Midlands Business Journal July 30, 2021 Vol. 47 No. 31 issue by Midlands Business Journal

JULY 30, 2021

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VOL. 47 NO. 31

Midwest Eye Care retains patient-centric model in 70th year

THIS WEEK ’S ISSUE:

by Richard D. Brown

Lewis Art Gallery hits 50-year milestone. – Page 2

40 er d Un 40 Military service opens doors for Gipson Beasley’s other ventures. – Page 4

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Engineering teams commit to future-forward investments. – Page 5

With 200 employees, including 17 doctors with a total of 247 years of clinic experience, and completion of 56,403 eye surgical procedures among five Omaha are and Council Bluffs locations, Midwest Eye Care is approaching its 70th year in business with at least one pillar steadfastly adhered to: patient-involved decision-making. “What our founder introduced was a patient-first relationship model that made the patient an equal partner in the care process,” said Managing Shareholder David D. Ingvoldstad, M.D. “We want to get the best outcome for our patients and the patient-centric approach today has now become the norm in health care.” Midwest Eye Care’s founder John “Jack” Filkins, M.D., is retired and will be celebrating his 100th birthday this year. Ingvoldstad, a South Dakota native who joined the physician-owned independent business in 2006, graduated from the Continued on page 27.

Managing Shareholder David D. Ingvoldstad M.D. marks milestone year with adaptability in growth. (Photo by Roger Humphries)

BKD builds on 35 years in region with consultative service offerings by Michelle Leach

Building upon its 35-year presence in Omaha and its diverse range of services, BKD has been retaining high single-digit, year-on-year growth rates in traditional audit and tax services, while securing gains in areas and products such as cybersecurity, its new LeaseVision product, and consultative, pandemic relief-oriented work. “BKD as a whole strives to

always stay up-to-date on the ever-changing financial landscape,” said Partner Michael McDevitt, CPA. “This aspect of our service went into overdrive during the pandemic. We embraced the challenges of staying on top of important tax and accounting information and constantly changing stimulus packages and other items wholeheartedly.” Founded in 1923, the CPA and Continued on page 27. President John M. Jachym sees opportunities to expand reach of engineering services. (Photo courtesy of CommTech Global)

CommTech Global sees swift growth within engineering consulting niche by Gabby Hellbusch

Partner Michael McDevitt is bolstering team to meet demand from mid-market businesses. (Photo by Roger Humphries)

In just four years time, Elkhorn-based engineering consulting company CommTech Global has grown to become an operation with 44 employees spanning five locations, serving clients across the country. President John M. Jachym attributed the rapid growth to bringing on key members of core staff and cultivating a positive work culture among team members. The company, which mainly

serves the midstream natural gas sector, was founded in 2017 by Jachym and business partner James Craft, who now serves as vice president. Today, services include control engineering, design and drafting, commissioning and startup, panel assembly, regulatory document control services and field inspection. It was a passion for the energy sector that drove Jachym, who previously worked at large Continued on page 26.

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Lewis Art Gallery hits 50-year milestone by Brooke Strickland

If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind piece of art, you’ll likely find it at Lewis Art Gallery. The retail business is the oldest and largest art gallery in the area and is marking 50 years of business this year. There is art in every style and price and inventory includes work

Lewis Art Gallery Phone: 402-391-7733 Address: 8600 Cass Street, Omaha 68114 Service: retail art gallery, custom framing, accessories and decor Founded: 1971 Industry outlook: The market continues to involve, and Lewis Art Gallery will continue to work to reach segments of the population that may not appreciate the beauty of art in their home or workplace. Goal: Help clients realize their vision for a space. Website: www.lewisartgallery.com

by local, national, and international artists. The gallery also stocks over 400 lamps, small tables, decorative accessories, and unique gift items, and offers creative assistance with custom framing. Joe and Julie Wynn own and operate the company, and Joe Wynn runs the sister business Personal Threads Boutique, a knitting, crochet, and needlepoint shop in the same building. Lewis Art Gallery first opened in 1971 by

Carolyn Lewis, Julie Wynn’s mother. Upon opening, designers, corporate customers and individual homeowners began to frequent the business every week to see what new things could be discovered. To this day, customers still remark about how unique the gallery was during that time and what a treat it was to explore. When Julie Wynn decided to officially join the business, she and her mother began working together and found ways to grow the business even more. One of their first goals was to focus on cultivating strong relationships with artists. Lewis Art Gallery has continued to grow steadily over the years and today, it currently employs 12-13 employees, many of them having stayed with the company for 10 to 15 years, or longer. “Customers can and do expect to see the same staff year after year, who know how to listen and communicate with them,” said said Joe Wynn, vice president and corporate partner of Lewis Art Gallery. “Satisfied clients refer us to their friends and family. We have served three generations in some families.” When asked what makes the gallery stand apart, he said that the diversity of its merchandise is what makes it distinctive. “Most galleries, because of limited selection, only offer one or two styles of art favored by the gallery owner,” he said. “Our art inventory is very eclectic and appeals to a wider segment of customers. Our standalone

Business Minute

Owners Joe and Julie Wynn have reached 50 years of the art gallery thanks to a wide variety of art styles. (Photo by Monica Sempek) building, which we built, has an impressive business. The Wynns collaborate and always design, and when you enter, the explosion of work on contingent plans for ‘what if’ and talk color and obvious activity of getting things about handling inflation or how they would ready for clients is unique.” handle business during a recession. One of As with any business that has been in their mottos is ‘prepare for the best and plan operation for multiple decades, there are for the worst.’ many different ups and downs that are out Even when the pandemic threatened to of the control of the owners. Joe Wynn said present a new set of unique business problems, that the company has continued to maintain the gallery and boutique never shut its doors. a trajectory of growth and has only had small It adapted to put protective measures into setbacks in less than five of its 50 years of action but continued to commit to the service of its clients. Looking toward the future, Lewis Art Gallery doesn’t have any plans to go anywhere. Paid Content The couple looks forward to serving more and more customers as time goes on. “Our goal is to help clients achieve their vision instead of just making a sale. It’s our driving principle that’s worked for 50 years,” Joe Wynn said.

Tara E. Holterhaus Associate Attorney, Goosmann Law Firm, PLC

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ADMINISTRATION

Associations/Titles: Licensed to practice law in Iowa and Nebraska; member of the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC); member of the Nebraska Bar Association’s Women Section and Federal Law Section. Hometown: Urbandale, Iowa Education: Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Juris Doctorate, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska How I got into the business: Growing up I always dreamed of being an attorney. I am the first attorney in my family and made going to law school a goal from a very young age. Accomplishments or milestones: I obtained my undergraduate degree at age 20. I’m most proud of my work ethic and what that has allowed me to accomplish. First job: I got my first job at Hy-Vee on my 14th birthday. The only thing they allowed me to do at that age was sack groceries and return carts. The toughest part of the job: Managing client expectations and letting clients

know when the law is not on their side. The best advice I have received: People may not remember what you did or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel. About my family: I grew up in Urbandale, Iowa with my mom, dad and sister and now live in Omaha, Nebraska with my dog. Something else I’d like to accomplish: Run a marathon. How my business will change in the next decade: I’m hoping to continue growing a complex commercial litigation practice in Nebraska and Iowa.

Mentor who has helped the most in my career: Elizabeth Lally – she is a great attorney who has taught me so much in such a short period of time. I’m excited to continue learning from her. Outside interests: Biking, reading, traveling, watching football and playing with my Shih-Tzu / Scottish Terrier mix, Duke. Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere tropical! I love Cabo, Mexico. Other careers I would like to try: Real estate agent – anything with a hustle. Favorite cause or charity: Girls, Inc. Favorite app: Instagram.

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Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Valyn Gipson Beasley is diving into the personnel company she owns and she exits military life. (Photo by Monica Sempek)

Military service opens doors for Gipson Beasley’s other ventures “My team members were the experts in IT, by Dwain Hebda Valyn Gipson Beasley recalls always I wasn’t, so starting out I needed them more having ambitious dreams for herself and than they needed me, honestly. I ended up her career. Coming out of high school, she learning a lot about the IT world and I got decided the U.S. Air Force was the ideal much better at building relationships and setting to help her develop the tools to understanding my people.” Gipson Beasley has also been instruactually achieve them. Now, at the end of more than five years mental in the wider community, both of military service, she’s eager to devote on-base and off. She was the president of those skills full time to her personnel Make Offutt Better and nominated by base company Guided Professionals Staffing leadership to serve as a board and founding member of Bellevue Offutt Rising Network. Professionals. “I started [the company] a “Our sole goal in Make Offutt couple years ago. It was a very Better was to create fun activities part-time thing but I was always for people around the base,” she like, ‘Oh man, this is what I want said. “We understand we all have to get back into,’” she said. “I’ve to go to work every day, but we had a passion for HR and being also knew how important it was able to guide people and develop for that work-life balance. So, we them as they go through their wanted to create an opportunity to career search for quite some time. 2020 come and play.” I’m just happy to be able to do that Among her other activities outside the full-time now.” Learning to lead others to perform to USAF are as a member of National Coatheir utmost is an apt synopsis of her time in lition of 100 Black Women where she is the service, as well as one of the things she the education committee chair, working to said was most applicable as she transitions create learning opportunities for girls and women. She’s served Creighton Univerfrom military to civilian life. “I had leadership experience before I sity’s Youth Leadership Omaha program, joined, but when I joined, I immediately organized a Black Lives Matter rally in was able to get executive level leadership,” 2016 and was selected to lead the entrepreshe said. “I had never interacted with high- neurship and leadership summer program er-level leadership directly but in the Air at Metropolitan Community College where Force, that became a part of my everyday she’s a teacher. “It’s important to me that I am part of life. I was able to learn how to interact with senior leadership in a more informed way.” the community in some way,” she said. “To Gipson Beasley’s superiors saw her po- me that’s not just by working. I can’t do for tential, and put her on a track that carried a my community by just waking up and going lot of responsibility. She primarily served in to my 9 to 5.” Gipson Beasley has a bachelor’s and a the base hospital where she managed access and appointments for more than 22,000 master’s degree in business administration from Creighton University. She’s also repatients as well as a $32 million budget. “When I came to the hospital, I didn’t ceived a second master’s degree in counknow anything about computers or IT, but seling higher education from University of it was my job to manage the projects and Nebraska at Omaha and is currently in the make sure everything on the IT side was process of earning a Ph.D. in organizational being done in a timely manner,” she said. leadership from Concordia University.

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Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

ENGINEERING

ction prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

July 30, 2021

Engineering teams commit to future-forward investments by Michelle Leach

Engineers are investing in technology and people to keep up with the demand that is presented by the evolving community needs that accompany a growing population. Sarpy Engineer Dennis Wilson, for one, noted that the county is the fastest-growing in the state and is especially “primed for additional residential growth.” “The demand we are experiencing from all of the new developments creates an immediate need for a viable and efficient transportation network,” he said. Enter the CONNECTSarpy–West Sarpy projects, which Wilson noted rolls seven separate projects into a single, multiphased project. “We’re able to provide a complete network of arterial streets that serves the entire area,” he said. Much of the planning work is done, with Wilson saying that its construction partners completed around 1.5 miles of roadway last year — not limited to Giles at 192nd to 204th streets. Grading is also a focus for Meridian Street, which is a new road that will connect 180th to 192nd streets. Other priority areas span construction work on Giles (180th Street North to Scary Acres), 180th Street (Giles to Palisades Drive), and Cornhusker (181st to 188th). “In addition to the areas above, our team is focusing on design plans for several major structures, including bridges and overpasses, on 180th Street, Giles Road and 192nd Street,” Wilson said. He encourages visiting CONNECTSarpy.com, which provides updates on progress, upcoming closures and detours. “The site includes a complete timeline, interactive maps, live cameras and video renderings of the completed project,” he said. Snyder and Associates’ Michael G. Geier also put a spotlight on infrastructure, specifically those improvements that the business unit leader said characterized the majority of the firm’s work at present — a workload described as “relatively high” and “consistently growing.” “The demand for professional engineering services is fairly cyclical, but I would say the curve is on a steady climb,” he said. Improvements include those to streets,

From left, Snyder & Associates Business Unit Leader Mike Geier, Brandon Garrett, director of the community development department for the city of Council Bluffs, Snyder & Associates Project Engineering Elizabeth Hunter and Jack Marshall, construction observation with Snyder & Associates. (Photo by Roger Humphries) highways, sewer, water and recreational reconstruction projects. trails. He noted they include both new and “We are also experiencing an uptick

in site development for commercial and industrial projects,” Geier added. “We’ve continued to complete a significant amount of work in renewable energy development including wind and solar energy throughout the Midwest.” Geier also indicated that the firm is closely watching for the final version of the federal infrastructure bill. “Obviously in our line of work, this could be a major shot in the arm to get much needed and overdue projects moving forward,” he said. “We look forward to working with our clients to find ways to get the most bang for their buck as these funds become available.” As it prepares, the firm has made a number of resource available online to help clients with planning and budgeting, and capitalizing on those funding resources that currently exist. No doubt, its approach and efforts to secure efficiencies in how it partners and tackles projects will come in handy. Geier said that, with each project, they ask if expertise and personnel are available to successfully accomplish the project’s goals. “We are constantly developing or adding staff with a variety of experience as well as looking for teaming partners that Continued on next page.

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal • Engineering

Dan Thiele, chairman of Thiele Geotech. (Photo by Roger Humphries)

Project trends across the industry

the future or include them as part of an iniby Gabby Hellbusch The engineering profession is seeing tial new building project,” Morrissey said. trends throughout the industry that are “Carbon reduction suggests a move towards all electric buildings. As we become impacting recent projects. more dependent on electric George Morrissey, principal utilities, engineers will be called at Morrissey Engineering, said upon to design mechanical and one trend with sustainability electrical systems that provide projects is a focus on embodied the lowest electric rate possible. carbon and carbon emissions This will be accomplished by versus strictly looking at energy the application of alternative enefficiency. ergy products, limiting electrical “Reducing embodied carbon demand during times of extreme in buildings requires designers temperature.” to review materials used in the Dr. Chance Lauderdale, building process and add emdrinking water director at HDR, bodied carbon to their product Morrissey said resiliency is a common analysis,” Morrissey said. In addition to the desired reduction of thread through many of today’s biggest embodied carbon, Morrissey said electric drinking water projects. “This broad driver embodies the need vehicles will continue to impact electrical for drinking water utilities to meet chalinfrastructure and buildings. “Designers who recognize this trend lenges associated with aging infrastrucwill provide the ability for building owners ture, climate change, shifting demographic Continued on page 8. to cost-effectively add charging stations in

Engineering teams commit to future-forward investments Continued from preceding page. may be able to fill some unique or specialty project requirement,” he said. “As multidisciplinary civil engineering, planning, and design firm we strive to provide as many services as possible ‘under our roof’ to our clients.” This allows for more responsiveness to clients’ needs. Additionally, he highlighted investments in people and technology, with the former represented by the implementation of flex work structures (variable hours, remote work policies) to attract and retain talent. “Our firm has a dedicated IT group that keeps us on the forefront of technological issues,” he said. “This was really tested with the onset and continuation of the pandemic and resulting upheaval in how and where we do our work. We are quite pleased that we were able to quickly adapt and shift to the ever-changing landscape that this presented.” Felsburg Holt & Ullevig has invested in an entire team designed to navigate how the transportation engineering industry is being transformed (and will be transformed) by new technology: advanced mobility. “In the last year, FHU recognized that one of the biggest challenges that our cli-

ents are facing is how to incorporate what’s new,” said Advanced Mobility Director Amy Ford. “That might sound easy, but transportation has been changing rapidly, with the advent of different technologists and private mobility providers are reshaping how we move — from dropping scooters onto city streets, to ride-hailing like Lyft and Uber, to how to plan for traffic signals that can talk to cars, or vehicles that even drive themselves.” More to one of those examples, flying cars, Ford indicated clients might be worried about them but aren’t sure how and when they will arrive. As the firm reports, the director brings national knowledge to the table to help “cherry pick” practical ways that communities in Nebraska can leverage and prepare for change. She spoke to the design of traffic signal technology and communication upgrades for the city of Omaha, as well as curb management to prepare for electric vehicles. More information can be found on the FHU website under its “Our Blog” content. The “Getting Personal With FHU and Advanced Mobility” post was developed to provide further details into these issues and firm capabilities.

Engineering • Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

Accelerated use of new tech to shape, transform engineering field by Dwain Hebda

Midlands engineers say firms that best weathered the challenges of COVID-19 did so thanks largely to technology trends prior to the pandemic being accelerated and new tools emerging. “Web conferencing was definitely a trend in the industry prior to 2020 with the ability to screen share for drawing review sessions and other purposes,” said Pat Kelly, principal with Alvine and Associates. “Electronic exchange of building models via cloud services was also growing in popularity. These technological tools resulted in better-coordinated design documents, reducing cost and scheduling issues.” Kelly said technologically forward firms were better positioned to take on pandemic-related challenges. “The 2018 design of our headquarters provided a significant number of individual collaboration spaces throughout the building. This design configuration provided ample opportunity for employees to work away from their desks, increasing social distancing among co-workers,” he said. “We also scaled our existing desktop virtualization platform and leveraged our WiredScore certified office internet connectivity to better accommodate remote working.” James Franks, associate and engineering leader with DLR Group, said technology opened new doors in terms of how work could be accomplished, regardless of location. “The biggest takeaway I have noticed so far is the recognition that working remotely can and has worked in our industry,” he said. “There was a bit of a stigma before COVID, but that stigma

seems to be lightening. Reliance on virtual communication tools, like Teams and Zoom, seems to remain even as we are transitioning back to the office.

Kelly Franks “We had recently moved all project files from internal servers to the cloud, which was key to transferring an entire company to a workfrom-home model. As a result, I’ve noticed communication between offices in different locations is becoming smoother.” Franks also pointed out the continued refinement of building information modeling as an important step forward. “One of the biggest pushes internally has been creating standards and best practices around BIM software, like Revit,” he said. “The more we can streamline production in our BIM software, the quicker and more accurate we can be in our deliverables to contractors and owners standardized across all disciplines, offices and sectors.” With all of these advancements, however, there are still limits, said Michael Hromanik, mechanical engineer with Prochaska & Associates.

“Be wary of claims of ‘emerging technologies,’” he said. “Engineering provides an understanding of the absolutes and limitations that exist in this world. The laws of physics and thermodynamics don’t change. “When the general public and local government buy into hype about something, money is spent where it could have been utilized far more effectively elsewhere. As engineers, a major responsibility we shoulder is to be the Hromanik reality check on proposals that the public believes will be some

type of game-changer.” Still, industry officials agree technology has become a required skill set for new people coming into the field. “For someone coming straight out of school, emerging technology is something that they do have to learn,” said Brandon Gardels, an engineer with Nebraska Public Power District in Kearney and president of Nebraska ASCE. “They’re probably exposed to it to some degree in school, but there is some catch-up to be done there. They get exposed to that a little more in internships and then in the workplace, companies usually offer training. “On the (ASCE) society level, they’re offering a lot more refined and specific topics and they pull in the industry experts to address those topics. They’re providing a lot of education on that stance.”

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• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal • Engineering

Project trends across the industry

Continued from page 6. Because of this, Hromanik said office and social needs and a rapidly changing construction and expansion will be rethought, regulatory horizon,” Lauderdale said. “Ag- as will future transportation infrastructure. ing infrastructure and the associated risks of “There will be regions that are essentially service failure are putting ever-increasing at ‘peak road,’ and their existing systems will pressures on our clients and elevating the never see their designed usage,” Hromanik importance of asset management. Climate said. change impacts are further degrading the Right now, Dan Thiele, chairman/CEO quality and availability of our of Thiele Geotech, said the design already limited traditional water and construction climate is strong supplies, leading many utilities in the region. to expand their portfolio through “Shortages of labor and select alternative means, such as dematerials are impacting schedules salination, potable reuse, aquifer and prices overall are affected by storage and recovery (ASR) and the robust environment,” Thiele impaired groundwaters.” said. “Infrastructure work remains With vast infrastructure needs, very busy, including city CSO pending new regulations and and paving projects as well as increased public and political the Offutt runway project. Land interest, Lauderdale said the development projects to support Lauderdale drinking water industry faces a residential construction are also dynamic future that will require significant continuing. Commercial markets are mixed, investment. with some bright spots including large data Michael Hromanik, mechanical engi- centers but other segments still lagging.” neer for Prochaska & Associates, said the Thiele said distribution center construcmovement and interaction of people has tion is also strong and recovery projects from dramatically decreased due to COVID-19. the 2019 floods continue to be active. “There hasn’t been a ‘rush hour’ of traffic “Continued construction demand will on I-680 in 15 months,” Hromanik said. “Sit keep the labor market tight for the foreseedown restaurants continue to shut down, able future,” Thiele said. “As a result, buildwhile restaurants with drive-thrus have ing materials and construction methods will record sales. Myself and millions of others continue to trend toward labor efficient techwere hurriedly set up to work remotely from nologies, including component assemblies home, with all discussions and meetings prefabricated off-site. Similarly, we expect becoming virtual. And for many, working to see increased use of recycled materials, remotely is now the ‘new normal’ and the partly in response to current supply shortagfive-day a week commute to the office isn’t es. Inflation in residential construction will coming back.” continue to boost multi-family projects.”

