Columbia Business Times - September 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015

athletes to business owners Page 36

David Rowe

above par

Behind the scenes of columbia's country clubs Page 50

7 questions with brian smith Page 80

P.Y.S.K. AriC bremer Page 31

Game Day

green Page 44

Melvin Thompson Contractor Service Provider, Kando Express Inc.

Running away with me...

MEET BOSS HOG. A pretty straight forward name for a very complex bike. It all started when I became the first member of the Wheels of Choice Motorcycle Club to own a Harley. You see, in the 1920’s, Harley-Davidson’s racing team took their pig mascot for a victory lap following every win, resulting in the nickname “Harley Hogs”. So, he’s a “hog” and I’m the boss. The double entendre is that I am a business owner and I’m a “boss”.

WHEN I’M NOT RUNNING MY BUSINESS, spending time with my family or riding with the National Bikers Roundup, Boss Hog and I like to WHEN IT COMES TO RIDING, I have been representing my “boss status” give back to our community. As secretary of the Wheels of Choice Mofor a long time. Boss Hog is the most recent chapter in a decade-old love torcycle Club, I help our cause by introducing positive change in the lives story about Harley. After falling for my 2004 Fatof underprivileged youth. Making a difference is boy, 2005 Road King and my 2006 Ultra Classic, “THAT’S THE THING ABOUT like having another full-time job and we work it I thought I found my one-and-only when I purwith pride. In my opinion, any time you can do chased my 2007 Road Glide. But in July 2010, I something positive, whether it’s at work, school walked into Mid America Harley-Davidson and or home, you’ve done your job as a human being. met Boss Hog. I saw more than just the 103-inch YOU CAN GET ALL OF THE We are all successful business professionals comhighway rocking Twin Cam engine and the myrPARTS, STRIP IT DOWN AND ing together for a purpose greater than ourselves. iad of luxuries like heated grips and a self-arming security system to protect this Boss’ most SINCE BEGINNING THIS JOURNEY at the valuable employee. I also saw what Boss Hog tender age of 13 with stars in my eyes and could be. When my imagination started runhope for the future, riding has been my rening, I saw vivid red with a hint of orange so we lease and a way to reach out to those around would look like a sunrise on the horizon at night. me. Even though I have built the perfect I imagined matching red spokes spinning, giving the illusion of a red bike for me, sometimes I can hear the thoughts of that star-crossed streak racing down the road. That’s the thing about Harley. You can get 13-year-old. And they are running wild. I’ve already set my eyes on all of the parts, strip it down and make it your own. Completely customthe next masterpiece. This chapter will be bigger, better and more ized and adorned with personality, Boss Hog rides a step above the rest. perfect than the one I’m in now. But that’s just my imagination.

HARLEY.

MAKE IT

YOUR OWN.”

C O M E J O I N T H E FA M I LY ! | M I D A M E R I C A H A R L E Y- D A V I D S O N 5704 Freedom Dr. Columbia, MO 65202 | 573.875.4444 | MidAmericaHD.com

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From the Editor

Editorial Erica Pefferman, Publisher Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Sarah Redohl, Editor SarahR@BusinessTimesCompany.com Katrina Tauchen, Copy Editor Katrina@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Racing to the Finish Line

DESIGN Gillian Tracey, Editorial Designer Gillian@BusinessTimesCompany.com

›› It’s 2002 at the Concord indoor soccer fields in St. Louis. My team, The Kicking Chicks (yes, that was our team name), is playing our rivals, The Blue Ice, off-season, and the score is 3-3.

As the clock counts down the last 10 seconds, I find myself with the ball at the shootout mark. With just three seconds to go, I kick the ball as hard as I can down the field — like those Hail Mary shots in basketball — and start jogging back to the bench, disappointed but not devastated by our tied game. Just as the buzzer goes off, I hear my teammates start screaming and cheering, and I turn back to the action. My Hail Mary kick from three-fourths down the field Photo by Anthony Jinson actually made it to the net! We scored!

Although I’d given up with two seconds of the game to spare, the other team’s goalie had given up with three seconds left. By the time she saw my kick fly into the top right corner of the net, she was already halfway back to her team’s bench. We won, 4-3, and I think I saw the goalie cry.

That game, in addition to being one of my proudest memories (I’m a pretty abysmal athlete), also taught me a valuable lesson: It ain’t over ’til it’s over. That’s how I felt as we raced to the finish line to put this issue together. But we made it, and I think we’ve put together a winning issue!

Playing sports as a kid taught me so many lessons that are valuable in life, on the soccer field and at work. And they’re lessons the people featured in this issue know well.

No 1: Stick with it. When David Rowe, featured on page 39, opened D. Rowe’s, he was unprepared to run a restaurant.

Despite a disastrous trial run that left Rowe sitting on an AC unit rethinking his entire life plan, he stuck with it. And now? Good luck getting a table at D. Rowe’s during lunch, dinner or any game day!

No. 2: A good coach is a great asset. Just ask Chase Patton, featured on page 43. A good coach is selfless, will work hard to make you succeed and has your best interests in mind. When Patton started shadowing Dr. Kent Willett, he knew he’d found a good coach. Now, 10 years later, Patton works shoulder-to-shoulder with Willet as an associate dentist in the office.

No. 3: Losing is a part of life. How you handle a loss shows your character. Laura Lee Brown, featured on page 41, started Laura Lee’s Healthy Plate in 2012 and met immediate success, paired with 12-hour days, seven days a week.

Although her efforts to expand to every Wilson’s in Columbia may have been premature, it hasn’t affected her desire to franchise and expand outside of Missouri. As the CBT's Brandon Hoops writes, “It’s only refined her focus and pushed her into the future.”

No. 4: Play to your strengths. Did you know each of Columbia’s three country clubs utilizes an entirely different business model and sees itself in an entirely different light from its competition (page 50)? Columbia Country Club is owned by Arcis Golf and considers itself the value club, while The Club at Old Hawthorne is family owned and aims to serve Columbia’s golf addicts. Country Club of Missouri is owned by its members and considers itself a family club. If you play to your strengths and shore up your weaknesses, you’ll be much better for it.

No. 5: Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork. Every business with more than one employee must operate as a team to be successful. If you don’t believe me, check out any profile in this issue (pages 26, 45, 58, 60 and 80), or check out Piet VanWaarde’s column on organizational health on page 69.

Much sweat and a few tears (no blood, thankfully) went into the production of this issue, and I hope you enjoy it! As always, we appreciate feedback — good and bad — so don’t hesitate to email me at SarahR@ BusinessTimesCompany.com.

Creative Services Keith Borgmeyer, Graphic Designer Keith@BusinessTimesCompany.com

SEPTEMBER 2015

Best,

Sarah Redohl, Editor

University of Missouri Athletics has long taught its athletes more than the playbook. Teamwork, leadership and strategic risk-taking have also been important lessons for MU athletes. On page 36, you'll learn about three former MU athletes, including David Rowe, who have applied these lessons to successful small businesses. Photo by Anthony Jinson.

ATHLETES TO BUSINESS OWNERS PAGE 36

David Rowe

ABOVE PAR

BEHIND THE SCENES OF COLUMBIA'S COUNTRY CLUBS PAGE 50

7 QUESTIONS with BRIAN SMITH PAGE 80

P.Y.S.K. ARIC BREMER PAGE 31

GAME DAY

GREEN PAGE 44

MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Deb Valvo, Director of Sales Deb@BusinessTimesCompany.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Taylor Allen, Keith Borgmeyer, Casey Buckman, Rufus Harmon, Anthony Jinson, Phil Lapkin, L.G. Patterson Sarah Redohl, Jennifer Roberts, Dave Sansom, Emily Shepherd and Natural Insight Photography CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Beth Bramstedt, Al Germond, Alex Jacobi, Tron Jordheim, Kaitlynn Martin, Clint Miller, Matthew Patston, Monica Pitts, Lauren Puckett, Sarah Redohl, Pieter Van Waarde CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Tifani Carter Interns Sarah Berger, Maribeth Eiken, Alex Jacobi, Kaitlynn Martin, Matthew Patston, Lauren Puckett, Emily Shepherd, Abby Wade, Taylor Wanbaugh MANAGEMENT Erica Pefferman, President Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Renea Sapp, Vice President of Finance ReneaS@BusinessTimesCompany.com Amy Ferrari, Operations Manager Amy@BusinessTimesCompany.com Crystal Richardson, Account Manager Crystal@BusinessTimesCompany.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rate is $19.95 for 12 issues for 1 year or $34.95 for 24 issues for 2 years. To place an order or to inform us of an address change, log on to ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com.

The Columbia Business Times is published every month by The Business Times Co., 2001 Corporate Place, Suite 100, Columbia, MO 65202.

Copyright The Business Times Co., 2008.

All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT The Columbia Business Times and ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com strives to be Columbia’s leading source for timely and comprehensive news coverage of the local business community. This publication is dedicated to being the most relevant and useful vehicle for the exchange of information and ideas among Columbia’s business professionals.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 15

Discover the BLUE in YOU

A

s a student at Lincoln University, I was deeply inspired by the sacrifices of the soldiers who founded this extraordinary institution.

Through the years, the commitment remains the same—to provide quality education to help individuals prepare for a successful future. I realized then, I too, wanted to ‘give back’ for all I had received.

I became a committed educator!

Rhonda Allen

4th Grade Teacher, Thorpe Gordon Elementary B.S. Elementary Education M.A. Guidance and Counseling

16 \\\ September 2015

www.LincolnU.edu

about the last times What's happening online

Behind the scenes

McClure Engineering @McClureEngCo Thanks for sharing our news @ColumbiaBiz! THHinc McClure #Engineering invests in 3D Scanner for consulting

Top of the Town

Kaylen B. Ralph @kaylenralph Great memories from @Missouri_Review & @ColumbiaBiz! Great to hear from you! x Purple and Gold News @PandGNews The P&G's 20 Under 20 event was also mentioned on page 63 of the August issue of @ColumbiaBiz! Matt Patston @MattyPat49 Among the many great stories in the August @ColumbiaBiz is this one about Columbia's school funding conundrum.

Anthony Jinson @anthonyjinson Photoset: Today's set: Working with @MDC_online for @ColumbiaBiz at the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area

Thanks to all who showed up for our Top of the Town party! We had a blast celebrating some of the best businesses in town with you!

On the set

Westminster College @WestminsterMO New president Benjamin Akande embraces his role at Westminster - via @ColumbiaBiz Fresh Ideas Food @freshideasfood Hey @Bleu_Restaurant...welcome to the family! via @ColumbiaBiz Brandon Hoops @courtsidehoops My story on inspiring efforts of @Launch_Code to create pathways in the opportunity-rich world of tech.@ColumbiaBiz Williams-Keepers LLC @WilliamsKeepers Thanks to @ColumbiaBiz, its readers and our friends for voting! #TopoftheTown Kari Dowell @karidowell Taking a photo of the top photographer in town = pressure. @picturelg @ColumbiaBiz Walter L. Pfeffer II @mizzouwally Thank you to the folks @ColumbiaBiz for last night's honor @LogboatBrewing Great fun!

Write to CBT editor Sarah Redohl at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Sometimes, we find ourselves in unique places while putting together the CBT. Our shoot for this month’s Business Update took place at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area.

Corrections In the May issue, we recognized Sea Rhythms by Heather Foote as a ceramic sculpture. The piece of artwork, owned by Central Bank of Boone County, is actually carved out of Indiana limestone. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 17

18 \\\ September 2015

September 2015 Vol. 22, Issue 3 columbiabusinesstimes.com

44

36 Lessons from the Field

Meet David Rowe, Laura Lee Brown and Chase Patton, all former University of Missouri student-athletes whose training on the field and in the gym laid the groundwork for a whole new challenge — running a successful small business.

44 Game Day Green

Mizzou ranks 13th out of 14 SEC teams in private fundraising, and the university wants to change that with an overhaul of its donor program, the Tiger Scholarship Fund.

But as more money flows in, some donors could be squeezed out.

Departments 15 From the Editor 17 Letters to the Editor 21 Movers and Shakers 22 Briefly in the News 25 A Closer Look 26 Business Update 31 P.Y.S.K. 35 Opinion 58 Nonprofit Spotlight 60 Celebrations 63 Marketing 65 Technology 69 Organizational Health 71 Sales 73 Did You Know?

76 Economic Index 77 Deeds of Trust 78 Business Licenses 79 By the Numbers 80 7 Questions 82 Flashback

50 Join the Club

Management models and membership values drive the distinction between Columbia’s three country clubs: Country Club of Missouri, Columbia Country Club and The Club at Old Hawthorne.

20 \\\ September 2015

Movers and Shakers

›› Professionals grow, serve and achieve

payne

rogers

middendorf

›› Denise Payne

In May, Payne received the Certified Relocation Professional designation from Worldwide ERC, distinguishing her from the more than 500 Realtors in the Columbia area. She also volunteers in the community with Upscale Resale for the Assistance League of Mid-Missouri and, in her spare time, bakes cookies for the league’s Cookie Connection.

›› Heather McDaniel

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of MidMissouri added McDaniel to its staff in June. As a community relations assistant, McDaniel will be responsible for the management of the front office, supervision of front desk volunteers and coordination of the Family Meal Program.

›› Ryan Cokerham

MidwayUSA promoted Cokerham to the position of optics product line manager. Cokerham received a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design from the University of Missouri in 2008 and started at MidwayUSA as a photography specialist seven years ago. Previously, he served as a graphic designer, product information specialist and product specialist at the company.

›› Genie Rogers

The seventh annual Howard B. Lang Jr. Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service was awarded to Rogers at the City Council meeting on July 6. Geared to recognize a Columbia citizen who serves the community through devoted volunteer work, the award is named after Columbia’s mayor who served from 1953 to 1957. Through her activity and chairperson positions at the Boone County Community Services Advisory Commission and the Columbia Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, Rogers has put great efforts toward helping low-income individuals and families.

despain

walker

meloy

lefevre

trinidad

gaughan

›› William Woods University

›› Dr. Michael LeFevre

Four of William Woods University’s graduates were elected to the college’s alumni board. Karla Williams DeSpain (’80), of Columbia, is the new president of the William Woods University Alumni Association. Christi Slizewski Tennyson (’97), of St. Peters, Missouri, is the new vice president. Leigh Hailey Kieffer (’72), of Kansas City, Missouri, is the secretary, and Meredith Varnell Leslie (’95) is treasurer. They will all serve twoyear terms in their new positions.

MU Health Care announced that LeFevre is the new medical director of population health. Currently, LeFevre is a family medicine physician with MU Health Care as well as the vice chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Future of Family Medicine professor at the MU School of Medicine. In his new role, LeFevre will take actions with MU Health Care to strengthen the health and health care opportunities for Missourians.

