4
• AUGUST 14, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal
We WeRise Rise
An economic recovery plan to help the An economic recovery plan to help the people of Greater Omaha thrive people of Greater Omaha thrive
A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal An economic recovery plan to help the
Chamber, UNMC lend insight on best practices for reopening safely by Gabby Christensen
As businesses and organizations look to reopen their doors, there are a number of safety measures to keep in mind. To assist in the process, the Greater Omaha Chamber developed an economic recovery plan to help area businesses navigate the decisions and activities needed to safely resume commerce. First and foremost, David Brown, president/CEO at the Greater Omaha Chamber, said each organization is very unique, which means there is no “one size fits all” approach. “Every company must figure out which move makes the most sense,” Brown said. “Customization is a requirement when developing a strategy for reopening.” He noted that utilizing a consistent information source is critical. “It’s always best to resort back to a trusted and reliable source that provides accurate health information, as well as government regulations and CDC guidelines,” Brown said. Prior to bringing employees back into an office setting, he said companies need to focus on making sure employees feel comfortable doing so. This might even mean bringing employees back in stages. “Of course, the office must follow all of the procedures outlined by OSHA and
David Brown, president/CEO of Greater Omaha Chamber. (file photo) the CDC,” Brown said. “However, it’s also Right now, retailers are focused on makimportant to consider how employees are ing sure employees are safe when dealing feeling about their safety. It’s about creating with the public. a safe environment and customizing for each Additionally, he said customer experiunique role.” ence should also be at the forefront.
I recommend OFWF, they help me with all my tax planning.
Matt Schuman, President
O'Donnell, Ficenec, Wills & Ferdig, LLP
402-592-3800
www.OFWF.com
“Seventy percent of our economy is driven by consumer spending, which has been very suspended during the pandemic,” Brown said. “Organizations must figure out a way to make consumers feel comfortable again. One way to do this is by utilizing masks, sanitation methods and other distancing guidelines.” The National Safety Council, Nebraska Chapter (NSCN), in collaboration with the Greater Omaha Chamber, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, has launched the Be Safe Nebraska initiative, which allows companies to pledge Gold to adopt best safety practices focused on keeping their employees, customers and partners safe during the pandemic. Companies can visit www.safenebraska.org/besafe for more information. Before safely reopening can take place, Dr. Jeffrey Gold, chancellor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said “safe” must have a firm definition. “UNMC developed the Pandemic Recovery Acceleration Model (PRAM) to assist public and private sector leadership in assessing the regional and statewide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and making informed decisions about social distancing and other key pandemic response measures,” Gold said. “The model provides daily assessments of the regional specific impact of COVID-19 and availability of medical resources across Nebraska, helping officials make real-time decisions about appropriate resources and recovery steps for their individual communities.” Right now, he said it’s imperative to remain focused on amping up efforts to keep communities safe. “I am often asked about second or third waves, in which I answer that it’s fruitless to focus on the unpredictable future until we know how we are going to get through this first wave,” Gold said. “The only way to get through this wave is to utilize all of the measures that we know are useful, including physical distancing, PPE, sanitizing and staying home if you’re ill.” He said some tend to compare the Continued on next page.
We Rise — inside AUGUST 14, 2020
THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS
THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:
$2.00
VOL. 46 NO. 32
The Walling Company’s new owners pursue motion amplification tech niche by Richard D. Brown
CleanMoms provides sanitary solutions, personal service to customers. – Page 2
40 er d Un 40
International background directs, informs Sokpoh’s legal career. – Page 3
& rty pe ualty o Pr Cas
Property and casualty industry confronts uncertainty with aim for ingenuity. – Page 22
The new owners of Omaha-based The Walling Company, a 74-year-old industrial equipment sales and service provider that has the strongest customer base among ethanol, food industry and meatpacking plants, are emphasizing predictive maintenance solutions as an integral element in their growth strategy. President Rob Barie and Secretary-Treasurer Scott Felber, who purchased the 18-employee firm 12 months ago, believe severe cost-cutting at many of the 2,000-plants they serve has created an indelible opportunity. “Many manufacturing facilities have cut costs in maintenance in general and [where] they may have had six to eight guys at one time, when we come in we find they have one guy,” Barie said. “They can definitely benefit from our scheduling of maintenance when it will have the least effect on scheduled activities, minimize unexpected equipment failures and ultimately promote reduced Continued on page 9.
President Rob Barie, left, and Secretary-Treasurer Scott Felber … Predictive maintenance solutions are aiding in areas of growth for the engineered mechanical equipment company. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)
Local arm of Founder Institute lends external perspective, global resources by Michelle Leach
The industry wasn’t even around 16 years ago. Yet, today, startup accelerators stateside number more than 170 programs, and Brookings reports the space has been growing at an average rate of 50% annually since 2008. One of the accelerators that launched within that timeframe, the Founder Institute, has been the force behind
more than 4,300 company launches valued at $20 billion across 200plus cities globally in the past 11 years. Virtual chapters in Omaha and Lincoln are positioned to boost the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging a much-needed “outsider’s perspective” and collaboration versus competition. “We need more Nebraskans Continued on page 9.
Omaha Children's Museum Executive Director Lindy Hoyer with the animatronic bugs designed for the upcoming Bug Squad exhibit, opening September 5, 2020.
Industries prep for long term with adjustments to resume business by Michelle Leach
Local Director Levi Cermak … Accelerator set to bridge gap between Lincoln, Omaha entrepreneurial ecosystems, support funding and healthy environment for diverse founders.
Editor’s note: This article is part of a series sharing firsthand experiences from local organizations on how their respective industries are adapting to COVID-19. It’s a familiar refrain. “I’ve been involved with some form of transportation for over 40 years and I have never seen any issue impact our industry, causing chaos across all modes of transport, more than this COVID-19 crisis,”
said Cargo Zone LLC President and AIT Worldwide Logistics Omaha branch owner Terry McMullen. “I’m sure that every person in every industry feels the same way.” In its 29 years of operations in Nebraska, McMullen said it has survived many “impactful situations.” “The DotCom crash, 9/11 was terrible for the transport industry, SARS disrupted travel and trade show business, and the Continued on page 10.