Engineering • Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

Supply chain issues still plague infrastructure project timelines by David Kubicek

Supply chain problems and shortage of construction workers have led to slower progress on infrastructure projects. “There’s a lot of construction going on,” said Douglas Kellner, a principal in TD2. “Some of [the slowdown] is due to the difficulty of getting materials and availability of workers, but also there’s so much work going on that it’s using up a lot of capacity. We have to prioritize projects, moving some to the front and waiting on others.” The hottest areas for infrastructure work are in southwest Omaha and the Gretna-Papillion areas, northwest by Elkhorn is growing fast for residential, and the Highway 50 corridor south toward Springfield is strong for industrial. The outlook for infrastructure projects is grim. “I haven’t seen improvement with the supply chain,” Kellner said. “I suspect maybe the improvement would be if things slowed down, and people decided to wait a certain amount of time for their projects to go. We haven’t really seen that trend either. From talking to contractors I don’t see the ability to increase their capacities in the short term right now because of lack of workers to handle the work for them. There’s always the fear of getting too big.” During the pandemic traffic volumes along highways dropped as people began working from home, according to Scott Marion, president of infrastructure at

Lindsay Corp., which manufactures roadside products that help reduce severity of accidents. “We had an opportunity to see road construction occur,” he said. “You don’t

Kellner Marion have the traffic volume, and the workers are working in a safer environment.” The pandemic created some challenges globally because the firm was not able to interact with its customers and help them work through some complex projects. “I think Nebraska has done very well from a transportation standpoint,” Marion said. “We’ve been pleased with what we’ve seen in the state, both from our contribution for safer roadways but more broadly what Governor Ricketts has been able to accomplish through his administration.” Although restrictions are loosening, problems with the supply chain continue. “What happened in COVID is that you had many industries pull back,” Marion said. “In a normal recession, [production]

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goes down and then gradually goes back up. This was a relatively quick rebound. I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that said the end of the recession was in March. A lot of input providers took down production, then demand jumped, and they haven’t ramped up production.” The increasing number of electric vehicles (EV) on the street impacts infrastructure planning, according to Kirk Estee, customer alEstee ternative solutions manager for the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD). “We’ve been looking at several information sources to [determine] what kind of growth we can expect, where that growth will occur, and try to plan the infrastructure

accordingly,” he said. OPPD gave rebates for 370 electric vehicle charges in exchange for information from those chargers — when the vehicles are charging, how much energy it takes to charge them, and where each charger is located. “All of that information comes back to our distribution planning group so they can see what it takes to support 370 electric vehicles when those electrons flow through the grid,” Estee said. Price and range are limiting the rapid increase of EVs on the road. EVs tend to be more expensive than combustion engine vehicles, and the really good EVs today have about 300 miles of range. “Lots of people are waiting for that next phase of EVs, which are supposed to have about the 500-mile range barrier limits,” Estee said. “When it gets to that, the EVs will be on par with the gas-powered cars. With 500 miles you’re surpassing the range of a lot of gas-powered cars.”

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal • Engineering

Engineering job market is promising for high demand positions by Brooke Strickland

While the pandemic slowed things down and negatively impacted the job market for many industries, it has not completely prevented companies from hiring — especially in the engineering field. Whether it is planning the design of a highway, bridge, new building, or something else, engineers are in high demand right now both locally and nationally and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. “The jobs that are available are high wage, high demand jobs,” said Yuliya Vishnevskaya, Metropolitan Community College civil engineering instructor. “Jobs out there right now include civil engineering technologists and techs, architectural and civil drafters, surveyors, construction and building inspectors, civil designers, geographic techs, and city planners. A slow return to normalcy requires the skills of civil engineers and we are headed in the right direction.” Filling those many positions is another story. “While I cannot speak for all of the different types of engineering jobs out there, positions in building design and construction continue to

remain strong,” said Michael Wallace, president and CEO of Farris Engineering. “Many positions are going unfilled, and there doesn’t seem to be enough graduates to fill all of the positions.”

Vishnevskaya Wallace Dr. Lance C. Pérez, dean of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering, explained that recent data provided by the Nebraska Department of Labor shows that jobs in the engineering field are expected to grow by double digits — especially those in computing and software engineering. Civil and mechanical engineers are in great demand too, because of

large investments being made in infrastructure. “The job market remains very strong for the graduates of all of the engineering, construction and computing degree programs we offer,” he said. “To the best of my knowledge, the pandemic has not had a significant negative impact on the employment outlook for our graduates. After experiencing a brief slowdown at the beginning of the pandemic, most of the engineering and construction sectors Pérez have recovered and are experiencing growth.” Tips for the job search There are many different engineering firms right now are on the hunt for engineers that are passionate about their field and are ready to launch their career. Here are some things to keep in mind as you look for an engineering job that matches your training and skills.

Continue to learn Finding a mentor and continuing to learn is important. Dr. Pérez recommended, “Engineering professions evolve rapidly, and graduates will change jobs several times during their careers. It is important that engineering graduates continue to invest in themselves and continue to develop their technical and non-technical skills.” Do your research Before you set out to find a job, spend some time researching what is out there and determine how that aligns with your training. “Do your research, find those high demand positions, see what’s out there, and find engineering companies on social media,” said Vishnevskaya. “Many companies post internship openings on career websites as well. You can also check company websites for relevant opportunities. Also, keep your skills updated and become a lifelong learner.” Be flexible One of the great things about an engineering degree is the flexibility it gives you to pursue engineering roles in different fields. “Be flexible about what you want to do,” Wallace said. “There are always positions available; they may just not be in a field that you think you want to go into. An engineering degree is valuable, so be sure to leverage that asset when looking for positions. Even positions that do not seem to be a fit may be open to someone with an engineering degree who is willing to learn.” Looking toward the future, things look bright for the world of engineering. “I believe the job market will continue to be good for graduates for the next several years as new developments emerge, and we populate the workforce of tomorrow,” Wallace said.

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Midlands Business Journal

• NOVEMBER 24, 2017

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November 24, 2017

5055 Building at Bryan Health’s East Campus (Courtesy of Davis Design)

Unique Midlands by Michelle Leach

Boys Town Clinic (Courtesy of Calvin L. Hinz Architects)

features, robust economy

Sandhills Publishing Cyber Center Rendering (Courtesy of Sinclair Hille)

result in multi-sector

Mixed use building rendering (Courtesy of Studio 951)

Private giving and an economy that any one industry isn’t may be Midlands stays,” but the level “mainDundee harkening and the sheer need of cross-sector activity back to communities for talent to meet in communities that demand withfor services are newer-emerging sprung up on streetcar phenomenon or bus lines. for area firms. He also speaks to “The architecture, engineering and lifestyle and the built a “balance in terms of construction industry the movement from environment”; consider Greater Omaha region is very strong in the and now “hybrids,” cubicles to open spaces at the moment,” said conference rooms which combine smaller BCDM Principal and areas where and employees can still have Director John Sullithat sense of community van, who also isolated but also privacy Sarpy County’s highas needed. growth. “We’re moving Further, Sullivan to that direction, notes strength “nearnot because it’s the trend ly across the board” but because it’s — from office the and right thing,” he said. institutional to private The architecture sectors such as reliand engineering Palandri gious projects which, side of the construction he said, is “unusual” and “won’t last forever.” industry was described “The economic development as “robust,” into and growth of the metro-area Smith the has been steady and Design Senior Associatefinal quarter by Davis and the diversification strong, and Senior Architect of the area economy Greg Smith. — both of those factors add up to John things happening “Several projects good by Sullivan: “One Sullivan, principal and director in the metro, and designed recently at BCDM Architects. of still in hopes of breaking that’s not necessarily true are about Omaha is therethe things that’s unique across the state, ground this fall environments, and many of the large especially if you’re in an ag a shift in what people and private support is strong philanthropic Downtown Lincoln and area and go into central expect.” for key projects.” ects are gaining inertia,” projwestern Nebraska or AO’s Managing … and some of the he said. “The Palandri speaks to remodel market Principal Randall modities-driven areas,” comPalandri has seen is also strong and interior nials and a lifestyle trying to attract millenthe uptick in growth J. this will keep contractors busy He also referenced he said. shift, whereby the became noticeable that during winter months.” urban centers are the many pockets more around two years Many large-scale growth, from newer in demand from a of main steady in more ago areas such as Blackstone housing perspective and recent months, which reTelegraph District’s projects, such as the to Aksarben Village, offices attributes particularly he at the stage where generation are in-demand that speak to this School/YMCA, Hudl,Marilyn Moore Middle to sion of that development extenfrom a workplace “There is a lot more infill-type projects. and Nelnet, have come perspective. He also to form; however, emphasis on redevelof the projects featured is occurring. Some speaks, not necessarily opment,” he said. Smith said there to “vintage” or here in this section “What really drove still remains work in the reflect another prominent “traditional” construction there was a pent-up it was, build-outs. He referenced materials but to, perhaps, trend mentioned demand for market-rate work at Bryan Health’s apartments and more “traditional” East Campus, the neighborhood- and in more walkable-type new LES Operations of Center, and projects with areas such as community-building, Eustis Autobody for Benson, Blackstone at 98th Street and and Highway Continued on next page.

opportunities

Architecture — inside NOVEMBER 24, 2017

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

Technology upgrades

THIS WEEK 'S I SSUE:

by Richard D. Brown

keep Interstate Printing

$2.00

VOL. 43 NO. 47

competitive

Interstate Printing ha-based firm founded Co., an Omaby a German immigrant with Business & Industrial a special interest in publishing ethnic Parks/Leasing newspapers, has used its family-ownership as an anchor, placed strong equipment upgrades, emphasis on and maintained a comprehensive list has enabled it to growof services that with the needs of its commercial Business & Industrial printing clients, which are located Park/Leasing throughout much of the country. — inside “For our 100 years OCTOBER 20, we have main2017 tained a low-key approach, which has enabled us to attract business clients THIS WEEK 'S I SSUE: with jobs that we can do a good job on,” said William F. Peter, a third generation family member who became president five years ago. “With each job we want to be able to say, ‘This came from us’ and that both our client and will be pleased with their customers 40 the results,” he er continued. Und 40 Peter, who formerly practiced law full-time before uncle Eugene Peter succeeding his who retired from Locally owned Aksarben the business at age 88 five years ago, serves large demographicCinema From left, Senior Continued on page with amenities. 8. reached its centennialVP of Sales Jim Mancuso and President William – Page 2 year with investments Peter … The printing in new tech. company has (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville) 28

er Und

•

OCTOBER 20, 2017

•

Midlands Business Journal

October 20, 2017

No slowdown in demand by Michelle Leach

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

as availability presents

ongoing challenges

More buildings may economy with upside be coming out of the potential.” ground, but demand NAI NP Dodge also being constructed remains brisk. “Demand for commercial at described the leasing Associate Kyle Pelster Opportunities are Highway Crossing.” Edney indicated real estate market as “very tight.” loans is very strong,” this is driving projects, “At any give and landlords leasing available for tenants said Stephanie Moline, such as the aforementioned executive vice president to them. time, there are aroundn R&R. These challenges ing with First National of Enterprise Lendaren’t limited to Class 100 properties, give Bank. “Commercial A; Edney recalled or and industrial loan how the Kellogg take, listed/available demand is growing, building at 10203 Crown at a much slower but Point Ave. near in the Omaha/Council pace.” Fort Blair High Road She said some of had “multiple offers and Bluffs market,” couple of weeks.” in a he in late 2016 is being the capital investment said. “Having absorbed. said “There isn’t much “It would appear that, finding the of that type of product out there, either,” coris lagging the capital the anticipated revenue he said. rect square footage, expenditures,” Moline He also spoke to said. location, rental rates tures, such as greater demand for certain feaGrowth of C&I clear heights and and building layout dock doors — driven larger about the same as loans, she said, remains can be very difficult.” by requirements a year companies such as “Agribusiness loans ago. as He r e f e r r e d t are up year over year and using third-partyAmazon are growing and commercial Moline more construction o providers. real estate is up Edney in the last year — “We’re also seeing year over year,” she said. Pelster more owner/user a lot of interest “We are finally seeing from investors that buildings but some with Generally, businesses are looking to invest buildings as well. an increase in new spec spec industrial space in industrial properties,” are optimistic about potential tax on the market “The new Facebook he said. “A reform. after a slowdown of that interest is project will add “This would cause in new spec projects again coming from outside lot new infrastructure past,” he said. “The some monies to in the the Midwest.” of along the Highway repatriated and improving be increases in term corridor,” Pelster length, rental rates and operating working capital said. “This will break 50 Edney referred to and money that can for new projects expenses continue cap rates and be used for acquisitions to steadily rise. ROI as lower on and industrial parks way or additional investment the coasts, making one’s area.” in that in equipment and/ Omaha attractive as a secondary “The rest of the market or people,” she said. seems to be catchHe said Thrasher or tertiary market ing up with the rental to Chicago, New and Freightliner more entrants into “There continues to be rates we are seeing York or Denver. created large new have of the new construction out buildings for themselves, Regarding “behind-the-scenes” from loan productionthe local market; both projects.” leaving vacancies offices indusOMNE Partners in their previous locations. Moline is encouraged and FinTechs.” EVP Matt Edney Continued on page “Brook Valley continues Class A industrial said by new market 30. entrants as: “People to be the leader availability remains in new industrial believe this is a vibrant hard to find.” “really construction projects,” Pelster said. “The “And that type R&R Commerce of product is moving Park is pretty quick,” he said.

Green Arrow Junk Co. aims to reduce household, landfill clutter. – Page 2

Persistence paves way for for Contemporary Art’s The Union community impact. – Page 3

in men s Wo ines Bus

Women’s representation in leadership: Ripples adding up to a sea change? – Page 4

in Omaha

Archrival updates 10-year-old Haymarket space, establishes Los Angeles presence by Michelle Leach

Archrival’s renovated space as one space,” said Clint! RunLincoln headquarters at 720 ge, founder and O St. speaks to managing creative the unique mix of director. “We wanted a mature firm — 20 our space to years old and counting be a little further along the business — and energetic startup spirit chain … and at one that has resulted point that was in campaigns with an ‘aspirational’ Redbull, Adidas, space, it became Motorola, and expansion us and we outgrew with sister offices and teams mature of a business it. It’s more in than the space gon, and Los Angeles.Portland, Orefelt like.” “We’ve been here The Haymarket for over 10 space breathes years, and wanted Archrival’s niche to rethink the entire in youth cultureContinued on page 10.

loye Emp efits Ben Harness technology to overcome capacity constraints, attract business year-round – Page 6

President Nick upon 30-plus years Cusick … Equipment manufacturer builds soccer; tennis courtof innovation with safety features in volleyball, renovations to accommodate sports like pickleball. rising interest in

Bison makes gains Nebraskan Michael Forsberg focuses as new gyms built lens on Great Plains amid popularity of conservation. sports like pickleball – Page 34 by Michelle Leach

Founder/Managing Creative Director Communications Clint! Runge Amy with focus on youth Filipi … Brand communications with Head of culture. firm flourishes

Depending on where pared to that,” said President Nick across Bison’s divisions one looks Cusick, who indicated and prodits focus uct lines, the Lincoln-based was on other areas. “Even manufacturer’s growth a lot of direct marketing without is up at least 5 to emphasis, 10 percent to 30 percent our site furnishing business, BRP, following or amid dealer base was up 5 to 10 percent.” and ownership transitions, and Falling under custom a business unit indusredesign. trial job shop manufacturer IM“Bison overall, its SCORP’s holding own product company umline, had an incredible brella, wholly-owned year prior subsidiary and this last year Bison is joined was flat comby SNA Sports Continued on page 10.

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

Lamp Rynearson by Richard D. Brown

Drone and innovative scanning technology is giving Lamp Rynearson, Omaha-based civil engineering, a 58-year-old landscape architecture, construction and surveying firm, administration a competitive advantage as it completes a wide range of private and public sector projects. Nancy Pridal, a professional engineer and 20-year son employee who Lamp Rynearto president of the was promoted firm in August, stresses that leading with the use of the latest technology the employee-owned has enabled increase its revenues company to by more than 100 percent over the while the employee past 10 years count has increased by 45 percent. “With the investment we’ve made, we want to be viable in the future with the technology provided,” Pridal said. “For example, we can scan a mound and get the typographic data and in scanning stockpiles we can get quantities.” The purchase of a second drone Continued on page 12.

competes with innovativ $2.00

VOL. 43 NO. 42

e technology

President Nancy

Pridal … Leveraging

La Casa Pizzaria dishes out more options to customers from online orders to food by Michelle Leach truck

tech investments

for variety of projects. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)

La Casa Pizzaria Jesse. “Being a family restaurant, is evolving with offerings on our staff lives for wheels — its food interaction.” truck — and via She indicated there technologies such is a balas online ordering, ancing act for the focused on customerwhile staying tion, family-owned third-generaservice from and operated the family that restaurant, which has been dishing is out its Neapolitan-style 4432 Leavenworth still located at St. in Omaha — pizza for almost 75 years. the same location that reportedly “Technology plays caught on so well that a part,” said General Manager/Treasurer Patane and his family Founder Joe “ran out of Nicole Continued on page 18.

Ashley Abel, property manager with Cushman Lund Co., for 1415 & Wakefield/ @ The Yard, demonstrates app during the IOTAS’ property grand opening event for the complex.

Smart-enabled apartment community delivers plug and play app to renters by Becky McCarville

General Manager/Treasurer Nicole — from food truck to website and menu Jesse … A heaping of “new” on service, Neapolitan-style updates — blends with focus pizza and pasta.

At the recent grand lifestyle. opening of 1415 @ The Yard The platform also apartment complex at 14th and to property managersprovides data Cuming streets, property manager monitor and control so they can Ashley Abel with energy usage, Cushman & Wakefield/Lund rent units faster through Co., logged onto the property streamline labor costs automation, dashboard and add value to launch the smart to properties. apartment app designed by Portland-based “It helps run the property IOTAS more (Internet of Things efficiently,” Abel As a Service), said, demonstrating the she can control vacant adding that ease units’ lightnew tenant can control at which a ing, heating and air automated technologyand integrate monitor maintenance conditioning, to fit their issues as well Continued on page 39.