›› Shawn Middendorf

›› Hamilton Trinidad

In June, Alliance Water Resources promoted Middendorf to human resource manager. Previously, Middendorf worked for the company as a maintenance worker, operator/maintenance mechanic, operations foreman and local manager, totaling more than 17 years on the Alliance team.

Central Trust Co. in Columbia hired Trinidad as the company’s new vice president and senior portfolio manager. With his 20-plus years experience in the financial services industry, Trinidad is a Westminster College alumnus with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration.

His new role will make him responsible for structuring and managing customized investment portfolios with clients to meet their specific goals.

›› Michael Trapp City Councilman Trapp was named executive director at Phoenix Health Programs, an alcoholism and drug addiction treatment and support center. Trapp has served as director of programs for the past nine years and as interim executive director since December.

›› The Callaway Bank The Callaway Bank’s corporate board promoted two employees to the assistant vice president position in July: Becca Walker and Kathy Meloy. Walker received a business administration degree from MU and will now oversee loan management and processing. Meloy will now have the responsibility of submitting Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data for the bank. She attended Columbia College, where she received her B.S.A. in business administration.

›› Central Bank of Boone County Central Bank of Boone County announced six recent promotions. Austin Gaughan was promoted to commercial loan officer. Gaughan is an MU alumnus and joined the bank last November as a senior credit analyst. Britany Festog was promoted to assistant manager of the Village Bank. Amanda Guevara was promoted to customer service representative at the South County Bank in Ashland. Bailey Howerton from the Downtown Bank was promoted to senior teller. Allison Burnham of Motor Bank and Megan Meyer of Boonville Bank Downtown were both promoted to teller II. CBT

➜ Are you or your employees making waves in the Columbia business community? Send us your news to Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 21

briefly in the news

›› A rundown of this month’s top headlines

reaccreditation The Higher Learning Commission renewed the University of Missouri’s accreditation after an HLC evaluation. As part of the accreditation process, an HLC representative visits the university every 10 years; the most recent visit came in February. HLC accreditation evaluates the overall quality of instruction at a school.

merger deal closed Providence Bank merged with Community First Bank, of Fairview Heights, Illinois.

The two companies agreed to the merger this spring, with the stock purchase between the two parent companies being carried out this summer.

Community First is the latest in a line of Providence acquisitions. What was once the small Bank of Lincoln County now has about $900 million in assets, with the last $218 million coming from the Community First merger.

“This merger is a significant milestone for Providence Bank,” says Kit Stolen, president and CEO of Providence Bank. “We could not be more excited to have Community First Bank’s founder, Chuck Daily, join us to lead his team of banking professionals in Fairview Heights.”

westminster's new president

new facilities

Westminster College welcomed its new president, Benjamin Akande. Previously, he was a professor of economics and dean of the business and technology school at Webster University. Akande was born in Nigeria before immigrating to America, and he comes to Westminster after 15 years in the St. Louis academic world.

Akande says he’ll focus on managing the university’s endowment and finances to provide more opportunities for potential students. In a press release, Akande said, Benjamin Akande “Westminster stands ready to achieve an even bolder and broader future — and even greater world impact — than ever before.”

oats top ten The MU School of Medicine, in conjunction with CoxHealth and Mercy, both of Springfield, Missouri, began construction of a new medical education building in Columbia. The groups are also constructing an MU clinic in Springfield.

The partnership aims to produce more physicians in the state. The Springfield clinic is scheduled to open in 2016, and the MU building is scheduled to open in 2017.

22 \\\ September 2015

Rural community transit company OATS was selected as the 2015 American Legion Employer of Older Workers award winner for Missouri.

The award recognizes the company’s commitment to employing and retaining older employees as well as OATS’ community service on behalf of older workers and veterans.

Boone County’s IT department has been on an impressive run in the past decade. Last week, the Center for Digital Government recognized Boone County for exceptional success in information and communications technology, placing the county fourth for its population group.

The CDG recognizes the top 10 in four different population segments every year. Boone has been recognized for 10 of the previous 11 years.

hiv research breakthrough An MU microbiology research team identified and modeled a vital protein in the structure of HIV, which they hope will lead to further information about how to fight the disease.

The team, led by professor Stefan Sarafianos, uncovered the structure of HIV’s capsid protein, which cloaks the virus and allows it to proliferate without being detected by the Stefan Sarafianos immune system. Researchers used a process called X-ray crystallography to model the protein.

Research was funded with grants from the National Institutes of Health.

equine medicine William Woods University is merging its esteemed equestrian program with biology. The Center for Equine Medicine will offer students an interdisciplinary veterinary degree.

WWU hired a full-time doctor of veterinary medicine, Paul Schlitz, who has worked as an offsite equine vet for the university in the past. The school also purchased a 17-acre property near campus. In 1972, WWU was the first university in the world to offer a four-year degree in equestrian science.

Money and Modot The Missouri Department of Transportation approved the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, a fiveyear program of projects and improvements on which the department will focus. With decreased funding, this year’s STIP takes on fewer projects. The plan calls for a focus on improvements to highways and “primary routes,” though all previously existing projects will continue as planned.

The STIP is part of MoDOT’s new “Missouri’s 325 System,” a reference to the department’s lowered $325 million budget. According to the STIP, 89 percent of Missouri’s roads are in good condition, and 80 percent of bridges are in good or fair condition.

mfa oil buys big o tires MFA Oil is now the sole owner of BORE/MPC, previously a joint venture between MFA and Big O Tires. The oil cooperative bought out Big O’s stake in the company, which operates 15 Big O Tires stores in Missouri and Arkansas.

MFA declined to give financial details of the transaction.

The two companies originally partnered in 1988, which gave MFA franchising rights for Big O stores in midMissouri and Arkansas.

cardiac care The American College of Cardiology awarded University Hospital a Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2015. The hospital is one of 91 hospitals nationwide to receive the award, which signifies that the hospital carried a composite score of 90 percent or better on performance measures in heart attack treatment. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 23

a closer look

›› A quick look at emerging companies

1. Grill-A-Brothers Patrick Dierkes and Daniel Thorne were joking about creating their own food truck when they realized, as Thorne puts it, “Holy cow, we could actually do this.” Now the Grill-A-Brothers team cooks up sandwiches on freshly baked bread, smokes the meats and stirs the sauces in their own custom-built truck.

Serving original recipes as well as regional favorites, Dierkes and Thorne are ready to travel for any catering event, wedding or party. “You can make anybody happy by giving them a fresh meal,” Thorne says. “[We try] to have as much fun as possible and get people out of their element.”

Contact: Patrick Dierkes, 573-808-6870

2. Summertime Entertainment LLC Eric and Amanda Penrod recently returned to Missouri after spending five years in Washington, D.C., where Eric served in the U.S Army Honor Guard. Upon coming home, the couple knew they wanted to become a positive part of their community and decided to start their own business. “We always seem to rent a bounce house for all of our family events,” Amanda said in an email, “and we decided that…party rentals would be a great way to bring fun and excitement to other families as well.” Now the couple owns Summertime Entertainment LLC, offering bounce house and snow cone machine rentals year-round. In the future, they plan to add obstacle courses and water slides to their rentable catalog.

Contact: Eric Penrod, 571-229-3849

3. Student Transportation of America Student Transportation of America has arrived in Columbia. After Columbia Public Schools issued a request for proposal, STA received a contract to become the new student transportation system for Columbia schools. STA brings with it 212 new buses, all featuring on-board cameras, GPS and Child Check-Mate systems to enhance safety and security.

“The transportation industry is changing every day, and we are leading the way,” said Director of Communications Doug Coupe in an email. “In every area that we serve, we are not just partners in the community, but we are part of the community.”

Contact: Doug Coupe, 843-884-2720

4. 44 Canteen Arriving on the Columbia restaurant roster late this summer, 44 Canteen is the newest creation of 44 Stone owners Dave Faron and Mark Sulltrop. A trip north from the Peachtree Drive location of 44 Stone, 44 Canteen is located downtown at 21 N. Ninth St. and invokes a more casual atmosphere, according to the restaurant’s Facebook page. Serving American, Asian fusion and “tapas-style” plates with craft beer and cocktails, 44 Canteen is open for lunch and dinner, as well as takeout for customers who want an at-home experience.

The restaurant will also be using Taphunter, a smartphone app to aid beer-lovers in finding and recording their new favorite crafts.

Contact: Dave Faron, 573-443-2726

Originally based in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Rejuvenate Mind-Body Wellness Center recently expanded to Columbia. With a staff of psychologists, chiropractors and massage therapists on board, the team hopes to offer full therapeutic packages in the next few months. “We started this business to do something different, to mix chiropractic medicine and psychology together,” says Scott Symes, co-owner and staff psychologist at the center. “People have responded well to that. If you’re in pain, whether it’s mental, physical or emotional, we’re here to help you get out of pain. Our services are like a buffet; you can pick and choose what’s best for you.”

Contact: Hiep Quan, 573-356-8855

6. Elite Orthopedics LLC John Purcell wants to ensure Columbia’s orthopedic surgeons are on the cutting edge. Selling newly designed technology through his business, Elite Orthopedics LLC, he and his staff train doctors in usage and safety of top-of-the-line equipment.

“Everything we offer is designed to make a quicker recovery for the patient while making it easier and reproducible to the surgeons,” Purcell says. He plans to sell Arthrex products to orthopedic groups in Columbia, including surgeons at Boone Hospital, University of Missouri Hospital and Columbia Orthopaedic Group.

Contact: John Purcell, 573-424-6465 CBT

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5. Rejuvenate Mind-Body Wellness

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➜ Are you an entrepreneur? Are you sprouting a new business? Tell us about it at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 25

Tim Ripperger Photo by Anthony Jinson 26 \\\ September 2015

business update

›› Transformed, trending and up-to-the-minute

➜ 2901 W. Truman Blvd., Jefferson City, MO 65109 573-751-4115 • mdc.mo.gov

Home Sweet Missouri

Built on citizens’ support for the state and its resources, the Missouri Department of Conservation has become a model for conservation departments across the country.

By Alex Jacobi For many who work at the Missouri Department of Conservation, it’s not just a way to make a paycheck; it’s a way to live out a passion for preserving outdoor resources. And it just so happens that these employees are able to preserve the outdoors while maintaining a budget that runs so well that it’s a model for other states.

One reason it runs so well is because of a state sales tax implemented in 1976, which is one-eighth of 1 percent (or one penny for every $8). This sales tax helps bring in $108 million a year. Also, the MDC has a unique way of practicing conservation. On the federal level, forestry and fish and wildlife are separate departments; Missouri, believing there is no separation between the two areas, decided to keep them together within one department.

This year, the MDC will use its funding to begin work on renovating a few areas near Columbia.

For one, improvements will be made to the hiking trails at Three Creeks Conservation Area, which is between Columbia and Ashland. Also, the department will begin renovating the Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City, which has exhibits that are now 25 years old.

Although the one-eighth sales tax brings in a lot of revenue for the MDC, there are a couple of other funding sources as well: revenue from those who buy permits and federal funding that comes from the nationwide sales tax on sporting equipment.

The department receives no general revenue from the state budget.

Tim Ripperger, MDC deputy director, says he thinks the department’s budget is doing well, with every dollar generating more than $60 of economic activity across the state.

“Our budget right now is a good, solid budget,” Ripperger says. “We work to live within our means. Our commission is very dedicated to not overspending in any fashion but keeping our bud-

During the 2014-2015 deer-hunting season, 258,341 deer were harvested. Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

get balanced. And we have done that. Our budget actually has been running behind inflation the last few years.”

Ripperger, a director over the business side of the department and the supervisor of the outreach and education division, has been at the MDC for 38 years. He is an outdoorsman and also has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Missouri in fishers and wildlife management.

Contributing to the state’s economy Not only does the MDC stay within its own budget, but the activity it generates and manages also contributes to the state and local economies. For one, the department supports 99,000 jobs through fish and wildlife recreation and the forest product industry, and one in four Missouri tourist dollars is spent on fish, forest and wildlife recreation.

Also, hunters and fishers influence Missouri’s economy. Ripperger says deer season has about a $1 billion statewide impact each year, including local food and lodging businesses, along with deer processors. Between 500,000 and 600,000 people go hunting each year in Missouri. Fishing also draws in money to local businesses, with over 1 million people who fish in Missouri each year.

“We manage our fish populations to be both sustainable and of quality, so they draw in millions of tourist dollars every year and support businesses not only in those communities but sometimes right on the lake,” Ripperger says.

Ripperger says with all that activity, citizens make their sales tax back.

“We like to say we pay for ourselves,” Ripperger says. “The money Missourians are spending on that sales tax, the wildlife recreation, fishing activity and forestry activity in Missouri actually brings about columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 27

The importance of citizens

Eagle Bluffs Wildlife Conservation Area is located on West Route K. Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

that same amount of sales tax right back in. We’re managing the citizens’ money to get the most conservation impact for the dollar.”

A closer look Ripperger says the MDC specifically looks at conserving outdoor resources and educating Missourians on those resources.

“Our goal ultimately is we believe that Missouri’s quality of life is based on our natural resources,” Ripperger says. “Our job is to serve as a conservation agency protecting those resources.”

This goal is implemented in several ways. For one, the department helps manage land around the state, whether that’s state-owned or private land.

This includes helping protect watersheds, helping wildlife and managing soil erosion.

Additionally, the department develops ways to get more Missourians outside and learning about nature. A few examples of the opportunities available to Missourians are shooting ranges, fishing events and guided hunting experiences. Also, there are opportunities to study outdoor resources, such as the Urban Deer Summit that took place in Columbia in August 2013, which let those in the community talk about management of urban and suburban white-tailed deer.

The MDC’s work is not only cost effective, but it also seems to be successful in terms of pleasing Missourians. According to research done by 28 \\\ September 2015

“We like to say we pay for ourselves. … We’re managing the citizens’ money to get the most conservation impact for the dollar” — Tim Ripperger, deputy director, Missouri Department of Conservation the MDC, more than three-fourths of Missourians agree that the Missouri Department of Conservation is a name they can trust, and two-thirds rate them as doing an excellent job. Citizens are pleased with the department, and many have expressed interest in the state’s natural resources.

“In a survey that we conduct with the University of Missouri, 91 percent of Missourians tell us that they’re interested in the forests, fish and wildlife of Missouri, which, to me, is phenomenal that that many people in our state have that interest,” Ripperger says.

