Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame 2020

9 T H A N N UA L

FOUND ED I N 2012

2020 AWARDS CHRIS KOUBA & FAMILY  DOWNTOWN COFFEE SHOP LINDA HILL  TOWN & COUNTRY FLORAL MARGARET WHITE  PAPIO FUN PARK SECURITIES AMERICA SPRINGFIELD STATE BANK A supplement of Suburban Newspapers

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June 24, 2020

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SARPY COUNTY

BUSINESS Hall of Fame

Margaret White

We appreciate all you do for Sarpy County and your support of Midlands Community Foundation!

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Congratulations Securities America!

Thank you for all you do for the community.

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Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame different this year due to pandemic Previous Business Hall of Famers have set the bar high for a program that recognizes those who work to make Sarpy County grow and prosper.

This year, current events prevent a traditional induction ceremony from being held.

Suburban Newspapers recognizes each of this year’s five inductees with a plaque.

2020 Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame Recipients Chris Kouba

Chris and her mother, Virginia Munch, opened Downtown Coffee Shop in 1984, and it has been a mainstay of Mission Avenue since. Featuring a lunch counter and homestyle cooking, Chris and her staff have served thousands of diners with hearty meals and oldfashioned hometown service.

Margaret White (Papio Fun Park)

Opened in 1990 with a set of batting cages, the Papillion go-to facility now covers 8 acres and includes go karts, miniature golf, a pavilion, laser and glow tag, an arcade that has entertained generations of youngsters and adults alike.

Springfield State Bank

When the Springfield State Bank opened for business in 1946, the town had been without a bank for 15 years.

The bank opened in the old American State Bank building until 1975, when it opened a new building near the intersection of Main and Sixth Streets, where it still does business. .

Chris Kouba

Margaret White

Linda Hill

Securities America

One of the nation’s leading independent broker-dealers calls La Vista home, moving its headquarters there from Omaha in 2008. An anchor of the Southport area, the firm employs hundreds in its nearly 90,000 square feet building.

Linda Hill

After five years in Village Square, Linda Hill moved Town & Country Floral to downtown Gretna in 2011.

A downtown staple, the floral shop takes pride in its community, standing alongside its neighbors for all their big life events.

Springfield State Bank president Monte Town, right, and Bill Schlange, vice president of the financial institution.

Jim Nagengast, president and chief executive officer of Securities America

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June 24, 2020

Securities America continues to evolve

By Cheyenne Alexis Staff Writer

File photo

Above, an annual advisor training session at Securities America in 2014.

Submitted photo

At right, Jim Nagengast, president and chief executive officer of Securities America, has been with the company since 1994. the industry for percent of women in its advisor force, and has been rated in the top 10 for broker dealers in the country, Nagengast said.

In March this year, Securities America added a 65,000 sq. ft. addition connected to its headquarters in La Vista, and now has 150,000 sq. ft. of space.

Nagengast said the company has always been a “big believer” of building a robust financial services presence in the community.

“We’re very proud of the jobs we’ve created and proud of the leadership position we’ve had in our industry,” he said. “We’re honored the success we’ve achieved is recognized in the local community. It’s a recognition of all the employees who’ve worked at Securities America.”

Wertheim said Securities America embodies a unique “Midwestern hospitality.”

“It’s a great Midwest firm that has experienced phenomenal growth,” she said.

“A lot of it has to do with our leadership and employees who have that Midwest work ethic and they love our customers and are always working on behalf of helping our advisors serve their clients well.”

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For more than 35 years, Securities America has helped financial professionals across the U.S. grow their businesses.

The company was founded in 1984 by Stephen Wild in Omaha. In 1998, the company was acquired by American Express, and in 2005 became part of Ameriprise. In 2011, the company was acquired by Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services and this year was acquired by Advisor Group.

Now headquartered in La Vista since 2008, the company has grown to more than 650 employees in its headquarters and serves more than 630,000 clients nationwide.

Securities America is a financial services firm that provides support to its more than 2,500 independent financial advisors in America. The company provides services from back office processing support, technology support and supervises its advisors to be compliant with regulatory rules.

In addition to advisors, the company also provides services to financial institutions, such as banks or credit unions with financial services divisions. The company also provides practice management to help its advisors structure and grow their businesses.

Jim Nagengast, president and chief executive officer, has been with Securities America since 1994, and said the company has evolved exceptionally in its 36 years.

“It’s as much a technology business as it is a financial services firm,” he said.

“We have grown up with the internet and technology revolution, and through technology, we’re able to provide all the tools and capabilities you would expect out of a Wall Street firm.

“The business has evolved from simply processing paperwork and taking trades to supporting a financial professional in all facets of their business.”