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Engineering • Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

Turning classic cars into electric vehicles is a growing trend — and it’s not cheap by Jamie L. LaReau

Phil Davie has been building hot rods for two decades in southeast Michigan, but last summer he turned his business on its head. He started a new type of hot-rod business, one that removes a classic car’s internal combustion engine — and nearly Trends all of the innards — and replaces it with an electric motor and batteries to make it all-electric. He calls this new hot-rod shop EV Detroit. “EV Detroit is the modern speed shop,” said Davie, who also owns American Speed Company, a traditional “speed shop” that converts standard cars into souped-up hot rods. “I started it partly because of the interest in EVs,” Davie said. “Plus, I was so fascinated with the technology and what it can be: I can build something and give people the electric vehicle experience.” These types of conversion shops have been popping up all over the nation in recent years as interest in electric vehicles proliferates even in the collector car world. Most established conversion shops have extensive waiting lists, with customers from as far away as Morocco shipping internal combustion engine vintage cars to them to be converted to electric. The trend also has sparked an aftermarket for wrecked modern EVs with still-good batteries and parts inside that can be used by the conversion companies. A wrecked Tesla, for example, can easily sell for $30,000 and a wrecked Chevrolet Bolt can command $20,000. So naturally, the cost to turn a classic car into an EV isn’t cheap. In some cases, it can top $100,000, depending on the car and how much driving range a customer wants and

other amenities. The motivation to spend that amount of money isn’t to save the environment as much as it is to get better performance and reliability out of an old car. “Any time you own a classic car there’s that anxiety of, ‘What’s that smell? Am I going to end up on the side of the road?’ It takes away the joy of driving,” said Marc Davis, owner of conversion shop Moment Motor Company in Austin, Texas. “You’re either a mechanic who loves to work on your car or it sits in the garage for a year waiting for you to take it to a mechanic. By electrifying things, we’re removing the source of 80% to 90% of the problem and we do it in a way that doesn’t rob the car of performance.” A makeover for Audrey Classic car expert Harry Clark owns about a dozen collector cars. He envisions converting at least one of them to electric at some point, he said. “But most of the people who are doing this are not big collectors. They have one collector car and they don’t want any hassle” of it being unreliable or requiring work, said Clark, founder of Classic Promenade in Phoenix. “They want it to be like their Tesla and they have the financial means to do it.” Take Audrey, for example. She’s a 1987 MINI in Surf Blue. The color resembles that of the famous Tiffany & Co. jewelry box, hence the genesis of her name. Owner Stephannie Behrens, 45, named her car to honor actress Audrey Hepburn who starred in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Behrens, who lives in Austin, specifically bought the vintage car with the intention of converting it to electric. “A classic MINI has always been my

dream car. That being said, they were not known for their reliability. They were budget cars,” Behrens said. “The only way to really have it, was to convert it.” So in 2017, after buying Audrey, Behrens hired Moment Motor Company to convert it to electric. She changed the entire interior, making the seats a houndstooth pattern, adding the British round speedometer in the center console and making it left-hand drive instead of the original British right-hand drive. In light of the searing heat in the Lone Star State, she had air conditioning added. “So it’s a 1960s look, but with left-hand drive and modern components,” Behrens said. “The speedometer is new, but it looks retro. I kept it a manual transmission, but I can drive it in fourth gear all the time if I want to. It’ll start from zero in fourth gear with no problem.” Behrens declined to say how much she paid for the car and to convert it, but Davis said he typically charges $50,000 to $100,000 to do a conversion. “A simple car like a Porsche speedster or Volkswagen Beetle is $50,000,” Davis said. “But if it was a muscle car, it would be $100,000.” Part of the bigger price has to do with how many more batteries the car might need to propel it as well as any electrical rewiring or cosmetic work. Davis started Moment Motor Company in 2017 and has converted about 14 vintage cars with 10 more to be completed by the end of this year. One of those will be a 1963 GMC pickup that will cost “well over $100,000” to convert because of the extra batteries needed to move its weight down the road. “We have to then run all the wiring,

connect all the components and preserve the dashboard. We don’t want you to see an iPad and a bunch of wires,” Davis said. “You are looking at the same gauges and all the surfaces as the classic car, but you step on the throttle and you have different power.” The gauges show accurate information and any modern gauges needed to show battery life are discretely tucked out of sight in the glove compartment or under a seat to preserve the vintage authenticity, Davis said. Davis changed the brakes and replaced the suspension in Audrey with one from a Honda, adding weight for a more solid and quiet ride. The car is reliable, making her Behrens’ daily driver now. “I know there are people who think that sort of thing is sacrilegious. There are classic cars where it would be sad to take out the original components,” Behrens said. “But those are the really rare cars where it’s important to keep that history. With a MINI, they are not rare cars, so I felt no remorse.” Taking on Tesla In 2006, Floridian Audrey Clunn fell in love at first sight the night she met her future husband. Her passion was not for him — though that would come later — but rather for his ride. “He showed up in a 1986 Mazda B2000 pickup that he’d converted and I said, ‘Is that electric?’ He said, ‘Yes ma’am.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m in love,’ “ Clunn said. Audrey, a paralegal at the time, had a vision that the future was electric. “I could see it in my mind,” she said. “I just knew it in my heart.” Steve Clunn had converted about 50 cars Continued on next page.

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal • Engineering

Turning classic cars into electric vehicles is a growing trend — and it’s not cheap Continued from preceding page. from gasoline to electric for himself and friends at the time. The first car he converted was in 1995. It was a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle

that ran on 20 golf cart batteries. Its top speed was 70 mph, he said. Fully charged, he said, the car could drive “30 miles at 60 mph or 60 miles if I went 30 mph.”

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Once he taught Audrey Clunn how to do a conversion to her car, she was all in. In 2007, she quit her job of 20 years and with $200 left in her savings, she started Greenshed Conversions in Crystal River, Florida. Steve Clunn was willing to work with her, but not quit his day job just yet. “I was not a believer,” he said. “Audrey was so gung-ho about this that I was a little concerned she was burning bridges. She quit her job. I was like, ‘Whoa … wait a minute. I am still mowing grass, you can do this on the side.’ But she really believed in it.” Audrey Clunn had to change the business model a few times to get the business going, especially after Tesla started selling EVs to the masses. “That’s when I changed our business to doing the classics,” she said. “I can’t compete with Tesla, but I can do the cars people can’t find parts to. They bring them to me from all over the country and all over the world. I’ve got stuff coming in from Morocco next month.” Greenshed Conversions converts about a half-dozen classic cars a year. Steve Clunn does the work by hand, and each conversion takes about two to three months to do. The Land Rover Defender, an iconic off-road SUV, is the vehicle coming from Morocco. It will take two months and cost

$35,000 to $50,000 to do the conversion, Audrey said. Currently, Greenshed Conversions is finishing converting a 1927 Ford Model T to all electric. “We’re both amazed that we’re still here doing it. We’re booked through the first of next year,” Audrey Clunn said, adding that they cherry pick their projects now and are teaching two young men how to do conversions because “we need more people like this.” Buying batteries Almost all conversions use batteries from either wrecked Tesla models or Chevrolet Bolt cars. The twisted metal cars might not be driveable, but they still command a steep price. “There are businesses that just specialize in taking these cars apart,” Steve Clunn said. “It’s about $30,000 to buy a wrecked Tesla, just for the parts.” That’s significant considering a new 2021 Tesla Model 3 starts at $39,990 and can go up to $139,900 in other models. The Model 3 retains at least 64.3% of its original value after three years, according to Auto Auction Mall, a site that gives car buyers “dealer-level access” to the used, salvage and insurance vehicle auction houses. The companies that take the damaged cars apart sell the parts to conversion companies and to people doing solar panels and battery banks to power houses. From 2000 to 2005, when new EV batteries first started coming out, they cost $1,500 per kilowatt, Steve Clunn said. Now, buying the salvaged batteries costs about $300 a kilowatt. Most batteries are 60 to 100 kilowatts, so they can cost $18,000 to $30,000. He said one Tesla battery can be divided up for three vehicle conversions. One-third of a typical Tesla battery provides a classic car with 100 miles of range on a full-charge and it performs like a six-cylinder internal combustion engine, he said. “Though they are not brand new batteries, they are very good,” Steve Clunn said. “You lose a little range, but it’s gradual. You can lose half the range in your car, but still have a very usable battery. We still have some from 20 years ago. They have been steadily improving, too.” The ‘retrofuturists’ David Benardo is CEO of Zelectric, but he calls himself a “retrofuturist.” He and his wife, Bonnie Rodgers, started Zelectric, a San Diego-based conversion company, in 2013. A few years earlier, they had another conversion company, EV West, convert a 1960s VW van to electric for them Continued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

Turning classic cars into electric vehicles is a growing trend — and it’s not cheap Continued from preceding page. and they fell in love. Zelectric converts only Volkswagen and Porsche vehicles from the 1950s through the 1970s. The demand for their conversions has exploded and the company is booked well into 2023. Customers pay a $5,000 fee to reserve a production spot, Rodgers said. While Audrey Clunn of Greenshed worried Tesla would put her out of business, Rodgers credits the Tesla for her business. “We owe so much to Tesla to even be driving these cars,” Rodgers said. “Before

that, electric driving was associated with golf carts.” In fact, Rodgers is happy that other automakers are looking to add EVs to their lineups. General Motors, for example, has vowed to deliver 30 new EVs to the market by 2025. “It’s great. It lends credibility to driving electric and it doesn’t in any way narrow the niche we have,” Rodgers said. “It celebrates a better way of driving and people are on board with that now.” Most of Zelectric’s clients drive a Tesla daily. They often hire Zelectric to procure a I WILL GO ON

vintage VW or Porsche for them and then convert it to electric. Their first Zelectric customer was late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, she said. “You can still get a good vintage Beetle for under $10,000,” Rodgers said. “We just procured a VW bus for a client who paid $165,000. It’s a 23-window and it’s very rare. He has reserved a spot in the production calendar and it will come to us next year.” The conversion for a VW bus starts at $74,000, she said. If the owner wants to put a Tesla motor in it, it will cost more. The female interest When Rodgers and Benardo first started the company, they would promote it at car shows. They often had to convince classic car enthusiasts that driving an electric vehicle was viable and had benefits. “People thought they were extremely slow, which is wrong,” she said. “The reality is you can plug these in next to your toaster and run it out to your garage; you don’t need a special setup.” The conversions typically offer 100 to 180 miles of range with a Tesla motor and transmission, she said. The speed tops at 100 mph or more. It takes about four to six hours to fully charge them on a 220-volt outlet and most are compatible with any public charging station except for DC Fast Chargers. As people learned the EV benefits, Rodgers said the company became overwhelmed with interest, half of which comes from women who favor 1960s Volkswagen Karmann Ghia sports cars. ‘A whole new world’ The swelling demand doesn’t come without problems. “This is a brand-new industry and you’re kind of pioneering something,” Rodgers said. “There is only a handful of people who know how to do this.” Rodgers’ lead engineer worked for a

competitor when they hired him. Now he has apprentices he teaches because there are no trade schools that teach conversion. “We’ve been telling ourselves for years that we have to build our own staff because it’s a new thing,” Rodgers said. At Moment Motor, Davis first hired people who worked on hot rods to teach them how to do conversions. But he admits it’s been a struggle to find people with the right combination of skills. He has four guys in the shop, a chief engineer who designs the parts, an office manager and himself. He will hire two more people by year’s end to apprentice and learn how to do the conversions. “It’s a whole new world and they have to learn things,” Davis said. “This is the new hot-rodding and there’s no certification they can get that will help us here. Every car is different and every car is new and they have to learn.” ‘Fire it up’ All the conversion shop owners interviewed admit that not all classic vehicles should be converted to electric. Those who do it are preserving the beauty of their classic cars while allowing the vehicles to be driven regularly. But there are historic cars that should never be touched. One is the famous 1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt GT driven by Steve McQueen in the movie “Bullitt.” Another is Detroit’s Black Ghost, the notorious 1970 Dodge Challenger that drag raced along Woodward Avenue, said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of classic-car enthusiast brand Hagerty, which is based in Traverse City, Mich. “That car will never be electrified,” Hagerty said. “Two hundred years from now, it may be in a museum, but somebody will make some gasoline for it and they will fire it up.” ©2021 www.freep.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The COVID-19 pandemic is giving workers leverage over employers. How long will it last? by Don Lee

Answers on page 14.

It was only five years ago that Taquasia Mason started her working career at a McDonald’s in Durham, N.C., grateful to find even a job that only paid the legal minimum of $7.25 an hour. But thanks to the pandemic, Mason’s prospects, and her leverage, have vastly improved. Earlier this year, the 22-year-old high school graduate took a job at an Employment Amazon warehouse in Durham, earning $15 an hour plus, for a brief period, $2 per hour in pandemic pay. In May, when Amazon moved her to a night shift, she jumped to another job at the same hourly rate, as part of a hospital cleaning staff. Recently, Mason was already looking for something better, joining 100 people at a job fair eyeing 350 openings, many paying $15 an hour plus good benefits. She immediately drew the attention of a recruiter. In an interview, Mason marveled at how the tables had turned since she first joined the workforce. “Before, you can’t find so many places that wanted to start you off at $15 an hour basically with no experience,” Mason said. “It just amazes me nowadays.”

For decades, American workers who did not belong to unions or possess high-value job skills had little leverage in the job market. Even during periods of relatively low unemployment, most had almost no muscle to flex when it came to wages and benefits. Instead of going to workers, an ever-larger share of national income went to profits and to shareholders. The prevailing philosophy in American business has been that a company’s first duty is to maximize value for stockholders. Today, thanks in no small part to the COVID-19 pandemic and less directly to changing demographics, the balance of power may be starting to shift. “The last year was kind of like a wartime situation, and wars change people’s mentality,” said Nicholas Eberstadt, at political economy scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank. Workers are demanding more and, for now, have the numbers behind them. Not only are job openings at a record but also employers are increasingly desperate. The employment website Indeed said the share of job postings labeled “hiring urgently” had jumped more than 50% since the start of the year, and companies offering bonuses have now Continued on next page.

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic is giving workers leverage over employers. How long will it last? Continued from preceding page. more than doubled from last year. As pandemic-related shutdowns have subsided, consumer demand is surging, and the U.S. economy is springing back. But businesses are struggling to find new workers to keep pace. Many laid-off workers have been slow to return. Others are job-hopping in search of better or more satisfying options. “We had 20 interviews scheduled and one person showed up. It’s horrible,” said Elaina Morris, chief executive of Ascend Hospitality, a midsize restaurant company based in Bellevue, Wash. Morris has resorted to sending her managers to Starbucks and Home Depot to scout out and poach employees. Some employers are offering cash and other incentives just to show up for interviews. Signon, retention and referral bonuses are commonplace, even in industries such as fast food that have rarely needed to use such carrots before. Employers are customizing work schedules. Others are waiving job requirements, such as drug tests. At mattress-maker Leggett & Platt, drivers in California said they suddenly received a $3 bump in pay last month, to $27 an hour. Leggett wouldn’t comment about personnel matters, but workers said the hike came after there was a large exodus of employees in Riverside County, who bolted for better pay at DHL. “They know some drivers will find something else,” said one 53-year-old Leggett driver. How long the swing toward workers will last is not clear. About 27 million workers, or 37% of all employees, made less than $15 an hour last year. That’s down from 35 million, or 43%, in 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor shortages could ease if the pandemic comes under increasing control. Many workers laid off at the height of the

pandemic have found other jobs, moved to other areas, gone back to school or into training programs, or made other decisions that delay their return to the workforce. And some workers are probably holding out until at least September, when enhanced government unemployment benefits expire. But that may not help much. States that already cut off the federal assistance are seeing only a moderate increase in workers coming off the sidelines. Demographics play an increasingly important part in shifting more power to employees. The pandemic accelerated the inevitable flow of older workers into retirement. And the baby boom that came after World War II was followed by a sharp decline in the birth rate, the so-called baby bust. Right now, the shift in the balance of power between employers and employees is being driven by lower-wage workers, who are showing new willingness to go looking for better opportunities. But there are signs that those on the white-collar, higher-skilled side have more muscle too. One indication is the reluctance of some companies to insist that employees return to the office. Based on the Conference Board’s surveys of employers, Gad Levanon, the research group’s labor expert, said the percentage of office workers working primarily from home could easily reach 30%, up from 7% to 8% before the pandemic. Many such workers believe they have been just as productive working remotely and have found that it has improved their private lives as well. A manager for a large company that caters to young adults said his firm was expanding its operations but hesitating to sign leases for more office space because of concern about pressing valuable younger workers to give up working from home at least part time. That could be a wise move, according to

by Trevor Fraser

Orlando’s occupancy rate was still down slightly from July 2019, 72% now versus 76% but was above the current national rate of 67.2%. Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, said the employment problems hotels in Orlando, Fla., are seeing are not from a lack of visitors. “We’re recovering at a pace ahead of what we even thought,” she said. She says hotels are self-restricting their occupancy rates because of a lack of applicants for open positions. “We’re trying to get the word out that there a lot of good job openings out there,” she said. The missing piece in tourism-dependent Florida is business travel, said Carol Dover, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association president. Echoing a sentiment she expressed in Orlando last month, Dover wrote in a statement that “Despite impressive recovery in leisure travel, business travel — the main source of income for hotels — is still down significantly, cruises are not operating, and the labor shortage crisis is crippling the ability to operate at adequate capacity.” More than 10,000 hotel workers in metro Continued on page 21.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics: “Especially in this environment where workers have the upper hand, they’re going to demand it.” He noted that one of his own employees told him she would have left if the company hadn’t allowed her to work from home. For most of the last half a century, workers have been on their heels. Collective bargaining power has declined along with union membership since the 1970s. The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009. And over the last couple of decades, employers have outsourced many business functions and made other changes that have eroded real wages for many workers, especially those less educated. The upshot is that the percent of U.S. national income going to people in wages and benefits generally has been declining since peaking at 67.9% in the second quarter of 1980. It’s edged up in the last two years to 63.8% in early 2021, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. If workers continue to gain leverage, it’s almost certain many employers will step up investments in labor-saving technology, which could boost productivity in the long run but also tends to funnel more of the benefits to owners of capital than to labor. Businesses also will probably press for a loosening of immigration to allow more workers into the country. Zandi doesn’t see it as a zero-sum game. He thinks a growing economy over the next two years will yield solid gains in both wages and profits. Further down the road, he said, “in terms of who’s getting the bigger slice of the economic pie, I think that’s going toward workers.”

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

500,000 US hotel jobs won’t return this year, lodging group says Even as tourists return to popular destinations, a new report says nearly 500,000 hotel jobs lost in the United States during the pandemic will not return this year. The American Hotel and Lodging Association released their midyear report with two key findings: One in five of the lodging jobs lost nationwide would Hospitality not come back by next January, and revenues will be off by $44 billion nationwide from their highs in 2019. In a state-by-state breakdown, the organization estimated that Florida would be missing more than 44,000 hotel jobs by year’s end. The report did not give a breakdown of Florida’s revenue loss. Preliminary June numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed more than a million jobs in leisure and hospitality in the state, down 210,000 from the high point in February 2020. The picture, however, might not be as dire for metro Orlando. In the second week of July, the revenue per available room in the area was $95.87, a 15% increase over the same time in 2019, according to hotel analysts STR.

Mary Kay Henry, president of the 2-million-member Service Employees International Union, said essential workers, in particular, learned lessons from the pandemic and were more emboldened than ever to exercise power. What really gives her hope, she said, is the fundamental change in tone and action coming from the White House. Besides urging companies to pay ordinary workers more, President Biden has increased the hourly minimum wage to $15 for federal contractors, backed labor unions and sought to make it easier for workers to change jobs. The message from the Biden administration is clear, Henry said: “You can’t just measure GDP growth or the stock market any longer as an indicator of economic health. We have to see if wages are growing, because the economic stagnation of wages and the level of inequality pre-pandemic has only been worsened in the course of the pandemic.” Harry Holzer, a public policy professor at Georgetown University and chief Labor Department economist in the Clinton administration, views the recent swing in the pendulum toward workers as significant and encouraging. But Holzer noted that tight labor markets don’t last, and the caustic political environment will make it very difficult to pass major changes, like a sizable increase in the federal minimum wage or an overhaul in labor laws to make organizing easier. For workers, he said, further training and schooling may be the key to whether they can sustain an upper hand beyond this current period: “If workers get more skills and education,” he said, “that will help.” ©2021 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Puzzle on page 13.

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 • Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES MBJ legal notice instructions The following are some guidelines to consider when posting legal notices with the Midlands Business Journal: 1. Submit a written notice in either Microsoft Word or as a PDF document to the Legal Department at legals@mbj.com. For trade names, submit a copy of approved (bar code in upper right hand corner) Application For Registration of Trade Name from the Secretary of State to the same email address. Please include your billing address and the desired duration you’d like your notice to run (trade names run for only one week). As a publisher and not a legal advisor we print notices exactly as they are submitted and therefor only comp reruns when the notice was rejected or messed up due to a MBJ error. All companies submitting notices are responsible for ensuring the content fits with the State’s requirements and are responsible for the cost of republishing the notice if it is rejected due to misinformation or missing information 2. You will receive a confirmation and price quote. Legal notices, except for trade names, are charged per line. The flat fee for a trade name is $50. Payment options are cash or check. 3. Deadline is noon on Tuesday for a notice to start publishing that Friday. 4. All costs include fees to file the notice with the Secretary of State and/or any appropriate courts. 5. You will receive a paid invoice copy the first week it runs.