The Missouri Department of Conservation began because of Missouri’s citizens, specifically one Columbia citizen. In the early 1930s, with the Depression, a drought and wildlife population issues looming, outdoorsmen were concerned for Missouri’s natural resources. Hale W. DeJarnatt, of Centralia, wrote at that time to Attorney Gen. Roy McKittrick and said politicians were not spending the sportsmen’s money wisely, and the department should be made up of a “bipartisan commission of four members.”

A publisher in Columbia at the time, E. Sydney Stephens, was made president of the newly formed Restoration and Conservation Federation of Missouri. He was tasked with appointing a committee to elect a commission that would run the Missouri Department of Conservation.

After a series of events, on July 1, 1937, Stephens began what is now the Missouri Department of Conservation, where he served as president.

Stephens said of his creation: “I’ll never have any money, but that’s not important to me. This [the department] is my swan song, my one contribution to the state I love.”

By removing Missouri’s conservation agency from politics, more opportunities arose to improve the state’s natural resources.

“It created a system where science [determined] the setting of [wildlife] seasons, methods and limits and the managing of resources for the state versus having it be a little bit of a political football,” Ripperger says.

In 1976, Missouri citizens took the next step to improve natural resources in the state. This was when an initiative petition was passed to create the one-eighth sales tax still in place today.

This tax was created because citizens wanted the conservation agency to be more consistently funded, Ripperger says.

“All the success, from my viewpoint, of the Missouri Department of Conservation goes back to the citizens of the state,” Ripperger says.

“They’re the ones who twice through our history have stepped to the plate and said, ‘Here’s what we want as citizens of this state,’ and then they supported conservation over the last 75 to 80 years. Time and again, they’ve shown that natural resources around Missouri are extremely important to them.”

Ripperger says working with Missourians is his favorite part of his job.

“I love working for the citizens of Missouri,” he says. “We have great people, [and] we have a great hunting and fishing heritage here in the state.” CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 29

Scott Rutherford, Owner

Meet Scott Rutherford, owner of Como Auto Repair in Columbia. Scott recently obtained an SBA loan from The Bank of Missouri to start his automotive repair and maintenance shop.

An SBA loan from The Bank of Missouri is one of the best financing options for small and growing businesses. An SBA loan can help you finance an entire business, equipment and fixtures, business real estate and much more.

Andrew Zorn SBA Loan Officer

30 \\\ September 2015

Karin Bell Sr. VP, SBA Manager

P.Y.S.K. Person You Should Know

Aric Bremer

Sales manager of Zimmer Radio and Marketing Group and public address announcer for Mizzou Men’s Basketball Age:

34

Job description: As a sales manager, I work with numerous local businesses to put together comprehensive marketing plans that bring a positive return on their investments. As the public address announcer at Mizzou Arena, I announce starting lineups for the Mizzou Men’s Basketball team and try to energize the crowd every time Mizzou scores a big three-pointer or someone throws down a dunk.

Years lived in Columbia/mid-Missouri: 16

years in Columbia

Original hometown: Sedalia, Missouri Education: Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in communication from the University of Missouri with a history minor

Community involvement: I’m currently emcee-

Photo by Sarah Redohl

ing Tigers on the Prowl with Coach Kim and Melissa Anderson. I’ve also hosted events for the Rainbow House and Boys & Girls Clubs and look forward to emceeing more charitable events moving forward.

›› Accomplishment I’m most proud of: Becoming the voice of Mizzou Arena back in 2010 was and continues to be a dream job for me.

Professional background: I started working as a radio DJ in Sedalia when I was 15 years old. I started DJing for the Zimmer Radio and Marketing Group on Clear 99 when I was 18 and a freshman at MU. In November of 2005, I started diving into marketing full time with a former division of Woodruff Sweitzer called Ad Express until 2010.

In 2010 I came back to the Zimmer Radio Group as an account executive and on-air personality. Currently I serve as a sales manager and do Afternoon Drive from 2 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday on 96.7 KCMQ and Classic Clear with Aric Bremer on Saturday mornings from 6 to 10.

What people should know about this profession: Building marketing plans for businesses is a real art form. It takes a lot of passion, commitment and belief. What people should know about being the voice of Mizzou Arena is that Bill Self and John Calipari are the two whiniest sideline coaches I’ve had the privilege of listening to for the past five seasons. They complain about every foul call [LOL]! columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 31

Why I’m passionate about my job: My favorite thing about my job is helping small businesses gain a return on their investments.

Watching businesses you’ve built marketing plans for succeed and grow makes my job worthwhile.

I’m passionate about my side job as the voice of Mizzou Arena because I’ve been a Tigers fan my entire life.

Feeling like I’ve had some kind of part in a big Tigers win (such as the Kansas game in 2012) is a rush like you wouldn’t believe.

A Columbia businessperson I admire and why: Don and John Zimmer. Learning passion for an industry I’ve been in love with since I was 9 years old from two Missouri boys who learned it from their father is pretty special. Their dedication to our clients reaching their growth objectives has really helped shape how I work with my clients on a daily basis.

A favorite recent project: Serving as emcee for Tigers on the Prowl with Coach Kim and Melissa Anderson is very rewarding. It’s bringing multiple businesses together to serve and reward 10 different charities in Columbia.

If I weren’t doing this for a living, I would: Be selling time shares on an island in the Caribbean working three to four days a week and soaking in the sunshine.

What I do for fun: My wife, Brandy, and I love to go to the beach; it’s our favorite place. I love St. Louis Cardinals baseball and make my way to Busch Stadium every chance I get.

We also love to road trip all across this beautiful country.

Family: My wife, Brandy, and I have been married for six years and have a 5-year-old son, Dane. I also have two older children: Lexi, who is 12, and Carter, who is 9.

Favorite place in Columbia: The MKT Trail. It’s so peaceful and so great alone, with your wife or your entire family.

Most people don’t know that I: Am a lifelong professional wrestling fan. CBT 32 \\\ September 2015

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Roundtable › Al Germond

We Can Do Better A season for traveling and seeing other places leaves us wondering how our own region stacks up to passersby.

A recent visitor left us with some rather negative first-time impressions that we were able to correct only somewhat after a whirlwind tour across the verdant rolling hills of Boone County. It’s a fact that on any given day, tens of thousands of travelers pass through Columbia on our Al Germond is the two principal freeways, but many are left host of the Columbia with little that’s memorable aside from Business Times Sunday the visual squalor associated with any Morning Roundtable divided highway. First impressions can at 8:15 a.m. Sundays be dismaying and often beyond correcon KFRU. He can be tion. “Improvement needed” should be reached at the challenge that we can do better. al@columbia business Visitors universally note the forests of times.com. billboards, urban clutter and other visual distractions. They note that the county’s only truck stop looks rather rough and uninviting. They spot the beggars reliably posted at some of Columbia’s key intersections. There’s the absence of promotion about the region and its attractions that should encourage longer stays beyond stopping for gas or victualing at a local eatery. On a brighter note, when the city and its surroundings are penetrated, negative first impressions usually fade as the panoply of area attractions and events unfurls.

Mostly our wrath is reserved for the state of Missouri because its agencies have absented themselves over the years from doing the bang-up job of providing roadside hospitality.

Welcome to Columbia?

Long-distance, over-the-road drivers may very well consider the truck stop on the city’s western edge to be their own personal paradise, so we won’t judge what we know little about to begin with and wish this enterprise continued success.

The site of the former Rainbow Village Trailer Court.

Mostly our wrath is reserved for the state of Missouri because its agencies have absented themselves over the years from doing the bang-up job of providing roadside hospitality. Let’s begin with “welcome centers,” noting the inadequacy of these tourism information outposts at the state’s key border entry points. Missouri’s feeble efforts in this realm are embarrassing compared to, for example, Michigan’s welcome center on Interstate 94 at New Buffalo just across the Indiana line. Is there no answer for Missouri’s penurious tendencies that leave this state and its residents so pathetically short when compared to neighboring states in putting out the welcome mat for visitors?

Lost opportunities Our visitor-friend wondered about the ironic mislocation of Columbia’s visitor center on South Providence Road, more than a mile south of Interstate 70.

This led to helpful observations about signage with suggestions offered for improving it. Advanced was a splendid idea to include electronic billboards among the sea of displays to highlight regional attractions; however, under the existing political climate, such signs will never, ever be allowed here.

We reminisced about the lost opportunities associated with the establishment of free interstate highways compared to toll turnpikes and their immediately adjacent fuel and restaurant facilities.

This led to recalling the old Rainbow Village Trailer Court, which the late Herb Jeans (1911-1975) built south of Interstate 70 between Range Line and North Providence Road. Jeans, Columbia’s mayor from 1969 to 1971, also built a drive-in theater (1949-1960) and the Parkade Plaza Shopping Center, which opened in 1965. The former trailer park is now just a grove of mature trees nestled against the interstate, but it’s listed for sale. Maybe the highest and best use of this acreage could very well be a Columbia welcome center, a quiet grove that would include a visitor center and a place to stop and contemplate nature.

But it won’t ever happen because it’s just another silly little idea without any basis or merit. CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 35

Lessons from the Field Meet three former University of Missouri student-athletes whose training on the field and in the gym laid the groundwork for a whole new challenge — running a small business.

36 \\\ September 2015

T

By brandon hoops | photo by taylor allen Interior PHotos by Anothony Jinson

The day comes for every athlete when the allconsuming focus they give to a sport, whether it’s throwing 95 mph fastballs or eluding 240-pound linebackers, has to be replaced.

It was a scary moment for David Rowe, 40, whose football career at the University of Missouri ended after the Holiday Bowl in 1997.

“You go from four to five years of college with almost every day planned out for you — classes, practices, meetings, games, weightlifting — and then all of a sudden, poof, your career is over,” Rowe says. “Like a lot of people I played with, I didn’t know what I was going to do next.”

Chase Patton, 29, joined the Tigers seven years after Rowe and experienced similar trepidation when his hopes for playing quarterback in the NFL didn’t pan out after graduation.

“The first year was really weird,” Patton says.

“Sports was such a big part of my life, and then all of a sudden it was over.”

When former MU student-athletes look for something different to dominate their lives, it’s not surprising many become business owners in Columbia. This is the place where these men and women reached a level of athletic excellence few others do, and by repurposing qualities such as hard work, teamwork, leadership and perseverance, they look to do the same in new arenas.

Laura Lee Brown ran track and field for the Tigers from 2009 to 2011, but she also spent 12 years as a gymnast. She says participating in sports, particularly individual events, pushed her beyond what she thought possible. It’s the same mentality the 25-yearold brings to running Laura Lee’s Healthy Plate out of Wilson’s Fitness on Forum Boulevard.

“It definitely made me very strong willed,” Brown says. “I have competitors, and they don’t want me to succeed. I have bad days, but I still push through. I don’t get defeated. I get creative.”

Brown and Rowe agree sports also teach you how to carry heavy loads. Things aren’t just given to you. You have to manage your time and balance several different responsibilities at once.

“I am a total multitasker,” Brown says. “I think sports helped with that. You can’t just be an athlete. You’re a student-athlete. So you have to do great at school, or they won’t let you be on the team. You also have to do great at the sport, or they won’t want you on the team.

There are days now when I can be a smoothie maker one minute or a chef or a manager the next. But it’s doable.”

What’s not doable is returning to the thrill of the games they once played. Sure, there are times they wish for a fleeting taste, like when Patton watches football on TV and thinks, “I can still make that throw.” But then again, Patton says, “A lot of things came about by not having life go how I would have planned it.” columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 37

38 \\\ September 2015

David Rowe

I

If you ask David Rowe what he remembers about the night he introduced his restaurant to friends and family, he’ll tell you about the hour he spent sitting on top of an air conditioner with questions and doubts churning in his mind.

“By no means was I ready to run a restaurant,” Rowe says.

“There’s no way.”

Despite the disastrous trial run, Rowe wasn’t about to walk away. Frustration became resolution in the chill of that December night in 2002. Not all learning processes are smooth, he told himself. Sometimes there are rough spots, even very rough ones. He had to get better. He had to toughen up.

Starting a new restaurant was the next challenge for Rowe to persevere through, like when he walked on to play football at MU even though people thought he was too small, or like when he beat the odds and returned for his senior season after being diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Thirteen and a half years later, few but Rowe remember the not-so-glamorous origins of D. Rowe’s restaurant. If anything, they recognize D. Rowe’s for its steady presence at the corner of Forum Boulevard and Club Village Drive.

“The most rewarding part to date is I’m still here 13 and a half years later,” Rowe says. “A lot of people didn’t think I would be. I say that out loud because it’s crazy enough to think it’s been 13 and a half years. I’ve seen kids when they were 5 years old; now they’re 18 and graduating from high school. I saw them when 10; now they’re 23 and can come in here and have a beer.”

When Rowe started his restaurant three years after finishing his football career with the Tigers, he knew he couldn’t just rely on his name. Too many athletes and celebrities think their name is enough to ensure success. Rowe wanted substance underneath his endeavor, which is why he worked hard on a business plan and finding a good location.

“When Walgreens bought their lot, I was like, ‘OK, that’s going to be a good location,’” Rowe says. “They don’t spend their millions of dollars and do their companywide studies just to pluck those things down in the middle of nowhere.”

Although people call D. Rowe’s a sports bar, Rowe’s intent from the outset was to attract a diverse crowd, including families with children. The walls might be covered with sports memorabilia, and high-definition TVs play Cardinals and Royals baseball games, but he designed the interior so there’s distinct separation between the restaurant and the bar.

“Sports is my background, but I always wanted to be more than a sports bar,” Rowe says. “I didn’t want you to avoid coming here if you had a 5-year-old.”

Rowe also diversified his restaurant with live music, a party room and a catering service, but food accounts for 80 to 90 percent of his business. D. Rowe’s has a basic menu that offers a bit of everything, from a selection of barbecue classics to various pastas and seafood. It’s another attempt to reach a wide demographic.

Still, what Rowe hopes sets his restaurant apart most is his staff. He says his 40 employees make up for all the deficiencies he has hosting, serving, cooking, washing or bartending. He can do those jobs, but they do them better. His wife, Meghan, plays a big role, too, providing support, connecting with the staff and doing different jobs.

“All pieces need to work together,” Rowe says. “It’s like football. You have to get your team on the same page. They have to buy into what your game plan is. If they don’t, the wheels just start falling off.”

This dedication has not only meant longevity in Columbia, but it has also translated to increased profits every year since D. Rowe’s opened. And he’s not done. The 40-yearold wants to make it another 13 and a half years. To reach that mark and beyond, he knows there’s always room for improvement, always something to work on. You can’t get complacent, you can’t coast, even when it’s something you really enjoy doing.

“I’ve had people approach me about expansion and doing another location, but I have no interest in that at all,” Rowe says. “This is all I want. I’m not trying to conquer anything.

We’re trying to figure out ways to grow in these four walls. I don’t think we’ve perfected it.”