Janine Wertheim, executive vice president of marketing and president of Securities America Advisors, has been at the company since its founding.

Wertheim said Securities America has one of the highest percentage of female financial advisors.

“Almost 30% of our financial advisors are female,” she said. “I think we stand out in that area through the initiatives we develop, and also the things we’ve done to recruit more women.”

Securities America was rated no. 3 in

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June 24, 2020

Hill stands by community A longtime Gretna resident, Linda Hill brought her business closer to home nearly 15 years ago.

“This is my community,” Hill said. “I love this community. It’s great to work with and be with the people in my town.”

Working for various Omaha florists over the years, Hill was able to move closer to home in 2006 when a friend asked if she’d like to share a space with his pharmacy in Village Square and open her own shop.

Hill’s shop occupied Village Square for five years. In 2011, Town & Country Floral opened in its downtown Gretna location.

“It’s been a great spot for us,” Hill said.

Hill grew up around flowers. She, her mother and her grandmother spent countless hours together in the garden at their home when she was growing up.

“It’s always been in our blood to garden,” she said. “It’s always been our happy place.”

Working a wildflower garden and using the plants in dried flower crafts at Omaha-area farmers markets eventually led Hill to fresh floral.

A self-described “design shop with a sales floor” the floral shop relies heavily on online traffic. The shop also features a cozy consultation area that allows those planning funerals and weddings to sit down and connect with Hill and her team.

A staple of the community, Town & Country Floral takes pride in its community, standing alongside its neighbors for all big life events.

“We’re here for those important days, recognizing those moments with them,”

Hill said. “I’ve felt very blessed to be here to meet the needs of the community. It’s what we do.

“We really do care for the community and the people in it. I like to be there for people during all of their stuff — the good, bad and ugly.”

Throughout the years, Town & Country Floral has participated in the Gretna Days parade, handing out roses to community members who lined the route.

event each year.

“My kids grew up here and both came back to raise their families,” Hill said of Gretna. “One of my daughters told me she wanted to move back because she felt like she had the ideal childhood and wanted her kids to experience that as well.

“I’ve been here a long time and I’m thankful to work here and be a florist in Gretna.”

The shop also provides refreshments during the Gretna Days car show.

An annual tradition, Town & Country Floral’s open house is a trademark of the Gretna Downtown Association’s holiday event, Greenery and Glitter. Hill is a member on the Downtown Association’s board.

Hill and her team provide cookies and hot cider, visits with Santa and Belgian horse-drawn hayrack rides during the t Por SuP ty

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Linda Hill, owner of downtown Gretna’s Town & Country Floral.

Congrats to Chris at the Downtown Coffee Shop in Olde Towne!

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Congratulations

Chris Kouba & Kouba Family Thank You For All You Do For Our Community

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PAST INDUCTEES

FOUND ED I N 2012

2012 INDUCTEES

• R. Joe Dennis (Developer, founder of Bellevue University) • Andy Anderson (Formerly La Vista Mayor) & Tom Doyle (City Engineer) • Al Wenstrand (Sarpy County Economic Development) • Bob Dressen (TD2, Papillion City Engineer)

• • • •

Bellevue University CJ Werner (Werner Trucking) Gail DeBoer (SAC Federal Credit Union) Mike Hogan (Commercial & Retail Developer)

• Beardmore Chevrolet • Harlan Falk (Great Western Bank) • Dan Hoins (City of Papillion Administrator)

• Jolene Roberts (President & CEO, Hillcrest Health Services) • Tim & Jan Vala (Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Gretna)

2013 INDUCTEES 2014 INDUCTEES

• John Thompson (Twin Creek Development) • Frank Kumor (Erwin’s Jewelers, Bellevue) • Mary Beth & Jim Harrold (Papillion Flower Patch and Papillion Barbers)

• Brad Stauffer (Gretna Chiropractic) • Pay Pal

• Bob McCallie (McCallie & Associates –posthumously) • Doug Zoerb (Pinnacle Bank-Gretna) • Gene Pfahl (Gene’s Auto & Truck Service Inc.)