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Kendra Hubbard, MS, LIMHP, LLC has been organized as a professional limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The Designated Office of the Company is 7121 A Street, Suite 202, Lincoln, Nebraska 68510. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra Hubbard, 7500 South Street, Unit 8, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506. The Company's members, managers and professional employees are licensed or otherwise legally authorized to practice professional mental health therapy and hypnotherapy in the State of Nebraska. The Company was formed on July 26, 2021. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BADER INVESTMENT GROUP I, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Bader Investment Group I, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is Bader Investment Group I, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 17225 Clay Street, Bennington, Nebraska 68007, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

WILLIAM N. BEERMAN, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF B WAXED INC Notice is hereby given that the Articles of Incorporation of B Waxed Inc (the “Corporation”) have been amended in the following respects: Article I of the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended so that, as amended, said Article shall provide as follows: ARTICLE I. NAME The name of the Corporation shall be ROBOPF, INC. The Articles of Amendment were filed with the Secretary of State of Nebraska on June 30, 2021. In all other respects, the Articles of Incorporation remain unchanged. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MENDIETA PROPERTY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Mendieta Property, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 3409 South 48th Ave. Cir., Omaha, Nebraska 68106 and designating its registered agent as Edgar Mendieta Vazquez, Sr. with its registered office at 3409 South 48th Ave. Cir., Omaha, Nebraska 68106. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

SEAN D. MOYLAN, Attorney 1010 South 120th Street, Suite 320 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ROCK HARD ENHANCEMENT, LLC The name of the Company is ROCK HARD ENHANCEMENT, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company. The initial registered agent is Sean Moylan located at 1010 S. 120th Street, Suite #320, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The initial designated office of the Company is located at 22833 Deer Ridge Road, Valley, Nebraska 68064. This limited liability company commenced business on June 9, 2021. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MAA HOLDINGS II, LLC The name of the Company is MAA Holdings II, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 14014 Parker Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: MAA Communications Holdings, LLC, 14014 Parker Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. This limited liability company commenced business on August 3, 2020. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

MYRON J. KAPLAN, Attorney McGILL, GOTSDINER, WORKMAN & LEPP, P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 11404 West Dodge Road, Suite 500 Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF THE SALVY LADY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that THE SALVY LADY, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 11404 West Dodge Road, Suite 500, Omaha, Nebraska 68154, and the registered agent is Myron J. Kaplan. Its initial designated office is 3729 Marcy Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68105. The general nature of the business is to engage in any lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The limited liability company was formed on June 30, 2021, and its duration is perpetual. Management of the Company shall be vested in its Members. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SAMSON WAY CARWASH, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Samson Way Carwash, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 222 S. 15th Street, Suite 1404S, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra J. Ringenberg, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103 Omaha, Nebraska 68164 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF COWAN MCGRATH, LLC Notice is hereby given that a limited liability company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the company is Cowan McGrath, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara Medbery-Prchal, P.C., L.L.O., 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103, Omaha, NE 68164. The designated office is located at 15663 Western Avenue, Omaha, NE 68118. Margaret McGrath, Member First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given of the organization of 3410 T Street, LLC, with its registered office address at 222 South 15th Street, #316, Omaha, Nebraska 68102 and the registered agent at that address being Russell J. Kreikemeier. The designated office location of the Company is 3410 T Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68107. The purpose or purposes for which this Company is formed is to own, manage, lease, and deal with real property whether in this State or any other and to conduct all related activities thereto. The Company shall conduct the transactions of all or any lawful business or engagement in any commercial venture permitted by the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act, as amended, and all other applicable laws. The initial capital of the Company has been contributed and evidence of membership in the Company will be issued by the Management Board. The Company commenced doing business on June 25, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the Company shall be conducted by a Management Board and such other Officers and Managers as may be provided for in the Operating Agreement of the Company. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

LEGAL NOTICE IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF DOUGLAS COUNTY, NEBRASKA Case Number CI 21-6738 IN RE NAME CHANGE OF SHAWN MARIE FALCONE Notice is hereby given that Shawn Marie Falcone has filed a Petition for Name Change, which Petition requests that the petitioner’s name be changed from “Shawn Marie Falcone” to “Shawn Marie Hovey”. The hearing on said Petition for Name Change is scheduled to be heard before the Honorable Shelly R. Stratman of the Douglas County District Court, Courtroom #315, 3rd floor on the 16th day of August 2021 at 8:45 a.m. at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1701 Farnam Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68183. Shawn Marie Falcone, Petitioner BY: Brent M. Kuhn #19072 BRENT KUHN LAW 900 South 75th Street, Suite B. Omaha, Nebraska 68114 (402) 397-0200 brent@brentkuhnlaw.com Attorney for Petitioner First publication July 9, 2021, final July 30, 2021

ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Skyler Sells Homes, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office of the company is 331 Village Pointe Plaza, #301, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process are Kathryn A. Glissman, Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The company is organized to render the professional service of marketing and selling real estate as a salesperson requiring licensure under the Nebraska Real Estate License Act. First publication July 9, 2021, final July 23, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF COLD STORAGE ROOFING, LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

Matthew Wurstner, Attorney CARLSON & BLAKEMAN, LLP 2002 Douglas Street Omaha, NE 68102 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SEASONAL SOLUTIONS MANAGEMENT, LLC Notice is hereby given that SEASONAL SOLUTIONS MANAGEMENT, LLC is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Company’s initial registered agent is Matthew Wurstner, whose address is 2002 Douglas Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The initial designated office is 2002 Douglas Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful business and such activity, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Members from time to time, and which is not prohibited by the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act. The Company is to be managed by its Members. Matthew Wurstner, Organizer First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF INCORPORATION 1. The name of the Corporation is J & T LAWNCARE INC. 2. The Corporation is authorized to issue 1,000 shares of common stock having a par value of $1.00 each. 3. The Registered Office of the Corporation is: 4879 S 132ND Ave, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska 68137, and the Registered Agent at such address is Cynthia Breasch. 4. Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 26,2021. 5. The name and address of the Incorporator is: Michael Sprague, 3936 Vernon Ave, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska 68111. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103 Omaha, Nebraska 68164 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CRB HOLDINGS, LLC Notice is hereby given that a limited liability company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the company is CRB Holdings, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara Medbery-Prchal, P.C., L.L.O., 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103, Omaha, NE 68164. The designated office is located at 2118 N. 162nd Avenue, Omaha, NE 68116. Chris Benson and Rachel Benson, Member First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION 1. The name of the Corporation is JELLI HOLDINGS INC. 2. The Corporation is authorized to issue 1,000 shares of common stock having a par value of $1.00 each. 3. The Registered Office of the Corporation is: 4879 S 132ND Ave, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska 68137, and the Registered Agent at such address is Cynthia Breasch. 4. Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 28,2021. 5. The name and address of the Incorporator is: Jason Elliott, 121 S 186th Plaza #208, Elkhorn, Douglas County, Nebraska 68022. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION of a Limited Liability Company Notice is hereby given the registration with the Nebraska Secretary of state’s office of Jimenez Concrete, LLC under the laws of the State of Nebraska as follows: The name of the company is Jimenez Concrete, LLC. Registered agent and office of Jimenez Concrete, LLC is Jose J Jimenez Gomez at 2215 S 43rd Street, Omaha, NE 68105. The designated address is 2215 S 43rd Street, Omaha, NE 68105. Initial members: Jose Jonathan Jimenez Gomez and Eva Elizabeth Jimenez. General nature of the business is to transact any and all lawful business for which limited liability companies are allowed by statute. The LLC was organized in July 2021 for the perpetual duration and is managed by its members. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 512 E 5TH STREET LLC Notice is given that 512 E 5th Street LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska with the following registered agent and registered office: Ashley Jankowski, 6324 Centennial Rd, Papillion, NE 68157. The general nature of the Company’s business is to engage in any lawful business permitted under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Company was organized on July 1, 2021 and it shall continue in perpetuity unless sooner terminated in accordance with the terms of its operating agreement. In general, the Company’s business is to be managed by its primary member, Ashley Jankowski, in accordance with the Company’s operating agreement. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Crucero Properties II, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The address of the initial designated office of the company is 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite #300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process are Kathryn A. Glissman, Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite #300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10th Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF QUALITY SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS INC. WEDNY L. HAYES, 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108, President, will manage the wind up and liquidation of its business and affairs. Assets, if any, remaining after paying liabilities will be distributed pro-rata to the shareholders. All claims against the corporation must be forwarded to the corporation at the foregoing address and contain the name of the claimant, the nature and amount of the claim, and the address and contact person for the claimant. A claim against the corporation is barred unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within three years after publication of this notice. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney JAKE T. HOULIHAN, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68144 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: RICO D. PATTERSON, 4721 1/2 N. 39th Street, Omaha NE 68111, you are hereby notified that on April 21, 2021, American Family Mutual Ins. Co. filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI21-7420, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $5,800.04, together with court costs, interest and attorney's fees as allowed by law. Unless you file your Answer with the Douglas County Court on or before the 23 day of August, 2021, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication July 2, 2021, final July 23, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ANN ES, LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103 Omaha, Nebraska 68164 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JESSICA DEMBINSKI REAL ESTATE, LLC Notice is hereby given that a professional limited liability company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the company is Jessica Dembinski Real Estate, LLC. The company practices the profession of real estate sales. The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara MedberyPrchal, P.C., L.L.O., 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103, Omaha, NE 68164. The designated office is located at 12321 Bel Drive, Omaha, NE 68144. Jessica Dembinski, Member First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF NUTTER TRUCKING COMPANY LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION SUSTAINABLE HOMES, INC. Corporate Name: SUSTAINABLE HOMES, INC. Registered Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Registered Agent: Allan M. Ziebarth Authorized Shares: 10,000 shares of $1.00 par value common stock Incorporator: Allan M. Ziebarth, 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF COLLEGIATE CONSTRUCTION, LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF STARSHINE HOMES, LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 2418 S. 9 ST., LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Ocerg Nagar, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 6123 Poppleton Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68106 and designating its registered agent as Joseph J Greco with its registered office at 6123 Poppleton Avenue, Omaha, NE 68106. The limited liability company commenced business on June 21, 2021. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

HOWARD KASLOW, Attorney ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION MANGO MAMMOTH LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office of the company is 8712 W. Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process are Howard J. Kaslow, 8712 W. Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103 Omaha, Nebraska 68164 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF NEMED1, LLC Notice is hereby given that a limited liability company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the company is NEMED1, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara Medbery-Prchal, P.C., L.L.O., 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103, Omaha, NE 68164. The designated office is located at 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103, Omaha, NE 68164. John Taulborg, Organizer First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MANAWA CENTER CARWASH, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Manawa Center Carwash, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 222 S. 15th Street, Suite 1404S, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra Ringenberg, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 • Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES ELIZABETH A. SEVCIK, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MGKGSC, LLC The name of the limited liability company is MGKGSC, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Elizabeth A. Sevcik, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PACIFIC180 HOLDING, LLC The name of the Company is Pacific180 Holding, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 14014 Parker Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Matthew Schaefer, 14014 Parker Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. This limited liability company commenced business on April 1, 2021. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MJJT HOLDING II, LLC The name of the Company is MJJT Holding II, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 14014 Parker Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: MJJT Holding, LLC, 14014 Parker Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. This limited liability company commenced business on August 3, 2020. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SKYLINE POINT-ELKHORN, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Skyline Point-Elkhorn, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 21240 Bonanza Boulevard, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Stephen W. Nabity, 21240 Bonanza Boulevard, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 7, 2021. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

Richard J. Henkenius, Attorney at Law Suite 525 the Douglas Building 209 South 19th St. Omaha, NE 68102-1705 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION of DAISY’S CONCRETE & MORE CO., LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company Notice if hereby given that Daisy’s Concrete & More Co., LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska with its designated office located at 7010 Haskell St., Suite 213, Omaha, NE 68106, to conduct a construction, sales and service business, and any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized. The company commenced business June 30, 2021. The business is conducted by Lucinda D. Beadle, managing member. First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF THE BLESS COLLECTIVE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that THE BLESS COLLECTIVE, LLC, is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a designated and registered office at 2312 Read Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68112. The affairs of the company are to be conducted by the manager and registered officer, ERNEST H. BLESS III. The Limited Liability Company is organized to transact any and all business, and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law. The Limited Liability Company commenced doing business on April 6, 2021, and filed Certificate of Organization with the Nebraska Secretary of State on April 12, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. ERNEST H. BLESS III, Organizational Member 2312 Read Street, Omaha, NE 68112 First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF Heartland System Solutions, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Heartland System Solutions, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 313584 Stanford St, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. The Registered Agent of the Company is John J Dickson., 13584 Stanford St, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF STANSTECH, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Stanstech, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is Stanstech, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10817 Laramie Street, Papillion, Nebraska 68046, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: DEVON NEWBOLD You are hereby notified that on 03/02/21, the Plaintiff Credit Management Services, Inc., filed a Complaint in the COUNTY Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska, against you shown as Case Number CI21 3956. The object and prayer of which is a judgment in the amount of 612.42, plus court costs, pre-judgment interest and attorney fees, if applicable. The Complaint prays that judgment be entered against you. You are hereby notified that you must answer the Complaint on or before 09/05/21 at the COUNTY court of DOUGLAS County, OMAHA Nebraska. Megan L. Bischoff #25206 P.O. Box 1512 Grand Island, NE 68802 (308)398-3801 Attorney for Plaintiff First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION N.C. Medical Supply, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, with its initial designated office at 4992 Drexel, Omaha, Nebraska, 68117, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Limited Liability Company shall engage in any lawful business for which a limited liability company may be formed under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The registered agent is Edward F. Pohren at 8712 West Dodge Road, Ste. 400, Omaha, Nebraska, 68114. The perpetual existence commenced January 26, 2021. Its affairs are to be conducted by its Members pursuant to an Operating Agreement duly adopted by the Company. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

JUSTIN A. SHELDON, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OFAMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF MICHALSKI LAWN CARE LLC Notice is hereby given that MICHALSKI LAWN CARE LLC has amended its Certificate of Organization as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The amended notice of organization reflects the change of address from 2304 Campanile Road, Waterloo, NE 68009 to 2304 Campanile Road, Waterloo, NE 68069. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LTC STAFFING SOLUTIONS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that LTC Staffing Solutions, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 18807 Sahler Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Kenneth W. Klaasmeyer, 18807 Sahler Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The limited liability company commenced business on July 16, 2021. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF ZMB ENTERPRISES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that ZMB Enterprises, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), filed a Statement of Dissolution with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 15, 2021. The terms of the dissolution provide for the payment of liabilities of the Company and distribution of any remaining assets. The Company requests that persons with claims against it present them in accordance with this notice. Any claimant shall describe the claim and the date on which the claim arose and mail the claim to the above address. A claim against the company will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within five years after the publication of this notice. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION The Dahlman Apartments LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, with its initial designated office at 3814 Farnam, Suite 203, Omaha, Nebraska, 68131, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Limited Liability Company shall engage in any lawful business for which a limited liability company may be formed under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The registered agent is Matt Dwyer at 3814 Farnam, Suite 203, Omaha, Nebraska, 68131. The perpetual existence commenced July 12, 2021. Its affairs are to be conducted by its Manager pursuant to an Operating Agreement duly adopted by the Company. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

Darren Carlson, Attorney CARLSON & BLAKEMAN, LLP 2002 Douglas Street Omaha, NE 68102 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 5505 PROPERTIES, LLC Notice is hereby given that 5505 PROPERTIES, LLC is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial designated office is 2002 Douglas Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The Company’s initial registered agent in the State of Nebraska is: Darren Carlson, whose address is 2002 Douglas Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful business and activity, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Members from time to time, and which are not prohibited by the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced with filing its Certificate of Organization on July13, 2021, and shall have a perpetual period of duration. The Company is a Member Managed Limited Liability Company Darren Carlson, Organizer First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BRICK TOWN CONSTRUCTION, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Brick Town Construction, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is Brick Town Construction, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

PATRICK M. FLOOD, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF MADONNA SCHOOL & COMMUNITYBASED SERVICES Notice is hereby given that the Articles of Incorporation of Madonna School & Community-Based Services (the “Corporation”) have been amended and restated by the Directors as of July 2, 2021, and filed with the Secretary of State on July 15, 2021. The Articles of Incorporation have been amended to generally provide as follows: 1. To clarify the power of the Board of Directors, and specify that certain powers are reserved to the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Omaha. 2. To eliminate certain ex-officio positions on the Board of Directors. 3. To expand the number of officers and revise designations. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MOOI SKIN, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Mooi Skin, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 4814 S. 157th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

SEAN D. MOYLAN, Attorney 1010 South 120th Street, Suite 320 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF RENTAL 36, LLC The name of the Company is RENTAL 36, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company. The initial registered agent is Sean Moylan located at 1010 S. 120th Street, Suite #320, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The initial designated office of the Company is located at 621 N. 36th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68131. This limited liability company commenced business on July 2, 2021. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION Clout Enterprises I, Inc. has been incorporated under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. The street address of the corporation's initial registered office is 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska, and the name of the initial registered agent of the corporation at that office is David C. Nelson. The corporation is authorized to issue 1,000 shares of Common Stock. The name and street address of the incorporator of the corporation are Gregory F. Schreiber, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: Brown and Son Auto Service Name of Applicant: Browns Commercial Cleaning LLC Address: 7706 Ernst Circle Omaha NE 68122 Applicant is a Limited Liability Company If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Date of first use of name in Nebraska: January 2020 General nature of business: Auto cleaning and detail, oil changes, repairs. ROBERT E. BROWN Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative July 23, 2021

SEAN D. MOYLAN, Attorney Moylan Law, LLC 1010 South 120th Street, Suite 320 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION Notice is hereby given that Horst Dental, P.C., a Nebraska Corporation, is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its initial designated agent Sean D. Moylan and designated office at 1010 South 120th Street, Suite 320, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The purpose for which Horst Dental, P.C. has been established is to engage in the dental services business, and any and all lawful businesses for which a corporation may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. Perpetual existence commenced on July 16, 2021. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO THE CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF ROY HOLDINGS – CCM LA VISTA, LLC Notice is hereby given that the Certificate of Organization of Roy Holdings – CCM La Vista, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended changing the name of the company to KCFrisco, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 13, 2021. First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68144 In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR21-1142. Judge Marcuzzo THOMAS L. TIEFENTHALER IRREVOCABLE LIVING TRUST Established on February 26, 2021 by Thomas L. Tiefenthaler Amended and Restated on February 22, 2016 Thomas L. Tiefenthaler (DOD: 06-07-2020), Age: 75 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Notice is hereby given that on the 11 day of July, 2021 in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Intestacy of the Estate of Thomas L. Tiefenthaler and that the following was appointed as the Personal Representatives of this estate: Douglas W. Tiefenthaler, 1816 Ashwood Avenue, Papillion, NE 68133. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 330, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before September 28, 2021 or be forever barred. KELLEY GOLDEN Clerk of the Douglas County Court First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF HIOB, LLC The name of the Company is HIOB, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is 1519 South 219th Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. This limited liability company commenced business on July 21, 2021. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

GEORGES D. APETY YOLE LAW PC, LLO 7930 Blondo Street, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68134 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF NEBRASKA DEVELOPMENTAL & BEHAVIORAL SERVICES, LLC Notice is hereby given that NEBRASKA DEVELOPMENTAL & BEHAVIORAL SERVICES, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under Nebraska laws, with its designated office at 7930 Blondo Street, Suite 100, Omaha, NE 68134. It is organized to transact any lawful business for which a Limited Liability Company may be organized under Nebraska laws and its duration is perpetual commencing from July 21, 2021. Its affairs are to be conducted by the managers Damilola J. Oluyole and Christopher C. Odigbo. Its registered agent is Damilola J. Oluyole and his office is located at 7930 Blondo Street, Suite 100, Omaha, NE 68134. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

WAYNE S. RASMUSSEN, Attorney SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF KERSTEN FARMS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on July 21, 2021, KERSTEN FARMS, LLC was organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, with a designated office at 17909 Fairview Road, Gretna, Nebraska 68028. The Company’s initial agent for service of process is Ervin W. Kersten, whose address is 17909 Fairview Road, Gretna, Nebraska 68028. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

Robert J. Likes Likes Meyerson Hatch LLC 444 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR21-974 Estate of John J. Synowicki, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on June 21, 2021, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Probate of the Will of said Decedent and that Jane A. Davis, 12929 Margo Street, Omaha, NE 68138, was informally appointed by the Registrar as Personal Representative of the Estate. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 330, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before September 28, 2021 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

MATTHEW T. PAYNE, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PORTSMOUTH KID, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Portsmouth Kid, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is Portsmouth Kid, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 18319 Dupont Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Matthew T. Payne, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

MARK J. LAPUZZA, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ROSSO PROPERTIES, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Rosso Properties, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is Rosso Properties, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10725 Mockingbird Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68134. 3. The name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Mark J. LaPuzza, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF DRIVEN LAWN ESCAPES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Driven Lawn Escapes, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 13606 Valley Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: Data Source Media Name of Applicant: Print Image Solutions, Inc. Address: 4310 S. 133 St. Omaha, NE 68137 Applicant is a Corporation If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska Date of first use of name in Nebraska: July 9, 2021 General nature of business: office machines and equipment and related products and supplies sales and service DAVID J. BRION Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative July 30, 2021