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 39

40 \\\ September 2015

Laura lee brown

L

Laura Lee Brown never imagined a request to use a refrigerator would be the catalyst for fulfilling a lifelong dream.

She just needed space to store meals and wondered if her employer could accommodate. Wilson’s Fitness Center surprised the 21-year-old business marketing major by offering her space to lease and start a business.

This was March 2012. Momentum had been building to this moment since the previous August, when Brown got a job as a physical trainer for Wilson’s. She noticed her clients weren’t making the kind of progress she would expect, despite training with her three to five days a week. She discovered their eating habits included fast-food stops and gas station visits. But when she stepped in to give one client recipe suggestions, he asked, “Laura, can you just do it for me?”

So she did. After the first week, he lost six pounds. Soon other clients wanted the same benefit.

By the time Brown was making meals for 20 clients and maintaining four fridges in a small apartment, she decided Wilson’s offer was a risk worth taking. The result was Laura Lee’s Healthy Plate, which quickly burst to life by providing fresh whole-food meals, protein shakes and vitamins.

In fact, the new endeavor consumed so much of her time, she decided to drop out of MU less than two months away from graduating.

“I’ve always wanted to own a business,” Brown says. “I knew I could always go back to school, but I couldn’t always go back to start a business as easily as this opportunity came up.”

Brown knew age didn’t have to be a hindrance to starting a business. Her brother Michael Brown started McGregor Manufacturing in Ozark, Missouri, at age 18. The best time to struggle and try to make it is when you’re young.

For the first two years, she worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week to help alter the landscape of healthy eating in Columbia.

“What do people think about when they eat healthy?”

Brown asks. “They think cardboard. They think it has no flavor. I set out to make healthy food that tastes good for everyone, not just myself. And it has really caught on.”

The youngest of nine children, Brown grew up eating fresh foods. There was no exception. A typical meal after

gymnastics practice was steak, dark leafy greens, brown rice and a side salad on a plate in the car. There was no McDonald’s. Cheerios was considered junk food.

Although Brown realizes this wasn’t a common experience, she embraced it, especially when she noticed the edge it gave her in sports.

“If you don’t fuel a Ferrari properly, you’re going to have issues,” Brown says.

Brown’s intent is not to be a food dictator who watches your every step and makes you count calories. She doesn’t want it to be a chore. Heck, she even says you don’t have to eat healthy 100 percent of the time.

“My mission is to help people live a healthy lifestyle,” Brown says. “It’s not about a diet. A diet will send you up and down for the rest of your life from miserable to happy, miserable to happy. It’s very frustrating for people. And I want them to know that’s not how they have to live. There’s a balance out there.”

The goal goes beyond performance and weight loss. The 25-year-old wants to hear about parents being able to keep up with their kids or about people sleeping better and experiencing improvements in their energy level.

To achieve this end, she’s created a graduated program. It’s not about having a dependence on Laura Lee’s Healthy Plate.

She wants you to take care of yourself. It’s why she offers grocery store tours, cooking demos and kitchen makeovers.

It’s also why she’s transparent about everything she makes.

“I don’t think it takes a mad scientist to figure out how to be healthy,” Brown says.

Brown is quick to admit she has encountered a bigger market than she imagined, even if her efforts to expand to every Wilson’s in Columbia proved premature. She closed all but the main location on Forum after struggling to maintain a consistent and clear message.

This setback hasn’t dampened her desire to franchise and expand outside of Missouri. It’s only refined her focus and pushed her into the future.

“It feels like everything has been leading up to this point in my life,” Brown says. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do, and I didn’t know it.”

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 41

42 \\\ September 2015

chase patton

C

Chase Patton was facing an important choice the summer after his sophomore season at MU. Football was important, but it was not the only thing in his life. He was a good student, and he wanted to switch majors and explore the possibility of becoming a dentist.

The chance to shadow Dr. Kent Willett, who had a well-established practice on Chapel Hill Road, turned Patton’s curiosity into possibility. Patton loved the family-like feel Willett created in his office, from the personal pictures hanging on the walls to the way Willett engaged patients, asked about their lives or paused to pray for them.

“What attracted me when I started shadowing is what attracts me still; it’s a comfortable environment where people feel safe, and the care provided goes beyond dentistry,” Patton says.

Now almost 10 years later, Patton, 29, works shoulder-to-shoulder with Willet as an associate dentist in the office. Patton, who attended dental school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, returned to Columbia in June 2013 to accept the position. Eventually, the goal is for Patton to buy the practice when Willett is ready to retire.

Although he graduated dental school “competent but still very raw,” Patton says he bypassed doing an optional one-year residency after graduating because he knew Willett would be a willing mentor.

Willet reminds Patton of some of the coaches he had growing up. The good ones were selfless. They have your best in mind and work hard to make you succeed.

He is especially grateful for how Willett co-branded the 30-year-old practice Willett and Patton, DDS, and involves him in the business side, treating him like a partner even though he doesn’t have an investment.

“He didn’t necessarily need somebody to come in,” Patton says. “But from the day I left for dental school, we had conversations about a transition. I think he wanted to ensure whoever took over was somebody who would carry on the character and core values of the practice.”

The past two years have gone a long way to help build a foundation for the future. However, Patton hasn’t had much chance to think back and reflect on everything he’s learned. A month after starting the job, his wife, Ashley, gave birth to their first child. Now a second is on the way.

“There’s been a lot of life transition, and I’ve hardly had a chance to look back,” Patton says. “But I think what they said in school is true: You learn more in the first year you’re out than you do in four years of dental school. You get faster. You get more efficient. Your confidence goes up. So in two years time, I’ve come a long way.”

Patton also tries not to look too far forward. As much as he aspires to be the best dentist he can be, he doesn’t want to rush the timeline.

By giving attention to continuing education and doing the little things with care, skill and judgment, he’s able to build on the foundation set by Willett and keep his focus on what matters most — the person in the chair.

Some of Patton’s most meaningful experiences have been helping patients who are anxious about dental work have a great experience.

“I want to be myself and really care for people,” Patton says. “I don’t want to just go through the motions.

Being confident in who you are goes a long way in running a business. If you’re well-trained and confident in what you do, you can pass along that confidence to your patients.” CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 43

Mizzou ranks 13th out of 14 SEC teams in private fundraising, and the university wants that to change — starting with an overhaul of its donor program, the Tiger Scholarship Fund. But as more money flows in, some donors could be squeezed out.

44 \\\ September 2015

Game Day

Green

By Matthew Patston illustrations by tifani carter

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 45

The Tiger Basketball team has underwhelmed everybody, including donors, in its first few years in the SEC. No remedy appears on the horizon; two of its three leading scorers transferred after the 2014-2015 season, when the team missed the NCAA tournament.

The football team, led for the past 15 years by head coach Gary Pinkel, picked up the slack. Against national expectations, Mizzou won back-to-back SEC division titles while producing All-Americans and reloading with strong recruiting classes. But more financially important, the team’s success has made it a marketable part of the SEC brand. “[Changes to the TSF] had been discussed loosely for a couple of years, and it really started when we committed to moving to the SEC,” Moller says. “Once that was a done deal, the comparisons to budgets around the league showed we had some work to do to catch up with our peers.”

Tiger Up

O

On Saturdays in the fall, the flood of football fans around Memorial Stadium creates a world apart from normal life: an RV is more enviable than a sports car, a can of cheap beer is tradable currency, the best furniture is foldable, the attire is uniformly some shade of yellow and hoots and hollers are shared in an abstract language built on a tradition that’s sometimes decades in the making.

But despite everything that’s shared, this society is hierarchical. The veracity of one’s commitment — to the game, to the atmosphere, to the gear and, above all, to Mizzou — determines the pecking order. For some fans, this commitment is built over decades and generations of support for Mizzou Athletics. Now, the university is asking for a bit more commitment.

The University of Missouri Athletic Department wants to raise more money, and by changing their donation model, they’re putting donor benefits on the line. But in an atmosphere built on tradition and commitment, change makes people nervous.

Southeastern pride Schools in the Southeastern Conference do two things exceptionally well: play sports and raise cash. When MU joined the conference in 2013, it 46 \\\ September 2015

brought a history of athletic achievement with it — but it faced an uphill battle in its budget.

Every SEC school gets a share of conference revenue. At MU, this accounted for most of the $25.6 million, 50 percent budget bump that the athletic department had in its first full year in the SEC. But that conference money flows evenly to every team; donors supply the competitive edge.

Mizzou’s competitive edge is comparatively dull. It ranks 13th out of 14 SEC teams in private dollars raised.

“Growing our donor base is realistically the only way we can close the gap between us and the rest of the SEC from a budget standpoint,” says Chad Moller, associate athletic director of strategic communications. “We’re currently in the bottom three or four in the league in terms of budget, and we’ve identified the TSF as the biggest opportunity for growth.”

The TSF is the Tiger Scholarship Fund, the university’s primary vessel for private athletic fundraising. The athletic department distributes TSF money, however scant, to wherever it needs to go, but donor benefits focus on men’s basketball and football. Thus, those two sports drive the fundraising.

Associate Athletic Director Tim Stedman has attentive eyes. Even when he isn’t actively smiling, he naturally grins. His manner, beyond friendly, is calming and polished. When saying hello, he complements his handshake with a cordial pat on the shoulder. He doesn’t seem like one to engineer controversy, but perhaps that’s why Stedman’s job suits him so well.

Stedman oversees TSF operations for MU, and he’s the architect of the new format. He came to Columbia in 2010, drawn in by the opportunity to work for an athletic department ready to grow. And he hasn’t been disappointed.

Still, he wants to spark something bigger.

“We built the new system around what we felt we could change,” Stedman says. “And change brings this bag of reactions, regardless of what the change is.”

In this case, the change is incentive. The previous TSF model, Stedman says, was too rigid.

Donor benefits were too tightly tied to longevity: The longer you stayed in the system, the more “priority points” you accumulated, which was the determining factor in donor benefits, such as parking spots, seat locations and privileged information about Mizzou Athletics. There weren’t many options for donors looking to improve their standing, and there wasn’t an incentive to kick in more money. Even if someone donated more, he or she would be trumped by a longtime donor who had given less but accumulated more priority points.

MU’s tag for the new system, “donor level first,” reflects a change in philosophy. The new TSF model has 13 different donor levels, with donation thresholds ranging from $50 to $100,000. Your

The TSF brought in record donations in 2014: $23,600,149.74, to be exact. That’s nearly $5 million more than the previous record, set the year before. But if Stedman’s Tiger Up system works, as he expects it will, that record will swell.

The new model isn’t new, strictly speaking. The athletic department surveyed teams in the Big 12, the Big 10 and the SEC and found most comparably sized schools were already using a donor level-first system. MU’s model is largely based on Michigan State University, Stedman’s former employer. Six other SEC schools already use a similar format, including division rivals South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Florida, who raised the third most private dollars in the SEC.

The University of Missouri’s jump to the SEC brought a new set of budget challenges, but it also brought in a lot of cash. SEC football is big business, and the CBT took a look at some of the hard dollars that make Mizzou’s team tick, before and after joining the conference in 2012.

Football Revenue 40,000,000

DOLLARS

30,000,000

6

,9 24

1

,67

60

20,000,000

0

9 15,

2011

2012 2013 YEAR

2014

NCAA and Conference Revenue 6 ,97

25,000,000

0 ,87

36

8 21,

4 ,08

21 DOLLARS

20,000,000 15,000,000

4

,56

2 76 12,

10,000,000

8 73 15,

5,000,000 0

1,8 2011

2012

2013

2014

YEAR

Athletic Department Revenue from Contributions 25,000,000

15,000,000

54

6 13,

20,000,000

1 ,77

5 49 14,

71 5,6 ,77

13

3

,86

85

5 15,

,1 20

10,000,000 5,000,000

Getting on board The athletic department knew it faced an uphill battle with certain donors, so it got a running start.

“Anytime you’re changing points, donors are going to be interested,” Stedman says. “We’re excited about how we communicated with our donors and how they’ve received the change.

We’ve tried to be as transparent as possible.”

This included personal meetings, newsletters, pamphlets, a website redesign, an animated YouTube video and as much grassroots campaigning as possible. The message, as Stedman says, was about opportunity and long-term benefits.

Thus far, the department has avoided public wrath. Although some donors are uneasy, most

35

88

31,

70 3,2

32 5,1

,64

5

0 3,2

10,000,000

DOLLARS

“Winning makes it more palatable. If you want to sustain this level of success, you’re going to have to pay for it. Nothing in the business of sport is done on the cheap anymore.” — Phil Pharr, executive director, University of Florida Booster Club

Florida introduced the system 10 years ago. Phil Pharr, executive director of Florida’s booster club, says the switch initially disgruntled longtime donors.

“I don’t envy the position Mizzou is in,” Pharr says. “What you’re going to find out is that people say, ‘It’s only a good system if it’s good for me, and if it’s not good for me, then you’re an idiot.’ But it’s effective. It just took us a few years to find a comfort level with our fans.”

Doubtlessly, donors were cheerily distracted from their priority-point problems when Gator Football won two of the next three national championships.

“Winning makes it more palatable,” Pharr says.

“If you want to sustain this level of success, you’re going to have to pay for it. Nothing in the business of sport is done on the cheap anymore. So you have to beat that drum but not too loudly.”

MU rolled out the new TSF amid palatable winning conditions. In its first three years in the SEC, the Tigers had won two division championships and added a $45.5 million club-seating wing to Memorial Stadium.

Both Pharr and Stedman used the Cold War metaphor of an “arms race” to describe SEC fundraising. A lack of money means fewer dollars spent on facility improvements, which usually translates to a weaker recruiting performance, which puts worse players on the field. Thus, bad fundraising begets bad teams, such as Vanderbilt, the only school trailing MU in private fundraising and owners of a 0-8 record against SEC opponents in 2014.

An SEC football team is a profitable business enterprise — Mizzou Football made $31.9 million in 2013, a budget surplus of $14.5 million — but the prevailing culture says schools have to spend money to make money. “Bottom line,” Pharr says, “money will always trump longevity. Brick and mortar, new facilities, structural improvements: Those all take a hard dollar.”

0

2011

2012 2013 YEAR

2014

Tiger Scholarship Fund, Total Giving 25,000,000

.74 49 0,1

0 3,6

6 2

8 6.2

20,000,000 DOLLARS

donor level determines what benefits package you get, and your priority points only determine your rank within your donor level.

For example, if someone donated $3,000, he or she would be in the Silver donor level, making the donor eligible for two parking passes. The donor’s priority points, which factor in donor longevity, would affect how good his or her spots in Silver parking were, but the donor would still be better off than everybody in the lower donor levels.

