he wanted in a business. The most obvious advantage was that the company was located in Gretna, where he lives. Add to that the fact that the seller lives just up the road from him.

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“After meeting him and hitting it off,” Beckler says, “we quickly realized it was a match on both sides.”

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Other signs also pointed in the right direction. The financials were good. The size of the business was ideal. The competitive landscape was promising. Beckler also realized that his corporate background fit well with this new business. “Although it’s an entirely different industry,” he says, “many of the business principles are the same…project management, customer service, delivery, vendor management, and cost containment. I’ve been doing all of those for years.” His background in technology will also be a valuable asset in his new business. Not only has he established relationships with large vendors built over the years, but his from-the-ground-up experience with data centers means that he is already eying innovative automation and other technology differentiators. At the same time, he’s looking forward to learning the daily operations of the company and having a hand in every part of the business, from bidding to closing to payroll.

4420 Izard Street, Omaha 402.293.8707 • 888.738.0296

“It will be challenging coming from a big business background where I’ve only been involved in the periphery,” Beckler says. “Now I’ll be involved in all of it.”

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“I want this business to be a legacy for my family,” Beckler says. “My hope is that it could stay in the family with my own kids and grandkids.” The FIRM

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Lewis Installers being a family-owned business is what he’s most excited about. He says it’s a company with a good reputation that’s known for quality and meeting deadlines—all driven by a strong Midwestern work ethic.

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Executive Impact:

Moving Into the Boardroom: From Employee to President written by Maureen Tierney | Co-written by Mark Evans and Julie O’Brien

hen considering the purchase of an existing business, very few realize that lack of experience in an industry can actually lead to success. One simply needs a sound financial plan and a good team to fill in the gaps. Removing the added stress of fieldwork and focusing solely on the management of finances and operation allows for greater opportunities. It makes for the dynamic advantage of some outside impartiality when seeking areas of improvement and growth. One man who has made this transition from having marginal knowledge in an industry to leading a successful plumbing and HVAC operation is Mark Evans, president of Burton Plumbing. Before taking over Burton, Evans had a successful plumbing distributorship serving four states, but it was his desire to own and to travel less that put him into the hands of Burton Friesz. The founder of Burton Plumbing, Friesz had been a customer and friend of Evans’ when the two discussed a possible expansion into residential service. Evans put his business experience to work for Burton in July 1995, and his education in the minutiae of plumbing and HVAC began.

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REMOVING THE ADDED STRESS OF FIELDWORK AND FOCUSING SOLELY ON THE MANAGEMENT OF FINANCES AND OPERATION ALLOWS FOR GREATER OPPORTUNITIES. While he hasn’t worked in the field as a licensed plumbing contractor, Evans has dipped his feet in several areas within the running of Burton…and often at the same time. Before hiring the essential personnel that have enabled him to narrow his role, Evans served as manager, marketer, customer service representative, and dispatcher. Such a list of duties for one man is a daunting task, but “I worked my way to being able to work on the business rather than in the business, [a strategy] taught to me by my business coach,” says Evans.

Eventually Evans was able to step back and bring on a general manager and a warehouse operator that has allowed him to “focus on growth opportunities, marketing, and cash flow.” Evans’ experience is not unique. It is common for brokerages to deal with buyers seeking to own companies within a certain field, but “only two people out of the nearly 100 closings [we’ve had] have come in for the same business that they ended up purchasing,” says Julie O’Brien, client services and paralegal with The Firm. What it comes down to is as simple as the bottom line. Buyers are looking to leverage their talents and experience in a marriage between a management philosophy and business model. Those in the market for an acquisition are “buying based on profit, number of staff, ability to get financing, and mostly their strengths and passions,” says O’Brien. Experience in a particular industry is certainly valuable, but is no predictor of success when the right financial mind comes along.

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Even so, making up for a lack of practical knowledge requires the proper equipment, most notably in the form of managers and employees. The right talent in the field can be a growth experience and provide an opportunity to learn the ropes before taking a full swing at things. A total deficit in knowledge hardly makes for good leadership, and for this reason many “new business owners like to take a bird’s eye view of the operation rather than diving in and getting their hands dirty right away…giving them the opportunity to watch [how] things have been done before implementing changes,” says O’Brien.