STEPHANIE M. SHARP, ATTORNEY VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska, 68118 Telephone 402-504-1300 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF VALENTI, LLC Notice is hereby given that VALENTI, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The address of the initial designated office of the company is 7974 Ponderosa Drive, Papillion, NE 68046. The agent for service of process for the Company is Cornelia Vremes located at 7974 Ponderosa Drive, Papillion, NE 68046. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: ValentiVDesigns Name of Applicant: Valenti, LLC Address: 7974 Ponderosa Drive, Papillion, NE 68046 Applicant is a Limited Liability Company If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska Date of first use of name in Nebraska: June 30, 2021 General nature of business: Create and sell handmade products, patterns, designs, other creations, and educational content STEPHANIE M. SHARP Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative July 30, 2021

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 • Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES ANDREW J. HUBER, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF WINE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, INC. Notice is hereby given that a corporation has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the corporation is Wine Business Solutions, Inc. The corporation is authorized to issue 1,000 shares of common stock. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on July 14, 2021 and shall have perpetual duration. The name and street address of the corporation’s initial registered agent and office is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The name and address of the incorporator is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. LDM Business Services, Inc., Incorporator First publication July 23, 2021, final August 6, 2021

SCOTT A. MEYERSON, Esq. LIKES MEYERSON HATCH LLC 444 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF HILLCREST MABLE ROSE, LLC Notice is hereby given that HILLCREST MABLE ROSE, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The street and mailing address of the Company’s initial designated office is 1902 Harlan Drive, Bellevue, NE 68005. The street and mailing address of the Company’s initial agent for service of process is 5601 S. 59th Street, Suite C, Lincoln, NE 68516 and the Company’s initial agent for service of process at such address is Registered Agent Solutions, Inc. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

SCOTT A. MEYERSON, Esq. LIKES MEYERSON HATCH LLC 444 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JACKSON THREE LLC Notice is hereby given that JACKSON THREE LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The street and mailing address of the Company’s initial designated office is 514 South 13th Street, Omaha, NE 68102. The street and mailing address of the Company’s initial agent for service of process is 514 South 13th Street, Omaha, NE 68102 and the Company’s initial agent for service of process at such address is Melanie Clark. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

MATTHEW T. PAYNE, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 3011 N. 45th ST, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of 3011 N. 45th ST, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is 3011 N. 45th ST, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 18319 Dupont Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Matthew T. Payne, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF Sweat and Glow Wellness, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Sweat and Glow Wellness, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 4028 Vernon Ave, Omaha, Nebraska 68111. The Registered Agent of the Company is Latoya Thomas., 4028 Vernon ave, Omaha, Nebraska 68111. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF etopia technologies, LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

MATTHEW T. PAYNE, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 4483 ELLISON AVE, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of 4483 Ellison Ave, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is 4483 Ellison Ave, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 18319 Dupont Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Matthew T. Payne, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney JAKE T. HOULIHAN, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68144 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: BRIANA M. WATSON, 4415 N 60th Ave, Omaha NE 68104, you are hereby notified that on June 10, 2021, American Family Mutual Ins. Co. filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI21-10326, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $4,745.00, together with court costs, interest and attorney's fees as allowed by law. Unless you file your Answer with the Douglas County Court on or before the 20 day of September, 2021, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 20, 2021

Notice of Organization of R-trips Construction, LLC Notice is hereby given that R-Trips Construction, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 12319 County Road P28, Blair, NE 68008. The Registered Agent of the Company is Linda M Dolinsky, 8007 N 31st St, Omaha, Nebraska 68112. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

N O T I C E O F A M E N D M E N T T O T H E A RT I C L E S O F INCORPORATION OF OMAHA SWING DANCE CLUB Notice is hereby given that the Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of Omaha Swing Dance Club, a Nebraska nonprofit corporation, were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 6, 2021, to amend Article One, Section 1, changing the name of the corporation to Omaha West Coast Swing. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103 Omaha, Nebraska 68164 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CASTINADO WEALTH STRATEGIES, LLC Notice is hereby given that a limited liability company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the company is Castinado Wealth Strategies, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara MedberyPrchal, P.C., L.L.O., 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103, Omaha, NE 68164. The designated office is located at 919 N. 50th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68132. Brock Castinado, Member First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION 1. The name of the Corporation is YIN YANG MEDICAL SERVICES, INC. 2. The Corporation is a for profit corporation. 3. The address of the registered office of the Corporation is 9818 S. 173rd Avenue Omaha, NE 68136 and the registered agent of the said Corporation is Carmen Lester. 4. The Dissolution of the Corporation was duly authorized by the Board of Directors on July 19, 2021. 5. The Dissolution of the Corporation will be effective upon the filing of Articles of Dissolution with the Secretary of State. 6. Jan Kleinhesselink, the President of the Corporation, will wind up the Corporation and liquidate its affairs. 7. Upon the dissolution of this Corporation, its assets shall be distributed to the Shareholder pro rata. 8. The assets of the corporation are: $14,379.40. 9. The Corporation has no liabilities. Jan Kleinhesselink, President First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF BK FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. 1. The name of the Corporation is BK Financial Services, Inc. 2. The Corporation is authorized to issue 10,000 Shares having a par value of $0.01 designated as common stock. 3. The Registered Office of the Corporation is: 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, NE 68124, and the Registered Agent at such address is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. 4. The corporate existence began on July 23, 2021, when Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State. 5. The name and address of the Incorporator is: Brian L. Harr, 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska 68124. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO THE CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF 17904 STORAGE ROAD, LLC Notice is hereby given that the Certificate of Organization of 17904 Storage Road, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended changing the name of the company to 18735 F Street, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 23, 2021. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF FLANAGAN POINTE HOLDINGS II, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Flanagan Pointe Holdings II, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is Flanagan Pointe Holdings II, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 17225 Clay Street, Bennington, Nebraska 68007, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BADER INVESTMENT GROUP II, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Bader Investment Group II, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is Bader Investment Group II, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 17225 Clay Street, Bennington, Nebraska 68007, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF MICHAEL’S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that MICHAEL’S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 312 South 16th Street, #704, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The registered agent is MICHAEL PELLECHIA. The general nature of the business is to operate a general counseling services business, to own, operate and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law, which are necessary, suitable, proper, convenient or expedient to the operation of a general counseling services business. The authorized capital stock is $10,000.00, consisting of 10,000 shares of stock having a par value of $1.00 each, which stock shall be paid for wholly or partly by cash, by labor, by personal property and by real property. The corporation became a corporate body on July 18, 2021, and upon its Articles being filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 23, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by a Board of Directors, the number of directors to be provided in the ByLaws, and the officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be designated in the By-Laws. ANTHONY L. GROSS, Incorporator CATHERINE L. WHITE, Incorporator 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68124 First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: The Jaipur Name of Applicant: Everest Brew House, Inc. Address: 10922 Elm Street Omaha NE 68144 Applicant is a Corporation If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska Date of first use of name in Nebraska: December 1, 1992 General nature of business: Indian Restaurant RODNEY G. GNUSE Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative July 30, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 4810 SOUTH 15TH STREET, L.L.C. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 4810 SOUTH 15TH STREET, L.L.C., is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a designated and registered office at 4810 South 15th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68107. The affairs of the company are to be conducted by the manager and registered officer, JOSE A. PEREZ. The Limited Liability Company is organized to transact any and all business, and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law. The Limited Liability Company commenced doing business on July 8, 2021, and filed Certificate of Organization with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 23, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. JOSE A. PEREZ, Organizational Member 4810 South 15th Street, Omaha, NE 68107 First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF KRAJICEK TRUCKING, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that KRAJICEK TRUCKING, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 5540 North 150th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The registered agent is TYLER E. KRAJICEK. The general nature of the business is to operate a general trucking business, to own, operate and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law, which are necessary, suitable, proper, convenient or expedient to the operation of a general trucking business. The authorized capital stock is $10,000.00, consisting of 10,000 shares of stock having a par value of $1.00 each, which stock shall be paid for wholly or partly by cash, by labor, by personal property and by real property. The corporation became a corporate body on July 9, 2021, and upon its Articles being filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 23, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by a Board of Directors, the number of directors to be provided in the By-Laws, and the officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be designated in the By-Laws. ANTHONY L. GROSS, Incorporator CATHERINE L. WHITE, Incorporator 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68124 First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO THE CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF ROY HOLDINGS – CCM GRETNA, LLC Notice is hereby given that the Certificate of Organization of Roy Holdings – CCM Gretna, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended changing the name of the company to KCMCKinney, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 13, 2021. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

JUDITH A. WELLS, Attorney 5062 South 108th Street, #246 Omaha, Nebraska 68137 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR21-1035 Estate of EMMA LOUISE BURNLEY, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on July 21, 2021 in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, Teresa L. Holmes, of 2108 Wirt Street, Omaha, Nebraska was appointed by the Court as Personal Representative of the Estate. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 330, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before September 28, 2021 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given of the organization of 3302 X Street, LLC, with its registered office address at 222 South 15th Street, #316, Omaha, Nebraska 68102 and the registered agent at that address being Russell J. Kreikemeier. The designated office location of the Company is 3302 X Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68107. The purpose or purposes for which this Company is formed is to own, manage, lease, and deal with real property whether in this State or any other and to conduct all related activities thereto. The Company shall conduct the transactions of all or any lawful business or engagement in any commercial venture permitted by the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act, as amended, and all other applicable laws. The initial capital of the Company has been contributed and evidence of membership in the Company will be issued by the Management Board. The Company commenced doing business on July 21, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the Company shall be conducted by a Management Board and such other Officers and Managers as may be provided for in the Operating Agreement of the Company. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), MARVIN D SUNDQUIST DBA NO PAIN PROPANE LLC You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 02/24/2021 on Case Number CI21-4161, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $2,840.00, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 09/13/2021 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BOBCAT BURROW LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Bobcat Burrow LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 2922 North 61st Street, Suite 1, Omaha, Nebraska 68104. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on July 26, 2021. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

JUSTIN A. SHELDON, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ANDERSEN 1880 LEGACY FARMS LLC Notice is hereby given that ANDERSEN 1880 LEGACY FARMS LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The address of the initial designated office of the company is 12008 North 156th Avenue, Bennington, NE 68007. The agent for service of process for the Company is VW Agents LLC located at 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3, Omaha, NE 68118. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

NICK R. TAYLOR, Attorney of FITZGERALD, SCHORR, BARMETTLER & BRENNAN, P.C., L.L.O. 200 Regency One, 10050 Regency Circle Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3794 NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF Richard L. Bailey, Deceased. Estate No. PR21-1202 Notice is hereby given that on July 26, 2021, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Probate of the Will of said Decedent and that Scott E. Bailey, whose address is 3467 Nance Run, The Villages, Florida 32163 and Troy M. Bailey, whose address is 5009 North 135 Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68164, were informally appointed by the Registrar as co-Personal Representatives of the estate. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 330, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before September 28, 2021 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: TMI Cleaning Services Name of Applicant: Terri Beaugard Address: 5016 Whitmore Street NE 68152 Applicant is a Individual If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Date of first use of name in Nebraska: 8/2006 (expired 2016) - RenewalGeneral nature of business: A residential & commercial cleaning service company, with main focus on commercial cleaning TERRI BEAUGARD Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative July 30, 2021

NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF ASTRO THEATRE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of Astro Theatre, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended to change the name of the Company to Astro Theater, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 26, 2021. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Discover Appraisal Services LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office of the Company is 7732 S 71st Street, La Vista, Nebraska 68128. The Registered Agent of the Company is Michelle R. Stephens, 7732 S 71st Street, La Vista, Nebraska 68128. The Company was formed on July 26, 2021. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

LINDSEY A. SCHULER, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CENTRAL RIDGE, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Central Ridge, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 1941 South 42nd Street, Suite 550, Omaha, NE 68105. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, LLC, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF MOREHOUSE LOGISTICS, INC. Notice is hereby given that the Articles of Incorporation of Morehouse Logistics, Inc. have been amended and restated in their entirety as follow: Article 1 states the name of the Corporation as Morehouse Logistics, Inc. Article 2 states the purpose. Article 3 states the number of shares the Corporation is authorized to issue as as 1,000 shares of common stock having a par value of $10.00 per share. Article 4 states the Registered Office of the Corporation as 4010 Dahlman Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68107, and the Registered Agent as G. Curtis Morehouse. Article 5 states the Corporation shall have perpetual existence. Article 6 states the provisions relating to amending the Articles and Bylaws. Article 7 states the provisions relating to director liability. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 26, 2021. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF STAG ROOFING, LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication July 16, 2021, final July 30, 2021

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

With a labor shortage, why are so many older workers unemployed for so long? by Mitchell Schnurman

In the early months of the pandemic, nearly 1.7 million workers over the age of 55 dropped out of the job market. With a public health crisis taking a heavy toll on older people, many retired early or simply quit in order to stay safe. Jobs An additional 4 million workers age 55 and over lost their jobs right after the pandemic began, usually through furloughs or layoffs. Nearly two-thirds of those jobs have come back, although older workers as a group are recovering at a much slower rate than the rest of the working population. That’s disappointing, given that employers are complaining about a labor shortage and many older Americans haven’t saved enough for retirement. “In most recessions, younger workers tend to lose jobs, but this one was different,” said Jennifer Schramm, a senior strategic policy adviser at the AARP Public Policy Institute. “Now, many months into a recovery, the big distinguishing factor has been the duration of unemployment.” It’s taking a lot longer for older workers to get rehired — twice as long for certain age groups. It took 20 weeks for an unemployed 25- to 34-year-old to get hired, according to the latest federal data compiled by AARP. For those 55 to 64, the median length of unemployment was over 32 weeks, and for those over age 65, the median time out of a job surpassed 46 weeks. Here’s another way to look at the data. Among those 16 to 54 looking for work, 36% were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer. Among those 55 and over, a whopping 55% were unemployed for that long. “Just the fact that they’re more likely to be long-term unemployed makes it that much harder for older job-seekers” to get hired, Schramm said. “It’s kind of self-perpetuating. That in itself is a barrier.” Older applicants have long faced hurdles in the job market, with some employers worried about their technology skills, pay demands and the cost of health care. Many older workers see age discrimination, and those

500,000 US hotel jobs

Continued from page 14. Orlando were laid off or furloughed during the pandemic, and all the theme parks closed, resulting in thousands of more layoffs in the hospitality industry. Many Central Florida hotels reopened last summer, and since the rollout of the vaccines, have seen an increase in business and held job fairs for new hires. Hotel and timeshare chains such as Westgate have said they have rehired most of their former employees. The American Hotel and Lodging Association has been urging Congress to consider legislative action to protect the industry, including passing the Save Hotel Jobs Act, which would provide $20 billion to hotels to cover payrolls. The organization is also pushing to establish per diem rates for government travel based on 2019 hotel rates rather than using the past year. ©2021 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

perceptions soared during the pandemic. In a December survey by AARP, 78% of older workers reported having seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. That’s up from 61% in 2018, and it’s the highest mark since AARP started surveying the issue in 2003. “Age Discrimination Continues to Hold Older Workers Back,” said the headline from AARP Research in May. Part of the increase may stem from the pandemic hitting older Americans so hard. They’re more vulnerable to serious illness and death, and it’s only natural that employers would take steps to keep them safe. The pandemic also coincided with a big push to bring more diversity and inclusion to the workplace, in part as a response to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The corporate world needs more diversity and inclusion, but that’s had unintended consequences, especially for white men over the age of 50, said Tom Murphy, a longtime certified financial planner in North Dallas. “They’re having a very difficult time, and the older they are, the more difficult,” Murphy said, adding that he was referring to clients, friends and acquaintances in North Texas only. “They put their résumés into the algorithm, and they don’t get any interviews, calls or anything. “Is it their age, race, gender? I can’t tell you except to say they’re not getting jobs,” he said. Sometimes the explanation is simpler. He

recently met with two friends who have their own companies, and each wanted to hire 10 people immediately — but only if they were experienced in the right computer language. “Those jobs exist and they’re being posted online, but most older workers don’t have the skill sets,” Murphy said. The vast majority are willing to learn, including 77% who expressed strong interest in computer and technology training, according to another AARP survey. That’s promising, especially if employers continue to offer more flexibility in the workplace, as they did during the pandemic. More than half of the 1,900 companies surveyed in late 2020 allowed flexible hours and remote working, according to a Transamerica Institute report released last month. With that recent history and the labor shortage, more seniors could be drawn back to the workplace — or persuaded to stay longer. “In many ways, this could bode very well for older workers,” said Catherine Collinson, CEO of the nonprofit Transamerica Institute and its Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. “Some employers will have to get really aggressive in recruiting, and they may realize this is a segment of the workforce they’ve overlooked. It’s a terrific untapped opportunity.” She urges employers to offer options so older workers don’t walk away all at once, which usually occurs with retirement. A few companies have phased retirement plans that delay departures while reducing workload and pay. Others have part-time work or

contracting assignments, helping soon-to-be retirees build up their nest eggs while keeping their institutional knowledge for longer. “This can be a retention and recruiting tool in a very hot job market,” Collinson said. “Companies should ask: ‘Are we overlooking a really important hiring pool?’ ” Few companies have formal programs, although more will consider individual requests, she said. But many workers won’t bring up the subject. Collinson cited one woman who approached her after a speaking event. She was an empty-nester and was willing to work holidays and weekends so employees with young families could have more time together. She thought that would be a great pitch. “But she wasn’t even going to raise the idea because she was afraid her employer might force her into retirement before she was ready to go,” Collinson said. Raising awareness might move the needle now, she said, because of the success of working from home. But Murphy, the North Dallas financial planner, is skeptical. Many people retire earlier than planned because of corporate downsizing or health problems. And many clients working remotely are nervous about returning. “They say they never want to go back to the office again,” Murphy said. “And I’m doing the financial calculations to figure out whether they can retire.” ©2021 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Why are prices for groceries, gas, and used cars going up? Experts explain by Christian Hetrick and Catherine Dunn

A few years ago, Yvonne Ferguson-Hardin had no trouble finding a used car for her oldest daughter. This year, car shopping for her younger daughter has been harder. And stranger. Trends One online seller never showed up to a meeting. Another was actually selling toy cars instead of real ones. Then there are the prices: In 2018, Ferguson-Hardin said, she paid $2,500 for a 2008 Honda Civic. Now, she sees prices twice as high for similar cars. “We’re looking at the price in comparison to the miles. It’s just really, really overpriced,” said Ferguson-Hardin, 56, of Philadelphia. “It’s very surprising that it’s so much.” Consumers are paying higher prices for a lot of things these days, from used cars and gasoline to groceries and plane tickets. The Consumer Price Index jumped 5.4% in June compared with the same month last year, the largest 12-month increase since 2008, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Rising inflation expectations are the real worry for the economy The inflation is a result of the rapid reopening of the economy, experts said. In some cases, such businesses as hotels, airlines, and rental car companies are normalizing their prices after slashing them during the pandemic. In others, the supply side of the economy can’t keep up with the surge in consumer demand because the coronavirus has disrupted supply chains. “It’s Econ 101. More demand than supply means higher prices.” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “It’s

uncomfortable. It’s painful. But it’s typical. Same thing happens after every recession.” The Consumer Price Index measures the average change over time in prices paid by consumers for a range of goods and services, including clothes, groceries, electronics, and restaurant meals. It increased 0.9% from May to June. Prices for used cars and trucks rose 10.5% last month, accounting for one-third of the overall index, the department said. June was the third straight month that used-vehicle prices rose sharply. Automakers can’t get enough semiconductor chips to produce cars, causing a supply shortage of vehicles. Because consumers can’t get new cars, demand for used vehicles has increased, said Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers. But for dealerships, the biggest source of used vehicles is trade-ins on new cars, so the supply of used vehicles is down, too. “It’s kind of a perfect storm,” Appleton said. The index for airline ticket prices continued to increase, rising 2.7% in June as more consumers traveled in the spring and early summer. Delta Air Lines president Glen Hauenstein said Wednesday that demand for air travel came back at an “accelerated rate” from April through June. “Bookings in domestic and short-haul Latin leisure markets recovered to nearly 90% of 2019 levels,” he said on Delta’s quarterly earnings call. Business travel is also picking up, with nearly 95% of Delta’s corporate accounts booking travel in June. Even though airfare is rising broadly, there are good deals to be found — particularly on flights to city destinations, rather than the outdoorsy locales that have been popular

during the pandemic. “The city is where it’s at this summer for deals,” said Mel Dohmen, senior brand manager with CheapTickets. “Cities across the U.S. have had different reopening schedules coming out of the pandemic, which means a lot of affordability still for travelers and available inventory.” CheapTickets compared price points for summer 2021 travel with pre-pandemic summer travel in 2019, and found that it’s now 30% cheaper to fly to destinations such as Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles. It’s 25% cheaper to fly to such cities as Detroit, Minneapolis, and Atlanta this summer than it was two years ago, and 20% cheaper to book a flight to Phoenix, New Orleans and Las Vegas, according to the budget travel brand. Across the U.S., gas prices rose 2.5% over last month, the department reported. Gas prices in and around Philadelphia have also gone up — and they’re not backing down, said Kathleen Zinszer, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson. The average gas price on Wednesday in the five counties was $3.21 a gallon, compared with $3.16 a month ago, and $2.42 a year ago, according to AAA. The price of crude oil, which rose 55% between Jan. 4 and Tuesday, along with the demand for gasoline, is contributing to rising prices at the pump, she said. “Philadelphia-area drivers are paying about 80 cents more than they were one year ago and close to 30 cents more than in 2019,” Zinszer said. Zandi, the Moody’s economist, said the sharp rise in inflation should be temporary, noting the price increases that occurred after Continued on next page.