But a donor could easily leapfrog everyone else in his or her level, regardless of priority points, by donating money to get to the next level: a move that Stedman calls a “Tiger Up.” “It all depends on how many people Tiger Up,” Stedman says. “We don’t have any way of predicting how much will change in terms of benefits, but people are looking to improve their donor experience and their game day experience, and now they have an opportunity to do that. That was the word we tried to message a lot: opportunity.”

24 97,

5 15,

5 019.2 , 8.4 ,2 29 8,915 7 1 17,6

15,000,000 10,000,000 5,000,000 0

2011

2012

2013

2014

YEAR

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 47

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are confident that the university knows what it’s doing.

“I haven’t heard much backlash at all about it,” says Jeff Gregg, president of the Tiger Quarterback Club, the football team’s booster organization. “When you think about it, it’s good. It makes sense. It kind of dangles the carrot to make people want to up their donation level. People I thought might not like it haven’t said very much.”

The Quarterback Club, which provides its own member benefits, isn’t technically affiliated with the TSF, but the organizations overlap. According to Gregg and Kyle Bowers, president-elect, the core membership of the Quarterback Club consists of high-level TSF donors who take tradition seriously. To them, the game day society feels like home.

“We have loyal people that park in certain spots every week and come to tailgate every week because that’s just what they know,” Bowers says. “For some people, that’s just how they were raised — in parking lots. They have children now. I’m not joking, there are people who have been tailgating in the same spot for more than 30 years, and they have traditions.”

Despite palatable conditions and transparent communication, the consequences of the new TSF system are unavoidable. Some of these traditions will be moved around.

“The big thing that’s going to come out is parking passes,” Bowers says. “When you’re tossing someone out of a lot, you’re messing with traditions, too. That’s going to be tough, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”

The TSF’s biggest hurdle is the future.

Nobody — not the donors, not Stedman, not other SEC schools — knows exactly how much will change when the system takes effect in the 2016 season.

In redesigning its fundraising model, the university has reiterated its message: It wants to be an elite SEC school, and it needs more money to make it happen.

“There’s a cultural difference in the fanaticism between established SEC schools versus Missouri,” Gregg says. “As generations go on, we might get to that level, but you’re talking about 80 years of SEC religion in some of these places. That’s hard to overcome that in a 10-year period.”

The TSF is only a step in MU’s plan to change its sports culture. In doing so, it’ll have to change the world ingratiated within. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 49

join the 50 \\\ September 2015

club Management models and membership values drive the distinction between Columbia’s three country clubs.

BY beth bramstedt Photo by Casey Buckman PHotography

It’s a hot, sunny day, with clear blue skies and humidity that makes your skin crawl. The greens are lush, glistening in the distance as brightly colored flowers pepper the clubhouse walkway. Sweat drips off the faces of those practicing at the driving range, and laughter beckons from the swimming pool. It’s just another summer day at the local country club.

Or in Columbia’s case, this summer scene can be found in three locations across the city: Columbia Country Club, The Club at Old Hawthorne and Country Club of Missouri. Although all three clubs have more than just their landscapes in common, they also look very different behind the scenes.

Whether steeped in history, tradition or a business opportunity, each club operates with a distinct management model and set of membership values.

And thanks to recent renovations and an influx of new members, all three clubs are faring well. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 51

Photo by Jennifer Roberts at Moonshadow Studio

Photo by Dave Sansom Photography

52 \\\ September 2015

Photo by Dave Sansom Photography

A

Columbia Country Club

Arcis Golf, a golf management company based in Dallas, manages Columbia Country Club. Arcis currently owns 50 golf and country clubs and manages 18 others. Locally, Columbia Country Club is led by a board of governors that works with the staff and represents the membership.

Brett Bieske, PGA general manager, works for Arcis and serves as the sole communicator between the company and the local board. “It’s a great partnership with open lines of communication,” he says.

Bieske’s team works with Arcis to develop game plans and budgets that satisfy the annual business goals and meet the needs and wants of the board and general membership.

“Locally, each club has a unique niche, and we’re not as competitive as most people think,” Bieske says. “CCC is known as the value club, and that gives us an advantage. We’re also the club with the richest tradition and the newest course.”

Bieske has been with the club since 2007 and says potential members will fit at any of the clubs, but he knows one will usually stand out as a home away from home. That was the case for Randy Minchew.

Minchew, president of Golfso Ltd., joined Columbia Country Club in 2012 when he moved his office downtown.

He’s made some great friends, enjoys the staff and says the fees fit his budget well.

“I was impressed with the plans for the course makeover,” he says, “and I

was looking for a good group of golfers to compete against.”

Plans for Columbia Country Club began in 1915, and the original ninehole golf course opened in 1921. CCC recently opened its newly designed, award-winning course in 2013, which created a 30 percent surge in membership. The current total membership sits at 367, with those participating in golf coming in just under 300.

Membership in Columbia Country Club includes an initiation fee as well as monthly dues. Those interested in joining can choose between a social membership for $75 a month, which includes use of the swimming pool, dining facilities, clubhouse and driving range, all the way up to a full golf family package for $335 a month, with several options in between.

Those needing to forgo their membership are asked to give a 30-day resignation period.

According to Bieske, Columbia Country Club may be the best value, but they don’t offer several key amenities that are available through the other clubs. What they can’t provide in amenities, however, he hopes to make up for in environment and new blood.

“We are putting an emphasis on the next generation of golfers,” Bieske says. “And that means we’re creating programs and events that occasionally veer from standard golf traditions of the game. Come play with us, and you’ll see a casual, welcoming environment

that appeals to the social scene of the new generation.”

Bieske loves the youthful vibe of the club and wants members to feel like they can kick back and relax. The last remodel included a covered veranda and inviting patio space that create the feel of an outdoor barbecue.

Columbia Country Club’s revenue is not only driven by dues but also includes significant monies from outside catering opportunities, tournaments and special events.

“We are putting an emphasis on the next generation of golfers.” — Brett Bieske, Columbia Country Club As Bieske shows off the open and breezy event facilities, he shares his hope that the community would embrace the club as its own. “We want to be part of the city because we are Columbia’s country club,” he says.

“Most people don’t realize that anyone from the community can utilize our space through hosting a wedding or holiday party, coordinating a business meeting or raising funds for a charity with a golf tournament,” Bieske says.

The club can accommodate events from 75 to more than 500.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 53

Photo courtesy of The Club at Old Hawthorne

Photo courtesy of The Club at Old Hawthorne

Photo courtesy of The Club at Old Hawthorne

54 \\\ September 2015

Photo by Natural Insight Photography

the club at old hawthorne

U

Unlike most country clubs nationwide, which are owned by the membership or have been bought out by management companies, The Club at Old Hawthorne is owned by a family: local developer Billy Sapp and his wife, Glenda. They are a for-profit venture and pride themselves on membership satisfaction and driving club usage through creative events and innovative programming. They pay taxes and have no limitations regarding outside income.

The Club at Old Hawthorne operates without a board of directors and is managed by PGA general manager Travis McCubbin. Together with his team of department heads, owners and advisory committees comprised of members, McCubbin oversees club operations.

“The Sapps are here every day,” McCubbin says. “They are active in the club, support the staff and offer feedback on their experience and other members’ experiences.”

McCubbin says he appreciates the efficiency and freedom of the business model. “Mr. and Mrs. Sapp believe that membership satisfaction will equal financial stability and success, and he trusts us to make our members happy,” he says.

The Club at Old Hawthorne opened its doors in 2007, with the Sapp’s home, a 1938 replica of President Andrew Jackson’s Southern Colonial mansion, serving as the clubhouse. The club has grown to almost 600 total members, with 346 participating in golf.

If Columbia Country Club is known as the value club, then Old Hawthorne reaches the golf addict. “We’re the shiny, new gem,” McCubbin says, “so we tend to attract people who are new to town or those who are looking for a complete golf residential community.”

The Club at Old Hawthorne offers a high-quality, modern facility with a championship-length golf course.

Other unique amenities include a fitness center and practice facility, which ranks in the top 50 in the nation, according to the Golf Range Association of America.

Scott Hovis, executive director of the Missouri Golf Association, predicts The Club at Old Hawthorne will be one of the top clubs in the state for years to come.

“It has everything you look for in a golf course and country club and gives players of all skill levels a chance to enjoy the beautiful layout,” he says.

Another unique feature is Old Hawthorne’s connection with the surrounding subdivision. Although common around the country, it is the only Columbia club affiliated with a housing development. According to McCubbin, their model follows a Florida trend.

“Convenience matters,” he says. “People want to be five to 10 minutes away.”

If you live in The Community of Old

Hawthorne, membership in some level at the club is mandatory.

“Our residents need to support us because the club’s success affects their home value,” McCubbin says.

One of the best decisions they made early on, he says, was to offer low-cost, non-golf memberships for residents of The Community of Old Hawthorne.

They can join for as little as $50 a month in social dues, with no initiation fee.

Other memberships are also discounted for residents.

Like the other two clubs, Old Hawthorne’s financial model is driven by initiation fees and membership dues.

“When membership is good, everything is good,” McCubbin says. To retain members, the club focuses on creating a world-class experience in a comfortable and approachable atmosphere. Labor is their highest expense, followed by facility investment and maintenance.

“People always want something new,” McCubbin says, “so we have to continually improve our offerings of facilities and programs.”

They won’t make improvements, however, until they can pay for it. Once they reach their next membership goal, the plan is to add tennis and pickle ball courts as well as a basketball sport court.

“When membership is good, everything is good.” — Travis McCubbin, The Club at Old Hawthorne

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 55

56 \\\ September 2015

Photo by Phil Lapkin

Photo by L.G. Patterson

Photo by Rufus Harmon

country club of missouri

T

The Country Club of Missouri operates with a more traditional business model. It’s owned by the members, and a board of directors, made up of members, serves as the governing body. There is no general manager.

The staff, including clubhouse manager Lisa Tye, who joined the team in 1996, works for the board. The operation of the club is broken down into eight standing committees, led by committee chairs, who work together to accomplish the goals of the club. All of the members have ownership in the club based on voting rights and decision-making.

“Our members are involved at every level,” Tye says. “We have the luxury of a lot of feedback.”

The Country Club of Missouri was founded when a group left Columbia Country Club to build an 18-hole course.

It celebrated its 40-year anniversary in 2011. It’s the only club with tennis facilities and has earned the reputation as the most social club of the three options.

Tye says the club has an atmosphere where everyone knows one another, including members and staff. “It’s like Cheers around here most of the time,” she says. “And we’re very proud of that.”

Current membership sits just over 600. The tennis and pool memberships have flourished in the past six years and currently number around 160. “Families want to spend their recreational dollar where they can spend time together,” Tye says. “We offer that sense of community, with activities for the whole fam-

ily.” The sense of family is magnified by the fact that approximately 85 percent of members live within five miles, so the club becomes their gathering place.

Tye remembers the days when a coat and tie were required but says times have changed. The country club scene is evolving into a space for young families, and the average age of the member has dropped.

To meet this demand, the club added two additional weeks of summer camp this year, in addition to several half-day camps, Tye says as a gaggle of children file by with swimsuits, golf clubs and tennis racquets, each stopping briefly to say hello.

CCMO remodeled its clubhouse facilities last year by updating the dining room and lounge as well as the Golf Pro Shop and Breezeway. “The patio has always been our most popular space in the summer,” Tye says, “but now that we’ve updated our dining area and added a large U-shaped bar, we are active inside during the summer months as well.”

These spaces, remodeled to reflect the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, create a lively feel, and sales have increased by 30 percent in those areas as a result. The club also added an expansive event center and is now able to accommodate most of its members’ special events without having to close the clubhouse.

The renovations have also proven helpful in increasing membership, which is up by 10 percent since the dining facilities reopened last April. “Marketing is helpful, but so is reinventing yourself,” Tye says. “We’re sure that if

we build and make improvements the members want, they’ll continue to support their club.”

CCMO’s members sell memberships more than any source of marketing, Tye says, and this business philosophy has driven CCMO to make significant changes at least once a decade to keep pace with the changing membership. Next on the list is giving the pool house a facelift.

Working together The uniqueness of the business models, amenities and environments does make it easier for potential members to find what they’re looking for. “In talking with people, I can usually tell which club will be the best fit,” Bieske says.

Bieske, McCubbin and Tye all take pride in the way the clubs cooperate with one another. Whether it’s recruiting new members, coordinating the PGA Junior League, working with the Missouri Golf Foundation or participating in the annual Charity Cup, the clubs join forces to support the community and promote the game of golf.

“The golfing community is very tight knit in Columbia,” Tye says. “It’s very reciprocating among the clubs.”

And despite the differences between clubs, many golfers keep dual memberships and play all three courses. As one Old Hawthorne member teases McCubbin, “I had to play with my peeps at CCC today, but don’t worry; I’ll be back tomorrow.” CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 57

nonprofit spotlight

›› Global First Responder

Global Reach

Global First Responder brings worldwide medical relief.

By Kaitlynn Martin | Photos by Keith borgmeyer Since its launch in 2013, Global First Responder, a local 501(c)3 nonprofit, has provided international medical relief, education and community development to the people of Haiti, Syrian refugees and others.

The nonprofit’s far-reaching assistance comes from a core team of volunteers, led by its founder, Adam Beckett, a practicing emergency medicine doctor at University Hospital and former Marine.

In mid-April, GFR received its nonprofit status, making it easier for the organization to raise funds and share its mission with the community.

“There are so many different kinds of nonfor-profits operating, and there is a lot of reluctance among providers, or with any volunteers, to get involved because they just don’t know

what they are getting themselves into,” Beckett says, “so we started Global First Responder to try to solve a lot of those problems by creating this centralized network for global relief work.”

The nonprofit’s website is brimming with indepth information about other nonprofit agencies, countries in need, field experience reflections and numerous ways to become involved either by serving or donating.

With no office as a home base, the website runs purely through the efforts of Beckett and devoted volunteers, usually operating out of homes. Even though all of GFR’s core team of volunteers have full-time jobs, they continue to keep the organization running, and some take a week or two to travel and help people in countries in dire need of medical assistance.

Matt Ford “Many of us pay our own way, and the time we use is our vacation. The point is that we really want to help.

That’s why we do what we do.”

Adam Beckett “My proudest moments are when I see a team come together in working to make a great difference for communities in need.”

58 \\\ September 2015

All-encompassing service A couple weeks after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, Beckett traveled to the country to provide as much medical assistance as he could. Since then, he never looked back, totaling around 17 missions since to other countries around the world. The majority of the trips were served through GFR. “Emergency medicine is pretty versatile; we see anything and everything, so there is really nothing we haven’t come across when we are out in the different environments,” Beckett says. “The uncertainty is something we deal with all the time.”

