JOEL MAKOVICKA, PRESIDENT, MAKOVICKA PHYSICAL THERAPY
SCORING big JOEL MAKOVICKA LEADS TEAM TO RAPID GROWTH As the most-decorated fullback in Cornhusker history, Joel Makovicka learned early to look for openings and hit them at full speed. These skills led him to contribute to the fortunes of the Big Red as part of three National Championship teams and also served the 2010 40 Under 40 honoree well in business. Makovicka Physical Therapy has more than quadrupled in size and locations over the past decade. And it’s all thanks to broad field vision that helps Makovicka and his team identify and maximize opportunities. “We’ve never just said, ‘Hey we’re going to focus on sports,’ or, ‘We’re going to focus on geriatrics,’” he said. “We see the continuum of care, whether that’s orthopedic pediatrics all the way up into geriatrics; we do sports injuries, rehabilitation, physical therapy. “That’s continued as we have grown, enabling us to offer things that we haven’t offered in the past. We do aquatic therapy. We do vestibular rehab. Balance and fall prevention, blood flow restriction, we do women’s health now. We’ve always
wanted to see a wide range of people coming through our doors.” The company now operates 19 locations in Lincoln and Omaha and has about 185 employees. Makovicka said prospecting the next expansion — and there are more to come — is nearly constant. “Ninety-five percent of our growth has been organic, clinics we started ourselves, which is not to say in the future that won’t change,” he said. “We’re always looking for opportunities, where something is the right fit for us. If some existing location contacts us or wants to talk about their succession plan, we will talk to them. But it has to fit our model and our vision of how this company moves forward.” Part of this “Makovicka Way” is investing in the growth and development of employees, which the company achieves through career mapping and a mentoring program.
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