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

American companies want to hire many more immigrants, but it’s tough to get a work visa by Mitchell Schnurman

Employers are eager to hire more immigrants, if only there were enough visas to go around. Job-based visas for temporary workers, including H-1Bs, H-2As and H-2Bs, are in high demand. So much so Jobs that the government has been using a lottery to award the documents in two of the programs. One that’s not capped, H-2As for temporary agricultural workers, has grown almost 60% in the past four years. That’s a sign of how much U.S. farmers need help from beyond our borders. H-1Bs, which are widely used for technology workers and other highly skilled foreigners, have been oversubscribed for years. With an annual cap of 85,000 new visas, the gap is growing. For fiscal 2022, the government received 308,613 petitions for H-1Bs in the capped program. That’s 2.5 times more applications than in 2014, boosted in part because the government switched to a pre-registration system related to the lottery. Less than 28% of petitions will get a visa in 2022 compared with 2014, when over twothirds of petitions got a visa. “We don’t have the people for all these tech jobs,” said Matt Bomberger, senior vice president of global sales and operations at Bresatech, a professional services firm in Plano that does staffing. “But we could have the people if we would just relax our immigration laws and allow those folks to come over.” The workload is so intense now, he said, that some people are working 40 hours a week for their day job and putting in another 20 hours on assignments with a second company: “Some of our clients are so desperate they’re having to embrace this kind of new world order,” Bomberger said. Temporary work programs are controversial. Employers and business groups are eager to expand the immigrant labor pool, arguing that foreigners fill jobs most Americans cannot or will not do. They point to research that shows H-1Bs complement U.S. workers, fill in gaps in science, technology and math, and help businesses grow. The U.S. also needs lots of help now.

Why are prices going up?

Continued from preceding page. previous recessions. “If history is a guide — I think it’s a good one — I think we don’t have anything to worry about here.” But for now, the price hikes are hurting consumers who are still struggling financially. Dana Spatz was laid off from her job at a food services company in May and now makes much less money while bartending part time and collecting unemployment benefits. Making matters worse, the 30-year-old from South Philadelphia has seen higher prices for essentials. She said she’s now buying cheaper gas in New Jersey and using more coupons for groceries. “I’m just doing whatever I can, any little ways that I can cut corners to try to save money,” said Spatz, who was a food services director for a local university. “A couple dollars here or a couple dollars there really adds up.” ©2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Companies had over 9.2 million job openings in May, more than any month on record. But labor leaders counter that guest workers drive down U.S. wages and sometimes take American jobs. While businesses complain about a lack of qualified candidates, the U.S. unemployment rate remains high at 5.9%. Nearly 9.5 million people were unemployed in June. “There’s always this dynamic, and both sides feel strongly about their conditions at the moment,” said Julia Gelatt, senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research group in Washington. “There are so many openings and so many unemployed people. It’s hard to know if this is a short-term adjustment or the early stages of a long-term demographic trend — with a shrinking working-age population and really strong demand for labor.” As baby boomers continue to retire and the birth rate slows, the U.S. will need more immigrant workers. Gelatt and colleagues have created a policy road map to rethink legal immigration, starting with the fact that over 1 million people are waiting in line for years — mostly in the U.S. — for a permanent spot to open. The over-65 population in the U.S. grew by over one-third in the past decade while the number of children under 18 declined. The burden of funding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will be spread across a smaller number of active workers, the report said.

The aging population also will need more health care workers and personal aides, and immigrants have filled those roles historically. “Current immigration policies are mismatched with market forces and demographic realities,” the report said. The primary H-1B cap was set in 1990, and the economy and population have changed significantly. “In 1990, these people worked at software companies; now, every company is a tech company,” said Jeremy Robbins, executive director of New American Economy, an advocacy organization for smart immigration policies. Several industrial companies have engines and equipment with “more lines of code than a jet plane,” he said, and they’re big users of H-1B workers. He pointed to a study, released in 2014, that showed the cost of missing out on H-1Bs. After the Great Recession, the study said, the U.S. tech industry would have grown substantially faster, adding over 230,000 jobs for U.S.-born workers, if so many H-1B applications had not been denied. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pushing for major reforms. Last month, it called for doubling the annual cap on H-1B and H-2B visas, eliminating per-country caps on green cards and other immigration changes. “An immigration system that functions well and meets the economic needs of the

United States would go a significant way to addressing workforce shortages,” said Jon Baselice, vice president of immigration policy for the U.S. Chamber. Last month, he took his son on a trip to Pittsburgh, and the hotel was only halfway open because it couldn’t get enough help to keep the rooms clean, he said. “The night manager said, ‘We’re just happy we could finally serve breakfast again,’” Baselice said. The chamber said it would lobby hard for reforms, but Washington may not be receptive, said Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute. Leaders are fixated on the border, refugees and the status of “Dreamers” — immigrants brought here as children. The program protecting Dreamers was unlawfully constructed, a federal judge in Texas said last week, creating another potential crisis. “H-1B levels and green card levels are very far from legislators’ minds, given everything else that’s happening,” Gelatt said. The Biden administration has proposed an overhaul. The effort could gain momentum, she said, as more baby boomers retire and the number of unemployed falls — assuming labor shortages persist. “Maybe then there will be more political space to work on immigration,” Gelatt said. ©2021 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Offices divided? As workers return, some businesses will treat the unvaccinated differently by Lisa Schencker and Denny Jacob

When North Chicago-based AbbVie employees returned to the office earlier this month, they faced two sets of rules based on whether they’d received COVID-19 vaccines. Workplace Vaccinated workers were not required to wear masks or social distance. Those without shots were told to undergo weekly on-site COVID-19 testing, wear masks and social distance. “Vaccination is the most effective way to keep people safe from COVID-19 and stop the spread of the virus,” the pharmaceutical company wrote in an email to employees, obtained by the Tribune. “The health and safety of our workforce is our top priority, and we will continue our enhanced safety protocols at all our sites.” AbbVie said in a statement that it is focused on ensuring the safety of its employees, but the company did not make anyone available to further discuss the policy. As companies across the Chicago area welcome workers back to offices, they’re often labeling them as either vaccinated or unvaccinated, with different treatment for each group. It can be a delicate issue — given many people’s strong feelings about vaccination — that companies are handling differently. Many companies are asking employees if they’re vaccinated. Some are taking workers’ word for it, while others are asking for proof. Some workplaces are requiring all their employees be vaccinated unless they have medical or religious reasons not to be. Still others are not mandating the shots but requiring weekly COVID-19 tests and masking for those who don’t have them.

“It’s a balance because employers are starting to encourage employees to come back to work and try to restore some of the camaraderie that existed pre-pandemic, but they also have to be careful about maintaining health and safety in the workplace,” said Gregory Abrams, a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath in Chicago. “As with everything COVID-related, employers are dealing with uncharted territory.” At credit card company Discover, which is headquartered in Riverwoods, only unvaccinated individuals will be required to wear masks and social distance. BMO Harris Bank’s commercial banking business also is allowing workers who are vaccinated — and choose to disclose that to human resources — to skip wearing masks in the office, said Dawn Feenstra, chief operating officer for commercial banking. Everyone else must wear masks when moving around the office, but not at their desks. The commercial banking business has about 1,000 employees in the Chicago area who started returning to the office in June. The University of Chicago recently announced that it expected all employees to get vaccinated and to upload proof of their vaccinations to an online registry. The university is still in the process of deciding on “potential disciplinary actions” for unvaccinated workers who don’t receive exemptions or comply with mitigation measures, spokesman Jeremy Manier said in a statement. The university said in a July 13 announcement that workers who don’t upload their vaccination cards will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 tests and wear masks. Generally, employers have wide leeway in deciding how to handle vaccinations and COVID-19 precautions with workers, legal experts say.

“Employers are allowed to set whatever work rules they want unless there is a law specifically prohibiting it,” said Douglas Brayley, head of employment litigation at law firm Ropes & Gray. He likened requiring face masks to requiring ties. Both are allowed, and employees who are at-will can be fired for not following those rules, unless there is a specific legally protected reason the employee cannot comply, he said. It’s also generally acceptable for employers to tell unvaccinated workers that they have to test negative for COVID-19 before returning to work and practice social distancing, unless they have a disability that would prevent them from doing so, Abrams said. Unvaccinated people are not a protected class of workers under the law, he said. Employers may also ask workers to present their vaccination cards as proof of their statuses, because those cards don’t contain any private, protected health information, said John Litchfield, a partner at law firm Foley & Lardner in Chicago. The cards include only workers’ names and birthdays, which employers already have, and information about when and where they received their shots, and the types of vaccines they got. Most of the companies Litchfield works with are requiring workers to present proof of vaccination in order to go without masks, he said. Other Chicago-area employers are taking a different route, mandating vaccines for all workers — something allowed under Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. Under those guidelines, employees can ask to be exempted from vaccination requirements because of sincerely held reliContinued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

Southwest Airlines readies big play for business flyers as companies ready return to office by Kyle Arnold

Southwest Airlines is ready to make the biggest push for business customers in the company’s history with a distribution deal with Southlake-based Sabre Corp. that started recently. Aviation Dallas-based Southwest, which has long been reluctant to share revenue with third-party companies when it sells tickets, went live on Sabre’s global distribution platforms recently. That means thousands of business travel planners will see Southwest routes pop up on their screens when booking trips for employees instead of having to compare on Southwest’s own website. Sabre controls about 75% market for the systems that large corporations use to book travel for employees. It’s a major play for Southwest as it tries to navigate out of the pandemic that has walloped the lucrative business travel customer segment. Business travelers make up about 30% of airline passengers, and business travel tends to be more profitable than leisure travel because tickets are often bought closer to the travel date and those customers pay more for

Offices divided?

Continued from preceding page. gious beliefs or because of disabilities. But employers don’t have to grant those exemptions if an unvaccinated person would pose a direct threat to others in the workplace, or if accommodating him or her would be an undue burden. Chicago-based Enlivant, which has more than 200 assisted living and memory care facilities across the country, said earlier this year it was requiring its workers to get at least their first vaccine shots by June 1 or potentially lose their jobs. Loyola Medicine, which has three hospitals in the Chicago area, announced last month it would require workers to get vaccines and, if they don’t qualify for exemptions because of religious or health reasons, they will “face termination of employment.” University of Chicago Medicine and UI Health have also said that they are mandating vaccines for their employees. ClubExpress, a Schaumburg company with 26 employees, decided to require vaccines for all of its employees before they started returning to the office in June, said Dan Ehrmann, president and CEO of ClubExpress, which provides a cloud-based platform to help clubs and associations run their operations. The company asked its employees to submit copies or scans of their vaccination cards, as proof that they were vaccinated, and placed those documents in their personnel files. Only one employee resisted, believing the vaccines to be unnecessary, Ehrmann said. Ultimately, that employee changed course and rolled up his sleeve, he said. Because all of ClubExpress’s workers are vaccinated, no one is required to wear masks in the office or get temperature checks. They hold meetings in actual conference rooms. “We wanted to get back into the office, and the only way to do that safely was to insist that people get vaccinated,” Ehrmann said. “We just felt it was important to follow the science and the science said get vaccinated.” ©2021 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

flexible travel options. But many corporations put travel on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic made it riskier to conduct face-to-face meetings. “The tenor on business has really changed the last 60 days, where many of them were saying they were going to park it until after labor day,” said vice president of Southwest Business Dave Harvey. “But now they are moving forward so that they are back in the office sooner so they can be ready to go full speed after Labor Day.” And for all the threats of Zoom calls replacing travel, Harvey and other airline executives are reporting an uptick in business customer sales in recent weeks as the end of summer approaches. “Now they are saying they want to bring people back to corporate campuses because they are losing culture and innovation,” Harvey said. Southwest tickets are already available through some smaller distribution systems such as Amadeus. But starting now, those Southwest flights will be in front of thousands more corporate travel bookers with the Sabre system. It’s like suddenly having your products

on Walmart shelves. In the past, many corporate customers that use popular travel and expense systems have had to look for Southwest tickets through the airline’s own website to compare prices. If they did buy a Southwest ticket, they had to go back and add their Southwest tickets into a system that also tracked hotels, dining and other expenses. It was a hassle that may have kept business travelers from flying on the country’s largest domestic airline. “If you look at the 100 largest buyers of travel, for some of them we weren’t on the shelf space at all, or if we were we had a non-routine work process,” Harvey said. Airlines are already preparing for a fall of uncertainty when leisure travelers, which have buoyed Southwest during the pandemic, go back to work and school. Carriers usually rely more heavily on business travelers between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Even though Southwest and Sabre have been talking for years about a partnership, even recently it seemed like it might not happen. A year ago, even as airlines were desperate for revenue in the depths of pandemic,

Southwest president Tom Nealon said they were ditching efforts to ink a deal with Sabre. “I’ve worked with Sabre since, I don’t know, 2001 or 2002,” Nealson said. “It’s always a challenge. It’s a good company, but they’re challenging to work with. “We’ve been working for two years to get a contract, and at some point, you just need to call it and move forward.” But the two sides came to a surprise deal on the last day of 2020, and now it has gone into effect. Even though Southwest doesn’t have a business class offering, Harvey said more corporate customers are still buying coach or economy tickets for their employees. In some ways, Southwest is coming full circle, 50 years after starting as an airline that catered to business customers by flying between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. “They love our no change fees, no bag fees and they love our point-to-point network,” Harvey said. “They don’t want to connect over a hub where they could get stranded.” ©2021 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The COVID recession is officially over. Here’s why experts say that doesn’t matter by Sarah Foster

The devastating coronavirus-induced recession ended in April 2020, meaning the worst downturn in a lifetime was also the shortest, the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Business Cycle Dating announced recently. Economy That call might not make one bit of a difference for those on Main Street, however. The technical definition of a recession is a period of significant economic decline, likely lasting for longer than a few months. On a map, downturns look like rolling hills, with the peak of economic activity descending. In the coronavirus pandemic’s case, that descent was more like a cliff, with the outbreak cratering activity in February 2020, wiping out nearly 1 in 7 jobs and putting 1 in 4 people on jobless benefits in just a two-month span. At the lowest point in the cycle — known as the trough — the economy starts to pick back up. Vaccinations and hordes of consumers are offering hope that the financial system has turned a corner. Yet, even with the recession likely being over, it doesn’t mean things are as good as they once were. About 10.4 million people are still drawing unemployment insurance (UI) and the U.S. economy has some 6.8 million fewer jobs, according to the most recent figures from the Department of Labor. “The real question is not, ‘When is the recession technically over?’ but, ‘When are we moving from recovery to expansion?’” says Odeta Kushi, deputy chief economist for First American Financial Corporation. She equates the recovery period to the time that it’ll take the U.S. economy to get back to its pre-pandemic size. “When we start to move into expansion, that’s when we start to see some meaningful impact in overall economic well-being. The expansion stage is what we’re looking to get to.” What’s going on in the U.S. economy? Even the experts are perplexed The economy is sending some mixed signals, meaning it’s a hard time to track just

how far off that expansion might be. Elevated unemployment might suggest it’s going to be difficult to find a job, yet companies are warning of labor shortages and saying they can’t find enough available workers. Further complicating the picture, job openings in May were at record levels and nearly matched the number of jobless workers. Personal income and household net worth have risen to new heights despite devastating joblessness, bolstered by a booming stock market and sky-high housing prices. Showing even more dislocation, many businesses aren’t at full production capacity and supply chains are still fractured at a time when consumers are demonstrating record demand for travel, shopping and dining out, thanks to stimulus checks and a year’s worth of time locked down at home. That’s pushing up prices to their highest in 30 years, with other key inflation measures rising to the highest in more than a decade. The hope is that those disruptions will dissipate eventually, driven by reopening flukes and a mismatch between supply and demand. The fear, however, is that the Federal Reserve might lose patience and hike interest rates sooner than expected to get prices back on track. Record federal spending and an ultra-accommodative U.S. central bank aren’t helping investors’ inflation worries, either. Top of market participants’ minds is a 15-year stretch of out-of-control inflation that dominated the 1970s and ‘80s, thanks to big federal spending and a too-slow Fed. The Fed ended up having to manufacture a recession by hiking interest rates, hoping to get prices back under control after they rose by as high as 15 percent annually. That downturn was so severe that the economy ended up experiencing what’s known as a double-dip recession, where the financial system falls, rises, then falls again. “The Fed would like to avoid that as much as possible, but the Fed may be a little bit too late taking away the punchbowl this time, which may cause them to come down harder down the road,” says Scott Anderson,

chief economist at Bank of the West, which “raises the risk that they actually cause the next recession or financial crisis.” Under the Fed’s nose might also be permanent shifts in the U.S. economy that could take years for officials to fully realize. Households, for instance, might’ve discovered that they can get by on one income instead of two. Others might have chosen to work fewer hours or retire early. “You have to throw the models out the window and put your finger in the air and see which way the wind is blowing,” Anderson says. “Our models haven’t been super constructive for us in terms of forecasting [the coronavirus crisis] because it’s been so unusual compared to the past four or five recessions.” What to watch: Gross domestic product (GDP), employment, savings rates and inflation By its broadest measure, the U.S. economy isn’t far off from reaching its pre-pandemic size. By the total value of all goods and services in the economy, the financial system is just 0.8 percent smaller than it was before the pandemic. Many economists, including officials on the Fed itself, are expecting the economy to be bigger than it was before the pandemic by the end of this year. Helping that picture is a resilient consumer. Sales at restaurants and retailers have already soared past pre-pandemic levels, according to the Department of Commerce. A survey of U.S. households out of the University of Michigan, meanwhile, found that sentiment is climbing from its pandemic-low. That suggests consumers should have the demand to keep spending. Their wherewithal to spend, however, is a bit trickier to estimate. Record household net worth is likely related to stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits. Congress was hoping those fiscal relief measures “could be a bridge” to get consumers through a devastating jobless crisis, but those savings levels could run dry if job growth doesn’t Continued on next page.

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Tesla tops analysts’ profit forecasts as auto margins widen by Dana Hull, Gabrielle Coppola and Ed Ludlow

Tesla Inc. reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings, as strong sales of its electric vehicles fattened margins and delivered $1 billion in net income, a milestone for the 18-year-old company. Profit more than tripled to $1.45 a share on an adjusted basis, swelling as vehicles sales rebounded from pandemic shutAuto downs last year, the Palo Alto, California-based automaker said Monday. That beat the 97-cent average of analysts’ estimates and marked the eighth straight quarter of profit for Tesla. Rising sales of the mass-market Y and Model 3 sedan delivered a fourfold increase in operating income, even as Tesla grappled with chip shortages and port congestion, and slogged through a costly ramp up of new S and X models. The company widened its margins from core auto operations to 25.8%, from 22% in the prior quarter and 18.7% a year earlier. “It puts them down the path of being the best in class automotive company from a margin perspective,” analyst Ben Kallo of Robert W. Baird said after the results were announced. “I don’t think anyone expected this big of a beat, but with a market cap over $600 billion it takes more to move the stock than it used to.” Shares of Tesla rose as much as 3.2% to $678.40 in after market trading. They gained 2.2% to $657.62 at the close in New York. “Our auto gross margin excluding credits has increased nearly 10 percentage points to our highest yet since the introduction of Model 3,” Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn said on a conference call with analysts. That was possible because Tesla has lowered the cost of making cars more than it has cut prices, he said.