Usually the mission trips consist of groups of 20 but can be as small as eight volunteers, varying in medical, educational and carpentry back-

Sandra Beldor “I joined GFR because I can see the results firsthand when I go on the service trips. GFR embraces the community where it works.”

➜ globalfirstresponder.com adam@globalfirstresponder.com

grounds. A week is the typical length of the volunteers’ stay, making it the utmost priority to maximize all efforts as soon as they arrive.

“In some cases, we’ll do health education, and that is a big key to be teaching out in the field because once we leave, we are not going to be there to care for them,” Beckett says.

Basic hygiene, infant care, neonatal, CPR and advance life support are common subjects implemented in the education classes. Each community and country comes at a case-bycase basis, making any chance to provide education an important task.

Over the past years, on top of providing medical care and education, volunteers have also focused on community development efforts.

“Whether it is working on a library or a wing at a hospital, we will have the supplies purchased ahead of time so when we get there, we hit the ground running,” Beckett says.

The future for relief In an ever-changing world ailed by conflict, war and lack of simple health care, it may seem close to impossible to make an impact. But for the

Chuck Graham “Adam is one of my best friends, and his passion, dedication and selflessness are infectious.”

“There is still a lot of work left to be done, and there probably always will be in these countries, but we are moving in the right direction.” — Adam Beckett, founder, Global First Responder GFR volunteers, progress has been evident, and spirits are high.

Such positive change can be seen in Haiti.

“The government there is not the easiest to work with, but in the areas we have been, we have seen vast improvement in the hospitals and the health care that’s provided in the communities,” Beckett says. “There is still a lot of work left to be done, and there probably always will be in these countries, but we are moving in the right direction.”

J.D. Calvin “We don’t just treat and leave like a lot of medical relief agencies. Our doctors are teaching classes, our volunteers are building, and our nurses are training other nurses. It’s a beautiful thing.”

GFR’s last organized trip was to Haiti in February. For a week in August, a group of GFR volunteers teamed up with another nonprofit, My Little Patient, and traveled to India. After India, Beckett and another group of volunteers plan to travel to Ethiopia and possibly Turkey and Jordan to bring aid to Syrian refugees.

Monetary donations and mission trip volunteering are open to anyone interested, regardless if they have a medical background. As the nonprofit continues to expand and connect agencies to willing volunteers, Beckett says he hopes he and others can continue to improve the overall health care in the countries that need it most.

“Our team is just getting bigger and bigger, and we have been counting down the days to India and Ethiopia,” Beckett says. “With these last few months, we have taken a little break to get the nonprofit going, and now we have some momentum, and we are ready to get back to work.” CBT For more information about Global First Responders, stories from past mission trips and how to donate and/or get involved, visit globalfirstresponder.com.

Not pictured: Judy Baker

Rick Baker “We do more than medical care; we provide medical education, help build or rebuild infrastructure and provide humanitarian aid.”

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 59

Nancy Yaeger and Amy Livesay Photo by Anthony Jinson 60 \\\ September 2015

celebrations

➜ 700 E. Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201 • 573-874-1803 ultramaxsports.com

›› Ultramax Sports

Pursuing Passions

Ultramax Sports welcomes new full-time manager.

When Nancy Yaeger started triathlon training with Ultramax Sports, she says she hardly knew how to swim across a pool.

Now, seven years later, Yaeger has completed two Ironman triathlons and become the new full-time manager of Columbia’s Ultramax Sports.

Although Yaeger has lived in Columbia for 17 years, it took her some time to wander into Ultramax Sports. Working first as a sales trainer and later as a real estate agent, Yaeger found neither job offered her the ability to empower others, something she desperately wanted to do.

“We hired people who are smarter than we are. [They are people] who love this business, love what it stands for and will do a better job running it than we have.”

— Amy Livesay, owner, Ultramax Sports But when a friend persuaded her to do a triathlon, Yaeger got a glimmer of what was to come. She was hooked. She signed up for an Ultramax Sports training group, which provided her with an exercise regimen and fellow trainers. She became a regular customer at the downtown location (700 E. Broadway) and visited so often she knew the employees by name.

Before long, Yaeger and the store’s owner, Amy Livesay, were running partners. While

on one of their routine jogs, Livesay presented Yaeger with a unique opportunity: become the new face of Columbia’s Ultramax Sports.

“When Amy approached me, I was at the point where I wanted to start pursuing my passions,” Yaeger says.

On July 6, she stepped into her position as full-time manager.

Livesay says she and her husband, coowner Mark Livesay, made the right decision when hiring Yaeger. Although the two of them plan to step back from the business in the next year, they feel they’ve left the company in capable hands.

“We hired people who are smarter than we are,” Livesay said in an email. “[They are people] who love this business, love what it stands for and will do a better job running it than we have.”

Livesay, who created the company as The Starting Block in 2006 before buying all services under Ultramax Sports in 2012, shares the same desire to empower shoppers as Yaeger. She says it’s been a challenge to convince customers that Ultramax Sports is not just a place for “good” runners to shop but trainees of every size, shape and ability. Yaeger says the store’s training groups, like the one she joined seven years ago, allow newbies to “graduate from couch to 5K.” Livesay agrees the store often transforms the lives of its customers and employees.

She gives several examples: a child with shin splints who, once outfitted with new shoes from Ultramax Sports, competed at the state level; a group of beginners who, upon completing their first race together, broke into tears and initiated a group hug; an Ultramax Sports employee who took Livesay aside and told her, “I love my job.”

Now, Livesay wants Yaeger to become the eyes and ears of the establishment and to

By Lauren Puckett take those life-changing moments into her own hands. Yaeger already has dreams and schemes; she wants more trainees signing up for running groups, more customers visiting the website — and she wants to beat the Springfield, Missouri, location in sales. “[Livesay] wants me to be the one to make sure this store is successful in Columbia,” Yaeger says. CBT

Timeline 1999 › Mark Livesay opens Ultramax Events through The Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation, producing events as fundraisers for children’s amblyopia screenings.

2006 › Mark and Amy Livesay open The Starting Block in Columbia.

2008 › Nancy Yaeger joins an Ultramax Sports training group and participates in her first triathlon 2012 › The Livesays buy their services under Ultramax Sports in an effort to associate the two companies (The Starting Block and Ultramax Events).

2013 › Ultramax Sports moves to its downtown location at 700 E. Broadway.

2015 › In July, Nancy Yaeger becomes the new full-time manager of the downtown Columbia Ultramax Sports. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 61

62 \\\ September 2015

MARKETING

›› Monica Pitts talks marketing trends and tips

Every Business Has a Story to Tell “As humans, everyone loves a good story,” says Johnny Eakers, owner and operator of Clapboard Pictures. “If you can tell a story about your business and humanize it, people want to do business with you.”

But what if your story is intricate and hard to put down in writing?

That’s when videos as marketing come into play.

According to a New York Times report: “Online video is becoming a first stop for many customers. … It gives them a channel to talk directly to customers in ways previously accessible only to large companies that could afford TV advertisements. … Online video has helped the company recover its human touch virtually.”

Not just for TV anymore Video allows you to engage with your audience in a way previously only attainable through TV. “What video does really well is show and tell,” Eakers says. “It can present all the static parts of your website or complicated parts of your marketing in a much more interesting way.”

You know your company’s message and understand what you do better than anyone else. Your marketing materials work to share that message.

Video can convey your message in a living, 3-D way. Not only are you sharing facts about a company in your video, but you also put a face and voice behind the name.

Forbes found most respondents to marketing prefer video to white papers, case studies and even live demos with company representatives.

Three videos your business should consider Fundraising events show videos to evoke emotion in donors. Sales representatives share videos to kick off meetings or answer product questions.

Company videos can serve a lot of purposes. Eakers says every business should consider at least these three videos: 1. Company overview: This video gives viewers a well-rounded look at your company. It might be a virtual tour, interviews with the your staff explaining what they do or whatever it takes to give viewers a general feel for the company.

2. Product service demo: Demonstrating how to use your company’s product gives viewers a sense of trust. They can see how it works instead of trying to read between the lines and guess. A video can increase online purchase conversion rates by allowing viewers to make a more educated buying decision instead of a blind one.

3. Testimonial: Testimonials are awesome regardless of their format, but video can add an element of honesty and emphasis missing in written testimonials. Let viewers see and hear real people rave about how your business made them happy. It doesn’t get much better than that.

m o n i ca p i t ts

Illustration by Tifani Carter

These types of videos can play a role in your sales process. They may help you generate leads but are most successful converting website views to action. “Technology allows you to add a call to action right in your video to link clients to your business,” Eakers says.

What makes a good video “Your goal is to create a story that means something to people,” Eakers says. “The trick is to do it quickly.” He also suggests: • Don’t try to cram too much into one piece; it just confuses the viewer, and they’ll walk away not knowing what they do.

• Keep your video under two minutes. If you need more time, break it into smaller parts. If your video is too long, people won’t finish it.

• Be clear with your call to action. What do you want them to do? Go to your website? Call you? Like your page?

• Don’t use Flash-based videos because Flash is not viewable on Apple mobile devices.

• Design for mobile by choosing font and image sizes in the video with mobile users in mind. If they can’t see the words, they aren’t going to watch your video. CBT

➜ C h i e f c r eat i v e d i r ecto r at M a y ec r eate d es i g n columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 63

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technology

›› Clint Miller reviews the latest trends in tech

Game Day Wi-Fi When I go to a football game, I go to watch it; however, I’m amazed by how many people go to the game but are watching their cellphone screens instead of the action on the field. (I would understand this if it were a Kansas Jayhawk game.) People will upload photos and videos of what they’re watching to share with friends and family on social media and, let’s be honest, to brag about how exciting their lives are. Cellphone companies such as AT&T have taken notice of this and increased their capacity at sporting events. People don’t want to drain their data packages, though, and are demanding free Wi-Fi almost anywhere they go. Many stadiums are now providing free Wi-Fi to the masses as part of the experience, but this is no easy task.

To have a fully functioning and reliable Wi-Fi platform, the backend wiring, network switches, wireless controllers, routers and available Internet bandwidth are the heart of the operation. Simply plugging in a few $50 wireless access points from a local box store won’t get the job done. HP recently acquired Aruba Networks. Aruba, like HP, specializes in providing wireless to any size of organization or crowd. Aruba has done extensive studies on wireless capacity, signal strength and density.

Memorial Stadium’s expanded capacity is 71,168. This would mean Memorial Stadium’s tech staff would need to plan for about 14,250 [Wi-Fi] users or the equivalent need of 285 access points.

When stadium IT staff is trying to provide wireless to so many people, wireless range isn’t the issue. You don’t need to cast the signal very far. This helps keep channel interference and access-point overload to a minimum. The issue is the number of users within a given area exceeds the capacity for the access point. Aruba recommends having one access point for every 50 users. The percentage of event-goers using Wi-Fi is increasing, but the current recommendation is to plan for 20 percent of total attendance use. According to mutigers. com, Memorial Stadium’s expanded capacity is 71,168. This would mean Memorial Stadium’s tech staff would need to plan for about 14,250 users or the equivalent need of 285 access points. Also, not just any access point will do. It needs to be a secure outdoor access point that can withstand the extreme heat and cold of Missouri weather.

It doesn’t stop with collegiate athletics either. According to USA Today, in the fall of 2014 the NFL named Extreme Networks its “first official

cl i n t m i ll e r

Illustration by Tifani Carter

Wi-Fi solutions provider.” So far 12 NFL stadiums have deployed a new state-of-the-art Wi-Fi infrastructure. Aside from the convenience and luxury of having Wi-Fi for fans, it ultimately comes down to big business.

The franchises in the NFL are not only wanting their fans to enjoy the free Wi-Fi but also taking advantage of the opportunity to send you promotional information while you’re at the game. For example: “Alex Smith just threw a touchdown pass. Twenty percent off his jersey at the team store.”

The increased fan satisfaction along with the ability to send promotional offers is why NFL teams are looking at Wi-Fi infrastructure as an investment, not an expense.

As for the future, it’s not unrealistic to think that someday every sports stadium will have a fantastic Wi-Fi connection, but for now it simply comes down to cost. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cost of improving Wi-Fi availability for a stadium because each one has different infrastructure challenges; however, it’s predicted to be somewhere in the multimillion-dollar range. As time goes on, we’ll see newer technology develop and more competitors enter this unique market. It’s only a matter of time before you’re posting selfies instantly at your next Tigers game. CBT

➜ v i ce p r es i d e n t o f e d ucat i o n o p e r at i o n s at m i d west com p utec h columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 65

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organizational health

›› Pieter Van Waarde helps guide organizations into good health

Teams that Play Together, Stay Together I’ve heard many leaders lament the fact that it’s really hard to keep good people. That makes sense because good employees have options.

So when people discover that Woodcrest regularly celebrates 20th anniversaries with its employees (one this year, one next year and my own last year), they often ask why.

I wish I had a more profound response, but the truth is simple: Teams that play together, stay together. We do many of the things that healthy organizations have to do to keep the team engaged. We are clear on mission. We give people freedom to explore their passions. We do necessary relational conflict. We compensate fairly. But when it comes to the real reason why people stay, I think it comes down to play.

We have staff fun days. We celebrate birthdays. We even built a climbing wall outside one of buildings that staff members have used to challenge each other. But beyond these events and activities, it’s about the spirit of the place. We see laughter and playfulness as a good thing.

This is common practice for many cutting-edge companies. Google employees are paid to play volleyball and go bowling. Employees at LinkedIn play foosball and Ping-Pong when they get tired of looking at their computer screens. And even one of our own local companies, Veterans United, is notorious for its Nerf gun wars and paper airplane-flying contests.

At first glance this may seem like a waste of time, but Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, said in his 2008 TED Talk that play can be an essential ingredient in stimulating creativity.

“As adults we are fearful of the judgment of our peers, which stifles our willingness to share what we might perceive to be a ‘crazy’ idea,” Brown said.

“But these out-of-the-box ideas are an essential part of any creative process.

When people are willing to risk playing together, it removes barriers and creates a sense of safety such that people are less worried about saying something foolish. The next thing you know, people are solving problems that have kept them stumped for years.”

It doesn’t take long to see how experiencing that kind of freedom and creativity is not only good for the company, but it’s also great for those who are part of it. People feel fulfilled, free to be themselves and part of something they can genuinely enjoy. Work isn’t just a place to make a living; it becomes a place where you can have a life.