Approaching ownership in this way also allows for further financial acquisitions, an avenue which Evans has taken. In addition to owning Burton Plumbing, Evans operates four other companies. One might assume this much responsibility to be a stretch, but Evans sees his role as “keeping a pulse on things. I like to lead people in growth, personally and on the business side.”

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Getting started can be a challenge, which is why O’Brien works closely with potential buyers to find the right fit. “We assist all the way,” she says. “We work with the buyer on projections, business plans, [and] we introduce them to trusted advisors,” from attorneys and CPAs to financial advisors and insurance agents. It’s this helpful backing of experts that eases the difficult task of ownership, and only proves that one can certainly switch from a blue collar to a white one. The FIRM

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OMAHA CVB

HUSKER COACH HAS TOURISM TWIN

BY DEB WARD

It may seem like I pulled a muscle making this stretch, but Keith Backsen, the new boss at the Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau, seems to have an awful lot in common with new Husker Coach Mike Riley. Coach Riley spent a total of 14 seasons at Oregon State before heading to Huskerland. Backsen also comes from that neck of the woods, having spent 11 years of his career in Portland, Oregon and another 11 years in Spokane, Washington selling both cities as prime places for convention and leisure travelers. At Oregon State, Coach Riley built the football program into a consistent winner and regular conference contender. At Visit Spokane, Backsen opened sales offices in Washington, D.C., and Chicago that led to increased convention bookings. Backsen also worked on the public campaign to expand the Spokane Convention Center with a $65 million bond issue. The expansion, coupled with increased hotel inventory, allowed Spokane to pursue large conventions and more than doubled convention bookings in Spokane.

Riley has experience at the highest level of football, serving as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers and as a head coach in both the Canadian and World Football Leagues. Same for Backsen; he worked in Dallas and Chicago as the director of sales for Global Experience Specialists, a global leader in the world of event planning. Backsen supervised five sales offices in a nine-state region, generating annual sales in excess of $70 million. Riley is known as one of the most professional and nicest men in the profession, a coach who is greatly admired by his peers. I kid you not; Backsen is described the same way by colleagues—one of the most genuine and skilled men in the business, a well respected professional who has the insight and experience to get the job done. (Note the $70M stat above.) Come the first game, both men will have a stadium filled with fans cheering them on. In Backsen’s case, his stadium is the entire city of Omaha, where the fans are the 434,353 residents who will reap the rewards of Omaha’s growing tourism economy. B2B

Deb Ward is the director of marketing/ communications, Omaha Convention and Visitor’s Bureau

Keith Backsen

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

Jason Feldman and Sebastian Hunt

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FEATURE | BY LEO ADAM BIGA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

YEAR OF THE STARTUP ENTREPRENEURAL IMMERSION The emerging startup accelerator scene supports creative-minded risk-takers looking for an edge to follow their passion and bring their ideas to fruition. Sebastian Hunt, 25, is passionate about giving entrepreneurs like himself a nurturing space to test out their concepts. The University of Nebraska at Omaha economics graduate interned with various local employers and surveyed the area startup community when an idea struck him for a by-application, curriculum-based residency program serving new entrepreneurs. That inspiration turned into Year of the Startup. Launched in 2014, the program operates out of a humble house at 4036 Burt Street in the St. Cecilia Cathedral neighborhood. Hunt and co-founder Jason Feldman, 28, room there with young residency fellows whose startup ventures range from making bio-fuels to providing night owl shuttle services. They are a millennial bunch who favor sneakers and sandals. They take informal meetings to nearby CaliCommons and Lisa’s Radial Cafe. They variously hunch over laptops or tablets and carry smartphones as appendages.

This communal work-live space model for business mavericks is new to Omaha. The usual startup accelerator is a concentrated, 90-day, off-site program. Omaha has a few of these, notably Straight Shot. Hunt saw a need for a program that invites a broader range of people into the accelerator fold and supports them much nearer to the start of their dream than other programs. “We feel like we can take people at very early stages because we are four times as long as the average program,” says Hunt, who adds that Year of the Startup is also not tech-centric like many programs tend to be. “In our model we substitute intensity for duration. I think a lot of the learning here comes through unstructured, serendipitous interactions we have that is not curriculum-based, it’s just happenstance. “With a house there are so many different ways you can bring ideas and people together. I think that’s maybe that critical binding agent and sense of place that helps accomplish things.” He says in this intimate environment “there’s no other choice but to immerse yourself in the setting,” adding, “We’re always hanging out in the living room or out back talking about startup stuff— monetization strategies, capitalization tables, vested equity entity structures.” “It’s this immersive experience of camaraderie, of these natural flows and idea generation,” Feldman says. Hunt says, “This is very difficult to get bored with because there’s always somebody whose business is either in crisis or growth stage or some interesting part of the curve.”

“How could we get bored when we’re creating a platform with four startups and all we get to do is ideation,” Feldman says. “It’s a constant buzz we get from interacting with these startup founders and helping them build their ideas.” Built into the program are activities that encourage fellows to break out of their comfort zone and to offer honest criticism of each other’s ideas. Hunt compiles multiple data points on the startups. “We’re developing really deep insight about how do people start successful businesses.” The program utilizes mentors from the entrepreneurial community. “We bring in people who are experts in specific areas to talk on those topics,” Feldman says. “They get ideas flowing,” Hunt says of the mentors. Feldman says he regularly covers with fellows “the major components of what you need to look at to start your business,” and then mentors like Mike Kolker, owner of graphic design firm Simplify, teach lessons about operational efficiency and “how to simplify running a business.” Hunt is a newcomer to all this and goes by instinct as much as research to support his vision. CONTINUED ON 54

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CONTINUED FROM 53 “I just had an irrational confidence, market insights, and a great theoretical background thanks to primary research I completed and to lessons I learned from Phillip Phillips, Michael O’Hara, and Art Diamond in UNO’s economics department. I read constantly about who the players were in the startup world, so I was fairly prepared.” Even though he directs a startup program, he only started participating in one himself (Venture School). He acknowledges Year of the Startup is a by-the-seat-of-your-pants experiment. “Coming out of college I had student loans and not a ton of money. I’ve held two jobs to finance the project. Now the project is financed by a combination of me working and renting out one room. One-hundred percent of the money our entrepreneurs pay in rent will be returned in full and so everybody has a strong incentive to follow through with the program. That may be what makes us sustainable.” He’s working on securing corporate sponsorship for the program. Meanwhile, he wants to help get participating startups to the next level. “We’re functioning like a pre-accelerator at this point. We want to get our startups profitable and then refer them to the Straight Shots, so they can focus on growth in a pure accelerator program.”

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As Year of the Startup moved into a larger house in Omaha’s Little Italy district on July 1 and a new class of fellows arrives, Hunt says there are “interesting talks happening right now to bring this to other cities.” He and Feldman say economic development agencies are willing to pay a license fee for them to do startup houses in other cities. The partners are having proprietary software developed that will enable new startup houses to replicate their branded Omaha model. They look forward to engaging with the emerging 10th Street cultural district but may keep the midtown house to accommodate growth. Hunt and Feldman believe they’re catching the wave, or tipping point, of a big new startup rush and they’re betting their model is poised to be a niche player in this wild frontier of entrepreneurial prospecting. B2B

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IN THE OFFICE | BY ALLISON JANDA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

CO-LAB GIVING OMAHA WORKERS A MORE COLLABORATIVE EXPERIENCE

It is an unassuming space, but if you have made your way to TD Ameritrade Park, Filmstreams, or Hot Shops, chances are you’ve passed one of the most vibrant offices in Omaha. The fact that Co-Lab (short for Creative Collaborators) is not a traditional work space is certainly one of its best features. Located inside the Tip Top building at 15th and Cumming streets is a project dreamed up by Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, who happens to share the main floor of the building. Based in the heart of a once-isolated section of the city, Co-Lab’s funky, creative vibe is making waves. In fact, that vibe seeps into Omaha’s everyday, bringing about small changes pushing our city toward a more innovative future.

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Home to 18 businesses plus Alley Poyner Macchietto, Co-Lab is free of walls and signage. It is also free from traditional office norms. For instance, you don’t just walk over to your neighbor’s space for a brainstorming session—you skateboard. At least you do if you’re Dave Nelson of SecretPenguin, a leading experimental branding agency. The best part is that the businesses surrounding SecretPenguin appreciate the break from tradition. “That’s the beautiful part about being around like-minded, good people and businesses,” Nelson says. CONTINUED ON 58

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CONTINUED FROM 57 In addition to having pathways large enough to skateboard or bike through, the space also provides Co-Labbers with a kitchen, various conference rooms, bike storage, bathrooms, and a battleground (otherwise known as the ping-pong table). Walking in the main doors, clients and employees alike are greeted from the front desk while catching a view of the five-story open atrium basking in the glow of sunshine from the skylight. Workers can also access the fitness room and rooftop deck, sharing amenities with TipTop apartment residents, who use a separate entrance.

The Harry A. Koch Co. Insurance & Financial Consultants Member of First Insurance Group, LLC

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In Commercial Roofing, One Name’s On Top.

volume 15 | issue 3

Nebraska’s largest roofing company is also Nebraska’s best. When quality is critical to your project, be sure to specify Scott Enterprises. For more than 35 years, trusted on these and many other projects ...

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CONTINUED FROM 59

Holly Boyer, a founder of non-profit organization Mission Matters, explains that one of the best things about having an office at Co-Lab is feeling the innovative, positive energy from the moment you walk in the door. So while individuals may join Co-Lab with a business-minded focus or a more creative vibe, finding a yin to their yang is just a shout away.

At the heart of making it work, says Laura Alley of Alley Poyner, it’s simply playing well with others. The skateboarding, ping-pong playing creatives do that well. B2B

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THE BRAND BRIEF

BY JASON FOX

THE LANGUAGE OF BRAND IRRELEVANCE It’s been 26 years since the comic strip “Dilbert” introduced us to the Pointy-Haired Boss. And 16 summers have passed since the movie Office Space asked us if we got that memo. (Yes, and we’ll read it right after stapling that cover sheet to our TPS report when we come in on Saturday.) Yet, if my social media feeds are to be trusted, people who work in corporate America have yet to tire of mocking corporate America. I can almost hear their mighty, collective chuckle as I write. And, with good reason, one of the most enduring targets of the nation’s cubicle jesters is jargon. But not just any jargon. Whereas the New Oxford American Dictionary defines jargon as “special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand,” the jargon of which I speak consists of words or expressions used by many within a company or industry yet truly understood by exactly no one. This is a very specific, yet all-too-common kind of jargon most often labeled as corporatespeak. And when corporate-speak leaks out into the real world, it becomes something that empowers consumers with outside-thebox thinking guaranteed to leverage their core competencies through transparencies maximized to deliver robust scalability. Kidding. It becomes something obviously even more insidious…marketing-speak. Whenever marketing-speak creeps into your brand communications, your communiqués stop communicating with much efficacy. They fail in the mission to persuade or endear. They are more than the opposite of inviting—they are repulsive. If you need a more concrete example than the one mentioned above, crack open any industry-specific publication and pick

a random ad. Chances are, the headline is some variation of “We offer customized solutions for growth because our business is your business!” Now, it may very well be true that this company can customize a growth plan for my business and invests itself in its success almost as much as I do. But I’ll probably never find out because I’m completely numb to that style of pitch. Not only has it been done a million times before, it sounds like it came from the director of sales’ PowerPoint presentation that he pilfered off of Slideshare.net. It’s just lazy. Do I want a customized-yet-lazy solution? Insert your own brother-in-law joke here. Even starting with a great idea is no sure defense against marketing-speak, which sneaks in most often through the copy’s tone of voice and word choice. These co-conspirators go hand in hand, too often bent on making your brand sound less like a human being and more like a cross between an MBA student and Siri. It’s a combination of clichés, a desire to “be direct,” and, quite often, a lack of having given the brand a unique voice of any kind to begin with.

language. With words that are clear without being trite. Words that flow with a rhythm that keeps the reader or listener bouncing along in an almost hypnotic sway. Words that create a tone of voice that matches the playfulness or slyness or seriousness (but not somberness) of your brand. Words that evoke a feeling and a desire to, if not act, at least remember. Words that don’t smack of being copied from an internal field marketing guide. Because nobody wants to invest any time in a print ad that un-ironically mimics what they hear around the office all day. Or give five seconds to a radio spot that makes a concerned soccer mom sound like the paid shill she really is. They want to be sucked in. They want a story. They want entertainment. They even want reasons to like you. And the first reason should be because you respect them enough to not speak to them like Chuck from the midweek status meeting. No, it isn’t easy. But is it worth it? Take a look at your favorite brands and you tell me. B2B

Honestly, I believe the brands or people behind these ads are rarely purposefully lazy. Instead, they’re afraid. They don’t want to be seen as “too clever.” Which is valid. You should be clever when it’s called for, but smart even when it’s not. And some brands worry that having any kind of personality will somehow offend people. But they confuse “personality” with “off-putting.” If you don’t think your brand should be brash, don’t be brash. But if you don’t think your brand should be bold, you’re wrong. Because boldness means standing for something, which is what attracts people to your brand. And boldness begins with

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

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

volume 15 | issue 3

FALL 2015 |

omahamagazine.com

B4B

BY WENDY WISEMAN

Kip Squire, P.S., S.E., President Doug Dreessen, P.E., and Chris Dorner, L.S.

TD2 TOUTS B4B COMPANY APPLIES SEASONED PROJECT EXPERTISE In 2017, TD2 Engineering and Surveying turns 50. This is another example of an Omaha-based company that has put years on the calendar by simply going heads-down serving clients—and helping them grow. TD2 is a specialized repository of resources for architects, builders, developers, and municipalities providing land survey and civil, structural, geotechnical, and environmental engineering services. But it’s more than that.

TD2 digs in (excuse the pun) to more fully understand the project at hand and the desired outcomes, then applies its considerable expertise of 60-plus people, and experience on a plethora of projects throughout 48 years, to solutions that work. “It’s more than just providing a boundary survey or construction documents and plans,” says Doug Dreessen, P.E., president of the firm. “Business is won by reputation and demonstrating that you’re in the game for your customer. We understand what is desired in the end—an accurately detailed, aesthetically pleasing, structurally sound environment. We’re behind the scenes for our clients who need to deliver this every time.” You likely know—and have visited—some of the projects where TD2 was behind the scenes. From the Nebraska Crossing Outlets; to TD Ameritrade’s sustainable, LEEDdesigned building; to Nebraska Orthopedic Hospital. What you may not know—or have visited—are TD2’s projects Summit Ridge

Booster Station and 5MG Water Tank, recently completed in Papillion to provide pumping capacity and water pressure to current and future development of the community. “Selecting a professional services teammate is one of the most important project decisions our clients make. They count on our experience, quality, and responsiveness, and we are not going to let them down,” adds Dreessen. B2B Wendy Wiseman is president and chief creative officer at Zaiss & Co., a customerbased planning and communications firm.

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volume 15 | issue 3

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

BIZ + GIVING | BY ALLISON JANDA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Pink Shoe Cleaning Crew Owner Allison Helligso

KEEPING CLEAN, FIGHTING CANCER PINK SHOE CLEANING CREW

Fighting cancer is tough enough on its own. Add to that the rigors of daily life and the experience can be beyond overwhelming. Imagine having cancer while needing to clean up after youngsters. “I was 34 years old with two small children, ages 2 and 5, when I was first diagnosed,” says Amber Blohm. “I needed to concentrate on keeping myself healthy and spending as much time with my children as possible.” She had neither the time nor the energy for cleaning, but she also did not have money to pay a professional service. Blohm happened upon an ad in which a cleaning company offered free cleaning services to women with cancer. In short order, the staff of Pink Shoe Cleaning Crew became her new best friends. “They really

were a tremendous help through our family’s most challenging months,” she says. Started in 2010, Pink Shoe Cleaning Crew is a small residential and commercial cleaning business. Last year, the company partnered with the nationally recognized nonprofit Cleaning for a Reason, an organization partnering with maid services across the United States and Canada to offer free, professional house cleanings to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for all types of cancers. Women can connect with Cleaning for a Reason easily through the company’s website or their doctor’s office. A woman needing services will be matched with a local cleaning company, such as Pink Shoe, who will then reach out to the requestor. Allison Helligso, owner of Pink Shoe Cleaning Crew, says her experience