• Mike Branigan Stylehouse Barbershop (La Vista) • George Rybar (Offutt Collision Repair, Bellevue)

• Rick & Rita Sanders (Richmont Village – Richmont Terrace, Bellevue) • Bob McKinney (McKinney’s Food Center-Gretna)

• Kim Ahlers (Kojama’s Boutique) • Soaring Wings Vineyard (Springfield) • Bank of Nebraska

• Doug Kindig (Mayor, City of La Vista) • Jack Koke (Harney Realty, Gretna) • Don Bellino (Bellino Enterprises)

• Keith Hentzen (Springfield Drug and Soda Fountain) • Nebraska Medicine-Bellevue

2015 INDUCTEES 2016 INDUCTEES

• Rotella’s Italian Bakery (La Vista) • Stella’s Bar & Grill (Bellevue) • Ed Sedlacek (SilverRidge Assisted Living, Gretna) • Darwin Hanssen-DJ’s Dugout (Bellevue) • Pinnacle Bank (Papillion) • Dan Williams (Wild Willy’s Fireworks)

2017 INDUCTEES 2018 INDUCTEES

• Doug Speth (Papillion Tire, Papillion) • Sarpy County Fair Board

2019 INDUCTEES

• Ron VanOeveren (Cornhusker Sign & Manufacturing, Gretna) • Eyman Plumbing Heating & Air (La Vista) 0000149498-01

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June 24, 2020

Congratulations and well deserved, Chris at The Downtown Coffee Shop!

High Fives

to Five of the Best Securities America Chris Kouba and Family (Downtown Coffee Shop)

Margaret White (Papio Fun Park)

Springfield State Bank Linda Hill

(Town and Country Floral)

Kudos to this year’s hall of fame inductees, with a special shout out to our client Securities America. We all benefit from your leadership, business expertise and commitment to the community. Thanks for all you do.

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2020 Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame Honorees!

Chris Kouba & Family - Downtown Coffee Shop Linda Hill - Town & Country Floral Margaret White - Papio Fun Park Securities America Springfield State Bank THANK YOU for always going above and beyond to do MORE for our community.

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Margaret White proud of park legacy

By Ashley Quintela Staff Writer Thirty years ago, Margaret White opened Papio Fun Park with a set of batting cages and hopes of bringing big joy to the Papillion community.

“At the time, there was very little to do in Papillon,” White said.

In 1990, after the first set of batting cages were installed, White consistently made additions to grow the park.

“We just wanted a profit,” White said. “What we envisioned in 1989 was different than what we have now. We’ve grown with the times.”

Now, the community staple stretches across 8 acres and offers a variety of activities.

From go karts, miniature golf and a pavilion to laser tag, glow tag and an arcade, Papio Fun Park provides fun to those throughout the community.

Papio Fun Park, located at 210 E. Lincoln St., has become White’s legacy.

“Looking back, I didn’t envision it to be this much work,” she said. “It has been a lot of work over the years.”

Before COVID-19 took a toll on business, White spent 12 hours a day tending to the facility.

Her favorite part: welcoming groups to the property.

Each year, Papio Fun Park hosts small gatherings for groups such as church youth groups, companies, daycares and day camps.

“I just like seeing peo-

Photos by Sam Pimper

Springfield State Bank president Monte Town, right, and Bill Schlange, vice president of the financial institution, pose for a photo inside of the facility, 600 Main St. in Springfield.

Springfield State Bank hangs hat on relationship building

By Sam Pimper Staff Writer Photo by Austin Plourde

Margaret White, owner of Papio Fun Park. ple,” she said. “I like seeing people come to groups and people just having fun. It’s just nice to see a group or a family walk through the door.”

When patrons come into the park, White said she wants each of them to not only have fun, but to also feel relaxed.

White said she is happy to serve the Papillion community and is pleased to know so many people enjoy her park.

“It makes my day when I see really nice reviews and just hear the positive chatter. I’m very proud we have that reputation,” she said.

“I really stress about any negative feedback because I take it personally and think how to change things.”

Over the past few months, White said she is especially glad that Papio Fun Park can help add a little normalcy during a tough time.

“We’ve had a lot of people in the last month thank us for opening because they had no place to go with their kids and they feel comfortable being here with these circumstances,” she said.

White, who is also involved in the Papillion Community Foundation, said she is proud to live in Papillion.

“Papillon is my home.

I would never move from here,” she said.

White said giving back to the community is one of her favorite parts of the job.

“Every donation request we fulfill,” she said.

“I feel like we are part of the integral part of the community.”

When she looks back at her journey at Papio Fun Park, White said she is proud of what it has become.

“It’s my life. It’s me,” she said. “It is what it is because I am here.”

Prior to the 1946 inception of Springfield State Bank, the majority of town residents were forced to make the trek to the Papillion area to have their financial needs met.

American State Bank was previously operated out of Springfield, but the town had been without a financial institution since its 1931 closure.

After 15 years, action was taken by a group of locals.

“It was a long ways to the city, and so because of the grain elevator, because of the grocery stores, the feed yard that was here, it was really becoming a self-sufficient community,” said Bill Schlange, vice president of Springfield State Bank. “And as a result, a bank was one of the things that we didn’t have that you just have to have.”

Originally, Springfield State Bank was housed at the old American State Bank location, followed by the current Springfield Drug store and then its current location, 600 Main

St., since 1975.

Regardless of location, Bank president Monte Town said he and his team have always had one primary mission: serving the needs of the customers to the best of their abilities.

That clientele, he said, encompasses about 2,000 people spanning Springfield and its surrounding areas. Banking with Springfield State Bank, Town said, clients know that their interests are being looked out for.

“The best way to say it is relationship banking,” Town said. “You hear that a lot … but we are able to manage people’s individual situations. Try doing that with an internet banking company. You are able to pick up the phone and talk with someone that you have known for 15 or 30 years that knows you, knows your business and knows your character.”

Not only does the financial institution take care of customers’ finances, it also prides itself on giving back.

“We try to be active in pretty much all the community events,” Schlange

said. “The school district is a big part of a small town, the churches, the merchants, the City of Springfield with Springfield Days — there are just lots of opportunities out there for us.

“It’s about the bank trying to be a leader in the community and trying to be active with all of the things happening in town.”

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Schlange noted that some people’s finances have taken a hit and that bank representatives have done everything in their power to help customers navigate through turbulent times.

“Loyalty becomes somewhat of a two-way street,” Schlange said.

“When they are loyal to us over the years, sometimes things happen that may be negative in your life, like losing a job. Well, then there is an opportunity for us to be loyal back to them.

“These last few months have been a perfect example. It’s a time when some people aren’t working and don’t have paychecks coming in, and we have to help them through that time.”

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June 24, 2020

Downtown Coffee Shop focuses on feeling like home

By Hailey Stolze Staff Writer

Over the last 36 years, Downtown Coffee Shop Owner Chris Kouba said staff has worked to make the small businesses feel like home to its guests.

Nestled in Olde Towne Bellevue, Downtown Coffee Shop has served generations of families using the same menu items as when it first opened.

“It’s not fancy,” Kouba said. “I haven’t changed anything in here. They know they’re gonna come and it’s gonna be just like when they were kids.”

When most customers walk in, Kouba said the staff already knows their orders and starts preparing them.

The family-owned restaurant focuses on simple, homemade meals. A fan favorite, she said, is hamburger gravy on toast, biscuits or hashbrowns. She said it became popular from service members in the Air Force, who make up many of their customers.

Among Kouba’s favorite restaurant moments was when two Air Force men bet on which team would win the Husker game. The loser had to dress in a skirt

and sing the fight song of the opposite team, she said.

“That was hilarious,” Kouba said laughing.

That’s just one of many fond memories staff and customers created over the years, Kouba said. Another, she recalls, was a group of men who came in every time one of them got married. The groom had to buy the others steak and eggs.

Downtown Coffee Shop is always looking for fun ways to interact with guests, Kouba said. They used to hide a small stuffed bear around the restaurant for people to try and find.

The bear was well-traveled, she said, as customers would borrow it to take with them on trips. It visited Las Vegas, Afghanistan, Florida, and many other places all over the world.

Their relationships with customers has kept the breakfast joint in business despite hard times, Kouba said.

When Downtown Coffee Shop first opened, there weren’t many restaurants in Bellevue to compete with. More and more have popped up over the years, mainly toward the west away from downtown, she said.

Photo by Hailey Stolze

Chris Kouba, owner of Downtown Coffee Shop, stands by old photos on the counter June 3 after the restaurant recently reopened. She and her mother Virginia Munch opened Downtown Coffee Shop in 1984.

Staying in business has proven difficult. The trick, she said, is to consistently analyze sales to motivate herself to improve. It reminds her what this is all about — the people who walk through Downtown Coffee Shop’s doors.

“I’ve never felt like, ‘OK, we’re safe; we’ve made it,’” Kouba said. “I think you can’t get comfortable.”

After a pandemic-related closure, Kouba said the restaurant is back open and happy to see community members again. While the future is unknown, she hopes they’ll be able to stay in business.

Through the ups and downs, she said they’re thankful that devoted customers go out of their way to come and eat.

Downtown Coffee Shop is located at 119 W. Mission Ave.

Congratulations Securities America on being selected to the Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame

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Recognition was not your goal.

That’s exactly why you deserve it.

The hard work and selfless dedication of leaders like you have shaped Sarpy County into the thriving community we’re proud to call home.

For that, we thank you. And we congratulate you on your well-deserved induction to the Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame.

Proud to be a Founding Sponsor of the Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame

A non-profit university, Bellevue University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org),a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education • Bellevue University does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability in the educational programs and activities it operates. Bellevue University, 1000 Galvin Road South, Bellevue, Nebraska 68005.

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