The Marshall Rules Marshall Robb has his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri and is an adjunct professor at Williams Woods University. He’s also the director of Solid Rock Camps and consults companies through experiential learning environments, which is a fancy way of saying he helps adults learn how to play and learn from their play.

p i e t e r va n waard e

Illustration by Tifani Carter

Robb believes strongly in the power of play in removing barriers. When people let down their guard (experientially) through games, it isn’t that much of a stretch to see the same thing happen in the workplace. The game itself isn’t even the main focus; it’s what happens while people are playing them that matters.

As a result, Robb is always working on three basic practices. He playfully refers to them as the Marshall Rules: • Cooperation: Most people think games are all about competition, and there is always an element of that. But my emphasis is always on cooperation.

People win when they learn to play well together.

• Communication: People assume communication happens, but many employee groups note communication as the very thing that doesn’t happen. Creating games that help people understand the importance of good communication has a significant positive net effect on the job.

• Community: Everyone says they want to feel at home at work. They want to experience community. At the heart of community is trust. If you have trust, people will share freely and engage cooperatively. Playing a trustbuilding game can expose weaknesses and create new positive experiences between team members in a nonthreatening manner. CBT

➜ se n i o r pasto r at woo d c r est c h a p e l , p r es i d e n t o f s i d ewa l k l l c columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 69

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sales strategy

›› Tron Jordheim talks business trends and the art of selling

Tradigital Selling Is Fun and Games One of Columbia’s top salespeople is Sarah Hill. Her ability to tell compelling and entertaining stories has helped sell a lot of mortgages for Veterans United. With her new venture, Story-Up360, Hill will tell stories using virtual reality tools, worldwide connectivity and components of gaming to make her stories even more compelling.

Although you might not have access to all the top tech tools to sell your story, you still have something to sell and a slew of new tools with which to do so. The technology available to salespeople has changed dramatically since I started selling, but people haven’t changed at all. Whether by virtual reality, social media or word-of-mouth, selling is still about getting the right message to the right people at the right time — preferably in a fun and entertaining manner — and then asking them to buy.

I call this convergence of new technology and old behavior “tradigital selling.” You need to know about tradigital selling and how to make it work if you want to remain relevant to consumers. If people aren’t receiving your message in a digital manner, they will not be receiving your message at all.

1. Sell status. We all care to have the best, and attaining status is a game to many people. How does your offering improve the status of the people who use your services or products? Look at how well Machens Dealerships does with its Mercedes and BMW brands. You see a lot of fine German engineering driving around Columbia. But did you know Mercedes-Benz has more than 2.6 million followers on Instagram? They’re the same great cars and same status symbol as always but with a very new method of promoting products and developing a fan base.

2. Build social connections. People crave a group of friends and acquaintances with whom they can share experiences, compete for status and have fun. Why do you think so many brands are spending so much money advertising on social networks? Coca Cola’s recent #shareacoke campaign with names on its bottles is a huge hit on social media and in stores. Columbia’s own KOPN radio station sustained its information and entertainment services through social connections before online social networks existed and now has connections and donors around the world on Facebook and online streaming.

3. Help people acquire. People still love to acquire things. How does your offering help people satisfy the need to acquire? How pleasurable or fun is it for people to put your offering into their collection of things? If you’ve built a good story about your business, people will want to acquire what you have. That’s easier than trying to sell something to them, isn’t it?

Make it easy for people to buy from you.

4. Create emotional satisfaction. Every purchase is made to bring emotional satisfaction. It is the rush of fun and joy or the relief of stress that makes buying feel satisfying. How does someone purchasing your offering feel good deep down inside?

t ro n j o rdh e i m

Illustration by Tifani Carter

How do all of these traditional qualities look in a digital age?

• Social media can help you express all of these things to your potential buyers, and you can do it in a fun and engaging way.

• Make sure your message looks great on mobile devices. If you have an engaging video component, that’s even better.

• People will never be replaced, so you need to make sure your people-topeople conversations are well timed and relevant. You do this by listening to customers (online and in person) to understand when and why they talk to you. Then you can create the appropriate sales talk and be ready to use it at the right time.

You can make tradigital selling work for you as well. People haven’t changed, but the way in which you can reach them, how you discover their needs and wants and how you can prepare people for your final sales discussions have changed dramatically. Look at the companies you do business with, and emulate their innovations. Then get out there, and sell like you always have — just with cooler tools. CBT

➜ h ea d o f ma r k et i n g at sto r a g ema r t, d i r ecto r o f p h o n esma r t ca l l ce n te r columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 71

THE BUSINESS TIMES COMPANY

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E-NEWSLETTERS www.columbiabusinesstimes.com www.columbiahomemagazine.com www.jeffersoncitymag.com 72 \\\ September 2015

did you know?

›› Fun facts CBT staff discovered while reporting this issue

University of Missouri Wrestling coach Brian Smith has been named Mid-America Conference Wrestling Coach of the Year three times. Read more about Smith on page 80.

Although Stankowski Field is used today for MizzouRec programming, it began as the place for MU Football in the late 1800s. Read more about the evolution of Stankowski on page 82.

Columbia Public Schools will be changing student transportation providers starting this fall. Student Transportation of America brings with it 212 new buses, featuring onboard cameras, GPS and Child Check-Mate systems to enhance safety and security.

Since his first medical mission to Haiti in 2010, Global First Responder founder Adam Becket has participated in 17 medical missions around the world.

Read more about the nonprofit, GFR, on page 58.

28-24 Columbia's 5th Annual Startup Weekend will be held from Sept. 11 to 13 at Museao.

The 54-hour event aims to connect people from a variety of backgrounds to create a business and is part of Startup Weekend, a national nonprofit organization. Employees of Influence & Co put on the event.

The score of the 1936 Boys Basketball State Championship, won by the undefeated Hickman Kewpies, featuring senior Sam Walton.

Read more stats like this on page 79.

Tiger Scholarship Fund donors face a new donation model and changing benefit plans.

To learn more about the TSF changes, head to page 44. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 73

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First Place: 44 Stone Public House Second Place: The Roof

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TOP COMMERCIAL BUILDER/CONTRACTOR First Place: Coil Construction Second Place: Little Dixie Construction

TOP REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER

First Place: Starr Properties Second Place: John Ott, Alley A Realty

TOP PLACE TO WORK

First Place: Veterans United Home Loans Second Place: Hawthorn Bank

TOP ENGINEER

First Place: Timberlake Engineering Second Place: Trabue, Hansen & Hinshaw Inc.

TOP ACCOUNTING SERVICE

First Place: Williams-Keepers Second Place: Accounting Plus Inc.

TOP CATERER

First Place: Hoss’s Market & Rotisserie Second Place: Bleu Restaurant & Catering

TOP STAFFING COMPANY

Second Place: The Insurance Group

TOP COMMERCIAL LENDER

First Place: Matt Williams, Landmark Bank Second Place: Drew Smith, Commerce Bank

First Place: Influence and Co. Second Place: Global First Responders

TOP WEB DEVELOPER

First Place: MayeCreate Design 700 Cherry St., Suite C, Columbia, 573-447-1836, mayecreate.com

First Place: JobFinders Second Place: Caroline and Co. Inc.

TOP CULTURE

First Place: Veterans United Home Loans Second Place: Murry’s Restaurant

TOP OFFICE DIGS

First Place: True Media Second Place: Woodruff Sweitzer

TOP BUSINESS WITH A COMMITMENT TO PHILANTHROPY First Place: Veterans United Home Loans Second Place: Joe Machens Dealerships

TOP JANITORIAL SERVICES

First Place: Atkins Building Services Inc. Second Place: Tiger Maids

TOP COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER Second Place: Delta Systems

TOP ADVERTISING AGENCY

First Place: Woodruff Sweitzer Second Place: MayeCreate Design 700 Cherry St., Suite C, Columbia, 573-447-1836, mayecreate.com

First Place: LG Patterson Second Place: Casey Buckman Photography

TOP EVENT LOCATION

First Place: The Tiger Hotel 23 S. Eighth St., Columbia, 573-875-8888, thetigerhotel.com

TOP PLACE TO HAVE A BUSINESS LUNCH

First Place: Murry’s Restaurant Second Place: D. Rowe’s Restaurant & Bar

TOP OFFSITE TEAM MEETING LOCATION

First Place: Logboat Brewing Co. 504 Fay St., Columbia, 573-397-6786, logboatbrewing.com

TOP COFFEE MEETING LOCATION

First Place: Kaldi’s Coffee Second Place: Dunn Brothers Coffee

TOP AMBASSADOR OF BUSINESS IN COLUMBIA First Place: Dave Griggs Second Place: Mary Ropp

TOP NEWBIE TO BUSINESS

TOP BUSINESS INSURANCE

First Place: Mike Messer Agency – Shelter Insurance 908 Rain Forest Parkway, Columbia, 573-442-5291, shelterinsurance.com/ CA/agent/mikemesser

TOP BUSINESS WITH INTERNATIONAL IMPACT

Second Place: Les Bourgeois Vineyards, 14020 W. Highway BB, Rocheport, 800-690-1830, missouriwine.com

TOP PLACE TO CLOSE A DEAL

First Place: Nick Hardy Second Place: Max Prokell

TOP CHAMBER VOLUNTEER

First Place: Wally Pfeffer Second Place: Michele Spry

TOP LOCAL TEAM-BUILDING EXPERIENCE First Place: Logboat Brewing Co. 504 Fay St., Columbia, 573-397-6786, logboatbrewing.com

TOP OLD-TIMER IN BUSINESS

First Place: Kat Cunningham Second Place: David Keller

TOP COMMERCIAL VIDEOGRAPHER

First Place: 44 Stone Public House Second Place: Boone County Title Co.

First Place: Spectrum Studios Second Place: Baker HD

TOP BANK

TOP HR FIRM

First Place: Boone County National Bank Second Place: Landmark Bank

Second Place: Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center

First Place: MoreSource Inc. Second Place: Accounting Plus Inc.

Second Place: The Canvas on Broadway

TOP IT COMPANY

First Place: Midwest Computech 311 Bernadette Drive , Columbia, 800346-8934, midwestcomputech.com

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Economic Index

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Labor:

Single-family home sales, June 2015: 321

June 2015 – Boone County Labor force: 97,856 Employment: 93,488 Unemployment: 4,368 Rate: 4.5 percent

Single-family active listings on market, June 2015: 737 Single-family homes average sold price, June 2015: $189,000 Single-family homes average days on market, June 2015: 49 Single-family pending listings on market, June 2015: 215

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Construction: Residential building permits, June 2015: 90 Value of residential building permits, June 2015: $16,784,074 Detached single-family homes, June 2015: 37 Value of detached single-family homes, June 2015: $11,440,012 Commercial building permits, June 2015: 37

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76 \\\ September 2015

Value of commercial building permits, June 2015: $34,711,027 Commercial additions/ alterations, June 2015: 28 Value of commercial additions/alterations, June 2015: $23,063,449

June 2015 – Columbia City Labor force: 66,046 Employment: 63,138 Unemployment: 2,908 Rate: 4.4 percent June 2015 – Columbia, Missouri (Metropolitan Statistical Area) Labor force: 97,856 Employment: 93,488 Unemployment: 4,368 Rate: 4.5 percent June 2015 – Missouri Labor force: 3,109,921 Employment: 2,930,362 Unemployment: 179,559 Rate: 5.8 percent

Utilities: Water July 2015: 48,289 July 2014: 47,752 Change #: 537 Change %: 1.1 percent Number of customers receiving service on Aug. 1, 2015: 48,035 Electric July 2015: 48,933 July 2014: 48,289 Change #: 644 Change %: 1.3 percent Number of customers receiving service on Aug. 1, 2015: 48,665 CBT

Deeds of Trust

›› Worth more than $692,160

$162,000,000 FQSR LLC Wells Fargo Bank Lt B Pt I-70 Industrial Sub FF & Esmt $162,000,000 FQSR LLC Wells Fargo Bank Lt 101 Pt Hyde Park Planned Commercial Sub Block 1 $162,000,000 FQSR LLC Wells Fargo Bank Lt 1 Ross Dickerson Sub Plat 3 $27,000,000 Crossroads West Shopping Center Ltd. Great Southern Bank Lt 1 Crossroads West Sub Plat 3 $15,500,000 Stadium Plaza Shopping Center LLC Citigroup Global Markets Realty Corp.

Lt 1B K-Mart Subdivision Lot 1 $2,825,605 Hinshaw Family Partnership LP Central Bank of Boone County Lt 19 FF Anthony’s Addition $2,800,000 BJO Inc. US Bank Lt 1 Keene Street Cp Subdivision $2,800,000 707 Keene LLC US Bank Lt 1 Keen Street Cp Subdivision $2,640,000 Brink & Ball Land Co. LLC Bank of Springfield STR 10-48 //NE SUR BK/PG: 605/499 Ac 3 FF Parcel 1

$2,298,400 Sum R Home LLC Hawthorn Bank Lt 1 Orscheln F & H Plat 1 $2,202,875 Columbia South Real Estate LLC Callaway Bank Lt 2C Village of Cherry Hill Plat 3 $1,980,000 Crossgrove, Marcus J. and Rebecca US Bank Lt 52 Townsquare Subdivision Plat 2 $1,800,000 Von Wolff LLC UMB Bank Lt 20 Pt Turners Add Lt 20, 21 $1,800,000 Greek Literary Association Central Bank of Boone County STR 13-48-13 /SE/NW $1,400,000 Prenger Properties LLC Homebank Lt 11 Bl 25 Centralia Old Town $1,200,000 RB 34 LLC Landmark Bank BG 3 Rockbridge Condos 3 and 4 $1,060,000 10th Street Italianate LLC Landmark Bank Lt 5 Pt Beasley Sub FF Wilson’s Second Add $100,000,000 Garrett Farms LLC/Garrett, Kimberly and Paul Exchange Bank of Missouri STR 12-47-12//SE SUR BK/ PG: 964/10 AC 79.07 FF Tract 2

873

Deeds of trust were issued between june 30 and aug. 3 $1,000,000 Bourgeois Family LLC Wood & Huston Bank Str 7-48-14 SE/SE/NE BK/PG: 787/455 AC 0.29 $977,500 Richardson 1607 LLC Central Bank of Boone County Lt 22 Stephens Add Lt7 FF Bowling’s Sub $950,000 Puri, Pallavi and Vivek Callaway Bank Lt 150 Spring Creek Plat 1 $927,000 Columbia United Properties LLC Mid America Mortgage Services Inc. Lt 6 Handley Hills $920,000 Pompie LLC Callaway Bank Lt 2B Colonies Plat 1A $840,000 Judy, Charles W. and Grace J. BBMC Mortgage LLC STR 32-48-11/W/NW SUR BK/PG: 1701/493 AC 20.93 FF Tract 6 $750,269 Aerie Investments LLC Hawthorn Bank STR 10-45-12/W/NE SUB BK/ PG: 3249/156 FF Tract 1 $700,000 Concannon, Kathleen V. and Matthew J. Hawthorn Bank Lt 325 Bluff Creek Estates Plat 2B $692,160 Yaeger, Randall and Clair L. Central Trust Bank Lt 9 Blue Ridge Heights Sub Plat 1 CBT

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New Business Licenses

›› Columbia residents and their upstarts

Jared W. Reynolds, CFP® Carroll Wilkerson, CFP®

ABC Taxi 206 Austin Ave., Suite F Taxi service Amy’s Event Music 101 W. Leslie Lane Professional organist, pianist and accompanist Arm Security 491 S. 1325 West, No. 3-5 Security system dealership

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ATR Heavy Towing & Recovery 1801 Westfall Drive Towing company

78 \\\ September 2015

Como Auto Repair 1910 Heriford Road Auto repair Como Vapor 805 E. Nifong Blvd., Suite C E-cigarette shop Computer Doctor 213 E. Business Loop 70 Electronic repair

B&G Heating, Cooling & Mechanical 1109 Eastland Circle Heating and air-conditioning services

Debra Farnan Therapy Services 4103 Conway Court Therapy services

Beauty Express Floral Boutique 2250 Whitewater Drive Floral boutique

DoDeca Events 2309 Colonial Hills Event planner for comic book conventions and “geekrelated” events

Blauch Energy Consulting 1800 Caledon Court Consulting expertise for oil and gas industry

573.875.3939 • WRWEALTH.COM

Columbia South Real Estate LLC 308 S. Ninth St., Suite 101-M Real estate sales and property management company

Epoch 2507 Black Oak Drive Men’s medical clinic

Boone Landing 109 N. Keene St. Retirement community

Equipmentshare.com 1123 Wilkes Blvd., Suite 100 Equipment rental for contractors

Busy Bee’s Beauty Queening 1901 Blue Ridge Road Beauty store

Extra Merchandising 401 W. Mortimer St. Merchandising services

Celebrity Cheer Co. 3906 Peachtree Drive, Suite C Athletics team and club

Form Massage & Myoskeletal Therapy 1034 E. Walnut St. Massage therapy organization

Georgie Faye’s Designer Shoe Rack 2703 E. Broadway, Suite 139 Outlet shoe store Gofer LLC 2301 Chapel Plaza Court, Suite 2 Food delivery service Insomnia Cookies 308 S. Ninth St., Suite 113 Bakery that delivers and sells cookies until late at night La Di Da Children’s Boutique 2001 Corona Road, Suite 203 Children’s clothing store Learfield Levy Foodservice 1401 Mick Deaver Drive Food for sporting events Mama T’s Cupcakes 3007 Dahlia Drive Bakery Miami Bites 124 E. Nifong Blvd., Suite B Food truck Perfection Cleaning 1532 Bodie Drive Cleaning service Porter, Berendzen & Associates 1005 Cherry St., Suite 112 Architects Providence Suites 1718 N. Providence Road Motel

Radioshack No. 8523 2013 W. Worley St Electronics store Reverse Mortgages. com Inc. 3401 Broadway Business Park Reverse mortgages Riback Supply 2412 E. Business Loop 70 Plumbing and HVAC supply Shelter InsuranceJon Hartman 1400 Forum Blvd., Suite 9 Insurance agent Signal 88 Security 1301 Vandiver Drive, Suite 109 Private security franchising organization Signs By Woody 1802 Vandiver Drive, Suite A Sign manufacturer Starbucks Coffee No. 21470 605 E. Nifong Blvd.

Coffee shop Synergy Sports 4205 I-70 Drive SE Training and coaching sports company Tootsie’s Upscale Resale 310 Tiger Lane, Suite 202 Thrift shop Yacht Club Powersports LLC 5620 E. St. Charles Road Sea-Doo and Can-Am dealer

By the Numbers

›› Boone County statistics

Well below par Some of the course records from golf courses around Columbia A.L. Gustin Golf Course: 60, or -10 L.A. Nickell Golf Course: 62, or -8 Lake of the Woods Golf Course: 64, or -5 Columbia Country Club: 67, or -4 Country Club of Missouri: 62, or -10 The Club at Old Hawthorne: 62, or -10

28-24

,00

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

year hotel tax revenue 300,000

266,559

dollars

222,185

dollars

year

Mizzou Coaching salaries expenses 20 million

Source: The Kansas City Star

10 million

0

15 million

5 million 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

year

196,722

200,000

Active Citizens According to the city, Columbia has:

124,555 100,000

0 September

2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

7,0 92 ,47 5

5,000

0

31, 735

7,500

mizzou record book

0: The number of hits allowed by MU pitcher — and later, men’s basketball coach of 33 years — Norm Stewart in a game against Arkansas on April 13, 1956.

It was Mizzou Baseball’s first no-hitter.

27: Mizzou’s single-season home run record, set by Ryan Fry in 1998.

1,578: Mizzou’s single-season rushing record, set by Devin West in 1998.

159.4: Mizzou’s single-season passer rating record, set by Chase Daniel in 2008.

23.9: Average points per game for Willie Smith, a Mizzou men’s basketball record.

2,580: Mizzou men’s basketball all-time scoring record, set by Derrick Chievous (he averaged 19.9 points per game).

8,6 70 ,42

11,145

60 million

10, 3

11,145

80 million

5 12, 43 1,70 5 83 ,19 1

10,652

operating budget operating expenses

11,9

10,338

Source: The Kansas City Star

37

9,796

2016

,88

dollars

9,451

2005

05

12,500

1995

,13 4

Tourism-related employment

0

100 million

211

2014

1985

13, 6

36

2013

1975

16,

2012

2

Mizzou athletics operating budget and expenses

dollars

2011

year

10,000

The score of the 2015 Girls Basketball State Championship, won by the Rock Bridge Bruins, for their fourth straight state championship.

The score of the 2014 Class 5 State Football Championship, won by the Battle Spartans in their first playoff-eligible season.

2010

4

4

year

49-35

00

,00

0

0

5 4

0

25-22

200 million

6

The score of the 1936 Boys Basketball State Championship, won by the undefeated Hickman Kewpies, featuring senior Sam Walton.

8,0

0 35

4,0

00

,00 00 2,0

32

00 2,0

00 6,0 30

dollars

300 million

32

,00

0

,00

0

400 million

8

2

Prep champs

0

Tourism-related spending

Source: MDESE

09 ,6

Source: Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau

10

14, 4

Tourism Numbers Columbia has a lot of great tourism draws, but few are more powerful than sports.

Take a look at some tourism numbers, with a focus on the Mizzou Football season.

Columbia College, Sports Teams Offered by Year 10 number of teams

Is it possible to keep away from Columbia’s sports scene in September?

We don’t think so, especially if you’re planning to leave the house on a Mizzou game day. CBT looked at some of the numbers on the scoreboard and beyond.

October

November December

month

23

athletic fields

3

Frisbee golf courses

2

bowling alleys

1

roller rink

2

roller hockey facilities

1

skate park

18

soccer fields

27

tennis courts

18

volleyball courts

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 79

7 questions

➜ Mizzou Athletics, 1 Champions Drive, Columbia, MO 65205

›› Get to know your professionals

Take It to the Mat

Coach Brian Smith, University of Missouri Wrestling

2. What is it like to coach a nationally ranked wrestling team in a city like Columbia? It’s a great place to live but a very frustrating place for a fan base. We’ve had five top 10 finishes in the past eight years, we’ve won four straight conference titles and the only NCAA team trophies in any sport (two) since the 1960s, and yet we don’t have the fan base like other wrestling programs at our level. The crowds have definitely improved over the years, but my goal is to see the Hearnes Center filled to watch us compete someday. Hopefully it’s on Dec. 12, when we take on the defending NCAA champs, Ohio State, in the Hearnes.

F UN FACT: 80 \\\ September 2015

3. You’re a three-time MAC Coach of the Year. What does it mean to be a top coach? It means I was smart enough to surround myself with a lot of knowledgeable people all committed to Tiger Style.

You are only as good as the staff and athletes you surround yourself with, and I am very fortunate to have great people to work with.

6. How do you inspire your athletes?

I tell a lot of stories that relate to how we are trying to get them to live, act and compete in everything.

It’s easy to inspire someone if they believe in your purpose, so my job is to sell that purpose and get them to live right to achieve it.

4. What’s in store this coming season for your team following a fourth-place finish at the NCAA National Tournament? I don’t believe in using the verbiage, “We are young” or “We are in a tough league” or “in a rebuilding phase.”

Each year the makeup of my team is different from the last, but the philosophy and work ethic don’t change. If I am doing my job, and everyone else is taking care of their business, we should compete for championships every year.

5. What is the biggest challenge student-athletes face today?

They have it pretty darn good today with the support they get, such as: tutors, mentors, fulltime coaching staffs, nutritionists, trainers, academic advisers, strength coaches, along with sports psychologists and life skills people. They have so much that I feel they don’t deal with adversity as well as kids in the past because everything is easy for them. Probably the other challenge they deal with today is they are constantly in the public eye with social media.

Photo by Sarah Redohl

1. How has the sport of wrestling changed since you were an athlete?

Both good and bad, young wrestlers — like a lot of athletes today — commit to one sport early. This definitely makes for more technically advanced younger wrestlers coming up, but I also feel more injuries occur because of overuse of the body. Nutrition and weight cutting has drastically changed for the better in our sport. Our wrestlers at Mizzou are probably some of the healthiest people on campus when it comes to nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. Having a full-time nutritionist, trainers, strength coaches and the coaching staff all on the same page getting the most out of an athlete’s performance, this didn’t really exist when I competed.

7. What has made Mizzou Wrestling so successful? Mizzou Wrestling is successful because people buy into Tiger Style. Tiger Style is a lifestyle we expect everyone associated with the program to live. It consists of first believing. We need everyone bought into what we are trying to accomplish. Of course, many would look at our program and say our purpose is winning championships, and I would answer yes, but it is more than that. We want the program filled with the most competitive people who want to compete in everything: wrestling, school, community service and life. I want people who strive to achieve in everything they associate with. To do that, we ask them to do “1More” each day.

Give a little extra at something each day, and the compound interest it will add up to as an individual and collectively as a team pays off tremendously. When you believe, compete and give 1More each day, your confidence grows to where you earn the right to win. You expect to win, and that’s what Tiger Style is and why we’re successful on and off the mat. CBT

➜ Smith has worked at the University of Missouri for 18 years. He holds the highest winning percentage in Tiger Style wrestling history.

ADVERTISER INDEX 43Tc......................................................................................................................................4 Accent Press............................................................................................................33 Accounting Plus...................................................................................................83 Anthony Jinson Photography.................................................................29 Baer & Edington LLC............................................................................................49 Budget Blinds..........................................................................................................48 Caledon Virtual.....................................................................................................18 Central Bank of Boone County.................................................................5 City of Columbia Water & Light...................................................................8 Columbia Regional Airport..........................................................................16 D & M Sound.................................................................................................................20 Deck The Walls.......................................................................................................76 Designer Kitchens and Baths.....................................................................49 Equipment Share......................................................................................................6 Foundation Recovery Systems................................................................20 Gravity............................................................................................................................14 Hawthorn Bank.....................................................................................................84 Heart of Missouri United Way....................................................................64 Inside The Lines........................................................................................................ 74 Jazzercise...................................................................................................................68 KFRU...................................................................................................................................62 Landmark Bank...........................................................................................................2 Les Bourgeois.............................................................................................................9

Lincoln University...............................................................................................16 Macadoodles.............................................................................................................7 Magnolia Med Spa.................................................................................................64 MayeCreate Web Design..................................................................................66 Mediacom...................................................................................................................... 12 Mid America Harley-Davidson.......................................................................3 Midwest Computech..........................................................................................33 Missouri Dept. of Conservation...............................................................10 Modern Litho/Brown Printing..................................................................24 Moresource Inc.....................................................................................................70 Naught-Naught Insurance Agency......................................................64 Peckham Architecture.....................................................................................13 Personal Touch Cleaning Service........................................................67 PhoneSmart - 7 Methods................................................................................ 77 Property Protectors.........................................................................................11 Ram Jack of Mid-Missouri................................................................................67 Socket.............................................................................................................................81 State Farm Insurance - Stephanie Wilmsmeyer...........................33 The Bank of Missouri..........................................................................................30 The Village of Bedford Walk..................................................................... 32 University Club....................................................................................................... 72 Wilkerson & Reynolds Wealth Management...............................78 Wilson's Fitness.....................................................................................................34

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 81

flashback

➜ Stankowski Field looking north toward Jesse Hall

›› Columbia, then and now

By Alex Jacobi Photo by Emily Shepherd

Although Stankowski Field is used today for MizzouRec programming, it began as the place for University of Missouri Football in the late 1800s.

In 1891 the space was set aside for Mizzou Athletics, but it wasn’t until 1895 that money was appropriated to complete the football field.

When $1,300 proved to be insufficient, James Sidney Rollins, a local politician and lawyer as well as one of the earliest supporters of MU, stepped in with additional funds and assistance in leveling the field. For this reason, the area was named Rollins Field.

In addition to the field, the area could hold 13,000 spectators and was the site of MU’s first homecoming game in 1911, where 9,000 fans gathered to watch Mizzou play KU (the teams tied 3-3).

In 1926 Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium was completed, and Rollins Field began playing host to intramural sports for MU students. At the time, the area was just natural fields of grass.

Then in 1996, MizzouRec opened Stankowski Field under the architectural direction of Theis Doolittle Associates Inc. of Kansas City. The design for Stankowski Field then was exactly as it looks today, with a one-third-mile track, synthetic turf field and sand volleyball courts. Over time, turf and scoreboards have been improved, but otherwise, it has been used as is for almost 20 years. One significant change on the horizon for Stankowski Field is that the parking lot on the field’s northwest corner will be home to the Trulaske College of Business’s new expansion, the Applied Learning Center.

The center was named after Anton Stankowski, an accomplished Mizzou Football player in the early 1900s who lettered for Missouri in 1915, 1916 and 1919 and was an AllMissouri Valley Conference choice in 1916. He was also captain of the team that won the MVC Championship in 1919.

As a part of MizzouRec, Stankowski Field is maintained through student recreation fees, $141.80 per student per semester, which also includes access to the Mizzou Student Recreation Complex.

Laura Salerno, associate director of sports, competition and facilities for MizzouRec, says creating Stankowski Field allowed the department to grow and has provided 150,000 visitors annually with more recreational opportunities. CBT

➜ We love Columbia business history. If you have any interesting photos and stories, please send them to Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com 82 \\\ September 2015

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