While Tesla is still by far the world’s biggest automaker by market value, its shares have declined 6.8% this year even as the S&P 500 has reached new highs. More-established peers, such as General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., have rallied as they have aggressively pushed into the nascent electric-vehicle market. Chip Dearth More competition from rival EVs comes against a backdrop of supply-chain challenges from a global semiconductor shortage and higher commodity prices. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said Tesla has had factory shutdowns due to parts shortages but was able to find substitute suppliers for some semiconductors. He warned the chip shortfall may crimp Tesla’s plans for boosting output. “The global chip shortage situation remains quite serious,” Musk said on the call. “It does seem like it’s getting better, but it’s hard to predict.” Tesla’s second-quarter revenue almost doubled to $11.96 billion in the April through June period, beating analysts’ estimates of $11.36 billion. Income from the sale of regulatory credits — used by other automakers to offset greenhouse gas emissions — totaled $354 million, down from $518 million in the first three months of the year. Tesla was profitable without the help of regulatory credit revenue, analysts noted. Musk, who said he was speaking from the site of a new factory under construction in Austin, Texas, dropped a minor bombshell: going forward, he will no longer participate in all of Tesla’s quarterly earnings calls. “Obviously, I’ll do the annual shareholder meeting but I think that going forward I will most likely not be on earnings calls unless there’s something really important that I need

Continued from preceding page. catch up. “That’s the most sustainable way to have income,” says Luke Tilley, chief economist and senior vice president at Wilmington Trust, referring to job growth. “If stimulus checks are enough to keep people spending, firms will be optimistic, and that, in turn, drives economic growth. But if there’s a disappointment to the downside, if it starts to taper or weaken, you could have employers getting a little bit more pessimistic.” Job growth will of course depend on the labor supply. Keeping an eye on labor force participation, particularly among prime-age workers who are between the ages of 25 and 54, will be a key way that you can strip out any longer-run changes to the labor market, such as those who decided to retire early. That measure is still 1.7 percentage points below its pre-pandemic level. And if you’re wanting to see whether inflation will be more transitory versus sustained, look under the hood to find out how much rent prices and housing costs are climbing. Experts say the Fed cares more about those measures, and over time, it’s the largest single-weighted item in the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI). Better yet, economists say to track broad-based wage growth, along with pay gains in areas that are echoing concerns of labor shortages, which tends to be a stronger indicator of whether price increases will be longer-lasting.

Wage gains have been “higher than where they’ve been for a while, but I don’t think it’s a red alert yet,” Anderson says. “This whole wage-price spiral argument that some people are starting to spin on Wall Street is a little premature, especially when you’re looking at the 7 million [Americans] out of work. We’ve got a ways to go.” Bottom line Wilmington Trust’s Tilley compares the end of a recession to a sick person in a hospital: Just because the proverbial patient (the U.S. economy) is improving, doesn’t quite mean the hardship is over. Continue saving for emergencies and cutting back on any nonessential purchases. If you’re still experiencing financial hardship, arrange a forbearance program with any lenders or financial firms that you regularly pay a bill to — steps experts say are crucial to recession-proofing your wallet. “Can we leave the hospital? That’s an incredibly important question right now because, by an objective measure, our patient, our U.S. economy, is on a healthy dose of steroids, both from the government and also from the central bank,” Tilley says. “The most important thing is, we don’t know how strong the patient is going to be when we take the steroids away, and when the patient is asked to get up and walk around on his or her own.” ©2021 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The COVID recession is officially over.

to say,” he said. Plants ‘On Track’ The company confirmed a forecast for 50% growth in deliveries “over a multi-year horizon,” but added, “in some years we may grow faster, which we expect to be the case in 2021.” The automaker said it is “on track” to start output of its Model Y crossover in two new plants — the one in Austin, and another in Berlin — by year-end. Tesla pushed back the start date for its Semi Truck, first unveiled in 2017, yet again to next year. Production of its highly anticipated Cybertruck pickup will follow the Model Y in Austin, but Tesla didn’t provide further details. “I don’t think anyone is surprised that the Semi is delayed and that the focus is on Model Y and Cybertruck,” analyst Gene Munster of Loup Ventures said in a phone interview Monday. Free cash flow came to $619 million, compared with the $319.1 million loss projected by analysts. That was helped by deliveries of 201,250 cars worldwide in the second quarter, compared with 90,891 a year ago. Bitcoin Loss Tesla said it had a “Bitcoin-related impairment” of $23 million in the quarter, a rounding error compared with its digital assets totaling $1.31 billion as of June 30. The company disclosed in early February that it invested $1.5 billion in corporate cash

to buy Bitcoin and said it would start accepting payments in the token, which sent the cryptocurrency’s price to a record and lent legitimacy to virtual currencies. But Musk later suspended vehicle purchases with Bitcoin on concerns about its environmental impact, which sent its value tumbling. Tesla’s recent challenges in China and the profusion of U.S. regulatory probes into crashes involving Autopilot, its driver assistance feature, have cast a shadow over its prospects. While Musk didn’t address the company’s business in the Chinese market — the world’s largest — he said that U.S. regulators were not a “fundamental limiter” to deploying fully autonomous vehicles. When asked about the take rate for Tesla’s FSD, or Full Self Driving, function, he acknowledged that it is still not ready for wide release. “We need to make full self driving work, in order for it to be a compelling value proposition, otherwise people are kind of betting on the future,” said Musk. “Like right now, does it make sense for someone to do an FSD subscription? It’s debatable. But once we have FSD widely deployed than the value proposition will be clear and everyone will use it.” ©2021 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

by Jennifer Van Grove

in technology, a national one as opposed to a regional one, which further increases the competition for those workers. This makes it imperative to deal with the STEM divide, where poorer education in those areas threatens to leave some people behind and worsen income inequality. Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth NO: As new technologies permeate all aspects of our lives, the need for advanced workers accelerates. While technical college graduates and training programs increase, they continue to be outpaced by global demand. As such, in-demand workers will command additional salary and benefits. Regions that efficiently produce or attract highly trained workers will fare best in the coming decades. James Hamilton, UC San Diego NO: The trend favoring tech-savvy workers has been very clear for some time. What often happens during a recession is that there is a sharp step that we later recognize as part of a longer-term trend. This could be a good time for some people to consider a career move. For young people, the advice is always to find something you like to do that fills an important need, and get the skills to do it well. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: Fortunately, the trend toward more virtual work because of COVID showed just how manageable this arrangement is. It makes sense that more people in tech want to work remotely; it's a field that's highly conducive to that. So, if tech employers are willing to let potential employees work from home, that could make recruitment easier. Here at Scripps, we now have employees working from several states. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: All "fierce" trends are temporary. We Continued on page 26.

Competition for tech talent is fierce. Is the trend temporary? The pandemic, which forced businesses to switch to online everything, appears to have amplified demand for technology workers. Last month, employers posted more than 365,000 job openings for IT positions, with software developers, IT support specialists, systems engineers and architects among the most coveted workers by employers. There is so much demand that the balance of power has shifted in favor of experienced engineers, who are being treated like celebrities and report having to choose between multiple job offers. Now, to win over a top engineer, companies are offering things like flexible hours, sign-on bonuses and permanent remote work. And employers are using "exploding offers" that self-detonate at a set date and time to force an immediate decision. Q. Competition for tech talent is fierce. Is the trend temporary? Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: Many factors contribute to deficiencies in talent, but most will be cured over time. Critically, the feeder system has broken down. Our education system must assume the task of readying candidates, as should the companies themselves. Notably, foreigners migrating to the U.S. have historically filled deficiencies, but the absurdly restrictive Trump-era policies, coupled with COVID-related travel bans, have reduced migration. It is worth noting that San Diego has benefited more than other regions from this competition. Alan Gin, University of San Diego NO: Technology will play an increasingly important role in peoples' lives, and that will keep the competition for tech talent high. The ability to work remotely has made the labor market for many workers, particularly those

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CommTech Global sees swift growth within engineering consulting niche policies, background checks, you name it,” Continued from page 1. engineering companies, to embark on Jachym said. “However, even though we are small, we are mighty and know how business ownership. “I didn’t want any regrets and finally to work with companies that have high decided to just go for it,” he said. “I am standards.” He said watching a plan come to fruso excited about all of our projects and am ition is what makes in awe when I walk the job so gratifying, into the facilities. I CommTech Global especially in diffialways say that some Phone: 402-201-2046 cult times during the people have golf as a Location: 20132 Roberts St., Elkhorn COVID-19 pandemhobby — well, ener- 68022 ic. gy is my hobby.” Service: engineering consulting “We’re still reA t C o m m Te c h Founded: 2017 covering from the Global, the focus lies Employees: 44 past year,” he said. on delivering a great Goal: Continue to expand main divisions. “COVID has been client experience. Website: www.commtechglobal.com the hardest thing Jachym said this is done by meeting expectations, even when we’ve endured. Fortunately, I’m happy to say that we did not lay anyone off — we it can be challenging. “We work with a lot of Fortune 500 remained committed to keeping our great companies and demands can be high in team members and even added some new regard to insurance premiums, internal faces.”

Competition for tech talent is fierce. Is the trend temporary? Continued from page 24. have had an engineering shortage for years but the current tech surge is due, in part, to strong investor appetites for startups and all things tech including a wave of machine-learning apps, using new sources of data for real-time decision making. Some will be wildly successful. Most will not. We are in 1998 again with a dot.com bomb looming and yet until that bust occurs, tech demand will be fierce. Jamie Moraga, IntelliSolutions YES: It's difficult to recruit and retain high-skilled tech talent right now due to increased demand. Workers can be more selective, or job hop to better offers as more companies around the country (or around the globe) are offering remote work opportunities, higher salaries and benefits, and more "incentives," which can put local or small businesses at a disadvantage. Like anything, this will not always be the case. The pendulum will eventually swing back as the market adjusts, more qualified workers decide to re-enter the job market, or companies decide to shift back to the office and away from remote work. David Ely, San Diego State University NO: The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in computer and information technology occupations will grow 11 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. BLS also projects that the occupations of computer and information research scientists and information security analysts will experience even faster growth. With strong demand for tech talent over the next decade, employers will be under pressure to offer more attractive compensation and employment terms. Ray Major, SANDAG NO: This trend will be with us for the foreseeable future. As the economy continues to advance and become more technology-driven, the demand for technical positions will continue to outpace the supply of technically proficient candidates in innovative areas like drone technology

robotics, AI and biotech. Talented employees will write their own tickets as employers roll out creative offers, perks, and signing or retention bonuses to lure the best candidates. Lynn Reaser, Point Loma Nazarene University NO: At least for some time, competition for various IT specialist categories will remain intense. Demand will continue to climb as more advanced technology extends through all economic segments and aspects of society. As awareness of the opportunities grows, more people will pursue technology degrees and schools will expand their programs. This will take time. In the near term, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills remain subpar and foreign visa restrictions will limit international talent sources. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research NO: At least for the foreseeable future, demand for engineering jobs and wage growth will be much stronger than average. Unlike other job sectors, engineering jobs were barely impacted by the pandemic shutdown, and have since more than rebounded to record levels. Engineering jobs in San Diego are anticipated to grow twice as fast the next ten years as other jobs, with wages more than double the countywide median according to California Employment Development Department projections. Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Talent at any level will always be as a result of supply and demand. Hot new skills that few people have will drive salaries up dramatically. Even causing bidding wars. It doesn't matter if it is white-collar or blue-collar, or anything in between. Our obligation to ourselves is that we keep our skills and talents up to the highest standards we can. This usually involves lifelong learning in every occupation. ©2021 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

As is the case in many industries, Jachym said it can also be difficult to navigate a change in politics, as there’s often a sway of losing certain projects that were slated for the upcoming year. However, other projects then become viable for the future and it’s just a matter of finding replacement work in the meantime, he said. Right now, Jachym said interest in solar continues to boom, as more people are wanting a renewable energy option. This also means many companies are working toward less wasted energy and more efficiency, which is where CommTech Global can help.

As far as future growth is concerned, he said the goal is to substantially expand each division of the company within the next three to five years. “As long as we find the type of employees we want working for us, the sky's the limit,” Jachym said. “We can't grow without the right individuals to grow with us. Possessing good culture and having good people is vital. It’s also about listening to what clients are currently struggling with and growing to meet their needs through expanded services so we can continue to give them everything they ask for.”

Local software providers offer tools to increase productivity

high-performing custom integrations by Dwain Hebda In the wake of the COVID-19 pan- with platforms such as WordPress and demic disruptions from last year, many WooCommerce.” Again, Hagan said clients are decompanies are turning to enhanced software tools to keep teams productive and m a n d i n g c u s t o m i z a t i o n o p t i o n s t o working smoothly. This is especially true go with rigid security protocols and as remote work arrangements continue to scalability. “The primary differentiator of our be a reality for many firms. solutions is they are cusJoel Vaslow, chief operating tom-built around the client’s officer with Tigerpaw Software, business and processes,” he said seamless coordination of s a i d . “ Yo u d o n o t h a v e t o data is the goal of that compachange how you do business ny’s signature product. to fit an off-the-shelf solution “Our software, Tigerpaw and we can provide more robust One, helps technology services integrations than low-code or companies keep all their teams no-code solutions. And because on the same page by providing a of our jumpstart platform, Vorsingle source of data,” he said. tex, we can save 20 to 40% of “Regardless of whether emdevelopment costs right out of ployees are co-located, working Vaslow the gate.” in separate offices or working Scott Theaumont, senior vice presifrom home, employees can access the information they need to perform their dent of sales for docuLynx Operations, a DRS Imaging Services company, said that jobs.” The software allows team members firm’s products help companies convert to stay abreast of sales opportunities, to a paperless environment along three customer communication, service work, core elements. “When you look at what makes us contracts, projects and payments. It also provides a powerful, customiz- different it’s three words — automate, a b l e w o r k f l o w e n g i n e t o a u t o m a t e integrate and accelerate. Let me talk things like email notifications, task cre- about each one of those buckets,” he ation and inventory replenishment and said. “We automate by discovering the mundane tasks that can be automatinvoicing.” “The COVID-19 pandemic reaffirmed ed to help create a more productive the value of our laser-like focus on caring workplace. We then integrate all of the for our customers,” Vaslow said. “Our existing tools and processes together customers tell us they appreciate our to create a more collaborative and efall-inclusive pricing and how seamlessly ficient system. Our goal is to eliminate information flows from one aspect of the data chaos.” “No. 3 is accelerate; we’re able to really business to the next.” Another contender in this space, Vo- launch and empower our customers and the lano Software, also touts the benefits of teams making up those customers to beits software, which provides a scalable come one seamless product organization.” Theaumont said while such software solution to the clients’ needs. “Collaboration among all employees tools are not necessarily new, the lessons in a hybrid work environment requires a of 2020 are likely to accelerate their robust set of tools that include a mobile adoption in the years to come. “I think it’s adaptability more than strategy,” said Josh Hagan, solutions consultant. “We have been able to leverage anything,” he said. “They’ve seen their our experience to help businesses navi- business change dramatically during the gate the challenges with a mix of remote pandemic and there’s no right or wrong answer to being able to enable these comand onsite employees. “We have also found businesses panies to be able to take care of internal are outgrowing their current tools and stakeholders and also their customers. now require something more robust. We’ve had to be really flexible and adaptWe’ve been able to help here by imple- able as our clients work through what that menting our Vortex portal and building means for their business.”

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

BKD builds on 35 years in region with consultative service offerings Continued from page 1. advisory firm has grown to 40 offices across 18 states and employs more than 3,000 people. Its presence in Omaha goes back to 1986, a year after BKD got its start in Lincoln. Its Omaha office is located at 1120 S. 101st St., while the Lincoln location is at Wells Fargo Center downtown. When asked about its longevity and growth in the region, McDevitt referenced its “people-first” culture. “Taking care of our ‘internal’ client allows us to focus on the needs of our clients and potential future clients,” he said. Additionally, McDevitt characterized Omaha as a “central hub” for businesses throughout the Midwest. “BKD has a strong history of service with mid-market businesses spanning many different industries,” he said. For instance, the firm refers to manufacturing and distribution, agriculture, financial services, construction, real estate, retail, notfor-profits, and the public sector and higher education spaces. “The network that the Omaha business community has continues to allow our BKD employees to find new opportunities to build clientele and serve the community,” he added. The sense of community and purpose that Omaha provides, he continued, matches closely

with the BKD’s mission. characterizes the new LeaseVision product as In recent years, McDevitt recalled how an artificial intelligence tool to, when approprigrowth going into the pandemic was good. ate, “extract key lease terms from various lease “[BKD had] high, single-digit growth rates types.” And it represents a “road map to help year over year in our traditional audit and tax provide an in-depth process framework and an services,” he said. Excel-based tool to help Through the pan- BKD CPAs & Advisors perform calculations demic, he described its Phone: 402-392-1040 (Omaha) and develop lease amorperformance as “con- Address: 1120 S. 101st St., Suite 410, tization schedules.” sistent.” The product was Omaha 68124 (Omaha) “There was some Services: audit and assurance, tax, rolled out to the aforegrowth in consulting business and financial management, mentioned lease acwork related to a lot of employee benefits, business succession counting standard and the pandemic relief aid, planning, internal audit, accounting outrequirements and the such as PPP loan for- sourcing and entrepreneurial consulting implementation of giveness and employee Founded: 1923 (firm); 1986 (Omaha) “complex lease stanretention credits,” he Employees: 56 in Omaha (five more dards.” said. In all, throughout being onboarded in July) Plus, due to the in- Website: www.bkd.com 2020 and the first half crease in the speed with of this year, McDevitt which tax changes are being proposed, McDevitt noted BKD has produced upwards of 1,000 said BKD has continued to see an increase in articles, webinars, podcasts and other forms of longer term tax planning discussions with both thought leadership to share with its contacts. individuals and businesses. “By keeping up with consistent commu“Additionally, we are seeing growth in the nication and hearing the areas of concerns or products BKD offers related to cybersecurity, as questions that our clients and potential clients well as a product BKD calls LeaseVision, which had, we were able to work to find answers and allows businesses to account for its leases on its solutions, and to help them get the guidance that financial statements — a new requirement that they need,” he said. “Every day, it is our goal to went into effect in December of 2020,” he said. continue to provide this valuable guidance and An announcement released October 2019 the best service available to our clientele.”

Midwest Eye Care retains patient-centric model in 70th year Continued from page 1. Center in Atlantic, Iowa. Three staff members Medical College of Georgia. He completed a accompany him on such trips where they see one-year internship in internal medicine and a patients with eye injuries, macular degenerathree-year residency in ophthalmology at Uni- tion, and other vision ailments. versity of Missouri-Kansas City. He specializes Overall, Midwest Eye Care hopes to in diabetic eye disease increase total annual and retina surgery. In Midwest Eye Care visits by 5% as the addition, three years Phone: 402-552-2020 country emerges from ago he received an Address: 4353 Dodge St., Omaha the pandemic. MBA in health care 68131 The son of an management from the Services: One of the largest physiOB-GYN physician, University of Colora- cian-owned comprehensive eye care Ingvoldstad credits his do Denver campus. high school advanced practices in Nebraska and western Iowa. Ingvoldstad ad- Founded: 1951 by John “Jack” Filkins, biology teacher’s inmits his most recent M.D. novative teaching with academic credential Employees: 200, including 17 doctors sparking his interest couldn’t have been at five locations in Greater Omaha area, in science. He also reearned at a better time. including Council Bluffs members his father “We’ve seen an One-year goal: Remain adaptable to picking him up from increase in regulations what’s ahead while getting back to prebasketball games, then and a political discus- COVID-19 levels and double-digit growth receiving an emergension of health care and in revenues. cy call from the hosas an industry we’re Industry outlook: About two-thirds of pital, and the younggetting pressure from eye care center revenues come from er Ingvoldstad liked government to lower Medicare and Medicaid patients and the what he observed while costs,” he said. “Two- public sector is seeding lower costs for waiting at the nurses’ thirds of our revenues the services. station. come from Medicare Website: www.midwesteyecare.com “I saw the profesand Medicaid and in sionalism and reverophthalmology we’re seeing more eye diseases ence the nurses and the other workers rewith the aged — especially cataracts.” ceived,” he said. Midwest Eye Care employs eight fellowSpecific to current work by the doctors and ship-trained ophthalmologists in the fields of staff at Midwest Eye Care, Ingvoldstad said retina, glaucoma, as well as two general oph- there’s a driving sense that vision is the most thalmologists and seven optometrists. precious of our senses and patients fear losing For the past 25 years the business has oper- it as a close second to death. ated its main location at 4353 Dodge St. Other Services include LASIK and refractive locations are at 13500 California St., 7202 procedures, specialized surgery, as well as Giles Rd., 18111 O St., and 715 Harmony St. surgeries related to cataracts, corneal disease, in Council Bluffs. In addition, most Midwest glaucoma, retinal conditions, as well as eyelid Eye Care doctors — via van service — travel and cosmetic work. one day a week to see and treat patients in rural Although intraocular lenses have been communities of eastern Nebraska and western available for 20 years, newer technology such Iowa. Ingvoldstad, for example, sees patients as correction for multi-focal distance have twice a month at the Cass County Health made the option more appealing.