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-AMBER BLOHM with the national organization has been rewarding and deeply emotional. Her company offers four monthly cleanings through the partnership. “These are women who were busy living their normal lives when they were hit with an illness that robbed their health, energy, and time from them,” she says. “While we can’t make them feel any better, we can, in a small way, help them through their journey by helping them make their home the clean and healthy place it needs to be. “These women have so much gratitude and appreciation for the service we provide that it feels humbling and is such a pleasure to be able to help them in this way,” Helligso explains. B2B

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volume 15 | issue 3

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

ETHICS

BY BEVERLY KRACHER

WICKED PROBLEMS Two intractable sides battling back and forth.

Rittel and Melvin Webber described in a 1973 treatise as “Wicked Problems.”

“How can you be so heartless? Where is your sense of compassion?” “Why do you foster weakness? Where is your respect for authority?”

Jon Haidt, one of the premiere social scientists of our day, identifies, names, and addresses Wicked Problems in his compelling TED talk, “Three Stories About Capitalism.” It’s a must-see, as are all of his TED talks.

The sides play themselves out on the issues of the day:

A grand thinker, Haidt recognizes two very important points.

Against capitalism: It exploits labor by preying on the powerless.

First, Wicked Problems are polarizing. We tend to be judgmental about people on the other side. We demonize, castigate, and criticize anyone who holds the opposing view. When this happens, it is hard to arrive at acceptable solutions.

For capitalism: It depends on hard work and creates prosperity. For gay marriage: Love and partnership is acceptable for heterosexuals and homosexuals alike. Against gay marriage: A union between a man and woman is the only marriage sanctioned by God and the church. Against capital punishment: We need to address the root causes of violence. For capital punishment: Extreme penalties are needed to deter crime. Like Perry Mason and Hamilton Burger in a courtroom drama striving to win by showing that one is right and the other is wrong, each side fights for superiority.

Second, assuming we want to build a stable, flourishing society, perhaps we should refrain from picking one side over the other. We could find a way to “go between the horns of the issue” and find some middle ground. For Wicked Problems, the middle ground can be established by finding a way to include both perspectives into one “supervalue.” When it comes to the debate about capitalism, Haidt proposes “dynamism with decency.” This is somewhat like the “Conscience Capitalism” recommendation from John Mackey, the Whole Foods CEO. It is a way to bring together the two sides by joining the fundamental values for each into one supervalue.

Policies about capitalism, gay marriage, and capital punishment are the kinds of issues that can’t be solved by getting more facts.

This might be a good solution to the capitalism debate. By uniting values from each side, we may find a way to stabilize discussion and continue to move towards the betterment of all.

These are issues that are much more difficult to solve because the sides are shaped by disparate, deeply held world views, visions, and values. And these are what Horst

What about gay marriage or capital punishment? What is the supervalue that can help us solve these Wicked Problems? I’d love to learn what Haidt thinks. And

I might be able to, since he is coming to town in October for the Business Ethics Alliance Annual Trustees Meeting. But I fear that supervalues cannot solve gay marriage and capital punishment public policy issues. Not to make light, but these public policy issues are akin to couples’ disagreements. In any relationship there are two or three issues for which values, desires, or beliefs cannot be merged. Love or disdain for sports, yearning for or disinterest in travel, desire or not for kids…one person’s values win and the other losses. Someone ultimately has to give in and let the other side’s values reign. Unraveling such public policy issues as gay marriage or capital punishment might not be about finding a supervalue. It may be about intentions. A loving couple’s relationship succeeds because, through thick and thin, they live out their intentions to stay together no matter what. So, too, our Wicked Problems may never be “solved” in any true sense. But by not giving up, by coming back again and again, we co-create a society that has what it takes for longterm success. B2B

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

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