With many cataract patients in their late 60s and into their 80s, more monitoring procedures are being offered. Ingvoldstad said he believes he has one of the largest corneal disease practices in the two-state area. A partnership with UNMC last year enables the UNMC Surgical Center at Village Pointe to be used by Midwest Eye Care doctors. “For example, in refractive surgeries our doctors now use the highest-tech lasers in the region,” he said. Perhaps the largest future growth area for Midwest Eye Care is in retinal surgery. With patients living longer, reducing the size of blind spots is becoming more common by patients who might find their job performance impaired, be unable to see the food they are eating, or with driving privileges taken away. “Our goal is to reduce the size of the blind spot and through injections over one to three months keep it from growing,” Ingvoldstad said. “Over the past 10 years this has been our No. 1 revenue source and important in the growth in patient numbers.” Glaucoma disease and surgery is also receiving more attention. Staffing overall is being ramped up. Additional specialists are being hired and will be added to the team later this year. Midwest Eye Care is operating at about 85% capacity at present. The firm’s services range from routine eye exams to complex corneal transplants. “We want to be as diverse as we can in our revenue stream,” Ingvoldstad said. Special initiatives being planned for the 70th anniversary celebration include Mission Cataract, which is offering — in partnership with UNMC — 25 free surgeries for residents of underserved communities; Community In Focus, with free eye exams and glasses for members of low income or homeless communities; and Eyes on Heros, offering free LASIK services to first responders.

Its COVID-19 Tax and Accounting Resource Center can be found off of the tab on its home page, and presents what McDevitt defined as the biggest creative solution that came out of the firm during the pandemic. “We also quickly transitioned to working from home, ensuring our employees had the flexibility that they needed while, at the same time, we leaned in to ensure that our clientele was continually kept up to date on necessary information that may affect them,” he said. “Our embrace of technology was also something that allowed us to continue to have conversations ‘face to face,’ and to ensure that our employees and clients felt heard and taken care of.” As it relates to its interface with locations across the BKD footprint, McDevitt described this dynamic as “one great firm,” a vision that unites all locations. “The Omaha and Lincoln offices regularly work and play together, allowing us the opportunity to collaborate on processes,” he said. “Among the other 40 locations, we have utilized Microsoft Teams to the fullest amid COVID-19. “Prior to the pandemic, gathering in person also allows BKD personnel to share best practices and really get to know one another. Then, when assistance is needed or efficiencies found, the sharing of ideas becomes less daunting.” At the time of this writing, the Omaha office employed 56 people and was poised to onboard another five employees in July. “Our office continues to grow and, as such, our hiring as well,” he said. “We currently have offers out to interns through 2023 and continue to source experienced hires.” McDevitt noted the team collectively works hard and plays well. “In the office, we try to celebrate the ‘every day’ and serve our community whenever possible,” he said. “Recently, we celebrated National Donut Day and Flip Flop Friday — fun non-holidays where employees received donuts of every kind — inflatable pool float donuts, stress ball donuts and, of course, real edible donuts.” He said they also gave away flip flops, as a “thank you” to its employees. “BKD recently wrapped up our Bridge Program,” he added. “In 2020, with the uncertainty of business, it was communicated that merit increases would be put on hold until a percentage of profit was attained. This allowed BKD to retain all employees during the pandemic.” Notably, once this performance was attained and, he said, eventually surpassed, the firm paid out the merit increase. “Not only that, but BKD also found that, due to growth, travel restrictions and opportunity, there was a surplus,” he said. “So, they paid it forward to employees in the form of the Bridge Bonus. All employees who had been hired prior to May 1st received a bonus of some kind as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to employees.” From serving clients to broadly serving the communities they call “home,” McDevitt said when he joined the firm the sense that community involvement wasn’t a specified initiative each week or month, really struck him, “Community involvement … seemed engrained in everyday life at BKD,” he said. “There is always some way for employees to contribute to the community.” Specific examples, he noted, ranged from volunteering at the Food Bank for the Heartland to attending a United Way benefit or raising funds for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Foundation. “We work together to be sure our community is well cared for in whatever way we can,” McDevitt said.

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

UPCOMING

SECTIONS

IN THE MIDLANDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

AUGUST 6

CORPORATE & LEISURE TRAVEL

AVIATION

AUGUST 13

REGIONAL LANDSCAPES

Briefs…

Omaha-based health care and hospitality service leader Spin Linen is expanding its services beyond Nebraska, now including Des Moines. Des Moines has a growing health care and restaurant market, creating opportunity for full-service linen management businesses like Spin. Along with health care and hospitality, a significant portion of Spin Linen’s business is managing linens for the food and beverage industry. Spin Linen currently has active partnerships with both Iowa and Omaha Restaurant Associations, as well as the Iowa Association of Ambulatory Centers. Truhlsen Elder Care Law of Nebraska is recognizing the vital contributions of educators with a drawing for a free estate plan for three local educators. The deadline for nominations is August 25. Enter at truhlseneldercarelaw.com/enter-to-win. Winners will be notified by email. For more information, call 402-426-8877. Sterling Lincoln Road, LLC and The Lund Company have opened Axis, featuring luxury apartments and townhomes. The 320-unit complex is a mix of studio, one and two-bedroom open-concept homes located on 23 acres on the northwest corner of 96th and Lincoln Road in Papillion. Axis was designed to be energy efficient, earth-conscious and easily maintained. Amenities include large windows, granite countertops, efficient stainless- steel appliances, in-unit laundry and vinyl flooring. The community is pet-friendly, includes a pool, clubhouse, business center, fitness center, recreation room, controlled access, package receiving, on-site management and maintenance and garages.

Education notes…

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program has launched its first cohort of the Engler Fellow Experience, which supports aspiring entrepreneurs as they balance being students and business owners. Throughout the experience, four Engler Fellows will learn business strategies, including customer discovery, market research and defining the purpose of their business. While fellows are located across the state, the entire group meets weekly over Zoom to share updates on their progress. The fellows and their corresponding businesses are: Dillion Muirhead, DM Creative; Miranda Hornung, MADE by Miranda; Hunter Suchsland, LS Lures; and Cade Ludwig, LS Lures.

Health care notes…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration is providing Nebraska with $9,301,536 to support COVID response efforts in rural areas. While vaccinations continue to increase, this funding through the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program will go to 36 small rural hospitals in Nebraska for COVID-19 testing and mitigation, important parts of the COVID-19 response especially as the country faces new variants. State Offices of Rural Health, which work with small rural hospitals to implement quality and operational improvement efforts, will receive the funding to distribute to eligible small rural hospitals in their state.

Arts & events…

The second annual Lincoln Crossroads Music Festival will kick off on Aug. 1 and run through Aug. 8 in venues Continued on next page.

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Lutz Formalizes Transaction Advisory Service Line Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, recently formalized a new offering, Transaction Advisory Services (TAS). TAS will offer Quality of Earnings (QoE) reports, assistance with transaction structuring, due diligence consulting and general consulting related to Merger & Acquisition transactions. Taylor Kendall, Consulting Shareholder and TAS Lead, said, “We have completed numerous projects for our clients over the last several years to assist with their individual growth strategies and are excited to formally promote this offering. Our goal is to help clients structure and evaluate transactions to mitigate risk, identify opportunities, and accurately assess the past and future performance of their acquisition target. We understand there isn’t a one-size-fits-

all deliverable, so we work to tailor our services to the unique needs of each client.” Drawing on our talented and dedicated team members, with expertise in a variety of industries, Lutz provides accounting, tax, and business consulting services through the full transaction process. Through extensive analysis and review of financial information, our goal is to aid in decision-making by providing sound advice to our clients. “Based on our experience, Lutz developed TAS in response to our client’s needs as many customers are pursuing growth strategies. We are committed to ensuring success for our clients, providing them quality services, and partnering as their trusted advisor every step of the way,” said Mark Duren, Lutz Managing Shareholder. Learn more about Lutz’s Transaction Advisory services here: www.lutz.us/TAS.

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Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 • MEETINGS AND SEMINARS Monday, August 2 The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in partnership with the Compost Research & Education Foundation and the Nebraska Composting Chapter, is hosting a five-day Compost Operations Training Course from Aug. 2 to Aug. 6. The course focuses on giving attendees the knowledge needed to run a successful composting facility, whether they’re just getting started or have been composting for a while. In addition to in-depth lectures, the course provides hands-on practice through indoor and outdoor activities as well as tours to local facilities, where the theories meet reality. Registration is online. Tuesday, August 3 The Nonprofit Association of the Midlands is hosting a series of virtual roundtables in August to identify solutions and gather crucial input from nonprofits to address immediate needs for COVID-19 relief funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. NAM is seeking guidance in identifying solutions that will transform Nebraska’s future in the following areas: early childhood, food insecurity, physical and mental health, housing and workforce. Individual experts and stakeholders who work in these fields, policy makers, government employees’ agencies and members of the public are invited to attend the second roundtable from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Registration is online. Wednesday, August 4 The Nebraska State Bar Association is offering a webinar on “The Transition From Casemaker to Fastcase: What You Need to Know” for members. The webinar, from noon to 12:45 p.m., will introduce attendees to the Fastcase system, including resources, content and features. Erin Page, senior law librarian and outreach manager, and Samantha Peacoe, senior trainer, will lead the webinar. Registration for the event is online and free to Nebraska State Bar Association members. There will be another session on Aug. 17 for those who missed this webinar. McGrath North is hosting a seminar to go over the recent changes to Nebraska condominium law, which will “open the door to development.” The event, from 11:30 to 1 p.m., will cover topics such as: law changes that will make development more profitable; common mistakes when creating condominiums; evolving neighborhoods; condominiums vs. multifamily; scarcity and demand; and more. Registration is online. Thursday, August 5 The Professional Insurance Agents of Nebraska and Iowa is hosting a webinar on Homeowners in Real Life — Tales of Claims and Coverage. This course, lead by Nicole Broch, will take a deep dive into some claims examples that range from dog bites to burglaries, renovation to total losses, and how each claim triggers specific parts of the homeowners’ policy. Registration is available online and the event will run from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, August 6 The Omaha Empowerment Breakfast is meeting from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at Charlie’s on the Lake, 4150 S. 144th Street. Guest speaker will be David DeFord of David DeFord Creative Consulting. Author of 10 books, DeFord is a popular speaker on personal and business development and life enrichment through volunteering. Registration for the event is online.

REGIONAL LANDSCAPES Continued from preceding page. throughout Lincoln with the slogan “See Our Faces. Hear Our Voices.” The program features numerous events, including 12 concerts, a film screening, workshops, jam sessions and a storytelling slam. The festival highlights the cultural and artistic contributions of Nebraska’s varied cultural groups through creative and conscientious programming. The festival features local and internationally touring artists. A full lineup of events as well as tickets can be found online. The Highland South-Indian Hill Neighborhood Association’s National Night Out event will be held on Aug. 3 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. HSIH has partnered with the Douglas County Health Department to provide COVID-19 vaccines to event participants through use of the mobile vaccination clinic. HSIH is also working with Heartland Workforce Solutions to bring employers from multiple industries to the event as well as the Douglas County

Sheriff’s Office. For more information regarding National Night Out, visit https:// natw.org/. Caleb Johnson & The Ramblin’ Saints are playing at Holland Center’s East Law on Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. Caleb Johnson was named winner of American Idol in 2014. He released his debut solo album “Testify” and in 2019 formed the group Caleb Johnson & The Ramblin’ Saints. The band released “Born From Southern Ground” in 2019. The Nebraska State Bar Association is hosting its annual Barristers Ball to benefit the Nebraska Lawyers Foundation on Aug. 7 at the Embassy Suites La Vista Hotel & Conference Center. The theme is “Galactic Gala.” There will be cocktails, dinner, a live auction and music. Room reservations and tickets are available online. The Durham Museum will celebrate National Root Beer Float Day with free 8 oz. root beer floats to all visitors on Aug. 7. Each visitor will receive a ticket

for one root beer float during museum hours. Regular museum admission applies and members are free. The Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Memorial Foundation, Upstream Brewing Company, Hiland Dairy Foods and Oriental Trading Company are underwriting the floats. Guests can also participate in activities including puzzles, games and crafts themed around the float. In addition, each museum guest will receive a soda jerk hat at the front desk to wear during the day. Last year, the Nebraska Health Network launched Community Relay to allow nonprofits to promote their services and connect with individuals in need. These services of support include categories such as housing, food, transit, education, child care and more. NHN is hosting an informational webinar to promote Community Relay to area nonprofits. This event will be held on Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. interested participants can register online at: https://communityrelay.com/events.

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

In the Spotlight Paid Content

LEGAL SERVICES

Named

Hired

Rodney Dahlquist

Kristin Fearnow

Partner

Dornan Law Team

LEGAL SERVICES

Partner

appeals. Kristin has served on the boards of directors of several nonprofit organizations serving immigrants in the community and held numerous leadership positions with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She also served as an adjunct professor of immigration law at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is fluent in Spanish.

Rodney Dahlquist was named partner in 2019, with a practice primarily focused on real estate, contract, probate and business matters. Rodney has handled a variety of complex cases involving individuals and businesses and vigorously represents his clients both in and out of court. His problemsolving experience has made him the firm’s go-to partner for complicated litigation or legal questions.

Kristin Fearnow, a longtime advocate for immigration and immigration reform, became a partner in 2021 and leads the firm’s Immigration Division. Kristin and her team focus on a variety of immigration cases in the areas of removal/deportation defense, asylum/refugee law, naturalization/ citizenship, family-sponsored petitions, consular processing, adjustment of status, Special Immigration Juvenile petitions, VAWA, U, and T visas and

LEGAL SERVICES

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Hired

Joined

Jacob Newman

Marcus Sladek

Mike Meyer

Associate Attorney

Regional Sales Executive

Dornan Law Team

Wellfleet Workplace

Jacob Newman also joined the firm in 2020 as an associate attorney. Currently serving as a Judge Advocate in the United States Army Reserves, Jacob is committed to serving his country and community. He focuses on civil litigation, property, probate, and other business transactions.

Marcus Sladek is the firm’s newest associate attorney, joining the firm in June 2021. With nearly ten years’ experience as both a Douglas County public defender and Omaha city prosecutor, Marcus brings great skill and care to his criminal defense and personal injury practice. Marcus also provides expertise in evidentiary rules and vigorous litigation skills in the courtroom.

Taylor Renfro Associate Attorney Dornan Law Team

Associate attorney Taylor Renfro joined the firm in 2020 as part of the Immigration Division. Taylor is experienced in asylum, removal defense, family petitions, juvenile visas, and adjustment of status and also practices law across the state of Nebraska in criminal cases, as well as guardianship, divorce, and custody issues.

Mike brings with him more than three decades of industry experience, ranging from broker and enrollment-firm owner to voluntary benefits wholesaler. Eighteen of those years were spent with a large national carrier, where he was often the leading sales consultant and held the record for highest annual sales record in a calendar year for the company’s broker channel. When asked about the secret to his success and longevity in the business, Mike noted his laser focus on building strong relationships. “In the voluntary

• APRIL 26, 2019 ss Journal •

benefits world, it’s all about becoming a true partner, not just a carrier rep. You really have to know your broker clients, treat them as individuals, and understand their needs and that of their clients.” As a digitally forward company, Mike’s timing for joining Wellfleet aligns well with the rolling out of Lighthouse, its brand- new, cloud-based benefits administration platform. “Pairing Wellfleet’s suite of flexible products and our Lighthouse platform with Mike’s expertise in building mutually beneficial relationships and crafting unique voluntary plans is a huge asset to the company,” stated Billy Farmer, Vice President of National Distribution at Wellfleet Workplace. “We’re thrilled to have him on board in expanding Wellfleet’s footprint in the Midwest.”

Midlands Busine

In the Spotlig ISING

PAID ADVERT

EDUCATION Promotion

Dr. Tim

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TION & CONSTRUC ENGINEERING

In the Spotlight

MBJ SUBSCRIBE

Promotion

Jen Landis

Katherin Warren

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Midlands Business Journal • JULY 30, 2021 •

In the Spotlight Paid Content

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

ARCHITECTURE

Hired

including franchise concepts. Most recently, he served with HearUSA, a retail arm of Siemens Hearing Instruments, and BurgerFi International, Inc., a fast casual better burger concept. Dolan studied business at Boston College. As the Vice President of Real Estate, Dolan will identify key market optimization opportunities while building on Scooter’s Coffee commitment to best-in-class real estate franchise and internal support systems. With franchise success and growth top of mind, the company recognizes relationships are the foundation of Scooter’s Coffee success as it rapidly expands throughout the country. Dolan will continue to cultivate positive relationships across the company’s

real estate dealings while it strives to provide the best customer drive-thru interaction in the world. Speed, consistency and an amazing customer experience is at the heart of Scooter’s Coffee sales growth. About Scooter’s Coffee: Scooter’s Coffee continues to grow rapidly while it strives to become the #1 drive-thru coffee franchise in the nation. The Scooter’s Coffee Brand Promise is: “Amazing People, Amazing Drinks… Amazingly Fast!®” It represents the company’s business origins from 1998 and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal and new customers. Visit ownascooters.com to learn more about the benefits of owning a franchise of a well-established company.

opportunities and develop relationships with potential clients and teaming partners. Ms. Pfeffer brings with her a strong background in healthcare and business administration.

BANKING

CONSTRUCTION

Promoted

Appointed

William Dolan Vice President of Real Estate Scooter’s Coffee

To help accelerate the momentum of Scooter’s Coffee growth and support the company’s intentional mindset toward franchisee success, William Dolan has joined the company as Vice President of Real Estate. He is responsible for franchisee and corporate real estate functions. Dolan has over a 20-year tenure in corporate real estate with emphasis in site selection, construction project management and lease administration. He has managed large portfolios in a wide array of industry segments,

Kara Carnes Credit Card Department Assistant Vice President, Assistant Manager Pinnacle Bank

Pinnacle Bank recently promoted Kara Carnes to Assistant Vice President and Assistant Manager of their Credit Card Department located in Papillion. She will assist in the management of her department and with daily operations and underwriting. Carnes began her career with Pinnacle Bank in 2006. After several years on the bank’s retail side, she moved to Operations

in 2013. In 2018, she joined the Credit Card Department. Carnes has an associate degree in business management from Metro Community College. About Pinnacle Bancorp: Founded in 1938 in Palmer, Nebraska, Pinnacle Bancorp is a family-owned, Nebraska-based $15.7 billion financial holding company operating 159 community banks in eight states, including 66 across Nebraska. For more information, visit pinnbank.com.

Lindsey Pfeffer Business Development Leader Alesia Architecture

Alesia Architecture is pleased to announce the addition of Lindsey Pfeffer to our team as Business Development Leader. She will be working to find new market

Kris Montgomery

Angela Ullman

Project Director

Business Development Manager

McCarthy Building Companies

Kris Montgomery has been promoted to Project Director at McCarthy Building Companies, assuming project leadership responsibilities on several Nebraska projects. He joined McCarthy in 2007 and has overseen more than $1.38 billion of healthcare construction projects. Most recently, Montgomery managed construction of the Omaha VA Ambulatory Care Center, which opened ahead of schedule and under budget in summer 2020.

CONSTRUCTION Promoted

Ryan Felton Vice President of Operations McCarthy Building Companies

Ryan Felton has been promoted to Vice President of Operations at McCarthy Building Companies. In this position, he manages the operational aspects of project work and joins the leadership team overseeing McCarthy’s 28-state Central Region. Since joining McCarthy in 2007, Felton has managed more than 50 construction projects and has helped expand the company’s footprint across Nebraska and western Iowa. Submit your company’s employee announcements to Spotlight@mbj.com

McCarthy Building Companies

McCarthy Building Companies has expanded its business development team with the appointment of Angela Ullman as business development manager. She’s collaborating with Business Development Director Amy Thompson in building, nurturing and strengthening relationships with current and potential clients. Ullman is focusing on the healthcare, K-12 and commercial markets, while Thompson is pursuing bio-sciences, manufacturing, industrial and higher-education opportunities.

• JULY 30, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal