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Jules will ride someday. She feels it in her bones.
W
Imperfecta, a rare, often crippling g condittion, and designed an innovative comb bination n of surgeries and treatments.
Because of their global expertise in orthopedics, specialists at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center diagnosed Osteogenesis
the day she can ride the animals that arre her passion. She has no doubt it will com me. Her doctors will make it so.
hen Juliana was three, a trip down a slide changed her life. There was pain, then X-rays that revealed multiple fractures in her vertebrae.
Visit ChildrensOmaha.org for more information on how we can help your child. For a pediatrician, family physician or pediatric specialist, call 1.800.833.3100.
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We’re Your Midwest Connection The Midwest now has 5 new & existing Public Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fill Stations available to service your fleet vehicles from Omaha and Lincoln to Kansas City.
Contact our Marketing Department at 402-504-7185 • www.LiveGreenThinkBlue.com
G E TTIN G A C Q U AINT E D
“Omaha: Extraordinary Opportunities” is a publication of the Greater Omaha Chamber, created and produced by the Omaha World-Herald. Greater Omaha Chamber 1301 Harney St., Omaha, NE 68102 13206 Grover St., Omaha, NE 68144 Phone 402-346-5000 Fax 402-346-7050 info@OmahaChamber.org OmahaChamber.org SelectGreaterOmaha.com Greater Omaha Chamber President and CEO DAVID G. BROWN
“Omaha: Extraordinary Opportunities” isn’t just a marketing gimmick. Greater Omaha is extraordinary, and this publication will help you see why.
GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER PROJECT TEAM
Project Editor RUTHANN MANLEY
Jim Krieger, left, and David Brown
Creative Director KIM SELLMEYER Project Assistant SUSAN HART
PHOTO: RODNEY GREEN
Project Director KARLA EWERT
Extraordinary Omaha
WORLD-HERALD PROJECT TEAM Project Editor/Creative Director CHRIS CHRISTEN Designer JULIA SMITH Graphic Artist ANANDA SPADT Copy Editor AMY LaMAR Contributors/Content OMAHA WORLDHERALD, JEFF BARNES, LEO ADAM BIGA, MATTHEW GERSIB, KURT A. KEELER, TINA KING, RUTHANN MANLEY, DAN McCANN, MONICA McFARLAND, TIM STUART Contributors/Photography OMAHA WORLDHERALD, DANA ALTMAN, JEFF BARNES, ROGER D. BARNES, JEFFREY BEBEE, BELLUS photo+film, JENNIFER PATTEN BENSON, CHRIS CHRISTEN, SCOTT DRICKEY, ROBERT ERVIN, ERIC FRANCIS, JIM FERGUSON, RODNEY GREEN, KURT A. KEELER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, TIMOTHY KEEN, STEVE KOWALSKI, RUTHANN MANLEY, KIM SELLMEYER, BILL SITZMANN, KEN SMITH, RUDY SMITH, MIKE WHYE Production Coordinator & Imaging Specialist PATRICIA “MURPHY” BENOIT Project Sales Managers TAM WEBB CARRIE KENTCH ON THE COVER: Opening ceremony at 2011 NCAA Men's College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Photographed by Eric Francis. Copyright 2011 Omaha World-Herald, 1314 Douglas St., Suite 600, Omaha, NE 68102 402-444-1094; www.omaha.com Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information in this publication. The Greater Omaha Chamber and Omaha World-Herald assume no responsibility for misinformation. Please direct additions or corrections to the Chamber's project editor. Reproduction in whole or in part without joint permission of the Greater Omaha Chamber and the Omaha World-Herald is prohibited.
We love sharing the good news about Greater Omaha and our growing local economy, helped by the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership. Since 2004, the Greater Omaha Chamber initiative has resulted in 313 economic development successes totaling more than $3.3 billion in new investments and 20,000 new or retained jobs. The region is economically strong for business, appealing to residents and inviting to innovators. It's no wonder national rankings sing our praises. #1 – Best Value City (Kiplinger.com – July 2011) #1 – America's Most Affordable Cities (Forbes – January 2011) #2 – America's Best Cities for Business (MarketWatch – December 2010) #3 – Places with Good Jobs and Cheap Housing (Yahoo! Finance – July 2011) #5 – Best Cities for Young Professionals (Forbes – July 2011) The quality of life in Greater Omaha is enhanced by the amenities of a much larger city – without being cost prohibitive or having to contend with traffic jams. The doors of our world-class venues are wide open and await your visit: •
$131 million TD Ameritrade Park Omaha
• • • •
$90 million Holland Performing Arts Center $291 million CenturyLink Center Omaha $31 million Werner Park Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
Several sporting events headed our way in a 16-month period will keep the eyes of the world focused on Omaha: • • • • • • •
NCAA Men's Basketball Regionals, March 2012 International equestrian jumping competition, April 2012 NCAA Division I Men's College World Series, June 2012 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, June 2012 Cox Classic, August 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, January 2013 U.S. Senior Golf Open, July 2013
We're sure you'll discover what so many others have already learned – Omaha is extraordinary! So, whether you are thinking about expanding your business, moving your family here or coming on your own, we welcome you!
Jim Krieger 2011 CHAIRMAN, CHAMBER BOARD; VICE CHAIRMAN AND CFO, GALLUP
David G. Brown
PRESIDENT AND CEO, GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER
Printed by Walsworth Printing Co.
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Downtown is the place to be these days. Good thing we’re already there. Outstanding patient care, groundbreaking research and advanced medical education – just minutes from Omaha’s vibrant riverfront. creightonhospital.com
P a t i e n t C a r e . Te a c h i n g .
Research.
IN A STUDY ACROSS 124 COUNTRIES, A MEDIAN OF 21% OF ADULTS ARE “THRIVING”…
… at Gallup, we help our clients understand why that is important to their business, customers, employees, and to the world.
Gallup is constantly cracking the code to human behavior, and we are not shy about our intent to use that knowledge to create positive change throughout the world. We help the leaders of companies, organizations, communities, and nations solve their most pressing problems with advanced research, analysis, and consulting. Through large-scale initiatives, Gallup helps clients from the public and private sector create sustainable GDP growth and improve organizational performance by applying insights from the cutting-edge field of behavioral economics. While Gallup maintains more than 30 offices around the world, we are proud that our largest location is right here in Omaha.
The O! factor: How we stand out THE GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER'S mission is to increase business, investment and employment in Greater Omaha. But our commitment stretches to all corners of the metropolitan area, as well as all of Nebraska. We understand that what benefits our members ultimately benefits everyone. We serve as a catalyst for growth for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and a fresh generation of entrepreneurs. Ours is a united voice to lawmakers, a partner in community studies and planning, a source for education and workforce development and a
provider of business resources. More than $3 billion in new capital investment has transformed Omaha's expanded downtown and riverfront in just 10 years. TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, new this year, gives economic momentum not only to North Downtown Omaha but to North Omaha, Midtown Omaha and South Omaha, too. Thanks to committed leaders, a dedicated workforce and a wealth of public-private partnerships, Greater Omaha is building on its reputation as a vibrant metropolitan city with world-class amenities and unlimited possibilities.
Downtown view from the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Table of Contents
3 Getting Acquainted
31 International Presence
63 Generation Next
8 Omaha: By The Numbers
39 Financial Services
73 Regional Economic Development
14 How We Rank
45 Insurance
19 Fortune 500 Headquarters
49 Technology
23 The Right Choice
57 Entrepreneurs
80 Urban Communities 87 Building Business Continued on page 8
Feel the energy. Build on the excitement. Join our 3,200 member businesses. Together we can keep all Greater Omaha businesses strong and growing. For membership details, visit OmahaChamber.org/join. For business information and more, visit SelectGreaterOmaha.com.
YouTube.com/GreaterOmahaChamber
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Facebook.com/GreaterOmahaChamber
Continuing education can dramatically increase employee value to your company. That’s why we offer more than 80 programs online to help employees complete coursework or pursue advanced degrees. All University of Nebraska online courses are fully accredited and taught by the same professors who teach on campus. Invest in your most valuable asset. Learn more at NUonline.com.
The smart way to prepare employees for a knowledgebased economy.
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Omaha: By the Numbers
865,350
Population of the eight-county Greater Omaha metropolitan area.
8-12%
The cost of living in Greater Omaha is 8 to 12 percent below the national average for a city our size. Groceries, health care and services including utilities are 5 to 10 percent lower in cost than the national average. Housing costs are 20 percent less than the national average.
34.9
Median age (36 percent of the population is younger than 25). The U.S. median age is 37.1 years.
408,958
Population of Omaha.
42
Omaha's ranking among the top 50 U.S. cities according to population. Greater Omaha is the 60th largest metropolitan area in the United States.
$138,900
Median price for an existing home, compared to the U.S. median price of $171,900.
$56,271
Median household income, compared to $51,517 for the U.S.
Table of Contents Continued from page 6
92 Surprisingly Cool 95 Living Here 103 Caring Communities 116 We’re In It Together 119 Education PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
124 Higher Education
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133 Arts & Entertainment 144 Advertiser Index
STRENGTH and Stability for over 120 Years A RESPECTED PARTNER IN CHANGING TIMES Enhance your employee benefits package at no cost by offering membership at First Nebraska Educators Credit Union. We’ ll provide your employees with the tools to meet their financial goals, leading to decreased stress and increased productivity, which will help your business grow even stronger. Call First Nebraska Educators to expand your employee benefits package today!
402.492.9100 Federally insured by NCUA.
G E TTIN G A C Q U AINT E D
Greater
Omaha
Welcome to a proud, progressive, vibrant
metropolitan area, future-focused but firmly rooted in a heritage of hard work and hospitality to others. We don’t merely exist here. We live here, fully, authentically and with plenty of room to breathe.
EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT Companies, tiny to titan, flourish in Greater Omaha – from the neighborhood family owned eatery to the Fortune 500s known around the world: Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, ConAgra Foods, Kiewit and Mutual of Omaha. Young professionals are embraced and cultivated here; entrepreneurs and artists alike are encouraged to let their innovations and imaginations run free. Even during the height of the national recession, our economic standing remained strong with a low unemployment rate, a stable housing market and a cost of living well below the national average. This publication shares stories of businesses, organizations, institutions and neighbors who have achieved success in and have positively impacted our remarkable community, a thriving metropolitan area that excels at exceeding expectations. Here is our gift to you – Omaha: Extraordinary Opportunities
PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
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G E TTIN G A C Q U AINT E D
PHOTO: JIM FERGUSON
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
PHOTO: KEN SMITH
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
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A Winning Combination for 25 Years Connecting quality people, a unique culture and a passion for innovation and growth: West Corporation and Omaha share many traits that combine to create a successful partnership. As a leading provider of technology-driven voice and data solutions, West Corporation offers a broad range of communications and network infrastructure solutions that help organizations manage or support critical communications. Our customer contact solutions and conferencing services are designed to improve our clients’ cost structure and provide reliable, high-quality services. West also provides mission-critical services, such as public safety and emergency communications. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Omaha, Neb., West serves Fortune 1000 companies and other clients in a variety of industries, including telecommunications, banking, retail, financial, technology and healthcare. West has sales and operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. For more information about West Corporation, please call 800-841- 9000 or visit us at west.com.
West Corporation 11808 Miracle Hills Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68154
Copyright Š 2011 West Corporation. All rights reserved. EOE/AA Employer
G E TTIN G A C Q U AINT E D
Surprise! O! What a City!
Open your eyes.
Greater Omaha holds one delightful surprise after another for children and adults alike. Les Bruning's “O! Dude” sculpture is a charmer in the Greater Omaha Chamber's courtyard at 13th and Howard Streets.
PHOTO: BELLUS PHOTO+FILM
Remember when you were a kid and your parents – with excited voices – would tell you to close your eyes? You just knew you were about to behold something extraordinary, perhaps a wish list fulfilled or a surprise exceeding all of your expectations. Are you ready to be dazzled like that again? Close your eyes. Imagine a thriving metropolitan area that reflects the hopes and dreams you have for your family: Award-winning, innovative schools; affordable housing in neighborhoods with character; a wealth of options for activities; a diverse religious landscape; cutting-edge medical facilities; and a lively and varied arts and entertainment scene. Keep those eyes closed.
Now, make a corporate wish list – a skilled labor pool; solid, reliable infrastructure; strong financial institutions; low power rates; generous business incentives; and a central location easily accessible by air, rail, interstate and river. Picture your metropolitan area exceeding those expectations as well. Alright, are you ready? Open your eyes! Behold – and welcome to – Greater Omaha!
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HOW WE RANK
Greater Omaha gets noticed
Standing Tall The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge spans the Missouri River, connecting Omaha and its Iowa neighbor, Council Bluffs.
Best Value Cities for 2011 #1 10Kiplinger – July 2011 Most Affordable Cities #1 America’s Forbes – January 2011 Cities for Recent Grads #2 Best The Daily Beast – June 2011 Cities for Business #2 Best MarketWatch – December 2010 With Good Jobs and Cheap Housing #3 Places Yahoo! Finance – July 2011 Cities for Young Professionals #5 Best Forbes – July 2011 Cities for Families #8 Best Parenting – June 2011 Selling Cities in America #10 Fastest Realtor.com – May 2011
#12
Best Places for Young Adults to Get Started On Numbers – June 2011
Housing Markets for 2011 #19 Healthiest Builder – March 2011
#20
Best Places for Business and Careers Forbes – June 2011
Cities for Job Growth – Large Cities #21 Best Newgeography.com – May 2011
Photo: Jeffrey Bebee
How Nebraska measures up #2
Happiest States in America MainStreet.com – January 2011
#4
Top 10 States for Well-being Gallup – August 2011
#8
States With the Healthiest Housing Markets CNBC – April 2011
#10
Top States for Business CNBC – June 2011
#11
The 20 Happiest, Healthiest States in America Gallup – March 2011
MORE RANKINGS FOR OMAHA Best Places to Retire Forbes – March 2011 10 Great Cities for College Grads Kiplinger – May 2011 America’s Lowest-Risk Housing Markets SmartMoney.com – January 2011 Seven Cities That Have Caught Startup Fever Details – February 2011 10 Up-And-Coming Startup Hubs From Around the World Grasshopper Group – January 2011
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Ranked #1 Embassy Suites in the World...TWICE!
The Embassy Suites hotel and conference center in La Vista is the perfect place to host your next event. Whether you’re hosting a meeting or celebrating a job well done, we have a variety of rooms to choose from. Better yet, our attentive staff and creative menus are guaranteed to make each and every event a great success. Call 402.408.5470 to book your event today!
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Ranked #1 Embassy Suites worldwide in quality, service and guest satisfaction 2009 and 2010
Greater Omaha is consistently recognized in prestigious national rankings. We’re noted for a cost of living lower than the national average, clean air and water, short commutes and cultural and entertainment amenities of a city twice our size. We have a well-educated community. More than 91 percent of adults ages 25 and older are high school graduates (the national average is 85 percent). In addition, Greater Omaha outperforms the national average for college graduates, with 32.7 percent achieving a bachelor's degree or higher.
Nearly 1.2 million people live in the Greater Omaha area, and 55 million live within a 500mile radius of our city. The latter group has an effective buying income of nearly $1 trillion.
Weather is a common topic of conversation. We have four seasons. On average, the warmest month of the year is July and the coldest is February.
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We have a variety of cosmopolitan attractions, yet we enjoy a relaxed lifestyle envied by most urban dwellers.
Nebraska's relatively low unemployment, solid infrastructure and development incentives put it among the top five business-friendly states in the country.
The average metro area commute is 20 minutes by car. We have bus routes and bike lanes, and we rarely see a major traffic jam.
Good things
come in Borsheims boxes.
The Borsheims box stands for more than a century of dedication to Borsheims’ customers in Omaha and around the world. For generations, !NQRGDHLR G@R NÇDQDC @M DWBDOSHNM@K RDKDBSHNM NE IDVDKQX V@SBGDR @MC FHESR SN BNLLDLNQ@SD @MX NBB@RHNM @KK @S SGD UDQX ADRS !NQRGDHLR OQHBD As a member of Berkshire Hathaway, Borsheims is backed by one of the VNQKC R LNRS @CLHQDC BNLO@MHDR @MC HR NMD NE SGD M@SHNM R K@QFDRS HMCDODMCDMS IDVDKQX RSNQDR
Regency Court | 1.800.642.GIFT | borsheims.com
© ConAgra Foods, Inc. All rights reserved.
Of all the homes we’re found in, we’re especially proud of this one. At ConAgra Foods, we’re proud to be found in 97 percent of America’s kitchens and at the world’s most popular restaurants. Our brands are in just about every aisle of the grocery store and on just about every shopping list. But we’re especially proud to be on your shopping list. We’re grateful for the support you’ve given us right here in the Omaha area. At ConAgra Foods, we love to make the food you love. And we love to make it here. conagrafoods.com
G E TTIN G A C Q U AINT E D
Omaha’s five in the Fortune 500 They have been linked to investment oracles, industry titans and even khaki-clad TV show hosts. While their industries couldn’t be more different, their hometown is the same. In fact, five companies from Fortune magazine’s list of the 500 toprevenue companies in the nation are headquartered in Greater Omaha. This is thanks to the pro-business climate, the quality of living for employees and ties to the community, some spanning more than a century. PHOTO: CONAGRA FOODS
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (No. 7) While CEO Warren Buffett makes headlines as the world's foremost investor, his Berkshire Hathaway holdings continue to establish themselves as household names in a diversified company. These include GEICO, BNSF Railway, Fruit of the Loom, Helzberg Diamonds, Borsheims Fine Jewelry, NetJets, Clayton Homes, Dairy Queen, Nebraska Furniture Mart, See's Candies and MidAmerican Energy.
Union Pacific (No. 153) One of America's leading transportation companies, Union Pacific, is the country's primary railroad franchise. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country, offering competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. It connects with Canada's rail systems, and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico. Union Pacific celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2012.
ConAgra Foods (No. 200) ConAgra Foods manufactures and markets products and ingredients through its consumer foods and commercial foods segments. Its consumer brands are found in 97 percent of America's households,
including Banquet, Healthy Choice, Chef Boyardee, Marie Callender's, Hebrew National, Wesson and Pam. Its commercial foods segment provides leading restaurateurs and food service companies with food and ingredients.
Kiewit (No. 249) One of North America's largest and most respected construction organizations, Kiewit tackles projects of all sizes in such areas as transportation, water and wastewater, power, oil and gas, building and mining. The employee-owned, multi-billion dollar organization operates through a unique network of decentralized offices.
Mutual of Omaha (No. 399) This full-service, multi-line provider of insurance and financial services products offers annuities and retirement plans, banking, employee benefit plans and investments, and health, dental, life and long-term care insurance, medical supplement insurance and disability insurance. The company is often synonymous with its home city for the millions of American families who tuned in each week to “Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom,” which premiered in 1963 and still can be seen on TV. PHOTOS: WORLD-HERALD, KURT A. KEELER, BILL SITZMANN
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GREATER Om aha’s Military Partnership
And another five: Omaha’s Fortune 1000 headquarters
West Corporation (No. 776) – Since its founding in 1986, West has become the world's leading provider of voice-related services. These include Natural Language Speech Recognition, Internet-based services, businessto-business sales, conferencing, receivables management and public safety. Each year, West processes billions of minutes in voice-related transactions through a proven technology platform and a network of employees located throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Green Plains Renewable Energy (No. 836) – Green Plains, an ethanol marketing and commodities processing company, is the nation's fourth-largest ethanol producer. The company has nine plants in Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Tennessee. The company, founded in 2006, broke into the Fortune 1000 this year. It also came in at No. 8 on Fortune's list of the fastest-growing companies. Valmont Industries, Inc. (No. 884) – An international manufacturing company, Valmont designs, manufactures and sells mechanized irrigation equipment; lighting, utility and communications poles, towers and structures; and fabricated industrial products and custom coatings. Its worldwide presence includes manufacturing facilities and marketing operations throughout North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Asia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Werner Enterprises (No. 937) – A global transportation provider of freight management, supply chain and other logistics solutions, Werner Enterprises offers coverage throughout North America, Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. In addition to its Omaha headquarters, Werner maintains offices throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and Australia. One of the five largest truckload carriers in the country, the company offers a variety of transportation and other services.
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PHOTO: MIKE WHYE
TD Ameritrade (No. 738) – TD Ameritrade, the namesake for Omaha's new downtown ballpark, has pioneered the online brokerage industry for more than 36 years. The firm serves individual investors either directly or through its network of independent Registered Investment Advisors. In 2010, the company set records in net new assets of $10 billion and record client assets of $342 billion.
Offutt AFB: Enduring friend
GREATER OMAHA HAS A PROUD association with the U.S. military at Offutt Air Force Base, one of the metro area's largest employers. Enduring community support goes back to the Martin bomber production line at Offutt during World War II. After the war, Omaha and Offutt continued a vibrant partnership when the Strategic Air Command (SAC) headquarters was moved to the base near Bellevue. Today, SAC's successor, United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), brings even more positive influences to Greater Omaha. Growing numbers of defense contractors increase employment opportunities and add to local business revenue in staggering proportions. The effect is compounded since Offutt Air Force Base is also home to the 55th Wing and the Air Force Weather Agency. The 55th is the largest wing in Air Combat Command and the second-largest wing in the entire United States Air Force. The 9,546 PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD military and civilian jobs at Offutt pumped more than $2.9 billion into the local economy in fiscal year 2010. The figure tops $3 billion when you factor in more than 4,200 secondary jobs with USSTRATCOM and the 55th Wing, and 10,000-plus military retirees living in the area. Currently, more than 70 defense companies have offices in Omaha and Bellevue. The economic impact of the base is likely to soar even higher with approval of a new USSTRATCOM headquarters building at Offutt. Ground could be broken on the $564 million global facility as early as 2012, with completion by 2016. The total investment is projected to exceed $1.1 billion. In 2011, the Association of Defense Communities saluted the Omaha metro area with the Active Base Community of the Year award, which was accepted by the Greater Omaha Chamber.
Local Roots With Global Reach Werner Enterprises, a premier transportation and logistics company, provides coverage across the globe, including North America, Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and Australia … but we will always proudly call 6THOH OVTL (UK ^OPSL ^L OH]L NSVIHS VMÄJLZ ^VYSK^PKL [OL JVTWHU` THPU[HPUZ P[Z NSVIHS OLHKX\HY[LYZ locally, where our roots grow deep. Werner also is dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint to create a greener environment for future generations. So no matter how far and wide we deliver, our team of committed transportation experts will get it home safely.
800.228.2240 www.werner.com | www.wernercares.com
TH E RI G HT C H O I C E Diversity of economy gives Omaha an edge Greater Omaha is a formidable competitor when companies are looking at cities in which to locate or expand. Site selection teams take special note of our central location, relatively low unemployment, solid infrastructure and low utility rates. Chicago-based Pollina Corporate Real Estate recently bolstered our national status by ranking Nebraska No. 5 among businessfriendly states in 2011. Pollina, which is involved in corporate site selection, cited Nebraska’s incentives to companies looking to locate here and qualified workers for just about any type of job in the state. Another plus: economic niches. In addition to being an important center for agribusiness and insurance, the Greater Omaha metro area is a center for information technology and data (consider First Data, PayPal, West, Google and Yahoo!); transportation (Union Pacific Railroad and Werner Enterprises); health care (regional hospitals that draw from a wide area); education (a dozen colleges and universities and two academic medical centers); and government (Offutt Air Force Base, one of the metro’s largest employers). Such diversity is a big reason why Omaha has been able to weather economic uncertainty better than the vast majority of U.S. cities, and a big reason why the Greater Omaha Chamber can build a robust case for locating a business here.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Select Tour a boon for site selection Valentin Hernandez admits he made his first visit to Omaha with preconceptions that the city was thick on farm fare and thin on high-tech enterprises. That was six years ago, though, and the Phoenix businessman now calls Omaha his family's “Disneyland.” His sons are outgrowing coastal amusement parks and prefer to spend summer vacations at the College World Series. Hernandez is a huge baseball fan as well, but he's also drawn to Omaha's evolving riverfront and startup climate by the nature of his profession. Hernandez is a site selection consultant who helps sizable companies decide where they're going to situate or expand. He and a dozen other professional consultants were in Omaha in June for the annual Select Tour hosted by the Greater
Omaha Economic Development Partnership, an arm of the Greater Omaha Chamber. The participants – many first-time visitors – were treated to the inaugural CWS game at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, on-site visits to major employers and data-filled presentations on Nebraska as fertile land for business. The three-day tour – the 19th consecutive one – reaped rewards. At least two consultants said the OmahaCouncil Bluffs area remained a candidate for their clients to move or to expand. Two other participants had no specific project in mind when they arrived but recommended the Omaha area as a possible new site for their clients. The tours plant seeds for future consideration. Claas of America, a combine manufacturer, came to neighboring La Vista in that way. Continued on next page
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Omaha talent pool is a selling point Green Plains Renewable Energy is one of Nebraska’s overnight successes. In OPERATION FOR only seven years, the Omaha-based firm is No. 4 among the nation's ethanol producers, No. 836 on the Fortune 1000 and No. 8 on Fortune magazine's 2011 list of “100 Fastest-Growing Companies.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GREEN PLAINS
Attracting local investors and talent has not been difficult for the firm, which employs 680 people and has a projected annual income of $3 billion for 2011. “There's enough talent here looking for opportunities to be part of a startup,” says CEO Todd Becker. “We don't have to take out a playbook and teach people what to do. They come here very skilled and very knowledgeable, and they can literally start right from day one. That's a huge advantage.” The Omaha office has grown from 13 employees in July 2008 to its current 90. In addition to the Omaha payroll, Green Plains has 92 employees at two plants in
central Nebraska, and 500 employees at 21 locations throughout the Midwest and South. The company's annual operating capacity is 740 million gallons of ethanol. Omaha is a good fit both in terms of operations and growth. “I could have gone to Chicago or Minneapolis, but I knew the talent pool was in Omaha,” says Becker. “This is the place to be for what we do.” Green Plains, which has its corporate headquarters in West Omaha, is wellpositioned for growth, Becker says. “We had a vision of a diversified platform with diversified revenues and income streams. We wanted to be the low-cost producer following all the tenets of operational excellence, and we wanted to have very solid footing in risk management.” Omaha is making it possible to deliver on all fronts.
A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION Continued from previous page
For Minneapolis-based Jeff Wenngatz of CresaPartners, the tour provided a fact-filled look at the business side of a city he previously knew on a personal level. “Boy, oh boy, has Omaha grown,” Wenngatz says. “It's unbelievable how much investment Omaha has put in, and not only in downtown.” Wenngatz likes the strong fiber-optic infrastructure related to Offutt Air Force Base, the low utility rates, the competitive wages, Omaha's middleof-the-country geographic location and access to railroad, trucking and other transportation modes. The tour left Leslie Wagner of Indianapolis-based Ginovus, LLC with detailed explanations of the state's business and tax incentives, such as the Nebraska Advantage Program. She plans to use these in side-by-side evaluations of cities vying for her client's warehouse distribution center. She liked walk-through tours of area businesses, such as Yahoo! and Gallup, and personal testimonies from their executives on why they chose
24
Omaha. “Basically, the flexibility, availability of real estate, the workforce – all of the things important to a company looking to grow.” Brian Corde of Atlas Insight, a first-timer on the Chamber's Select Tour, gathered information for a specific project. His Fortune 500 client was still deciding where to put a data center, and the Omaha-Council Bluffs area remained a contender. In Omaha's favor are teaching facilities, such as the University of Nebraska's Peter Kiewit Institute and Scott Technology Center, which produce a prepared labor force. Perhaps the biggest draw is the stable operating environment. “There's been no wild swing in the housing market,” Corde says. “The state has taken a conservative approach that has done very well. It's a safe bet.” Gene Canale, a consultant with Hickey and Associates of Washington, D.C., has never seen a city with as much public and private sector muscle working together to build projects. Local educational institutions are geared to spit out the human capital needed by local businesses. “It seems to be a young city, and a very clean, uncongested environment,” he says.
Our people make the difference. 1500 Woodmen Tower Omaha, NE 68102 402.344.0500 www.bairdholm.com
When it comes to using public utilities to win a new business for Nebraska, we have three things that count most:
Cost. Capacity. Reliability. Greater Omaha scores high on all three measures of electric power, arguably the most important part of infrastructure that business prospects examine before committing to a new location. Low power costs were among the reasons Yahoo! decided to build a data center in Greater Omaha. Data centers are hot items in business recruiting, though other new and expanding businesses also have found Omaha's electricity an attractive lure. Power rates for industrial customers are nearly 40 percent lower in Omaha than the national average, and 33 percent lower for commercial customers. “That gives us a huge advantage if we're talking to a business where a lot of energy is a key concern,“ says Rod Moseman, the Greater Omaha Chamber's vice president of economic development. The reason Omaha rates are so low is found in the electric utility's name: Omaha Public Power District. As a customer-owned power company, OPPD is under no pressure to increase profits in a fight for shareholders' investment dollars. Because it is tax-exempt, it can borrow for capital investment at lower rates than investor-owned utilities. Adequate capacity is also used in recruiting businesses. The recent addition of a 300megawatt generating plant to the OPPD system, coming on top of the re-licensing until 2033 of its nuclear plant, is a strong argument. In addition, the utility will draw 10 percent of its power from renewable sources – primarily wind – by 2020. Reliability is another selling point. OPPD's service availability index, a measure of how few power interruptions it has, is a solid 99.984 percent. Add to that the utility's J.D. Power and Associates award for customer satisfaction. “That resonates with prospects,“ says Moseman. OPPD has its own economic development team, which partners with the Greater Omaha Chamber's in pitching to clients. “We work hand-in-glove,” says Moseman. The Chamber has similar partnerships with the Omaha area's gas utilities. The supplier in the city is Metropolitan Utilities District, a customer-owned utility like OPPD. In Omaha's suburbs, residential, commercial and industrial gas rates of investor-owned Black Hills Energy run up to 15 percent lower than the national average. Cox and CenturyLink are two communications companies providing phone, Internet and data services. Omaha has for years enjoyed leading-edge communications lines connecting it to the world, thanks in part to the Cold War-born needs of an Omahaarea headquarters for the Strategic Air Command and its successor, the United States Strategic Command. When the technology boom called for more speed and capacity, Omaha lit up as a crossroads of fiber-optic networks. Business recruiters can also cite the academic opportunities provided by the University of Nebraska's Peter Kiewit Institute and the Scott Technology Transfer and Incubator Center.
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AT A GLANCE UTILITIES Nebraska is the only public power state in the nation. All electric utilities are non-profit and customer-owned. Abundance and reliability of electricity, water and natural gas contribute to rates that are significantly lower than those found elsewhere in the country. Technology Greater Omaha is at the hub of the nation's fiber connectivity. We're located at the convergence of major north, south, east and west U.S. fiberoptic telecommunications networks, including a carrier-neutral peering point designed for Internet IXP capabilities of 100 Gbps. Tax climate Nebraska has a pro-business tax climate. Through the Nebraska Advantage business incentives, qualifying businesses can substantially reduce – even eliminate – corporate income, sales and payroll withholding taxes for up to 15 years. Find details at SelectGreaterOmaha.com. Business Drivers More than 32,000 businesses are located in Greater Omaha. We're a hotbed for marketdriven opportunities, including strong startups in new media, insurance, payment systems, built landscape technology and digital security and storage. The Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership is your one-stop resource for business opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, Cass and Washington Counties. Find details at SelectGreaterOmaha.com. Employment pool The labor force within a 60-mile radius of central Omaha totals more than 710,000 people. Nine out of 10 adults ages 25 and older have a high school diploma; one in three have a bachelor's degree or higher. Both percentages beat the national average. Find more statistics at SelectGreaterOmaha.com. Sources: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-826, U.S. Department of Commerce, Council for Community and Economic Research, Moody's Investors Service, 2010 U.S. Census Bureau
Nebraska: A business-friendly state
The success of the 2011 Legislative session demonstrates the value of the close partnership that exists among the business community, Gov. Dave Heineman and the Legislature.
LB 388, the Site & Building Development Fund, allows the Greater Omaha Chamber to work with cities and counties to develop industrial sites through grants or zero-interest loans for land acquisition, infrastructure and technical assistance.
LB 386, the Nebraska Internship Program, aims to increase the number of college and university students interning with Nebraska businesses. The program allocates $3 million in job training funds to provide matching grants of up to $5,000 for job experience for juniors and seniors at the state's four-year institutions or students in their second year at a Nebraska community college. LB 387, the Business Innovation Act, provides $7 million annually to support research, innovation and development. Matching grants are available to small businesses for commercializing new products or processes; developing prototypes for products that stem from research by the business or through a public or private college or university; and conducting research and development on new products at a college or university.
LB 389, the Angel Investment Tax Credit, encourages investment in high-tech and other Nebraska startup enterprises. Businesses eligible to benefit from angel investments need to have fewer than 25 employees. The bill enables refundable tax credits of up to 40 percent for investing in small businesses focusing on technology development. LB 345, Small Business Innovation Act, is an “economic gardening� program designed to provide assistance for Nebraskabased growth businesses. The act targets high-wage job growth among small businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators. Technical assistance for participating businesses includes guidance on industry trends, financial data, demographics, competitive intelligence and strategic analysis. The Legislature also approved a major transportation funding bill, balanced the state budget with no tax increases while retaining a healthy cash reserve (in a year when many states were mired in budget stalemates), and on top of that, adjourned three days early.
Omaha Ma Manufacturer nufacturer nuf . . Global Reach Americas m mericas Headquarters H qquarters qu
FFor ov over v six decades, ss, the dedicated people of Conductix-Wampfler C d eer have designed and built eelectrification systems tems for tough industrial tte applications. ap p Companies mpanies around the world rely on m our ou u products to keep eeep steel mills, transit systems, bulk lk handling facilities, lilities, seaports, wind turbines, and m manufacturing plants p up and running. We aree a key part of the he global ConductixWampfler err Group, with sales, es, service, and manufacturing locations on every manufacturin manufacturi ry major continent. continent
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TH E RI G HT C H O I C E
The Omaha and Lincoln metropolitan areas are connected by the Interstate 80 corridor and provide businesses an ideal central location for U.S. operations. The growth and success of importers and exporters and the headquarters of global operations along the corridor have contributed to the overall growth and development of Greater Omaha.
TRANSPORTATION AT A GLANCE
Omaha is a prime spot for moving people and products
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• Planes in and out of Omaha's Eppley Airfield shuttled 4.2 million passengers and 156 million pounds of cargo and mail in 2010. • A 2.5-hour flight will put you on either coast, making it possible to hop a flight to Los Angeles, conduct business and be back home in time to tuck the kids into bed.
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• Interstate 80 (east-west) and Interstate 29 (north-south) allow truckers to reach most major U.S., Canadian and Mexican destinations within two to three days. As a result, nearly 100 motor freight carriers base their operations here.
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• The nation's first transcontinental railroad, Union Pacific, maintains its headquarters in Omaha. BNSF Railway strengthened its Omaha connection as a recently acquired subsidiary of locally based Berkshire Hathaway Inc. AMTRAK passenger train service also is available.
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• The Missouri River sees steady traffic between May and November, with barge lines carrying fertilizer, cement, chemicals, iron, steel and newsprint along the waterway once explored by Lewis & Clark. • The average home-to-work commute is less than 20 minutes. The airport is five minutes from downtown Omaha and the corporate offices of Union Pacific, ConAgra Foods, First National Bank of Omaha and the Omaha World-Herald.
Foreign Trade Zone No. 19 Within a few minutes of the airport, rail yards and interstates is Foreign Trade Zone No. 19 (FTZ), which has 250,000 square feet of warehouse space on 17 acres of security-fenced land. The FTZ is under the supervision of the U.S. Customs Department. Businesses defer duty payments on foreign goods stored there until the time they enter U.S. trading channels. The zone has facilities for repackaging, assembling, manufacturing, repairing and testing.
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INT E RNATI O NAL P R E S E N C E Omaha leaves a worldwide footprint
The Gallup organization After 70 years of public opinion polling
is that everybody wants a good job,” Clifton
Greater Omaha is home to several major companies that do business around the world. Their global transactions help put us on the map, and keep us in the midst of a dynamic stream of information, goods and services crossing increasingly transparent borders.
and market research, it's no surprise that the
says. “That's why we rolled out projects in
Gallup name has earned household currency
partnership with people like Vicente Fox in
in America. But it may be surprising to learn
Mexico and Sheikha Mozah in Qatar.”
just how far the name travels.
Gallup's studies of behavioral economic
“We survey in about 130 different countries
trends can be “around any issue of
every year,” says Jon Clifton, Gallup World
global importance,” and usually unfold
Poll deputy director. “We get into most
in partnership with governments or other
countries because Gallup is a name that's
entities.
trusted on a global basis.”
“We made a firm commitment to this because
The World Poll asks respondents to assess
we knew there needed to be better metrics
their satisfaction with universal quality-of-life
for leadership to look at in evaluating whether
Consequently, Omaha’s workforce is more international, cosmopolitan and multilingual as local firms send employees overseas and import talent from foreign countries.
measures such as law and order, food and
or not societies are really progressing,” says
shelter, institutions, infrastructure and good
Clifton.
“Greater Omaha provides international businesses an ideal central location for U.S. operations,” says Marisa Ring, manager of international business development for the Greater Omaha Chamber. “The Chamber provides support to businesses of all sizes looking to expand their global networks. Their growth and success contribute to the overall growth and development of Greater Omaha.”
watching,” says Clifton.
jobs. A nation's relative state of well-being is extracted from the results.
With offices in 40 cities, teams of interviewers in far-flung locales and scores of international
“We think all (the factors listed above) kind
clients, Gallup is a fully engaged corporate
of loosely tie to the Gross Domestic Product,
world citizen.
the indicator all global leaders are really
“We have a commitment to tracking wellbeing, and encouraging global leaders to
“When we did the first World Poll, the No. 1
accept that you can't look at traditional
thing we found that the world has in common
economic indicators in isolation.”
Here, we introduce you to a sampling of Greater Omaha firms making names for themselves worldwide.
Gallup University, Omaha Riverfront PHOTO: KIM SELLMEYER
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Leo A Daly Leo A Daly, a planning, architecture, engineering and interiors firm, has had an ongoing presence in Asia since the mid-1960s. The firm has recently ramped up its work in China with several massive-scale projects.
Hoover Dam Bypass, the highest and longest-arched concrete bridge in the Western Hemisphere.
The five million-square-foot Shenzhen Excellence Century Center in Shenzhen, China, features four immense towers. Two made the 2010 “World’s Top 20 Tallest Towers” list and are considered “signature projects” for the firm. “Each tower is shaped like a carved, jeweled prism,” says Charles Dalluge, Leo A Daly executive vice president. “At night, laser colored lights link the towers … in a harmonious metaphor” that won an international design competition for the firm. Another project, the Huijin International Center in Xiamen, China, sits along a waterway, and the wave-like beach face of the building plays off the water theme. It is further echoed by a ground-level pool and undulating pavers.
HDR
PHOTO: KEITH PHILPOTT/COURTESY OF HDR
With 185 locations worldwide, this architecture, engineering and consulting company has a hand in several international markets, particularly the Middle East. The company's most significant project is the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Hospital, a sprawling 500-bed facility. The first phase alone will cost $2 billion. HDR is a global leader in large-scale health care and biomedical facilities. “There aren't that many firms geared up to do these monumental projects,” says Mike Doiel,
PHOTO: SU HE ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY; COURTESY OF L eo A D aly
national marketing director for architecture.
Shenzhen Excellence Century Center
The company recently began work on U.S. Defense Department projects in Afghanistan and Kuwait. In Afghanistan, HDR is providing construction management and oversight for Forward Operating Bases and a major airfield. In Kuwait, HDR is providing construction management support for a new joint headquarters complex. It is also working with the U.S. Air Force to support day-to-day military operations in managing energy and wastewater. In both locations, HDR is working for a joint forces command that includes personnel from the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. Acquisitions have expanded HDR's reach in Canada, as well. Under design now is 3.2 million square feet of new space for McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Quebec. Stateside, HDR contributed to engineering the internationally iconic Hoover Dam Bypass, which is the highest and longest-arched concrete bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Staff from 17 HDR offices worked on the award-winning project.
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INT E RNATI O NAL P R E S E N C E
Kiewit Corporation Having completed projects from the Arctic Circle
Werner Enterprises
to the Gulf of Mexico, this construction services giant has staked its flag in power, mining, oil and gas, water/
This transportation and logistics company maintains offices in Canada,
wastewater, transportation, heavy civil and building
Mexico, China and Australia. Werner is widely known for conducting international
projects in North America.
business as a carrier, freight forwarder, employer and industry service provider. But
Two of its major projects in Canada over the past
it also plays an active role in securing America's global supply chain from terrorism
decade are the $209 million Keenleyside Hydroelectric
in a compliance program recognized by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Power Plant in Castlegar, British Columbia, and the $1
The company is subjected daily to the rules associated with Export Administration
billion Irving Oil Refinery expansion in Saint John, New
Regulations, the Bureau of Industry and Security and the U.S. State Department's
Brunswick.
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, explains Derek Leathers, Werner's president
It isn't often that a construction and engineering firm
and COO. That led Werner to implement an export management and compliance
wins widespread praise for a job, particularly for a
program across departments, services and global offices.
transportation project. But that's what happened in 2011
In the wake of 9/11, the federal government asked for Werner's support of C-TPAT
when Kiewit tackled a partial bridge demolition on a
(Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism). The initiative jointly developed by
heavily traversed L.A. freeway.
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection builds
Before the project started, dire predictions of
cooperative relationships to strengthen the nation's overall supply chain and border
“carmaggedon” made the news. But Kiewit's completion
security.
of the work 17 hours ahead of schedule resulted in a
“As a C-TPAT participant, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security views Werner
huge sigh of relief, a big thank you and a $300,000
as an active participant in the war against terror,” says Leathers.
bonus.
Our Insight. Your Advantage.
Extraordinary Legal Excellence Our Omaha office has provided extraordinary legal services in the community since 1995. Our attorneys handle a wide range of litigation and business matters, representing local, national and global leaders in major industries. We are consistently recognized among The Best Lawyers in America and Great Plains Super Lawyers. To learn how we can provide excellent legal services for your business, contact us. huschblackwell.com Download the free mobile app at http://gettag.mobi
1620 Dodge Street Omaha, NE 68102 Husch Blackwell LLP
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Feeding the world Two of the world’s largest center-pivot irrigation manufacturers have their headquarters in Greater Omaha.
Valmont Industries Inc. With 95 manufacturing centers around the globe, Valmont's operations – and products – cover much of the world. Its products,
Lindsay Corporation
Valmont headquarters, First National Business Park
The Lindsay Corporation has international sales and irrigation production facilities in France, Brazil, South Africa and China. It recently opened a new
to utility poles and highway safety
parts and distribution warehouse
barriers, are used globally.
in Queensland, Australia.
With the 2010 acquisition of Delta
Lindsay and its Watertronics
Plc, a leading manufacturer of
Innovative Pumping Solutions
infrastructure products, Valmont has
subsidiary recently completed a
increased its presence in Australia,
fully integrated, multimillion dollar
New Zealand, China and Southeast
wastewater reuse pumping station
Asia.
and center-pivot irrigation project
PHOTO: KURT A. KEELER
which range from irrigation systems
near Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia.
FASTER FORWARD Accelerating success. Leading businesses around the globe have come to rely on Colliers International to advance their interests in real estate. With a greater sense of drive, coupled with teams of specialists around the world, we’ll help you move swiftly along the right track—to accelerate your success.
+1 402 345 5866 www.colliers.com
34
INT E RNATI O NAL P R E S E N C E
Yantai, China, latest pearl in sister city string Omaha's six sister city
The most recent sisterhood
official in a June 2011 ceremony
China is a special area of focus
relationships have resulted in
agreement is with Yantai, China,
with Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle
for the Greater Omaha Chamber
where Omaha-based Valmont
and Yantai officials at Valmont's
and state economic development
Industries operates manufacturing
headquarters. The mayor is
officials. China ranks as Nebraska's
plants. The sisterhood, in the
honorary chair of the volunteer
fourth-largest trading partner
works since 2008, became
Omaha Sister Cities Association.
behind Canada, Mexico and
important cultural, business and humanitarian exchanges since 1956.
Japan. Yantai could help Nebraska
Sunpu Gate, a gift from Shizuoka, Japan, at Lauritzen Gardens
realize more Chinese investment as the Chamber and its sister city explore business relationships in manufacturing and agriculture. Exchange programs are on the horizon between Yantai University and Creighton University, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
PHOTO: KURT A. KEELER
Omaha's other sister cities are Braunschweig, Germany; Naas, Ireland; Shizuoka, Japan; Siauliai, Lithuania; and Xalapa, Mexico.
A POWERFUL FORCE IN ENERGY We started out 25 years ago to build a power plant. Today, Tenaska is one of the largest, most diverse and successful independent energy companies in the United States. Forbes magazine ranks Tenaska 34th among the largest privately held U.S. companies, with more than 700 employees and gross operating revenues of over $10 billion. Headquartered in Omaha, with regional offices in Dallas, Denver and Calgary, Tenaska is highly respected for its expertise, pursuit of opportunities and uncompromising values.
Power Generation Energy Marketing Energy Development Capital Management
Tenaska.com
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PROUDLY BORN AND RAISED IN OMAHA. Founded in Omaha in 1857, First National Bank has provided our customers with an exceptional banking experience for more than 150 years. And with more than $300 million invested in the revitalization of Downtown, we’re also passionate about making Omaha a better place to live. But we don’t stop there: s 3IX GENERATIONS OF FAMILY OWNERSHIP s /NE OF Working Mother magazine’s Best Companies for Working Mothers for nine years in a row. s $ESIGNATED A &IT &RIENDLY #OMPANY BY THE !MERICAN (EART Association. s /NE OF THE NATION S LARGEST BANKS AND PART OF THE LARGEST privately owned banking company in the country. At First National Bank, we put our customers and our community first. So if you’re ready for a better banking experience, visit firstnational.com or stop into one of our convenient branch locations today.
36 area locations | 402.346.3626 | firstnational.com | Member FDIC
Trusted Service. Sound Advice. Fast Decisions. That’s Why Omaha Business Banks On Us. For more than a century, Great Western Bank has helped to build the businesses that grow Omaha. We’re just as proud of the relationships we’ve built along the way. When they need solutions to the challenges they face, Omaha businesses turn to Great Western Bank, because we’ve taken the time to know them, we’ve helped them grow, and they trust our financial advice. From simple business checking accounts to flexible lines of credit, cash management, security and convenience-enhancing technologies and so much more, you can always count on the people of Great Western Bank. Come in and visit with your business banker. After all, we enjoy Making Life Great for businesses, too.
GreatWesternBank.com
402.952.6000
FINAN C IAL S E R V I C E S First National Bank a nationwide leader In 2011, First National Bank became one of only three banks in the United States to issue credit cards on all four major credit networks – VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. In addition, FNB was named program manager of the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST), which is Nebraska's 529 College Savings Plan.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Whether you approach the city from the airport along Abbott Drive or you are driving in on I-80, Omaha’s skyline rises from the seemingly endless horizon. For the city’s banking and financial services firms, the skyline serves as a metaphor for growth. This growth is fueled by a conservative approach to borrowing and lending, the diverse range of businesses that comprise the local economy and a commitment to community support.
From city skyline to bottom line
Omaha builds on solid footing At the center of Omaha's revitalized downtown is First National Bank of Omaha's headquarters, which soars 40 stories above the city. It is both the tallest structure in Omaha, as well as the tallest structure between Chicago and Denver. But its stature is not the only contribution the 154-year-old institution has made to the cityscape. First National's Technology Center, the First National Child Development Center and the First National Business Park in West Omaha all support the bank's efforts to create a world-class organization for banking, investment and financial services. Beyond its primary operations, First National is a believer in the responsibilities of good corporate citizenship. It supported the creation of Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's Botanical Center. Its Pioneer Courage and Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness parks combine to represent the world's largest wildlife sculpture installation of bronze and stainless steel.
Continued on next page
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OMAHA FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS BUILD ON SUCCESS
PHOTOS: RuthAnn Manley, WORLD-HERALD, MUTUAL OF OMAHA BANK
Continued from previous page
“We have a saying in our family that a bank is a reflection of its community,” says Clark Lauritzen, First National executive vice president, who represents the sixth generation of this family owned bank holding company. “If our customers and community are succeeding, then most likely so are we. Likewise, if we are successful, it is important to share that success.” First National is not the only Omaha institution that's building on its success. Pinnacle Bank recently opened a new headquarters at 180th Street on the West Dodge Road corridor. Great Western Bank has also strengthened its
presence in Greater Omaha and beyond by adding 62 branches through the acquisition of another bank system. ACCESSbank is proof that growth isn't always conveyed by what you see in a city's skyline. The bank opened its first location in 2007, and has grown about 25 percent each year since. President and CEO Pat Corrigan attributes this growth to the bank's focus on small- to mid-sized businesses. “These businesses simply do not have the staff that a larger company has. Much like they might seek out attorneys and CPAs, they rely on us to provide a value-added element beyond loans and deposit accounts,” says Corrigan. “Those are the types of relationships we seek, relationships where we
might help them with their business.” Among other large financial services firms with strong commitments to Greater Omaha are Mutual of Omaha Bank and newcomer AAA Bank Nebraska. Since 2007, Mutual of Omaha Bank has grown to be one of Omaha's major banks, with $5 billion in assets and nearly 50 locations in 10 states – including seven in Nebraska. The expansion of this full-service bank has come from the strategic acquisition of other banks, as well as new bank locations. AAA Bank Nebraska, with $50 million in capital, is focusing on commercial and business lending, full-service banking and financial products. The state's stable housing market, low unemployment and relatively Continued on next page
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FINAN C IAL S E R V I C E S
Brokerage, investment services see growth Continued from previous page
good economy were all factors in the decision to open its first bank in Omaha. The bank is hoping to continue to expand with locations over the next year or two.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
There are 242 financial institutions in Nebraska, with total assets exceeding $1.5 trillion and, as of June 30, 2010, more than $43 billion in total deposits.
It's not only banking that is seeing continued growth. TD Ameritrade, an online brokerage and investment services company, continues to add to the Omaha skyline with evidence of its growth – including a 12-story, $130 million corporate headquarters in Old Mill (ready for occupancy in early 2013) and TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Other financial services companies that call Omaha home include Securities America, First Data and PayPal.
TD Ameritrade PHOTO: SCOTT DRICKEY
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The instant you meet Cella Quinn, you can tell she’s a force with whom to be reckoned. Her success in investment services and her efforts to help others advance in business earned Quinn the Big O! Excellence BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR Award from the Greater Omaha Chamber in 2011.
“Omaha has been very, very good to me.” Quinn has 37 years' experience in the investment services industry. Nearly 20 of those years have been as owner of Cella Quinn Investment Services Inc. Quinn started as a stock broker in 1972 after answering a Merrill Lynch ad. She was living in New York City and simply walked into the home office to apply. “Women don't belong on Wall Street,” she recalls being told. “He did the best he could to run me off.” She persisted and eventually was hired. After being denied assignments to London and Nairobi, Quinn returned to Nebraska, her home state. The market dropped 47 percent her first year in the business. “Nobody wanted to talk to a broker, especially a new one,” says Quinn. “But Omaha has been very, very good to me. Nobody held me back, and people were nice, honest and sincerely wanted to learn how to invest and build a portfolio.” She taught non-credit college courses to build her business. “I introduced people to mutual funds,” she says, “and I showed them how to take a little IRA and build it into something.”
PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
Today Quinn is licensed in 35 states and has more than 900 clients, including some who live abroad. “I like to think I'm good at minting middle-class millionaires,” she says.
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She also has a knack for networking. Quinn has either founded or co-founded three organizations to bring women business owners and leaders together. “There is so much talent here,” she says. “If you can get 10 women together, you'll get 10 times the talent.”
Your guide for navigating the road ahead in health care.
(877) 280-2583
nebraskablue.com
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
INS U RAN C E New headquarters Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska's new home at Aksarben Village boasts energy-saving features and original works of art.
PHOTO: KURT A. KEELER
From actuarial tables to policies, paperwork and coverage, insurance is as much a part of Omaha’s history as it is a major industry. But forget about the stereotype of the tall tower with floors of cubicle farms. Here in Omaha, these longstanding companies reflect the new face of the insurance industry. It’s one that is approachable and open – from the vast greenery on their campuses to the ways they engage with employees and customers.
Omaha insurance giants ‘green up’ the city with eco-friendly efforts that benefit the whole community Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska is a case in point. The company started this year off with a move into its new headquarters in Aksarben Village. The building is fitted with energy-saving and environmentally friendly features, along with an employee cafeteria and a wellness center. Its location, which is adjacent to bike trails and within walking distance of shops, restaurants and entertainment, reflects its corporate philosophy toward wellness, prevention and transparency.
A collaboration between Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Omaha WorldHerald resulted in the launch this year of LiveWellNebraska.com, a website devoted to providing information about health care and healthy living. Its emphasis on communication extends to the way the company relates to its customers as well, rewriting letters, documents and other materials into a more simplified, transparent style. Continued on next page
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OMAHA COMPANIES ARE GIANTS IN INDUSTRY Continued from previous page
A leading provider of individual health, life and retirement insurance, it believes in making its products easy to understand for the people who need them. This focus on simplicity and accessibility is integral to the company culture. The campus is a convenient location for employee events, celebrations and wellness initiatives. “Our employees love the campus. It's a point of distinction for us, and it's especially fitting for an organization like ours that places such an emphasis on creating an environment that promotes wellness for our people and sustainability for the environment,� says Bob Gunia, senior vice president of public affairs.
46
PHOTO: COURTESY OF PHYSICIANS MUTUAL
For more than two decades, Physicians Mutual has understood the benefits of its green campus, which spans more than a city block in downtown Omaha.
Physicians Mutual hosted an Earth Day celebration for employees in order to promote green living at home and during their commutes to work. In the process, the company collected buckets of batteries, paper documents and more than 2,300 pounds of electronic waste from employees. Woodmen of the World's Woodmen Tower may not be a garden oasis, but its rooftop provides an inviting environment for
peregrine falcons, which have nested there for 23 years. While the annual event attracts attention from the community and media, the fraternal benefit organization is more keenly focused on the environment it creates for its employees, its members and the communities in which its people live and work. This includes encouraging employees to volunteer and support local causes and organizations on many levels. As a result, Woodmen won the 2011 Big O! Excellence Award for corporate citizenship from the Greater Omaha Chamber. Mutual of Omaha, a full-service, multi-line provider of insurance and financial services products, has changed the environment with Midtown Crossing. The development draws people from throughout the city for shopping, dining, summer outdoor markets and community events like Jazz on the Green presented by Omaha Performing Arts.
INS U RAN C E
JUDITH HENDERSON
PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
Omaha Executive Institute
Saying hello with a purpose Whenever an executive uproots his or her family for a new job, there’s a big transition that goes along with the move. The Omaha Executive Institute, a Greater Omaha Chamber program, introduces business newcomers to each other and to the community and state. More than 500 executives from major employers have passed through the program since its creation in 1988.
A champion of diversity Mutual of Omaha executive Judith Henderson lives and breathes diversity. “If you surround yourself with people who think just like you, you get things done in a shorter period of time but the value isn't as lasting,” says Henderson, senior vice president of information services. At work, Henderson promotes rich dialogues and helps shape and guide corporate initiatives and best practices through Mutual's Diversity and Inclusion Action Group. At home, her family is diversity personified: a Caucasian mother, an African-American father and two biracial children. “My kids rock,” says Henderson, a graduate of the Greater Omaha Chamber's Executive Institute, which acclimates corporate newcomers to the city and state. Judith and her husband, Eric, moved their family of four to Omaha in 2009 from San Antonio, where they had lived for 35 years. Drawn by the opportunity at Mutual for Judith, the family quickly discovered a community that was warm, welcoming and proactive in fostering diversity. Judith and Eric participate in Omaha Table Talk, informal gatherings of people of different races and cultures and Diversity Week. Erica, 14, and Evan, 12, have found that they “fit right in and have made friends easily,” Judith says.
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Beyond The Transaction
Payment Innovations for the Way We Live At First Data we help merchants and financial institutions with solutions that make payment transactions simpler, faster, safer and more rewarding. With services ranging from advanced fraud protection to prepaid gift cards to online banking and mobile commerce, we are shaping the future of payments across the globe. As a leading Omaha employer for over forty years, we are proud to be part of an extraordinary, growing business community. Our employees bring the dedication, knowledge, and innovation, businesses need to maximize commerce every day. Because in today’s world, it’s not enough to focus on the transaction alone, you need to go beyond it.
Find out more at firstdata.com
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T E C HN O L O G Y
The Greater Omaha metro area is home to several large data centers and information-assurance operations. First Data, CoSentry, PayPal, Yahoo! and Google are among the more widely known. PHOTO: WORLD-HER ALD
Mark Rabe: Career takes him around the world – and back Mark Rabe's career has taken him from the Midwest, coast-tocoast, around the world – and back. Earlier this year, the Yahoo! veteran was named CEO of Omaha-based Sojern Inc., the first company to partner with the world's top airlines to provide targeted advertising and destination-specific content to travelers.
Rabe
“After taking one look at the business plan and talking to a few people involved with the company, it felt like a perfect fit for not only my background, but also my interests moving forward,” says Rabe.
Rabe came to Sojern Inc. after most recently working in London as Yahoo!'s managing director of the United Kingdom and Ireland. His Sojern post re-introduces the Chicago native to a part of the country that he says is very comfortable for him.
“I grew up believing that you work hard and play hard. Education is held up as a priority. And you can't take yourself too seriously. By and large, that's what I've seen here,” says Rabe. “It's nothing that I didn't expect, and it's all of the things I appreciated growing up.” Rabe divides his time among the Omaha headquarters, his home in Omaha, his Sojern office in San Francisco and his in-flight post: “Row 10, Seat A on any one of our airline partners any day of the week.” Wherever he's operating from, he says he looks forward to leveraging Omaha's assets into continued growth for the company. “The labor pool is fantastic here,” says Rabe. “It's a highly educated workforce that is very engaged and hardworking with a great attitude.” He adds, “On a relative basis, versus cities like New York or San Francisco, Omaha is efficient from an expense standpoint. That translates into my secret weapon when going head-to-head with other big digital companies that are spread out across the country.”
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PowerDNN started with one man, one server in Omaha Tony Valenti is one of those guys who was born to be wired. As a teenager, he did computer software development for a local startup. A chance meeting with a web-hosting entrepreneur piqued Valenti's interest in cloud computing as an opportunity for himself. “People already knew me as a developer, and I had a good reputation,” Valenti says. He enrolled at the University of Nebraska's Peter Kiewit Institute armed with two prestigious full-ride scholarships. He applied one toward tuition and invested the other in a small computer for his startup business. Today, PowerDNN, the company that Valenti founded in 2002, is one of the most recognized names in the DotNetNuke community. PowerDNN provides hosting, support and consulting services to more than 100,000 DotNetNuke customers worldwide, including Little Caesars, Pier 1 Imports, Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Institutes of Health. Valenti attributes two things to the rapid expansion of his company: His education at PKI and Greater Omaha's economic environment. “The cost of doing business here is substantially cheaper” than in other parts of the world, he says. PowerDNN, which is headquartered in Bellevue, has data centers in Reno, Nev., and Manchester, England. A third data center is being established in Australia. PHOTO: JEFF BARNES
CSG: Confidence high, firm is building its Omaha presence CSG Systems International Inc. broke ground in June on a new corporate campus in West Omaha, signaling its confidence in meaningful, sustainable growth in the region. The Denver-based customer management and billing software provider is the world's secondlargest Business Support Systems provider, with more than 3,600 employees at 30-plus offices across the globe. Nearly one-third of its employees call Omaha home. By August 2012, they will be working out of a pair of three-story, sustainably constructed office buildings at 180th Street and West Dodge Road.
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“Our greatest asset and competitive differentiator is our people,” says Bret Griess, COO. “Through their work, we have been able to make investments in our business – many of those right here in Omaha – including adding jobs, relocating our data center and now building our new campus.” The multimillion dollar construction project features water-efficient fixtures, energy-efficient HVAC systems, automated energy controls for lights and water, day lighting and more. Outside, a courtyard and green spaces inspire employees to go beyond their cubicles. CSG's products and technologies have helped pioneer the customer care and billing industry
for telecommunications providers in the United States and throughout North America since the 1980s. CSG's portfolio has grown to include a diverse range of billing and mediation solutions for high-transaction environments and complex customer relationships. CSG services a majority of the world's top 100 telecom companies, including AT&T, Orange and Vivo. It also services communications giants Comcast and Dish Network, among others. “We are committed to remaining a solid Omaha employer, and we will continue to make positive investments in this community,” Griess says.
Interpublic Group: Move paid off Interpublic Group was looking to consolidate and streamline its IT infrastructure when the Scott Technology Center caught the attention of Tom Sivo.
IPG's chief technology officer came up with a plan to migrate his company's IT infrastructure from New York to Omaha over a three-year period. The final phase of the buildout was completed this year. IPG, a leading global provider of advertising and marketing services, consolidated a number of its global IT operations, including back-office applications such as email messaging, finance systems, payroll, travel and expense programs and e-learning tools. To monitor and service its 24/7 operation, IPG established the Global Operations Center at the Scott Technology Center. IT technicians and security experts monitor the global network and its supporting systems via a control room with large projection screens. A key component to the GOC is its intern program. Proximity to the Peter Kiewit Institute gives the company a continual stream of interns from the
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University of Nebraska at Omaha, Creighton University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “I've had 20plus interns over the last two years and have hired at least five of them into the organization,” Sivo says. IPG has more than 200 agencies in five major networks, including New York and Chicago. Each agency has autonomy in finding IT services. “I have to be service-oriented and cost-conscious,” says Sivo. “It's a tough position to be in, but I'm 85 to 90 percent utilized” by IPG's networks at the Scott Data Center. Greater Omaha's infrastructure is another advantage. “We like the power costs here,” Sivo says. “The kilowattper-hour cost is 5 to 6 cents; in New York it's 9 to 11 cents. Real estate and labor costs are more affordable, too.”
TECHNOLOGY
Scott Data Center: A regional powerhouse Omaha will have one of the most powerful and energy-efficient data centers in the Midwest with the current renovation and expansion of the Scott Data Center. The project includes a peering point where Internet providers can connect to swap or reroute online traffic in a sort of freeway interchange for the Internet. The peering point positions Omaha to be competitive with New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and other major cities. PHOTO: KURT A. KEELER
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE SCOTT DATA CENTER
PKI proud The Peter Kiewit Institute (above) and the Scott Data Center (below) sit in close proximity in the Aksarben Village neighborhood. PKI is home to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering and the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Information Science and Technology.
Currently, the Scott Data Center serves as a primary data center for several Fortune 500 corporations, among others. It also is a colocation and disaster recovery operation for companies, serving as a backup if a primary data center is
knocked offline by a power outage, emergency or other crisis. Under the plan, 50,000 square feet of the data center's 80,000 square feet will be renovated by spring 2012. The project includes a new 30,000-square-foot central power plant. It will boost the data center's energy efficiency and increase power density to allow more racks of servers and computer equipment to be powered, while also keeping them cool and running smoothly. Scott Data Center has won Tier Three certification from the Uptime Institute, a New York-based firm that critiques and rates data centers worldwide based on infrastructure, security and other factors. Tier Three certification means that the data center can run constantly without needing downtime for maintenance or system upgrades. Scott Data Center is the lone multi-tenant operation in Nebraska and Iowa and only the fifth in the United States with a Tier Three rating.
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“Brain drain” used to be a serious dilemma for Nebraska. The state simply lost too many talented high school graduates to out-of-state universities and corporations, particularly in engineering and information technology. The Peter Kiewit Institute, a public-private partnership established in 1997, changed the playing field. Located at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, PKI offers prestigious post-secondary degrees and internships in engineering, information technology and information sciences. John Oerter was a high school sophomore in Hastings, Neb., when he attended a summer camp at PKI. He enjoyed the experience so much that he returned for open houses during his college search. “When I began applying to colleges, PKI was my No. 1 choice,” recalls Oerter.
JOHN OERTER
He won a coveted full-ride scholarship and now is in his second year of studies at UNO's College of Information Science and Technology. Oerter started out in computer engineering, but switched his major to management information systems.
PHOTO: JEFF BARNES
Through a work-study program with Fortune 500 company, SAIC, Oerter is gaining experience with OLIVE, a computer modeling and simulation application that employs 3D virtual-world technology. Oerter says that he is astounded by the facilities at PKI. “The labs are outstanding. There's nothing more I could ask for here.” Nearby school housing, Aksarben Village restaurants and entertainment and the SAIC offices make for a “perfect” location. “Most of my friends are from Omaha and other places in Nebraska, and I've gotten to know international students here as well.” Oerter is one of approximately 1,800 undergraduate and graduate students in seven academic programs at PKI. Since 1999, PKI has produced more than 3,000 undergraduates who have entered the workforce or have continued on with graduate school. Oerter is excited about his career potential. “There are so many opportunities here with our business partnerships. I had no idea I would be doing the things I am doing.” He expects to graduate in 2014, and is thinking of going into information security, a fast-growing segment of information technology.
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Top firms want PKI grads Graduates from the UNO College of Information Science and Technology at PKI have been hired by such firms and agencies as the National Security Agency, USSTRATCOM, Lockheed Martin, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Treasury, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Microsoft. Graduates from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering at PKI have taken positions with local companies and government organizations such as Kiewit, HDR, Union Pacific, U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
H I G H E X P E C TAT I O N S | H I G H R E WA R D S | H YAT T
A Culture of Excellence Experts in Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Omaha’s #1 Best Place to Work
Q
Q Q Q pride
ENTREPRENEURS
At Big Omaha, innovators connect to move ideas forward.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Welcomed. Encouraged. Nurtured. If you have a germ of an idea and the passion to bring it to life, you can move it forward here, thanks to an impressive entrepreneurial network that shares ideas, explores opportunities and finds investors.
The same types of cooperative networks that are nurturing innovation and spurring business creation in innovation hubs like Austin, Texas, and California's Silicon Valley, are at work in Greater Omaha. The local entrepreneurial community is growing, changing and branching out, thanks to access to funding, mentors, facilities and grassroots programs that foster the exchange of ideas, insight and support for businesses just getting off the ground, as well as those positioned for accelerated growth and seeking funding. Gordon Whitten, founder of noted entrepreneurial startup Sojern Inc., says Omaha is at a place where innovation hubs like Boulder, Colo., and Austin were 10 to 15 years ago in creating a branded culture of creativity. New state-led talent and innovation initiatives will positively impact the startup climate, predicts Benjamin Vu, co-founder of SkyVu Pictures, a mobile entertainment game franchise based in Bellevue. “SkyVu will be aiming to hire several interns as part Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page
of the Intern Nebraska program. And we will be focusing on raising our next round of capital here, thanks to the Angel Investment Tax Credit.” The intern program and angel tax credits were part of the economic development package passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2011. Silicon Prairie News (SPN), an online publisher, and Big Omaha, an entrepreneurial conference with international participants started by SPN three years ago, are central marketplaces for Greater Omaha's entrepreneurial ecosystem, says Mark Hasebroock of Dundee Venture Capital. Jeff Slobotski and Dusty Davidson started SPN as a blog three years ago. Today, the SPN website is a leading source for entrepreneurial information in the Midwest. The Greater Omaha Chamber saluted SPN's impact with a Big O! Excellence Award in 2011. At Big Omaha, star innovators tell their success stories and breakout ventures are discussed. The May 2011 event at Kaneko attracted more than 600 participants for two-and-a-half days of programming designed to motivate, challenge, excite and connect entrepreneurs, and in
turn raise the bar on the level of work they're producing.
ideas generated by those in your immediate ecosystem,” says Davidson, SPN co-publisher.
Speakers included David Hause, a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and founder of Grasshopper and Chargify; Leila Janah, founder and CEO of Samasource, an award-winning social business that connects people living in poverty to microwork; Shervin Pishevar, former chairman of Social Gaming Network; and Ben Huh, founder and CEO of Cheezburger Network.
The innovation stimulus includes Greater Omaha Chamber and Nomad Lounge demo events in which local innovators present their ideas to potential investors.
“Our speakers are blown away by Omaha,'' says Slobotski. Big Omaha reinforces the reality that if you live in Omaha and you're passionate about something, you can start today and the barriers to entry will be nil. “You hear that message when you are surrounded by others and it motivates you,” says Slobotski. “Omaha is a place of extraordinary opportunities.” The entrepreneurial momentum is being fueled by venture capital firms connected with the local ecosystem. Hasebroock is an example. He was successful with the 2002 startup of GiftCertificate.com and Hayneedle.com. Now, he's investing in other local startups. “It's a critical thing to be investing in other
Creighton University and Kaneko co-sponsor innovation lectures and discussions. There are many other programs that support entrepreneurs, including Cornstalks, which is hosted by the Greater Omaha Chamber. “There are a number of very good complementary initiatives across the state,” says Todd Johnson of the Gallup Organization. Gallup is part of the Entrepreneur Acceleration System, which provides science and mentorship to highpotential startups statewide. The Greater Omaha Chamber is a partner, and has mentors involved in the program. The Scott Technology Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha has Innovation Accelerator, while Creighton University has the Halo Institute, a startup incubator. Meanwhile, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is developing a Nebraska Innovation Campus.
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ENTREPRENEURS
Omaha’s startup scene is booming As Omaha's entrepreneurial “ecosystem” evolves, breakout success stories emerge. The more local startups that make it, the more entrepreneurs feel emboldened to launch their ventures here. This multiplier effect is making the metro a sustainable hotbed of new enterprise. All it takes is a viable concept, stellar execution, venture capital funding and an environment that nurtures innovation and connects entrepreneurs to capital.
SkyVu Pictures
when the industry decided it would have an online presence.
Benjamin VU
Benjamin Vu's experience as a Hollywood animation artist convinced him to become an independent producer. He and his brother, Hoa, formed SkyVu Pictures in 2007.
The company raised $2.5 million from Nebraskans to build a software platform. It conducted 159 auctions, and generated $3.2 million in sales during its first year in 2003.
“I figured out that I could realize all the stories in my head in an affordable and uncompromised way by building an animation studio that leverages the large Web and mobile audience,” says Vu.
It's expected to do 12,000-plus auctions and $300 million in sales in 2011, with annual sales topping $1 billion in the next three to five years. And what began as a company of four now employs 100-plus.
“When we had our first hit iPhone game, BATTLE BEARS, we realized that we could focus on making original mobile games and pay the bills, all while building a fan base for character brands.”
Billed as the world's largest aggregator of live auction webcasting services, Proxibid partners with 2,500 auction houses and hundreds of thousands of bidders worldwide.
From concept to realization, SkyVu took two years to launch and $40,000 from the Vu brothers and their parents.
SkyVu was “very close” to moving the company to Asia for funding when the Nebraska Angels injected some muchneeded capital into the startup.
Hayneedle In 2002, Doug Nielsen, Julie Mahloch and Mark Hasebroock caught the e-commerce wave with Hayneedle, which is now one of the fastest-growing Internet retailers. With a niche in home and outdoor living goods, Hayneedle has become a go-to player among online retailers. The business has generated more than $1 billion in sales since its inception,
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Today, the company has offices in Bellevue, Singapore and the family's native Vietnam. BATTLE BEARS has surpassed 10 million app downloads. “Our goal is to reach 100 million downloads in 24 months,” says Vu.
“In today's world, disruptive businesses stand the greatest chance of succeeding, and we've been a highly disruptive business,” says CEO Bruce Hoberman. He adds that he hopes Proxibid is a model launching pad for more Omaha startups.
Sojern
and has grown from a single online store to more than 220 online stores. Launched with a dozen employees, it now has 500 in two Omaha offices. Fifty new jobs were likely to be added this year.
says Nielsen. Hayneedle proves that “If you focus on creating a really great company and a dynamic opportunity you can do that anywhere.“
The genesis of Sojern was an aha moment for founder Gordon Whitten. A veteran tech entrepreneur and frequent flyer, he saw blank airline boarding passes as potentially rich advertising space.
Where some Internet startups got off the wave when the bubble burst, Hayneedle continued riding it. The reward: Insight Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital came calling with funding.
Proxibid
Major airlines agreed, and funding was secured, first through local angel investors and then through three venture capital firms in Palo Alto, Calif.
“I feel lucky that we have stayed focused on e-commerce and have remained committed to our belief that there was a big opportunity (here),”
In the early 2000s, Joe Petsick and a group of 20-somethings developed a tech product for the hidebound auction industry – only the industry wasn't ready for it. Among the first graduates of the UNO Scott Technology Center Incubator program, Proxibid appeared dead
Sojern took off in 2008, and has soared ever since, generating $27 million in three years. It employs 45 people among its main office in Omaha and support offices in San Francisco and New York. What's next? Triple the company's annual revenue within two years.
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The
Entrepreneurial
Ecosystem This little story, nestled among myriad others in Greater Omaha’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, begins with a brother, a sister and a friend who create a little thing called GiftCertificates.com. Fueled by the success of that venture, siblings Doug Nielsen and Julie Mahloch and friend Mark Hasebroock launch what is now Hayneedle.com, an online clearinghouse for specialty items. From there, the ecosystem explodes in an impressive display of connectivity among startups and spinoffs, accelerated in recent years by venture capital from the inner core. The tree is forever growing and shifting. And thinking big.
Online gift certificate retailer Doug Nielsen, Julie Mahloch & Mark Hasebroock Est. 1998
Online home goods clearinghouse Doug Nielsen, Julie Mahloch & Mark Hasebroock Est. 2002
Omaha toy store Mark & Karen Carson Former Hayneedle employee Est. 2008
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ENTREPRENEURS
Web application developer Dusty Davidson, Kevin Zink Est. 2007
$ Restaurant software Dusty Davidson, Kevin Zink & Jonathan Morse Est. 2008
$ Venture capital firm Mark Hasebroock Hayneedle co-founder Est. 2010
Online entrepreneur news Dusty Davidson, Jeff Slobotski Est. 2008
Online town hall Nick Bowden Est. 2011
Online beauty retailer Julie Mahloch Hayneedle co-founder Est. 2010
Omaha creative class lounge Nick Hudson Bloom.com associate Est. 2008
Omaha-based entrepreneur event that draws international attendees Silicon Prairie News Est. 2009
SOURCE: DUSTY DAVIDSON/SILICON PRAIRIE NEWS
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the driver's seat
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G EN ER ATI O N N E X T
PHOTO: JEFF BARNES
Generation Y: Moving forward Meet five young leaders who have found a perfect atmosphere for growth and expansion in Greater Omaha. They’re part of the age group called Generation Y, although they might be better described as Generation Why Not?
Rebranding Omaha’s transit system DREW DAVIES is all about making things easier and helping people find their way. His Oxide Design Co. recently redesigned and rebranded Metro Area Transit. Now simply Metro, the urban project included a new logo and website; brighter, bolder and cleaner signage at transfer points; online trip planning; and other updates to make using Omaha's bus system easier, faster and – frankly – cooler. “My intent is to use design to improve our world and to make things more understandable,” says Davies.
“Public transit makes good sense to me.” Metro's updated routes, he says, suggest a shift in both how we live and how we think about public transportation. Mixed-use communities like Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village are changing patterns. More people, Davies says, are realizing they can improve their quality of life by living where retail, office space and entertainment options are just outside their front door. “It's getting to the point where some people only take their car out once a week.”
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G EN ER ATI O N N E X T PHOTO: JEFF BARNES
When you’re young and entrepreneurial and have less of a corporate structure, you’re more open to growth and trying other things.
He’s banking on success in ‘fun, exciting’ neighborhood Banking may have been the last industry in which you would have chosen to become involved in recent years. Yet Jeff Royal couldn't imagine a better time to open a bank. Royal is president of Dundee Bank, which opened in the Midtown Omaha neighborhood of the same name in 2006. The bank began with $12 million in assets, and now has $100 million in assets, plus $200 million in mortgage loans and investment portfolios. “Technology has leveled the playing field”
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in banking, Royal says. “With online bill pay and an ATM network, we have the same products as nationwide banks, but we are owned by the people of the community.” More than 85 percent of the bank (a branch of Security State Bank in Ansley, Neb.) is owned by employees. “They know risk, which makes them better owners and bigger advocates of small business,” says Royal. “Culturally, we're probably more aligned with our customers than larger banks. Dundee is a fun and exciting place to be, which tends
to reflect the customer base and our attitude. When you're young and entrepreneurial and have less of a corporate structure, you're more open to growth and trying other things.” Dundee Bank's success may be a residual effect of the building's history as the former location of Buffett's Grocery, where a young Warren Buffett worked for his uncle. Like many of Dundee Bank's 40 employees, Royal lives in the Dundee neighborhood. “I've got the world's shortest commute, but I drive to see the rest of the community.”
G EN ER ATI O N N E X T
PHOTO: JEFF BARNES
Custom brewery sees ‘suds’-sational response Zac Triemert was a pre-med student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when an executive from one of the country's largest breweries suggested to his class that they could do something other than medicine with their degrees. Triemert took the advice to heart. He earned a degree in microbiology and chemistry, worked awhile and then traveled to Scotland to earn a master's degree in brewing and distilling. Today, he's running the fastestgrowing custom brewery in the country.
Triemert's Lucky Bucket has grown by double digits in each of its first three years in business, and will be in six states by the end of 2011. The brewery operates 24 hours a day, six days a week, and produces 200 kegs a day. “When we started, we had 20 pallets of bottles – a total of 40,000 bottles,” Triemert says. “It took us six months to fill those, and now we do that every week. We are seeing some serious velocity in growth.”
(Gaelic for “happiness”), produces Joss vodka (made from Nebraska wheat and Sandhills water) and Chava, a Cuban-style rum. A whiskey – yet unnamed – is aging, and will have its first sampling in February 2013. Employment with Cargill originally brought Triemert from Wisconsin to Omaha. He could have established his brand anywhere, but says, “This is my home. I love it here. If people knew what was here, it would be growing even faster.”
A second company, a distillery named Solas
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G EN ER ATI O N N E X T
PHOTO: JEFF BARNES
Designer creates bouquets – and a worldwide fan network IT'S NOT PERSONAL, it's business. Well, it's business AND it's personal. Megan Hunt, aka Princess Lasertron, has done something unusual. And it's not just running a thriving business creating custom bouquets out of felt and vintage buttons for 250 brides a year. It's also injecting her personal life into her business life as bridal designer, blogger and best friend. Hunt has embraced social media in a big way, promoting her professional endeavors through Facebook, Twitter, Flickr,
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a weblog and other outlets. Hunt founded Princess Lasertron in 2005. Passions for sewing and crafting led to making her felt-and-button bouquets. “But I've always been a type A, creative person. I love to do my own thing, and I turned it into a business. It seemed natural.” She also gains customers by speaking and teaching around the country. “It proves you don't have to be on the coast for success as a small entrepreneur.”
In July 2010, Hunt established CAMP, a creative workspace for startups, with Eric Downs of DownsDesign. Located in the Mastercraft Building in North Downtown Omaha, the space is equipped for 10 to 12 full-time tenants who enjoy a collaborative environment. Hunt has taken advantage of a number of Greater Omaha Chamber programs, including the Cornstalks networking group for small business owners. She is also enrolled in Gallup's Entrepreneurial Acceleration System.
G EN ER ATI O N N E X T
PHOTO: JEFF BARNES
Have an idea to improve your community? Speak up, pass it on Everyone has an idea about how their city should look and be run, but who takes the time to say or do anything about it? Nick Bowden does, and he's making it easier for the rest of us to do the same in our neighborhoods and communities – before important decisions are made. Bowden, a former city planner, is co-founder of Community ReDesigned, a landscape architecture and community planning firm, and MindMixer, a spinoff web platform that encourages community engagement through web- and mobile-based town halls. Community ReDesigned recently helped Environment Omaha launch Pass the Potatoes, a virtual town hall event that invites ideas for improving the sustainability of our city. The site is powered by MindMixer. The city of Lincoln has turned to Community ReDesigned to develop a similar initiative called Bright Ideas. At MindMixer's EngageOmaha.com, citizens can propose and discuss
ideas with the mayor's office about advertising in parks, year-round yard waste collection, enclosed skywalks for the downtown area and other topics. “We're getting great content – things that might not come up at a traditional town hall,” Bowden says of the yearlong project that is helping the city to prioritize and tackle projects and initiatives. MindMixer is in about 20 communities nationwide. It has six employees in its home office in Omaha, as well as employees in Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston. “The cost of living is really low here, and the city is on the verge of exploding in the technology battlefield,” Bowden says. By year's end, MindMixer could be in 100 cities and have a national presence with a virtual town hall for Second District Congressman Lee Terry.
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G EN ER ATI O N N E X T
PHOTO: WORLD-HER ALD
Young Professionals Summit
Building community engagement High-octane speakers and spirited confabs kept a record 1,300 next-generation leaders engaged at the 2011 Young Professionals Summit at CenturyLink Center Omaha. “It's a great place to discuss ideas and to network,” says entrepreneur Jared Bakewell. He conceptualized Service Club Connection in a 2010 summit breakout session. The non-profit startup aims to increase young professional involvement in traditional service clubs like
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Kiwanis or the Optimists. “A lot of us are highly motivated to be involved in the community,” says Jamie Wagner, who works in customer affairs at ConAgra Foods. “But some folks need that push or need to know how to go about getting involved.” The YP Summit, a Greater Omaha Chamber program, fulfills that need. Programming for the 2011 summit was centered on changing the
conversation “From I to We.” Breakout sessions matched the day's theme, including those on what makes a vibrant community and the impact of collective giving. In his keynote address, Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, N.J., urged his audience to band together, get up off the sidelines and “do the impossible” for the betterment of their communities.
G EN ER ATI O N N E X T Join the conversation Here's what people are saying about the Greater Omaha Young Professionals on Twitter. @DivaKatrina
@MikeBforBoss
@jara_b
@Omahayp Greater Omaha Young Professionals
We have 2 show young kids engineering is not just a profession of geeks – Mike McMeekin, president Lamp Rynearson & Assoc#GOYPCEO #NotaGeek
Effort has everything to do with achievement – George Morrissey, principal of Morrissey Engineering #GOYPCEO
@benrouch
@oxidedesign Oxide Design Co.
Excited to enjoy tonight's @ omahastormchasers game from the party deck :) #sunisshining #GOYPPurelySocial
@Omahayp Greater Omaha Young Professionals Do you work at the best place in Omaha for young professionals? Nominate ‘em and tell us why. #GOYPChoice
@ProjectIntrf8th
Great turnout tonight and lively discussion @ tonight's #GOYP transportation sub-committee meeting c.co/lsdfklwe
@JimSuttle
The @MahaFestival < 24 hours away. Last chance to save $ on advanced tickets giving you more $ to buy refreshments! #GOYP #startedbyOMAYPs
Pleased 2 announce we'll b partnering w Greater Omaha Young Professionals on complete redesign of their website. Excited 2 get started! #GOYP
@Patrickfalke
@SiliconPrairie
Mayor Jim Suttle With unemployment rate of only 4.6% Omaha named #5 Best City for YPs according to Forbes ahead of Austin, Boston, Minneapolis & others #GOYP
@danholke
Silicon Prairie News Taking part in #GOYP Inclusivity Committee training to be a part of “The Listening Project” at @inCOMMONcd
Cornstalks with #Hudl at the Chamber. Lots of creative minds in this room. #GOYP #makingitrainideas
@Athenakramos
@YAP Joslyn Young Art Patrons
Working on plans for #OmahaAfterWork event with YPs and ProjectIntrf8th. #GOYP
Up bright and early @ breakfast with a CEO at Nebraska Medical Center. #GOYPCEO
YPs: Get your @mahafestival tickets for $20 w/ Promo Code: YPO2011 (all caps). Limit 100, so hurry! www. mahamusicfestival.com #GOYP
Looking forward to the @omahayp Inclusivity Committee meeting tomorrow at 5:30 here at the Museum. You coming?
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BUILDING ON THE PAST,
FOR THE FUTURE.
Our first branch was in Palmer. That was in 1938. Today, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve expanded to towns all over the state. Ogallala. Fremont. Lincoln. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill. 53 in all. In June, we opened our newest Omaha location at 180th and Dodge. And yet, our heart remains in the same place. All across Nebraska. We invite you to come visit our newest location, take a tour, and bank with us. Also visit us at pinnbank.com.
T H E
W AY
B A N K I N G
S H O U L D
B E Member FDIC
GENER ATION NE X T
Frank Hayes: A leadership champion Frank Hayes partly attributes his firm's success and his stalwart community board service to Leadership Omaha, a Greater Omaha Chamber program that develops leaders who aim to strengthen and transform the community. Hayes & Associates was a fledgling concern when Hayes joined class 9 in 1986-1987. Today, he's training class 34. “It was a very growing experience for me,” recalls the Certified Public Accountant, who chaired the 2011 selection committee. “It changed the trajectory of my personal life as well as my business life … As a result of that experience I started to appreciate what it took to be successful in business.” If you're intentional about it, the program can be transformational, Hayes says. “I was given numerous opportunities to get involved in the community … I used those opportunities to not only benefit me, but, and this is the important thing, the community. I felt like I could go out and have an impact.” His community involvement includes serving on the Greater Omaha Chamber's board of directors and Creighton University's board of trustees.
PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
The 10-month Leadership Omaha program included lectures, discussions and on-site visits, which gave him a better appreciation for how Omaha works and for what's possible here. “People are willing to give their time, resources and talents to make the city better.” Learn more at www.LeadershipOmaha.org
Wanted: Next-generation leaders – 40 and under – who want to impact the community and work together to contribute to the growth of Greater Omaha. So far, 3,500 young professionals have officially answered the call (thousands more if you count those connected via social media). They are part of the Greater Omaha Young Professionals, a fast-growing Greater Omaha Chamber program aimed at retaining and attracting young talent through engagement, opportunity and advocacy. Programs central to the Young Professionals include community outreach, networking events, an annual Young Professionals Summit and Ready2ServeOmaha.org, a virtual posting board that matches non-profit organizations with those seeking volunteer opportunities. At the heart of the Young Professionals' mission lies the question: How can we help foster a dynamic, inclusive and integrated community where diverse young professionals want to live, work and play?
To aid in the search for answers, the group now has a roadmap called Your Omaha 2020. It emerged during a roundtable gathering of more than 300 young professionals. Your Omaha 2020 focuses on five actionable areas: arts and culture, community development, inclusive communities, public engagement and public transportation. “It's nice to be able to focus on the action aspect – what any young professional can do from where they sit in the community,“ says Sarah Johnson, manager of the Greater Omaha Young Professionals. Learn more at www.OmahaYoungProfessionals.org
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Metropolitan Community College Start here...
“The college is proud to prepare people for the challenges in today’s workforce. We’re giving them the skills to get the job.” —Randy Schmailzl, PRESIDENT
“For the money that you put into it, it is so well worth it… I think this is going to be a very good experience for me here.” —Rachel Bowser, AUTO COLLISION STUDENT
Go anywhere. 402-457-2400 | www.mccneb.edu
REGIONAL
E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P M E N T Yahoo! data center, La Vista
Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership
PHOTO: ROBERT ERVIN
Counties band together for economic success
The Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership is a one-stop source for information on business, investment and employment in a four-county area. The Partnership is comprised of the Greater Omaha Chamber (Douglas County), the Cass County Nebraska Economic Development Council, the Gateway Development Corporation (Washington County) and the Sarpy County Economic Development Corporation. The economic development directors in the four counties coordinate their efforts in detail, sharing leads on startup and expansion projects via specialized software tracking systems. The Partnership's management team meets weekly to share and review project data.
Workforce strategies, site development, research and data analysis and tax incentive eligibility are just a few of the resources and services provided by the Partnership's staff. Learn more at SelectGreaterOmaha.com.
The stories in this section illustrate the business and community successes realized, in part, through the work of the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership.
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PHOTOS: CHRIS CHRISTEN
Capitalizing on history Cass County, just south of Omaha, is an inviting blend of past and present. Adventures both wild and reserved can be found in the county’s 15 communities nestled in the rolling hills. The area's historic charm and welcoming character are apt to lure you back time and time again. One of its communities may even beckon you to take up residence in town or on an acreage. Plattsmouth on U.S. 75 South is your first stop on our tour. Main Street is a homage to days gone by, a veritable who's who of nationally registered historic places: the Lenhoff Building (1880), the Budweiser Building (1888), the Waterman Opera House Building (1892) . . . Today, those historic gems house shops that sell antiques, quilting supplies, jewelry, books, giftware, hardware and more, as well as family run restaurants that do steady
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business throughout the day. Mom's Café, known for its hearty home cooking, welcomes customers with “God Bless America” emblazoned across the front window. At the Chocolate Moose Café, a group of friends relax over sandwiches and homemade sweet potato chips and reminisce about the “old days,” appropriately enough given their historic surroundings. The day's menu is artfully presented on a chalkboard overhead: gourmet lunches, Saturday brunches and decadent crème brulée. Outside, a passerby smiles and nods hello, strolling past centuries-old brick storefronts
along a freshly renovated streetscape. The business district, a National Historic Landmark, recently underwent a multimillion dollar renovation that includes street lamps designed in a late-1800s style. The end result? A pedestrian-friendly Main Street. You'll be warmly welcomed for an overnight stay at the Fitzgerald Hotel, built in 1871 and extensively renovated; Banker's House Bed & Breakfast, which has been featured in Midwest Living magazine; and the Dutch Colonial-style Parmele House Bed & Breakfast. Bridging the distance between the past and present are active and energized developers who are showcasing the area for new or
expanding businesses. The latest is a Wiles Development along U.S. 75, adjacent to Union Pacific Railroad. You'll spend a good half-day traveling from the half-mile NASCAR dirt track at Nebraska Raceway Park in Greenwood, Neb., to Grandpa Snazzy's combination Victorian gift store and theatrical rental shop in Weeping Water to the sandy beaches of Louisville State Recreation Area or the cozy Lofte Community Theatre in Manley. Along the way, locals will probably share the news about several entrepreneurial companies doing business worldwide. Vireo Resources in Plattsmouth's FourMile Industrial Park is part of a growing
biomedical industry in Nebraska. Vireo processes and packages a pain reliever called Stay Active, as well as animal health care products developed by the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The facility opened in 2009 as a cooperative effort among UNMC, the state's economic development office and the city of Plattsmouth. Oxbow Animal Health Inc. in Murdoch manufactures premium food and nutritional products for exotic and small animals all over the world. The company had two employees when it started 30 years ago. Today, it has a 60-person payroll.
PHOTO: JIM FERGUSON
PHOTO: GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER
PHOTO: WORLD-HER ALD
PHOTOS: JIM FERGUSON; NEW AGE PROTOT YPES
R E G I O N A L E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P M E N T
specializes in prototype development and the production of specialized, precision machined parts made from metals and exotic plastics. Parts machined by New Age have flown on the space shuttle and are currently on the International Space Station. Medical and material testing and sampling facilities also are customers. Bakers Candies in Greenwood annually produces more than 20 million meltaways in 10 flavors, each in a specially colored cellophane wrapper. There's an art and a science to producing gourmet chocolates that are shipped to chocolate connoisseurs worldwide.
New Age Prototypes Inc. in Plattsmouth
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Another East Coast convert
PHOTO:JEFFREY BEBEE
Fred Reikowsky and his wife, Carrie, are among a distinct and growing class of Greater Omaha residents: The East Coast convert. “When my wife got on the plane to come here, she really didn't want to like the place,” recalls Reikowsky. And then, something happened: The plane touched down. After spending a few days here, she admitted, “I can't find anything wrong with it.” Reikowsky moved to Greater Omaha in 2009 (a year ahead of his wife and two children) after Denmark-based Novozymes named him general manager of its new biotech plant in nearby Blair in Washington County. The multimillion-dollar facility produces a key enzyme used in making ethanol. A 15-year veteran at the company's North
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Carolina operation, Reikowsky jumped at the chance to do something new. “They were looking for someone who had experience in both production and maintenance. I was fortunate enough to be a candidate for the position and move here.” Reikowsky expected a “smaller, older town.” He, like his wife, discovered something else entirely. “It's a beautiful, clean, well-maintained city with great amenities. The people are very friendly, very family oriented,” he says. “From the culture standpoint, we go to the museums. We've been to the Orpheum Theater, and to a lot of concerts at CenturyLink Center Omaha. There's always
something to do.” Reikowsky's son is a high school senior. His daughter, a sophomore in college, is an electrical engineering major like her dad was. “She graduated from high school in North Carolina with the intention of going to school there,” says Reikowsky. Instead, she too joined the list of East Coast converts. She enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln after a site visit – and a Husker game. “It's a different experience, I'm telling you, from North Carolina football,” Reikowsky says. Go Big Red!
REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Tech training is center’s focus The Washington County Technology Center in nearby Blair accepted its first students in spring 2011 in an initiative designed to train prospects for specialized jobs with the area's biorefinery and nuclear power employers.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF METROPOLITAN COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE
“This was an enormous collaborative effort,” says Paula Hazlewood, executive director of Gateway Development Corporation, the Washington County arm of the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership involved in the project. Other collaborators were Metropolitan Community College, which runs the center, the city of Blair, Washington County and area business partners, including Cargill, Evonik Degussa Corporation, Novozymes and NatureWorks LLC on Blair's biorefinery campus, and OPPD's Fort Calhoun Nuclear
The fall semester opened with 15 students; the center is equipped for 45.
Blair
The center, says Hazlewood, is generating “good buzz” as the development corporation pitches enrollment to graduating seniors in the area. Omaha
Power Station. The $550,000 project involved the renovation of a pharmacy building in downtown Blair to accommodate classrooms and a laboratory for handson training on equipment donated by Metropolitan Community College.
Participants in the twoyear tech training program earn an associate degree in applied science from MCC. Continuing education classes are on the horizon to support existing industry and to create economic growth by developing a larger tech-based workforce for Greater Omaha employers.
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Equal Housing Lender. Loans subject to credit approval. © 2011 Bank of the West. Member FDIC.
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PHOTO: JIM FERGUSON
SARPY COUNTY’S Werner Park:
Fan-friendly family fun With Omaha's Triple-A baseball team's new $36 million home comes plenty of fun for fans. Werner Park opened for the 2011 season as a “right-sized” ballpark for the Omaha Storm Chasers, the farm club of the Kansas City Royals. The state-of-the-art park has 6,400 fixed seats and room for another 2,600 on a spacious berm and concourse areas. PHOTO: WORLD-HER ALD
PHOTO: JIM FERGUSON
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Beyond great views of the game, the Sarpy County ballpark is designed to bring in families. But don't be surprised if you don't see your kids once they spot the merry-go-round, Wiffle Ball field and bounce house inside and near the Centris Family Fun Zone.
PHOTO: WORLD-HER ALD
REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
PHOTO: WORLD-HER ALD
Booming businesses. Plentiful shopping. Fun-filled recreation. Nebraska’s fastest-growing county is home to Oriental Trading Company, Cabela’s, PayPal, Yahoo! and more.
128,000-square-foot showroom mixes shopping and sightseeing with museum-quality taxidermy displays and a huge aquarium.
Superstar Lady Gaga shot a music video here; teen sensation Selena Gomez flew in for a summer concert, but it may be Grammy Award winner Pink whose lyrics best capture the spirit of suburban Sarpy County: “I'm coming up so you better get this party started.”
The 650,000-square-foot center is expected to generate more than $3 billion in revenue in the first 10 years of operation, which translates into $170 million in state sales tax revenue and $46 million in city tax revenue.
Home to more than 150,000 people, Sarpy County is Nebraska's fastest-growing county, a dynamic coalition of cities – Bellevue, Gretna, La Vista, Papillion and Springfield – as well as top employer Offutt Air Force Base and Nebraska's largest private university, Bellevue University.
The 60,000-square-foot La Vista Conference Center, which includes the Embassy Suites and Courtyard by Marriott hotels, is also supporting economic growth and development in the county.
Explored by Lewis and Clark and founded in 1857, the centuries-old country was spry enough to attract tech titans PayPal and Yahoo! within the last eight years. Both have state-of-the-art buildings in La Vista: a 30-acre campus with two buildings totaling 240,000 square feet for PayPal's customer service and operations facility; and for Yahoo!, a data center that supports its search engine, email service and other products.
For a shopping experience a little less wild – but equally exciting – there's Shadow Lake Towne Center in Papillion, a new outdoor lifestyle center that features national retailers, specialty shops and local and national restaurants.
In addition to an expanding roster of big-name businesses and shopping destinations springing up at nearly every intersection, Sarpy County is brimming with popular attractions – both fresh and established – from the new Werner Park, home of the Omaha Storm Chasers, farm club baseball team for the Kansas City Royals, to Vala's Pumpkin Patch, a perennial (and perpetually packed) fall favorite. The kids can hone their springing skills at BounceU, explore the natural world at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center in Bellevue or slide away a summer day at Papio Bay Aquatic Center.
One of the nation's top 50 Internet retailers and top 50 catalog companies – the Oriental Trading Company – is the nation's largest direct merchant of value-priced party supplies, arts and crafts tools and novelties. Based in Omaha, its 740,000-square-foot distribution center (which houses about 300,000 products to get the party started) is located in Sarpy County.
For adults, Springfield offers a full-bodied escape called Soaring Wings, a local winery that produces a variety of red and white wines. Some of them have won prizes in international competitions. Also in Springfield – but on the other end of the libation spectrum – is Sarpy County's only true soda fountain, Springfield Drug & Soda Fountain.
The world's foremost outdoor outfitter – Nebraska-born Cabela's – is another distinguished member of the Sarpy County community. Its
Sarpy County: Booming businesses. Plentiful shopping. Fun-filled recreation. The party is under way.
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UR BAN COM MUNITIES Public and private partnerships are the engine for the revitalization of the metro's most historic urban communities. The evidence and energy are unmistakable. Throughout North Downtown Omaha, North Omaha, Midtown and South Omaha, new investment is flowing, community stakeholders and residents are engaging, and the quality of life is enhanced.
PHOTO: JIM FERGUSON
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north downtown omaha
A masterfully crafted experience The Old Market is firmly established as a dining and shopping attraction, and now housing options are a major draw. You can live in a luxury condominium on the riverfront and take in the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, or dine at Rick's CafĂŠ Boatyard and catch a concert or sporting event at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Afterward, you can walk to where another vibrant entertainment district is emerging, thanks to North
Downtown Omaha's newest major destination, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, and smaller attractions like the indie music venue Slowdown and Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater. In total, more than 30 businesses have popped up in the 60-square-block area since the 2003 opening of the convention center and arena. The Omaha Hilton already is expanding to meet room demand from visitors. As bars and restaurants, retail stores, entertainment venues,
hotels and apartments fill in, urban planners envision a seamless gateway to North Omaha just beyond Cuming Street. Hot Shops Art Center and the Mastercraft Building two blocks north both have a solid base of artists and entrepreneurs. The Mastercraft has launched a second phase of renovation to build offices for six new tenants, including Burns and McDonnell, an international engineering, architecture and consulting firm.
PHOTO: WORLD-HER ALD
PHOTO: ERIC FR ANCIS
PHOTO: MIKE WHYE
PHOTO: WORLD-HER ALD
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NORTH DOWNTOWN omaha
Former mattress factory turned into something visually inspiring A group of artists and investors purchased the blocklong building in 1999. Today, with a nod to time, talent and inspiration, the Hot Shops Art Center is something remarkable, a unique mosaic of more than 50 art studios, four art galleries and a number of exhibition spaces.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
PHOTO OPPS ON EVERY CORNER!
What's more, the facility has seen one of the hottest districts in Omaha literally grow up around it. “It's been fun to watch this area explode,” says artist Tim Barry, general manager since 2006. Along with early investors in the area, Todd Heistand and Tammy Barrett of NuStyle Development, Hot Shops Art Center welcomed CenturyLink Center Omaha, the Saddle Creek Records complex, including Film Streams and most recently, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Numerous other developers, including Bluestone Development, have been part of the area's growth. “ESPN featured Hot Shops between innings of the last College World Series game. Those few seconds were priceless. Five minutes after the shot aired, we were receiving emails asking about Hot Shops,” says Barry. PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
BIG O! EXCELLENCE AWARD The Greater Omaha Chamber commissioned Tim Barry of Hot Shops Pottery to design the Big O! Excellence Award given to standouts in six business categories. The Chamber award recognizes “good people with good ideas” who are behind buildings, products and services that define our community. PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
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PHOTO: KURT A. KEELER
PHOTO: RUDY SMITH
PHOTO: NORTHSTAR FOUNDATION
URBAN COMMUNITIES
NORTH omaha
Momentum continues Celebrating the heritage of the community. Expanding educational opportunities. Revitalizing outdoor spaces. Creating business opportunities.
PHOTO: KURT A. KEELER
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF UNMC; MIKE WHYE
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Feel the energy There is no grander symbol of Midtown Omaha's revival than Midtown Crossing – Mutual of Omaha's $325 million mixed-use development encompassing more than 1 million square feet of new space. At the center of it all is an expanded and revitalized Turner Park, a space that has blossomed with outdoor markets, concerts (including a summertime series called Jazz on the Green) and other community events. “We see great energy here,” says Molly Skold, Midtown Crossing's marketing director. Mutual of Omaha provided the land and vision for the project. Master developer ECI Investment Advisors brought the plan to life.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MIDTOWN CROSSING
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midTOWN omaha
Unique partnerships Private and public investment and grassroots communitybuilding are having a dramatic impact, revitalizing Midtown Omaha, making it a better place to live, work and play.
urban communities
south omaha
Re-energized Unique history, vibrant culture and entrepreneurial spirit are motivation for collaboration and investment. When a community works together, great things happen.
PHOTO: TIMOTHY KEEN
PHOTO: OMAHA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
PHOTO: JENNIFER PATTEN BENSON
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Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce
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BUILDING BUSINESS Sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber, the Buy the Big O! Show puts approximately 350 business professionals in front of nearly 5,000 people each October at CenturyLink Center Omaha. The one-stop networking and marketing event is the largest of its kind in the region.
PHOTOS: STEVE KOWALSKI
BuyTheBigOShow.com
Franchise entrepreneurs cultivate success Greater Omaha's retail, restaurant and service scene is populated by both a dynamic mix of franchises and a cluster of successful franchisors. While the Greater Omaha Chamber works to attract established franchises, education and outreach programs are cultivating the next generation of franchise entrepreneurs. The College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha recently formed the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising to develop services for franchise businesses. This includes a personalized plan of study for a bachelor's degree in business administration. The Nebraska Business Development Center, another branch
of UNO's College of Business Administration, offers general business assistance for owners and prospective owners of franchises. The center's consultants include former business owners, community leaders, MBAs and MBA candidates. Education, resources and networking opportunities star in the annual Midwest Franchise Seminar presented in November by the Greater Omaha Chamber. Attendees have an opportunity to meet franchisors, brokers and other franchise-related vendors in a comprehensive daylong seminar.
Learn more at www.MidwestFranchise.org
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Soggy Paws owners:
Why not
Omaha? PHOTO: COURTESY OF SOGGY PAWS
The co-owners of Chicago-based Soggy Paws initially thought they would expand their business in Minnesota or Wisconsin. Then, last fall it dawned on them: “Hey, why aren't we looking at Omaha?” A year after their epiphany, the pet wash and grooming operation is off and running in Omaha's Old Market. Kevin Richardson, Soggy Paws CEO and coowner, says a number of “wonderful changes” made Omaha especially attractive. These include the arrival of powerhouse chains such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, as well as the emergence of the Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village developments. “Omaha is such a nice blend of a smalltown community atmosphere, but with the infrastructure and resources that you would get in a larger city,” says Richardson. “All those kids who would run away to college and say, ‘I'm never coming back' are now
saying ‘I want to go back to Omaha.'” Soggy Paws, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are just three members of an ever-expanding club of corporate imports enhancing Omaha's vibrant retail, services and restaurant scenes. The Greater Omaha Chamber has been cranking up its recruiting efforts, working with the local commercial real estate community to bring new retailers to the area. “We see this as a partnership between economic development and the commercial brokers, and we work to complement their efforts whenever possible,” says Winsley Durand, the Chamber's director of minority economic development and retail attraction.
of retail real estate professionals, it drew an international crowd of 30,000 attendees last spring. Durand says Omaha is a “great product to sell right now” at such events. “Retailers are ready to start doing deals again, and they're looking around the country for the best opportunities. Omaha is definitely showing high on that short list of best opportunities because of our stable economy, low unemployment and a number of other factors.” Another prong of the Chamber's retail attraction effort is the Midwest Franchise Seminar. Coincidentally, the owners of Soggy Paws attended last year's seminar, and it sparked a discussion of the possibilities.
The Chamber's economic development team attends retail recruiting events every year, including the granddaddy of them all – the Global Retail Real Estate Convention (ReCon) in Las Vegas. The world's largest gathering
“We are looking at franchising in large measure because of the information and contacts we got at the seminar,” says Richardson.
“Because of our steady incremental growth, Greater Omaha is very attractive for retailers. Predictability is not underrated.” – Winsley Durand, Greater Omaha Chamber director of minority economic development and retail attraction
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BUILDING BUSINESS
POTLUCK HIT NOW IS BEING MARKETED TO THE MASSES
Melinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Salsa and Chips a grocery staple When Elia Rivera's homemade salsa disappeared quickly at an office potluck, she suspected it might be marketable.
PHOTOS: WORLD-HERALD
She was living in Chicago when she began producing salsa and chips from her home, but the Windy City was crowded with competitors. A friend in Omaha convinced her to relocate here. Ten years later, Melina's Mexican Salsa and Chips (named for Rivera's daughter) is a staple on grocery store shelves and in restaurant kitchens in a dozen states. Her business took off in Omaha in 2005 with a visit to a single Hy-Vee store. The manager liked the chips and salsa and agreed to carry
them for one weekend. If they sold well, he said, they'd have permanent space on his shelves. Today, Melina's products are carried in nearly 100 Hy-Vee stores. Rivera manufactures her chips and salsa in a 4,500-square-foot headquarters in neighboring Gretna. She has eight employees, but she expects to expand as soft tortillas and new varieties of salsa and cheese dip are added to her product line. Last year, Melina's sales topped $800,000, with much of that attributed to the owner's enthusiasm. If she's not chatting up store managers or singing and shaking maracas while offering samples to customers, she's helping on the production floor.
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PHOTO: JEFF BARNES
A HAILSTORM GOT HIM THINKING . . .
Cardell Franks & The Matador A Nebraska hailstorm that left a friend’s car heavily damaged got Cardell Franks on the path to invention.
Big Mama’s Kitchen: Famously popular eatery
First, there was a featured segment on the Food Network's popular show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Then, the Travel Channel selected Big Mama's as the 56th best place in America to chow down. The story gets better. In May, celebrity chef Ludovic “Ludo” Lefebvre created a “pop-up” restaurant at Big Mama's for his new TV show, “Ludo Bites America” on the Sundance cable channel.
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PHOTOS: WORLD-HERALD
National attention keeps coming for Patricia Barron and Big Mama's Kitchen near 45th and Spencer on the Turning Point Campus, formerly the Nebraska School for the Deaf.
Franks started thinking and sketching, and before long had a concept for a car cover strong enough to resist dings from hailstones the size of golf balls.
home and in her church for cooking and baking. Finally, in 2007, she took a chance on a place of her own, using savings and a loan to open Big Mama's Kitchen & Catering in the cafeteria of a closed school.
Not bad for one woman's dream of a comfortable place where people could “sit a spell” and enjoy good food and good company.
Barron still caters all over town, but now she's watching the crowds flock to her North Omaha eatery as well. She has won enough fans for her oven-fried chicken, cornbread and sweet potato cheesecake that she has hired a dozen employees and has a brand that is catching on.
Barron had long wanted to open a restaurant featuring old-fashioned recipes she had enjoyed as a child. She worked toward that goal catering for more than 30 years, using the kitchen in her
And Barron is branching out, too. Big Mama's Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream is available at select Hy-Vee stores, and prepackaged Afro Burgers may be next.
Franks, with sister Candis as a business partner, established the Matador Car Cover Co. and applied for a U.S. patent to manufacture the waterresistant, shock-absorbing covering. The product's protective claims were tested and certified by the Peter Kiewit Institute in Omaha, and the Greater Omaha Chamber helped Franks find a reputable manufacturer in China. The covering, called the Matador, is being marketed to motorists who are on the road a lot and don't have access to shelters for their vehicles during storms. “You always see people dashing and crowding for an overpass,” Franks says. “With this, you pull over, take the Matador out of the trunk, cover the car and ride out the storm.”
BUILDING BUSINESS
NEW SOFTWARE FOR BUSINESSes
Money transfers don’t get much easier than this Aquiles Marcano doesn't expect to become the next Western Union, but demand is building for his new international money transfer service for businesses. Transactions Olé Inc. enables employers to offer a money transfer option that's as simple as a payroll deduction for employees. TOI's service is faster, easier and cheaper than many conventional transfer services because there is no middle man. Money transfers directly from an employee's U.S. payroll account to a receiving account outside the United States. Marcano researched the market, secured business funding and initiated software development in 2008 with consulting guidance from the Greater Omaha Chamber. Local market testing took place in 2009 and 2010. “We've had a good response to the concept,” says Marcano, who was trained as a civil engineer in his native Venezuela and has a master's degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. “It looks positive.”
PHOTO: JEFF BARNES
Global vision. Family values.
Midwestern virtues guide worldwide provider of in-home senior care Recognition of opportunity – it's at the heart of every entrepreneurial endeavor. For Omaha businessman Paul Hogan, founder and chairman of Home Instead Senior Care, opportunity presented itself in 1994 as he and his wife, Lori, provided care for Hogan's elderly grandmother. “One of the things we recognized was that you don't have to be a doctor or a nurse to have a dramatic impact on a senior's quality of life,” Hogan says. “Our grandmother had nearly a dozen dedicated family members sharing the load of supporting her so that she could live where she wanted and have the quality of life we wanted her to have. We saw how fortunate we were to have that network of support within our family.”
For many families, it's a struggle. Today, Omaha-based Home Instead Senior Care is a leading worldwide provider of nonmedical, in-home senior care, with more than 900 franchises in 15 countries. Hogan says the company's success is the result of a number of factors, including the values on which it was founded. “We were the first to build a brand that, over time, became widely recognized.” Being in Omaha is another reason for the company's success. ”Our community has incredibly strong family values, and people put a high value on quality of life for their loved ones. They want a more stable
environment in which to raise a family, so they aren't afraid to make long-term commitments.” Hogan says Greater Omaha is ideal for companies that are starting up or relocating because of a highly educated, motivated workforce, as well as excellent network, infrastructure and business development resources offered by the Greater Omaha Chamber. “As a mid-sized market, Omaha gives start-up companies a good deal of scalability. If a business can be made to work here, there's a good chance it can be scaled down to work in a smaller market, or scaled up to work in a larger national or global market.”
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GREATER OMAHA
‘Surprisingly cool’ Michael Kelly, a columnist with the Omaha WorldHerald, has had his finger on the pulse of Greater Omaha for more than 40 years. He shared his rich perspective in a July 2011 column.
Greater Omaha turns a bit cold in the winter, sure, but in recent months the year-round byword in the Big O has become “cool.” In July, Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine cited a “hot business climate, cool amenities and cheap and easy living” in naming Omaha its top “Great Value City.” In June, Wired magazine and NPR's “Planet Money” wrote about independent rock music, hipsters and massive real estate investment all taking place “in what is becoming a surprisingly cool city: Omaha, Nebraska.”
professionals in Omaha are doing. They are not just networking for job advancement, but are also embracing a larger, transformative vision for their community. “Omaha is a great little hidden gem,” says Kevin Finn, a native New Yorker. Finn, 41, moved to Omaha three years ago to manage retail investor services for TD Ameritrade. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Long Island, he eventually worked in Manhattan at a distinctive address, 100 Wall Street.
He and wife, Linda, have embraced Omaha. “The people in Omaha are so friendly, Omaha native and Oscar-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne wrote in an anthology of the 50 accommodating and welcoming.” states that, “Visitors are startled by how cool and He has since persuaded three other colleagues to modern Omaha seems to be.” move here. He cites a sense of community and Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, N.J., took it even further during a keynote speech at the Young Professionals Summit sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber. He said he had “not seen another city in America” doing what young
civic pride, as well as all that the Omaha metro has to offer in the arts, entertainment, restaurants and more. His former 90-minute commute is now just 12 minutes. “People sometimes ask me with a big question mark, ‘Omaha?'” He explains by citing the cost of living and the fact that the city has been somewhat recession-proof. “And third, there's a lot to do.”
THE KEVIN FINN FAMILY PHOTO: CHRIS CHRISTEN
CITYSCAPE PHOTO: JIM FERGUSON
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PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
PHOTO: MIKE WHYE
PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
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THE AFTERNOON ARLAN’S BARBER SHOP BLANC BURGERS + BOTTLES CALLAHAN FINANCIAL PLANNING CANTINA LAREDO COLDSTONE CREAMERY ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHOCOLATE CRAVE
WORLD CLASS,
OMAHA PROUD Living in Omaha means access to the best in culture, athletics, art and entertainment. Living at Midtown Crossing means more sophistication, more fun and less fuss. Midtown Crossing offers a vibrant mix of distinctive shops; exclusive, four-star restaurants; the best of Omaha’s local bakeries and grocers; a five-screen cinema with in-seat dining and more. It’s the perfect balance of sophistication and convenience in the heart of a dynamic, growing city.
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LIVING HERE “When people come here from out of town, they’re extremely surprised by the choices that the Omaha real estate market presents. Whatever is driving your decision to buy, you can find it here.” – Vince Leisey, president of the Omaha Area Board of Realtors and president and owner of Prudential Ambassador Real Estate
PHOTO: KURT A. KEELER
A home for every taste From the arts to sports, from the historic to the state-of-the-art contemporary and from families to downsizing Baby Boomers – even if it's price that's dictating the decision, you'll find it in Omaha. Proximity to downtown's entertainment, music, performing arts, museums, cultural attractions and galleries makes living in some of Omaha's most established
neighborhoods – the Gold Coast, Cathedral, Florence, Dundee and Benson, for example – very appealing. But that doesn't necessarily mean living in a period home. Apartments, condominiums, lofts, row houses and townhouse developments like jLofts, Rows at SoMA, Dunsany Flats Ford Lofts, The Enclave at The Brandeis and Riverfront Place with views of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian
Bridge, let residents enjoy the ambience with all the conveniences of maintenance-free living. Young professionals and empty nesters tiring of the suburban scene are finding a lot to love about urban living in livework-play developments like Midtown Crossing with green space and special events year-round. Continued on next page
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THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Continued from previous page
The number of stylish urban residences is increasing along Dodge Street near Joslyn Art Museum and Central High School, as developers link Midtown Crossing and bustling sections of downtown to the east. Move on to the Aksarben and Elmwood Park neighborhood's new mixed-use development, Aksarben Village, with bike trails, movie theaters, a grocery, office space and more.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Mid-century styles with wood siding, brick and stone exteriors, multi-level layouts and all varieties of ranch-style living take hold in the areas west of 72nd Street. Follow the move south along the Highway 370 corridor with Ralston, La Vista, Papillion and Gretna in popular Sarpy County. Or head north toward Blair in Washington County just outside the I-680 loop, or south to the rolling hills of Cass County for acreages, horse stables,
wildlife and a taste of country living, with the convenience of the city close by. “The suburbs continue to be the most popular with families seeking two-story homes” with room to grow, says Leisey. “The schools are also an important consideration, and with Omaha's great affordability,” newcomers can find what they're looking for in this area, too. “Developers have listened and responded to homebuyers who value the amenities of their neighborhoods as well as their homes,” says Nate Dodge, executive vice president of NP Dodge Company and 2012 chairman of the Greater Omaha Chamber's board of directors. “As a result, throughout Greater Omaha we have a variety of residential areas that have incorporated green spaces and walking trails and also have easy access to grocery stores, restaurants, movie theaters and recreation centers.”
Whether Building, Buying, Relocating or Selling a Home, Contact Us!
email: info1@npdodge.com phone: 866-355-5008/402-255-5099 web: www.npdodge.com
Helping People Find the Right House to Call Home Since 1855
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LIVING HERE
‘Something more’ is right here in Omaha
PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
Two years ago, Nebraska native Brian Gilbreath realized that he wanted something more for his family. More space . . . for starters. “One day, I looked at our 10-foot-deep backyard and thought, ‘There has to be a better place to raise our four kids,'” he says. So, Merrill Corporation's Merrill DataSite executive did something dramatic. He devised a way to make his job portable. He and his family left the San Francisco Bay area after 12 years, and moved to Omaha. “My wife is a fourth-generation Californian, but Omaha immediately felt like home,” he says. “Good people live here – inviting people who look you in the eye when they say hello. It has been paradise for our kids. They enjoy the natural world, and in the Bay area we had to drive somewhere to be around nature. There is so much life here. We have also found the academics to be much stronger here, even in elementary school.” As Merrill DataSite's vice president for the Midwest and Latin America, Gilbreath travels extensively to Mexico and South America. Two years after his move back, he still gets a thrill every time he returns to Omaha. “I find Omaha to be a wonderful place to be home base.”
Investing and Preserving Your Assets to Help You Reach Your Dreams • Investment Services • Insurance • Retirement Solutions • Wealth Building To reach your financial dreams, contact Cella Quinn at 402-392-2111. Email: cellaquinn@cellaquinn.com www.CellaQuinn.com 10908 Forrest • Omaha, NE 68144 Securities Offered through FSC Securities Corporation, Member FINRA/SIPC. Cella Quinn Investment Services Inc, is not affiliated with FSC Securities Corporation and is not registered as a broker/dealer or investment advisor.
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JOSLYN CASTLE
Our Neighborhoods
Greater Omaha’s true character lies in its many welcoming neighborhoods. Here’s a primer on a few areas commonly mentioned in real estate listings and casual conversation.
PHOTO: CHRIS CHRISTEN
Welcome mats on every block Gold Coast/Cathedral Midtown Omaha's Gold Coast neighborhood is another treasured district listed on the
North Downtown OMAHA Over the next several years, North Downtown Omaha is destined to evolve into one of Greater Omaha's most exciting and active urban neighborhoods. It's well on its way with an array of highprofile anchors – CenturyLink Center Omaha, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, Omaha Hot Shops Art Center, Film Streams and Saddle Creek Records. And new retailers, condominiums and hotels. A four-story, 32,000-square-foot mixed-use building just west of TD Ameritrade Park Omaha welcomed ground-floor retailers Red Mango and The Dugout. Twenty-four apartments and The Davis Companies top off the complex.
National Register of Historic Places. A significant number of its homes were designed by a class of architect known as master builders. Key among them were John Latenser (who designed the Douglas County Courthouse and Central High School), John McDonald (who designed the grandiose Joslyn Castle, a neighborhood anchor) and Thomas Kimball (architect of the dual-spired St. Cecilia
RIVERFRONT PLACE
Cathedral, one of Omaha's most recognizable landmarks located in the heart of the Gold Coast).
Midtown OMAHA Midtown Omaha, with its tree-lined streets and historic architecture, is home to more than 27,000 residents. Midtown's neighborhoods – settled at the turn of the 20th century and up through World War II – were among the first created in Omaha. They continue to thrive, accommodating a diverse population with a full spectrum of housing – from quaint Tudors to condominiums and apartments and historic mansions. The dramatic Midtown Crossing PHOTO: COURTESY OF RIVERFRONT PLACE
complex is at the heart of the renaissance.
Aksarben/Elmwood Park
Benson
The close-knit Aksarben/Elmwood Park neighborhood,
Historic and happening,
Field Club
developed in the late 19th and early 20th century,
Omaha's Benson neighborhood
Check the National Register of Historic Places
received an infusion of fresh energy with the recent
has a main street mix of
and you'll find Midtown Omaha's Field Club
addition of Aksarben Village. The $200 million mixed-
restaurants, nightspots and
neighborhood. With roots in the late 1880s,
use development boasts Aksarben Cinema, Wohlner's
live music venues. Last
the neighborhood established itself as “the
Grocery Store, apartments, offices and an amphitheater
December, pop star Lady Gaga
place to be” for Omaha's well-to-do by the
and children's play zone at Stinson Park. The area
and her best buddy, a native
turn of the 20th century. It remains a proud
welcomed the corporate headquarters of Blue Cross and
of Springfield, Neb., paid a
and popular community and the location
Blue Shield of Nebraska earlier this year. Adjacent are the
surprise visit to Benson's Sydney
of numerous well-preserved, historically
campuses of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and
bar for cocktails and then the
significant homes. Note the birthplace of U.S.
the College of Saint Mary.
Waiting Room for a concert.
President Gerald R. Ford near Hanscom Park.
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LIVING HERE
North Omaha
South Omaha is a vibrant community born of cattle
Rich in history and character,
barons and stockyards, a once-booming meatpacking
North Omaha boasts numerous
industry and the thousands of hardworking immigrants
landmarks (like the Bank of
who powered it. More than 120 years later, a proud and
Florence) and some of the oldest
diverse public is rallying around the promise of a fully
neighborhoods in the city,
re-energized neighborhood. A growing South Omaha
including Bemis Park, Saratoga
business district and impressive new attributes like The
and Florence. Civil rights leaders
Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community
Malcolm X and Whitney Young,
Center and Collin Field, Omaha South High Magnet
actor John Beasley and actress
School's sports stadium, are building on the area's
Gabrielle Union were all born
economic momentum. South Omaha also has its share
in North Omaha. Today, the
of landmark attractions, including Omaha's Henry
community is experiencing a
Doorly Zoo and Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's Botanical
rebirth through efforts that are
Center and El Museo Latino. The thriving commercial
attracting new business and
district reflects the success of Omaha's growing Latino
investment.
LINDEN ESTATES
PHOTO: WORLD-HERLAD
South Omaha
West Omaha Longtime residents remember the days when 72nd Street marked the western edge of developed Omaha. Today, that edge is nearly 12 miles farther west. Greater Omaha has experienced an explosion of western growth. The rolling landscape
community.
boasts subdivisions of both starter and very substantial homes, many adjacent to recreational lakes, sprawling parks and a significant system of recreation trails, as well as schools, office parks and a full range of shopping, restaurant and entertainment options. Omaha's landmark Boys Town is in
OLD MARKET
PHOTO: TIMOTHY KEEN
PHOTO: MIKE WHYE
this area.
Dundee/HAPPY HOLLOW Founded as Omaha's first suburb in 1880, Dundee is well-known for its distinctive mix of historic homes and hanging flower baskets on lamp poles; its proximity to
Old Market/Little Italy
Omaha's Memorial and Elmwood Parks; and
If it's a Friday or Saturday night, count on a good mood and big crowds in Omaha's Old
its interesting trivia. For example, did you
Market. The historic dining, arts, entertainment and shopping district charms with bricked
know that Omaha billionaire Warren Buffett
streets and longtime establishments like M's Pub, Spaghetti Works and Tannenbaum Christmas
owns a house in Dundee that he bought
Shop. More than a must-visit attraction, the Old Market also is home to hundreds of urban
in 1958 for $31,500, and that Dundee is
dwellers. Downtown housing includes jLofts, Old Market Lofts and several other condominium
famous for its annual “Dundee Day,” which
properties. Immediately south of the Old Market is “Little Italy,” historically the heart of the
includes a parade and live bands? The area
city's Italian population. Today, it's an inviting urban townhome community with front porches,
is favored by many of the city's professionals
friendly neighbors and a playful sculpture of a giant fork piercing strands of spaghetti. The
and educators. Dundee's quaint and bustling
Durham Museum is here, as is the world headquarters campus of ConAgra Foods and Union
entertainment and retail hub can be found at
Pacific's Harriman Dispatching Center.
49th Street and Underwood Avenue.
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SENIOR LIVING
Housing options plentiful for independent-minded retirees When Joe and Marilyn Freeman decided to sell their house, it
basement and a deck overlooking a creek, wide doorways and a
wasn't because they were ready to slow down.
walk-in shower. It's actually a bit bigger than their last home, but the
The Papillion couple wasn't looking for the kind of retirement that comes with set meal times or a tiny apartment in a sprawling complex for senior citizens. A quieter neighborhood and a little help with the yard work,
the maintenance inside and outside the house. If they were interested, they could sign up for housekeeping or home-care services.
sure. But the Freeman's wanted more: A place where they would find it
In senior living speak, Hillcrest is the type of place known as a
easy to stay active and engaged with the community; access to health
â&#x20AC;&#x153;continuing care retirement community.â&#x20AC;?
care services they might need down the road; independence.
Meanwhile, Greater Omaha retirement communities that have been
Greater Omaha is keeping pace with Baby Boomers' expectations,
around for years are updating and expanding their programs and
delivering a wide range of options, from homes and condominiums
services.
designed with accessibility in mind, to senior living apartments like Bloomfield Forum and the newly completed Orchards at Wildewood in La Vista, to assisted living and specialized care at Brighton Gardens or Parsons House on Eagle Run, to home environments provided by An Angel's Touch Inc., among others.
Immanuel Communities, an Omaha-based company that operates several retirement facilities in the metro area, is working on a handful of major projects. One is a $60 million expansion at Pacific Springs Village, a west Omaha campus that offers independent-living homes and apartments with options for customization. The expansion also includes
A newcomer on the senior living landscape is Hillcrest Country Estates, a
assisted-living apartments and memory care services for a continuum
55-and-over development in Papillion in Sarpy County that features villa
of care and dozens of smaller changes that build on Immanuel's holistic
homes as well as independent living and long-term care apartments.
approach to wellness. Amenities include a woodworking shop, golf,
Joe and Marilyn Freeman's three-bedroom villa home has a full
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Freeman's, both in their 70s, say life is easier; Hillcrest takes care of all
restaurants, a grocery store, a theater and a library.
LIVING HERE
You’ll find plenty to do with huge rewards Omaha is a great place to retire no matter what stage of life you’re in. Anne Shaughnessy began learning about how to live an active retirement lifestyle long before she actually retired. Five years prior to ending her 33-year teaching career at Millard Public Schools, she started asking retirees about the best choices they had made regarding retirement so far. People often told her it's important to retire “to” something rather than “from” something. PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
When Shaughnessy retired in 2008 at age 55, she knew she wanted to get more involved in the visual and performing arts. Already a volunteer at Joslyn Art Museum, she now had time for the more involved docent training
program. Today, she leads tours at Joslyn, and is one of its most engaged volunteers. She also gives her time to Omaha theater groups. “It's just a wonderful way to meet people,” she says about her volunteer opportunities. “It keeps my own curiosity stoked, and hopefully I'm giving back to the community.” It's a community she loves because it is filled with museums, galleries and concert halls that welcome volunteers. She has made many friends who have committed to staying engaged by volunteering at places like Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's Botanical Center. “There are all kinds of opportunities for people to find something that is going to speak to their minds or souls or bring a smile to their faces,” she says. “It's a community that seems to have its arms wide open.”
Every Immanuel Community is unique—because every Immanuel resident brings something unique to the community. Experience Omaha’s exceptional retirement living.
www.immanuelcommunities.com 402-829-2900
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WE ARE WHERE YOU ARE. With Alegent Health’s new mobile site we’ve made access to physicians, hospitals, emergency departments, pharmacies, phone numbers, maps and much more easier than ever while you’re on the go. So wherever you may be, having full access to quality healthcare is right at your f inger tips. Just visit Alegent.com on your smar t device and you’re there.
Alegent Health is a faith-based health ministr y sponsored by Catholic Health Initiatives and Immanuel.
1-800-ALEGENT Alegent.com
C ARING COM MUNITIES
Getting better every day
Greater Omaha is the center for leading research and recognized leadership in many medical specialties and sub-specialties, as well as the destination for patients from around the world who can choose to go anywhere for their care. For people living in Greater Omaha, it means more access to great health care services and providers. Five of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health care systems are among Greater Omahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 25 largest employers. And with significant investments in expansion and infrastructure at these facilities, the health care industry has also helped to fuel jobs in other sectors. PHOTO: MIKE WHYE
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Research funding spurs health care industry growth Research funding, a significant motivator of growth in the health care industry, has attracted the world's envy and has brought highly skilled jobs to the state.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center The only full-service pediatric specialty health care center in Nebraska, patients from throughout the region are referred to Children's Hospital & Medical Center for the treatment of complex or unusual diseases as well as pediatric primary care. In 2010, it opened the Specialty Pediatric Center, which houses more than 35 pediatric specialty clinics. The organization was named a 2011-2012 “Best Children's Hospital” for heart and heart surgery
and orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report. Even with its sophisticated medical capabilities, everything about the Specialty Pediatric Center is designed to create a dynamic and welcoming environment, including the interior. “Imagine” is the name of Matthew Placzek's bronze sculptures of children holding umbrellas which builds to a lighted spire inside the 76-foot, window-encased stairwell. Nineteen umbrellas twirl up the spire, each illuminated by programmable LED lights.
At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, funding has tripled in the past decade to more than $100 million annually, increasing vital research in fields such as transplant medicine, cancer, neurodevelopment and genomics. At Creighton University, research funding has nearly doubled over 10 years. Noted programs include bacterial resistance to antibiotics, airway immune disease and allergy and immunology. Funding has also allowed for followup research on Creighton's landmark study showing that calcium and vitamin D reduce the cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
Alegent Health As the region’s largest health system, Alegent Health serves the diverse needs of individuals, families and communities throughout Omaha and southwest Iowa with multiple hospitals, clinics and physician practices.
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In 2010 and again in 2011, Alegent Health was the only health care system in Nebraska to be named by Thomson Reuters as one of the top health systems in the United States based on clinical performance across the entire system. Alegent introduced the concept of nurse navigators to improve the cancer experience for patients. These professionals serve as patient educators and advocates, care coordinators, system navigators
and community ambassadors for Alegent. In addition, Alegent's Patient-Centered Medical Home model of care is reducing the incidence of emergency room visits by building a partnership between patients and their primary care physicians. The goal is to keep patients who have one or more chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia, healthier. The program has earned national recognition for its success.
UNMC ranked No. 7, primarily speaking Primary care is the foundation for all health care in the United States. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, our novel approaches to primary care medicine are recognized nationally. The US News & World Report ranks UNMC’s primary care graduate program seventh, among other prestigious universities. At UNMC, we believe that educating students and residents to work as teams — with physicians, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, public health workers and others — ensures that future patients will receive the best and most innovative care possible. We continually explore how to best educate the next generation of health care professionals, ensuring a healthier future for patients in Nebraska and across the nation. UNMC. Breakthroughs for life. 1 University of Washington
6 University of Minnesota
2 University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
7 University of Nebraska Medical Center
3 Oregon Health and Science University
8 University of Massachusetts
4 University of CaliforniaSan Francisco 5 University of Colorado
GRAD SCHOOLS MED SCHOOL PRIMARY CARE RESEARCH RURAL MEDICINE
2012
9 University of Pennsylvania 10 East Carolina University
unmc.edu
Specialized hospitals in a league of their own Greater Omaha is home to two academic medical centers and several specialized hospitals. The new Methodist Women's Hospital is the region's only specialty facility of its kind. It opened in June 2010, and by May 2011, had delivered 3,190 babies and had admitted 493 newborns to its NICU. Halfway across town, Children's Hospital & Medical Center opened its Specialty Pediatric Center in 2010. It sees more than 52,000 patients a year. Boys Town National Research Hospital continues to be internationally recognized for its leadership in clinical and research programs focusing on childhood deafness, visual impairment and related communication disorders. An emphasis on routine health and primary care is at the top of the list for most health care providers. The aim is to keep people well to begin with, reducing the onset of health
conditions and ensuring early detection of others when they are most easily treated. University of Nebraska Medical Center's Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health opened in May 2011, and houses the College of Public Health. Through education, research and collaboration, the center addresses such healthrelated issues as emergency preparedness, emerging and pandemic diseases, health disparities and public health risks. The latter includes obesity, substance abuse, inadequate prenatal care and age-related diseases. The center couldn't have opened at a better time as federal, state and local governments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; along with families â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are seeking ways to better manage their health care resources and costs so they have improved access to services.
Methodist Health System The oldest health care system in the region, the Nebraska Methodist Health System actually consists of several hospitals located throughout the Omaha metropolitan area and southwestern Iowa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including the region's only women's hospital. Its affiliation with Methodist Physicians Clinic provides patients with access to more than 159 physician partners practicing from 18 sites. It is noted for the care provided in such areas as cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, women's services, gastroenterology, orthopedics and comprehensive diagnostic services, as well as for its cancer care provided through the Methodist Cancer Center.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
Creighton University Medical Center An academic medical center, Creighton University Medical Center brings a full complement of resources in patient care, education and research to the area. Its affiliations with Physicians Health Clinic and Creighton Medical Associates, an academic, multispecialty faculty group, support the medical center's clinical and academic missions. Thirty-six specialties are represented, and more than 100,000 patients are treated annually at the medical center and other community-based clinics in the metro, in addition to rural outreach clinics. The regionally-recognized Creighton Cardiac Center celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
When faced with serious illness or injury, more doctors and more hospitals in the region send their patients to The Nebraska Medical Center. It is here where serious medicine is practiced and extraordinary care is given; and where innovation and expertise come together to find answers to even the most difficult questions.
NebraskaMed.com
THE Nebraska Medical Center The University of Nebraska Medical Center's teaching hospital, The Nebraska Medical Center, has more than 1,000 physicians on staff in all major specialties and subspecialties to serve patients.
Nizar Mamdani
PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
Its acute-care facility has an international reputation for providing organ and bone marrow transplantation services. The Nebraska Medical Center serves patients regionally in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Missouri with comprehensive oncology, neurology and cardiology programs.
Life-changing access to medical care As a child growing up in Tanzania, Nizar Mamdani did not know that Nebraska existed. Today, he makes his home in the state and promotes Omaha internationally for its world-class health care. Mamdani and his wife, Nancy, were living in Atlanta in 1998 when the couple decided to relocate to Omaha so Nancy could receive cancer treatment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“I wanted to help patients coming to Nebraska for treatment. But more importantly, I wanted to start training and education programs for international health care professionals,” says Mamdani, who has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles setting up relationships.
Nancy died the following year. But Mamdani, impressed with the skill and compassion of doctors in Omaha, stayed. He turned his focus to establishing a program that gives patients around the world lifechanging access to medical care at the Nebraska Medical Center.
Through IHS, specialists in Omaha view medical records over a secure website and offer electronic second opinions to patients within four days. Telepathology, meanwhile, allows doctors in Omaha to examine electronically scanned slides of patients' biopsied tissue.
Today, International Healthcare Services has partnerships with more than 118 institutions in 44 countries, including India, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and provides telepathology and electronic second opinions to more than 100 health care professionals worldwide.
“Though this is a program with international dimensions, it's really about Nebraska,” says Mamdani, IHS' executive director.
Scores of patients have traveled to Omaha for treatment. In addition to world-class medical care, patients and families receive a full range
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of personal care – local transportation, translation, special meals and help with financial transactions and sightseeing.
In addition to IHS, Mamdani established the Nancy Mamdani Cancer Care Foundation at UNMC, which supports international medical professionals who are training in Omaha. He also is involved in an international program that provides eyeglasses to needy children.
CARING COMMUNITIES
Aiding infants' power to communicate The 20 or so preschoolers spend their days learning, socializing and preparing to enter kindergarten. Emphasis is placed on what you'd expect â&#x20AC;&#x201C; reading, writing, drama, art, music, math and movement. But there's more than meets the eye.
medical expertise and patient care through
This classroom includes students who are hard of hearing and deaf, as well as hearing children. Welcome to Boys Town National Research Hospital's Lied Learning and Technology Center for Childhood Deafness and Vision Disorders. Beyond academics, highly trained educators and specialists focus on developing students' listening and spoken language skills. They also provide support the students may need, such as the use of sign language.
a test that is given within the first days of a
Children and families from across the country have access to the best resources,
the hospital's use of the latest in electronic telecommunications systems. In fact, the hospital's research touches all newborns in the United States. Experts here were instrumental in the development of newborn's life to detect and evaluate hearing loss. The hospital also is credited with fitting infants just 2 days old with hearing aids that are critical to language development. Boys Town's research on hearing aids, cochlear implants and other technologies and devices has proven to be vital for accessing the latest and greatest, along with the services to support it.
Boys Town National Research Hospital Founded in 1977, Boys Town National Research Hospital offers a broad range of clinical services at the Boys Town Ear, Nose and Throat Institute. It also offers general pediatric care at Boys Town Pediatrics, as well as orthopedic, internal medicine, pediatric gastroenterology, allergy, asthma, pediatric pulmonology, behavioral health, audiological and ophthalmologic care. Boys Town has assembled national leaders in research who are making important contributions in the areas of genetics, hearing, language, vision and speech disorders.
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MOSAIC: OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIFE For one man with severe physical and intellectual disabilities, it was a desire to work with animals and an interest in computers that turned into a job performing online research for the owner of a gourmet pet bakery. For another individual with intellectual disabilities, a longtime wish to work in the film industry has become an opportunity to volunteer for a local movie theater. Still another man saw his love of singing turned into a chance to perform the national anthem at a local baseball game.
IF YOU CAN DREAM IT AT MOSAIC, you can count on the staff to make it happen. It's something the faith-based organization, headquartered in Omaha, has been doing for nearly 100 years. “We take the time to get to know everyone as an individual” and help them discover their personal interests and potential, says Linda Timmons, Mosaic's president and CEO. For some, that might mean having their own room, going bowling or getting involved in their church as a way to make new friends. “We walk side by side as these individuals explore new opportunities in life.” Mosaic provides assisted day and residential services through 38 agencies to approximately 3,700 individuals with intellectual disabilities and to senior citizens in more than 100 communities across 11 states. The organization consistently exceeds the U.S. Health and Human Services' 27 quality measures for clinical process of care and clinical outcome measures for the services it provides. Mosaic also advocates for and with people who have disabilities to ensure their voices are heard in their communities. “It is a matter of inclusion. We make our communities a better place when we include everyone,” Timmons says.
Where our level of care matches our level of caring
Dr. Mahoney Cardiologist
From everyday needs to life-changing events, this is where you want to be. With state-of-the-art technologies and treatments, a national ranking in the top two percent for saving lives following a heart attack and a special trust built over generations. Methodist is where innovation meets compassion. And that’s the meaning of care. bestcare.org
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©2011 Methodist Health System
CARING COMMUNITIES
QLI: Helping clients find the new norm It’s a scenario so routine, that you might not give it a second thought. A 20-something, outfitted with the latest iPad accessory, navigates easily between watching what’s on the screen and interacting with his companion. But in this case, the mobile device does more than utilize the coffee shop's Wi-Fi capability. It provides a means of speech communication – a tool to manage scheduling and routines. Above all, it couldn't appear more normal. And that's the point. “It's something that everyone else has,” says Brett Hoogeveen, director of Quality Living Inc. “It helps clients feel less self-conscious about using a device. And that can seem like the only thing stopping you when you're walking that balance between appearing as normal as possible and needing assistance to function in the community.” QLI's purpose is to enable those who have suffered a severe brain or spinal cord injury, trauma or a progressive illness to achieve as much independence as possible.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF QUALITY LIVING INC.
In fact, QLI is the largest brain and spinal cord specialty facility of its kind in the country. It was founded in 1990 by Kim Hoogeveen, with the help of community support advocates and his parents. QLI is currently headed by Patricia Kearns, president and CEO.
QLI draws clients both regionally and nationally due to the two distinctive sides of its operations: sophisticated rehabilitation through its proprietary Tri-Dimensional Rehabilitation program; and long-term residential care for young adults that includes both skilled nursing care and private assisted-living apartments. “A brain injury can affect every aspect of a person's life, so the scope of our services is immense,” Brett Hoogeveen says.
The Tri-Dimensional approach entails a medical dimension and an educational dimension, which at QLI emphasizes an applied and functional approach to daily tasks in as much of a real-world setting as possible. The third dimension focuses on building hope and acceptance of the reality of the client's situation and limitations. All aspects of the program are applied to every interaction, therapy and activity until it becomes the client's new norm. A neuropsychologist recently experienced the program's benefits firsthand after his daughter was involved in an accident. In appreciation, the family gave QLI a gift of two new iPads for other clients to use. “It's a very life-giving place, where everyone contributes to making it a positive, uplifting environment,” says Hoogeveen.
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Hope Center for Kids: Fun and so much more High-fives, pats on the back and impromptu encouragement sessions are common as Program Director Deb Johnson navigates the halls of the Hope Center for Kids. Keeping the kids motivated and involved in the center's community is her primary mission – so much so that you'll rarely find her in the solitude of her office. The center provides at-risk, urban youth and children a place to grow spiritually, emotionally, socially and intellectually. The nonprofit's work has earned a Big O! Excellence Award from the Greater Omaha Chamber. Colorful red, turquoise, green and orange walls declare this as a kid-friendly place. On average, about 100 kids are hard at work and play either after school or on summer afternoons. They work diligently in the computer lab, finishing up homework or learning new skills. Bookshelves line the walls behind them. When their work is finished, fun awaits on the stage, in the art room, on the indoor basketball courts and on the fullsize skating rink.
PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
Success is measured through the members' achievements. Since 2006, 95 percent of
the center's kids have graduated from high school. Of those actively enrolled, 90 percent participate in weekly development programs and community learning projects. Leadership camps, ACT preparation and college visits are also offered. “We work really hard with the kids to keep them on track with their academics,” says Johnson. Employment training is emphasized, too, with 12 to 20 youth employed on staff. Learning how to be an employee for the center is good experience before the kids move on to lessforgiving “real life” work, Johnson says. The work world is welcoming the center's teens. Small businesses like Red Mango in North Downtown Omaha use the employment program as an avenue to hire young adults. “It's been a neat thing for us,” says Bret Cain, Omaha/Lincoln franchisee and president of Focus Red Mango. “We love what the Hope Center stands for and what they are doing.” The center collaborates with other community groups, too. “You can do something bigger if you are working together,” Johnson says.
United Way’s CEO works to understand communities’ wants, needs Karen Bricklemyer packed up weekend reading material, shut off the lights in her third-floor office overlooking Omaha's City Hall and headed out for an early dinner with her 9-year-old twins. The past few weeks had been hectic, and with her husband away for his job, she and the girls were eager to start the weekend. Her life is a balancing act as a mother, wife and new head of the non-profit United Way of the Midlands, which raises more than $21 million annually to award to scores of health and human
service programs Omaha.
in
Greater
Bricklemyer says she is better at her other roles because her day job puts her in touch with many facets of the community, from corporate titans to homeless kids. Bricklemyer came to Omaha in early 2011 from a smaller United Way branch in Gainesville, Fla., to assume the reins from Michael J. McLarney, who retired after 22 years as CEO. During her eight years with the United Way of North Central
Florida, Bricklemyer took special interest in poverty and children's concerns. Her former boss recalled how she delivered dental care and teeth sealants into schools, arranged for low-income kids to take food-filled backpacks home on weekends and made books more accessible. She is taking time to meet one-onone with board members, donors and business leaders to better understand the needs and wants of her new community. She also is serving on the Greater Omaha Chamber board of directors. PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
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C Charles Drew Health Center, Inc.
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PHOTO: CHRIS CHRISTEN
Penny Parker:
Beacon of hope for kids She has spent the past 20 years doing what she loves most: Advocating for kids. And not just a few. Parker has touched the lives of at least 2,000 children annually in her two decades as executive director of Completely Kids. Early in her career, she helped kids through Douglas County, the Child Saving Institute and the State of Nebraska. Poverty is the most critical issue facing the families she serves. It's no accident that Completely Kids sits at 25th Street and St. Mary's Avenue in one of the city's most impoverished neighborhoods. “We want to make an impact, to be a beacon of hope,” Parker says of the location. “We want to be a part of revitalizing this area and to make a difference in the lives of kids and families.” Completely Kids provides a safe environment for children when they're not in school. Programs address life skills, family
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relationships and nutrition. “We're not just babysitting,” Parker says. “We believe that in order to make an impact you have to influence the family.” Completely Kids has a full-time staff of 27, plus more than 100 community partners at businesses and universities throughout Greater Omaha. “Volunteers and in-kind donations really help us stretch our dollars,” Parker says.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
GREATER OMAHA HAS COUNTLESS GEMS in its non-profit community. Not many, however, can match Penny Parker.
Small gestures have a huge impact. Consider: •
The free T-shirt each child receives upon joining the program. For some, it's the best – or only – shirt they have to wear.
•
The after-school snack. “For some, it's their supper.”
•
The weekend food program. It's a godsend for the child who steals food or cuts a granola bar into eight pieces in order to feed his siblings.
•
The summer garden. “These kids crave fresh produce.” Fresh fruit, too.
•
The father who “thanks you for lightening his load.”
Omaha, a metropolitan area of more than a half-million people, is home to five Fortune 500 companies and, by some measures, more millionaires per capita than any other U.S. metro area, thanks in part to native son Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett has pledged to give 99 percent of his wealth to philanthropy during his lifetime or at his death. It’s a gesture that could add up to more than $50 billion for good causes. Buffett is encouraging America’s wealthiest citizens to join him in what is called the Giving Pledge. For his efforts, President Barack Obama awarded Buffett a 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
She dreams
of being a doctor one day
And OneWorld Community Health Center is here for her until that day comes. While she grows, she will visit us for immunizations, well child checks, and school and sports physicals. One day she will utilize our womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health services and prenatal clinics. When it comes time for her to decide where to do her residency program, she chooses OneWorld because she has seen first hand the excellent service, the outstanding facility, and the passionate and committed doctors and nurses on staff.
It is dreams like this that have enabled our clinic to continue to serve Omaha since the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. OneWorld has grown from a grassroots organization to a state-of-the-art, high quality, health center which is now located in the Historic Livestock Exchange Building at 30th & L Streets. We also have a second location, Cass Family Medicine which is located at 409 Main Street in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. The OneWorld family of health centers is the leader in Douglas, Sarpy and Cass counties; providing affordable primary healthcare in English, Spanish and over seventeen other languages. Our healthcare is holistic and patient-centered, and includes support services such as the WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) Food Program, breastfeeding classes, social work, case management, and diabetic support groups as well as access to affordable medication. Whether you are looking for affordable healthcare, searching for a meaningful and rewarding place to work, or you are interested in learning more about the numerous opportunities to get involved with our organization, OneWorld will be there for you, making dreams come true. 4920 South 30th Street Omaha, NE 68107 Phone (402) 734-4110 Admin (402) 502-8845
together We’re in it
The aerial views were awe-inspiring and cringe-inducing: Great swaths of the Heartland – from North Dakota to Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri – swallowed by a bloated Missouri River. From the ground, a more human and heartbreaking picture of the aquatic assault brought on by record snow melt and rain runoff in the Upper Missouri River Basin. This was the flood of 2011, likely to happen on average, once every 500 years. A summer-long barrage, fluid and relentless, slowed only by an equally fluid and relentless community response to filling sandbags, building and patrolling levees and installing pump stations. Herculean efforts kept Eppley Airfield dry throughout the flooding period. The Omaha Airport Authority, working with the city of Omaha, Kiewit, Alvine Engineering, HDR, Hawkins Construction, URS Corp., Lamp Rynearson & Associates and Thiele Geotech Inc. and others, did everything they could to send water back to the river. Workers moved scores of underground pipes from permanent pumping stations to the top of the levee on the east side of the airport. What otherwise would have taken months took as little as a week to complete. Later, crews dumped tons of sand where water was found bubbling up on a section of the levee. A breach would have put Eppley under 10 feet of water. While crews toiled in Omaha and Council Bluffs, similar all-consuming attention was being focused on the Fort Calhoun nuclear power station upriver. The United Way of the Midlands mobilized early, coordinating legions of volunteers for massive sandbagging efforts at Levi Carter Park near Eppley Airfield and the MidAmerica Center on the Iowa side of the Missouri River. United Way volunteers also rallied to assist at area flood shelters. PHOTO: Roger D. Barnes
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THE FLOOD
“The city stayed dry for one reason and one reason only: The people who were out there working.” Shane Hunter, battalion chief, Omaha Fire Department, July 19, 2011
PHOTOS: WORLD-HERALD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
Grocery chains, restaurants and community groups provided meals to volunteers and flood victims who toiled in sweltering heat and humidity while media outlets, local rock bands and businesses large and small rallied support for the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. The labor memorial at Lewis and Clark Landing on the Omaha riverfront became a measure of the Missouri River’s threatening rise. At the water’s highest level in July, the mallet was nearly submerged.
The Salvation Army began its response May 30 and spent the summer providing food, hydration and prayer to thousands of people in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. “The Midwest ethic of ‘neighbor helping neighbor' has never been more apparent,” says spokesman Susan Eustice. Money, food, cleaning supplies and labor – Greater Omaha and surrounding communities donated it all. “When times are the most difficult, people work together and sacrifice for the common good,” says Steven Wright, public affairs officer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps stood on the front lines, regulating releases at six major dams, building critical temporary levees, and keeping an anxious public informed around the clock. “The priority was making sure folks had the right information for the sake of their safety,” says Thomas O'Hara, executive officer of the corps' Omaha District. “It was a historic and unprecedented year throughout the region,” says O'Hara, a graduate of the Greater Omaha Chamber's 25th Leadership Omaha class. “Folks pulled up their boots and got the job done. I would challenge others (facing disasters) to respond the way the Heartland did.”
ABOVE: OPPD’s nuclear power station at Fort Calhoun north of Omaha was off-line for scheduled maintenance when the Missouri River started spilling from its banks in May. By June, OPPD already had spent more than $25 million protecting several facilities along the river for the well-being of the public and the local economy.
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CONNECT WITH WHAT’S NEXT.
ED U C ATI O N
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Growing our greatest natural resource: children Parents who expect quality education for their children aren't disappointed in the choices available from early childhood to adulthood. Greater Omaha has a strong system of public and private schools, with more than 300 facilities spanning eight counties. Magnet schools, college prep curriculums, test scores, teacher recognition programs, academic honors and achievements in sports and other extra-curricular activities are examples of the effectiveness of the community's wide-ranging commitment to nurturing its greatest natural resource. Learn more about Greater Omaha's public and private schools at www.OmahaChamber.org/education
School Districts Omaha Public Schools Omaha Public Schools recently celebrated its 150th year of serving the city's families. About 46,000 students are currently enrolled, and they bring with them varied diverse ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. District officials are proud that students' test scores exceed the national average for large school districts. OPS is also proud to maintain its AA accreditation. “The personal dedication to empowering youth and the commitment to excellence in quality education are demonstrated by the board of education and our entire staff,” says Superintendent John Mackiel. “Their many hours of service and shared expertise reflect a total commitment to quality educational programming and instructional excellence for children and families in the Omaha Public Schools.” Students can apply for the district's many magnet programs, including math, science, engineering, technology, international studies, economics, communications, languages and performing arts. OPS graduates receive more than $25 million annually in scholarships. Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page
MIllard School District Millard schools work on creating a climate where students want to do their best and recognize that success breeds success. For the past two years, Newsweek has ranked three of this district's schools among its list of “America's top 1,600 high schools.” The district's emphasis on Advanced Placement courses is part of the reason for the accolade. More than 22,000 students are enrolled
Many students graduate having earned college credit for their high school courses. Speaking of graduating, Millard's graduation rate is 98 percent. Its ACT composite score of 23.6 is above the national average. More than 95 percent of graduating students go on to further education or training programs. Millard students scored as well or better than three-fourths of their peers nationwide on the TerraNova achievement test measuring reading, language arts, math, science and other academic areas.
WESTSIDE SCHOOLS Known for its dedication to excellence and technology, Westside Community Schools offers a “one-to-one” laptop program for
PHOTO: COURTESY OF WESTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
in the district, which also offers a K-12 International Baccalaureate Program connecting the district with a worldwide community of schools that promote intercultural understanding.
students in grades eight through 12. This means that every student in those grades is issued a personal laptop on the first day of sc hool. The laptop access motivates students and keeps them on a level playing field. It also allows classes to be highly interactive – whether economics students are graphing and discussing company profits – or English students are annotating and dissecting novels. Elementary students have frequent access to technology as well, with one notebook
SERVING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS www.westside66.org
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EDUC ATION
The school's 2010 average ACT composite score was 24.6, and it set a new school record with an average SAT composite mathematics score of 648.
ELKHORN PUBLIC Schools Elkhorn Public Schools is a rapidly growing suburban school district on Greater Omaha's western edge. The district enrolls more than 5,900 K-12 students and boasts a graduation rate above 97 percent. Elkhorn students consistently score above state and national averages on standardized assessments, and the district maintains a focus on smaller schools and smaller class sizes. In 2010, Elkhorn became the only school district in the state to operate two Class B high schools.
OTHER DISTRICTS Suburban neighborhoods are served by excellent public school districts in Bellevue,
Bennington, Papillion-La Vista and Ralston. Dozens of private schools enrich the lives of our children as well.
OMAHA's CATHOLIC SCHOOLS The Archdiocese of Omaha serves more than 21,000 Catholic school students. In the Omaha metro area, there are 31 parish schools for grades K-8 and nine high schools. Private Catholic high schools grounded in history and ceremony and a dedication to academic excellence include Creighton Preparatory, Marian and Mercy, and more.
PPRIVATE SCHOOLS Brownell-Talbot School is one of Nebraska's oldest continuing schools and the state's only private co-ed college preparatory school. While it is a prep school in name, BrownellTalbot does offer a pre-kindergarten through high school curriculum. Concordia Lutheran Schools offers a collegepreparatory co-ed junior/senior high school
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
computer available for every two students.
and an elementary school. From kindergarten through their senior year of high school, students are being equipped to excel to the next level of education and beyond.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS Boys Town Several non-traditional educational environments are dedicated to at-risk youth. The most widely known is Boys Town, where youth live in a home environment and attend school and church on campus. It's a tradition founded by Father Flanagan.
Po oster prrovided by the Oma Omaha maah aha ha Sch S Schools o Fo ndat d on Foundati oundati oundati und un on
3029
Omaha Public Schools Teachers are:
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PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Scientists, teachers
Omaha high school students had the opportunity to join astronauts in conducting scientific research on NASA’s second-to-last shuttle mission last May. Students at Omaha Burke HIGH SCHOOL and Omaha North High Magnet School had two experiments aboard space shuttle Endeavor when it left the launch pad. The opportunity came through the nationwide Student Spaceflight Experiments Program. Omaha Public Schools chose Burke for its focus on aerospace education. Thirty students devised 10 proposals; sophomore Aaron Zipursky won for wanting to know whether honey can protect an egg white and egg yolk from bacteria in space. North was chosen for its magnet program in math, science, engineering and technology. About 150 students submitted 41 proposals for experiments. Seniors David Smiley, Jessica Powell and Jesse Epperson won a spot to test lysozyme – an enzyme found in human mucus, human tears and baby formula among its other homes. Lysozyme is known for its antibacterial capabilities. Omaha's two teams were funded by the Sherwood Foundation, the North Omaha Foundation for Human Development and the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
INSTILLING A LOVE OF MUSIC
Maestro shares his passion with new generation of musicians Every time Thomas Wilkins picks up his baton and conducts the acclaimed Omaha Symphony, it is a tribute to the profound impact music can have on a child's life.
and concerts. For older students, this includes putting on a musical adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” (in partnership with Nebraska Shakespeare), as well as a choral collaborative.
“I went with my third-grade class to a symphony concert and just fell in love with the sound. I decided that day that I wanted to be a conductor,” recalls Wilkins, music director since 2005.
“We combine two high school choirs and teach them a major choral repertoire. And then they perform with the Omaha Symphony. Nobody in the country does that,” says Wilkins.
With a nod to that prescient 8-year-old, Wilkins today is passionate about sharing the musical experience with and nurturing the next generation of music lovers.
Among the lessons he likes to stress to children is that the symphony can be a fun, inviting experience. The orchestra, with all of its components, is one of the best examples of “community” that exists in our environment, he says.
“The big thing for us is education,” says Wilkins. Wilkins “Only part of the mission is to grow a future audience; a larger part of the “None of the instruments sounds like each mission is to get people to have some sense other. Some are stronger than others, and of identity with music. We want people they're all played by different people. Yet to make music at an amateur level, and somehow, they figure out a way to work appreciate music as listeners.” together in a manner that achieves this beautiful, powerful, awesome sound.” A “harmonious” relationship with Omahaarea schools – and a number of community Count Wilkins' twin daughters among the partners – have helped the Symphony many children who have been inspired connect with a younger audience. It by his passion. Both are pursuing degrees offers child-focused educational programs in music.
INSET PHOTO: JEFFREY BEBEE
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Empowering Girls to Succeed as Confident, Independent, Thinking Leaders
SCHOLARSHIPS AND TUITION ASSISTANCE ARE AVAILABLE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MARIAN, CONTACT RECRUITMENT DIRECTOR MOLLY ADAMS WOODMAN ‘97, AT 402.571.2618 EXT 161 OR MWOODMAN@OMAHAMARIAN.ORG
7400 MILITARY AVENUE OMAHA, NE 68134
www.marianhighschool.net
H I G H ER ED U C ATI O N You’ll love the quality of education here Greater Omaha’s institutes of higher learning pride themselves on preparing students for a competitive and dynamic world. Our colleges and universities collaborate with the business community to inspire entrepreneurs and to provide workforce training to meet professional and industrial needs. Our two highly regarded medical schools not only lure top students and professors, they also attract substantial research dollars that fund jobs and advance medicine. Whether it’s a baccalaureate degree, medical degree, master’s degree or training for a highdemand job, you can have it at one of our public or private universities or a host of smaller institutions.
Growing our greatest natural resource – people Greater Omaha is home to a higher percentage of high school and college graduates than the national average. In fact, nine out of 10 adults ages 25 and older are high school graduates, compared to the national average of 85 percent. And, one in three have earned a bachelor’s degree or more advanced degree, compared to the national average of about 28 percent.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF BELLEVUE UNIVERSITY
Bellevue University: Curriculum based on today’s needs Bellevue University is focused on flexible, convenient learning options that help busy students earn degrees that prepare them to thrive in a connected, competitive world. “Our unique, student-centered approach to learning gives adult students the foundation they need to feel empowered, inspired and fulfilled,” says President Mary B. Hawkins. “Whether students choose to earn their degree in class or online, they learn with professionals who want to move up in their careers,” Hawkins says. Bellevue University is Nebraska's largest private university, and the first accredited university to
implement an online MBA program. It offers the nation's only doctoral degree in human capital management and a Master of Science degree in cybersecurity. The latter was added in 2011 in response to local, national and international needs among security professionals in public, private and military jobs. “Approximately a quarter of our students are enlisted military at Offutt Air Force Base and are local defense contractors,” says Ron Woerner, program director. Bellevue University also offers 18 master's degree programs and more than 45 bachelor's degree programs.
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University of Nebraska at Omaha: The state’s metropolitan university The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a popular place to be. The 100-year-old institution's core values for its 15,000 students include academic excellence and community engagement that transforms and improves urban, regional, national and global life.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
Creighton University: Educating the whole person Since 1878, Creighton University in resurgent Midtown Omaha and North Downtown Omaha has been dedicated to educating the whole person – academically, socially and spiritually. With its students and faculty, nationally recognized scholarship and research programs, and a commitment to service and modern campus facilities, Creighton is regarded as one of the preeminent Catholic, Jesuit universities in the United States. With a goal to create a student-centered living and learning environment, the campus has expanded to more than 130 acres. In the last 10 years alone, more than $250 million has been invested in new construction and improvements. And for more than 20 years, U.S. News & World Report has consistently recognized Creighton as a top Midwestern university, as well as a “best value” university. The students, faculty and staff donate more than 275,000 hours of community service annually. Creighton is recognized both locally and nationally for its commitments to volunteering,
student service learning and civic engagement. The Rev. Timothy R. Lannon, S.J., became the 24th president in July 2011. Lannon is the first Creighton alumnus to head the University. More than 7,000 students are enrolled in a broad range of undergraduate, graduate and professional academic programs. The University is also home to an academic medical center. Creighton University Medical Center offers a full complement of resources in patient care, education and research. Its affiliations with Physicians Health Clinic and Creighton Medical Associates, an academic, multispecialty faculty group, support the medical center's clinical and academic missions.
UNO has expanded in the past decade from its main campus at 60th and Dodge Streets to a south campus in the vicinity of 67th and Pacific Streets that includes the Peter Kiewit Institute and Mammel Hall, the new home of the College of Business Administration. Among the innovative aspects of Mammel Hall is the Maverick Investment Lab with digital tickers that track the stock market, as well as computer screens that retract into students' desks and other state-of-theart technology and equipment. UNO also has a renovated Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building; and an updated Roskens Hall for the College of Education. Student housing continues to grow on campus with the fall 2011 opening of Scott Court.
Thirty-six specialties are represented, and more than 100,000 patients are treated annually at the medical center and other community-based clinics in the metro, in addition to rural outreach clinics. The regionally recognized Creighton Cardiac Center celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
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Creighton Only at
You will have the unique opportunity to enjoy a lifetime of education – from prestigious undergraduate programs to esteemed graduate and professional studies – all on one diverse campus at Creighton University. Rigorous academics set in the Jesuit tradition of excellence in education ensure your success – whether you decide to pursue a distinctive career or continue your education. It is all here for you, including the resources to support you every step of the way ... only at Creighton.
Office of Undergraduate Admissions 402.280.2703 • 800.282.5835 admissions.creighton.edu
Graduate School • 402.280.2870 University College • 402.280.2424 www.creighton.edu
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Curriculum tailored to industry needs Metropolitan Community College is rooted in the community, having provided educational opportunities and training to families in Douglas, Sarpy, Washington and Dodge counties for more than 35 years. MCC partners with local businesses to develop curriculums that meet industry needs now and for the future. The collaborations are reflected in a state-of-the-art green data center at the Fremont Area Center; the new Washington County Technology Center in Blair; and a paperless medical services lab that is designed to simulate emergency health services and the new electronic health record environment. Nebraska's second-largest higher education institution continues to grow, serving 30 percent more students than five years ago. Credits are transferable to more than 35 institutions in Nebraska and beyond. Through noncredit classes, dual enrollment, degree programs, transfer programs and wraparound services, MCC continues its commitment to serve children, high school students, lifelong learners, recent high school graduates, nontraditional students, single parents and first-generation college students.
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Internship program helps teens go to work using new skills Dream It Do It is giving hands-on training to local high school students interested in manufacturing and related careers. The internship program, coordinated by the Nebraska Advanced Manufacturing Coalition, is a cooperative effort among Metropolitan Community College, Greater Omaha Chamber businesses and Bellevue Public Schools. Teens spend the first semester learning machine safety and how to apply their math skills in real-world settings. They also tour manufacturing plants. The second half of the internship is spent working at companies like Valmont Industries, ConductixWampfler, Omaha Public Power District, Nebraska Public Power District and Behlen Manufacturing Co. Dream It Do It was launched with eight students from Bellevue West High School last year. Students from Bellevue East High School were added for the 2011-2012 school year.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
MetroPOLITAN Community College:
HIGHER EDUC ATION
Find a complete list of higher education institutions at www.omahachamber.org
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
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Students thrive at the College of Saint Mary, an all-female Catholic school with about 1,000 students. The school is proud of its fouryear paralegal program, and its practical nursing program produces bilingual Spanish- and English-speaking nurses. Clarkson College prepares students for careers in nursing, physical therapy, radiologic technology, medical imaging, imaging informatics and health care management. The college enrolls nearly 1,000 students on campus and online, and it maintains first-time licensing rates above the national average.
Biblically integrated education is the primary emphasis at Grace University, where bachelor's degree candidates pursue a double major in biblical studies and a second area such as education, music, nursing or business. Iowa Western Community College offers 84 vocational/technical programs, as well as arts and sciences transfer majors. Annual enrollment is about 5,500. Students prepare for work in the aviation, automotive and sustainable energy industries, among others. Personal attention is a key component to campus life at Midland University in Fremont. The student-to-faculty ratio is 12-to-1. This liberal arts college is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It is home to 50 majors and pre-professional programs, and offers more than 50 campus organizations. Dedicated to developing new preachers, missionaries and youth ministers, Nebraska Christian College in Papillion offers two primary areas of focus: preaching and worship arts. A new campus center with a 500-seat auditorium was dedicated in October.
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Mothers Living & Learning Mothers Living & Learning at College of Saint Mary is an innovative residential option for single mothers who would like to pursue a college degree full time while living on campus with their children. A college education is the path to selfsufficiency for single mothers - and the program provides an environment focused on study and community.
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Academics At College of Saint Mary, you can pursue a number of degrees in a wide variety of subjects. No matter what your course of study, our involved and supportive faculty will help you translate your learning into real-world skills and practical experience. In fact, 92% of our graduates are employed or in advanced education within six months of graduation.
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Aspen Santa Fe Ballet The Nutcracker December 9-11, 2011
ROCK OF AGES • March 6-11, 2012
Herbie Hancock • March 16, 2012
A RTS & EN TERTA I N M EN T Are We There Yet? Absolutely! Greater Omaha is not an arewe-there-yet city. You know, bored kids from the backseat always asking, Are we there yet? Instead, all of our great attractions are an easy drive from home or a hotel – and an easy drive from each other. Adult Night Out Itinerary: Village Pointe Shopping Center >> Historic Old Market >> TD Ameritrade Park Omaha or CenturyLink Center Omaha for a game or a concert. Total travel time: 24 minutes.
Kid’s Dream Day Itinerary: Omaha Children’s Museum >> CoCo Key at Ramada Plaza Hotel >> Amazing Pizza Machine. Total travel time: 22 minutes.
Wild & Out-of-This-World Itinerary: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo >> Mahoney State Park >> Strategic Air & Space Museum, Ashland. Total travel time: 30 minutes.
Name That Attraction Itinerary: Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge >> Gene Leahy Mall >> Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens. Total travel time: 10 minutes.
Greater Omaha: More attractions. More fun. Not a single Are we there yet? Learn more at www.visitomaha.com
PHOTO: KURT A. KEELER
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PHOTOS: CHRIS CHRISTEN; WORLD-HERALD
Two magnificent facilities. 80 years old. In 1931, the city of Omaha became home to two magnificent facilities. One, a grand station serving rail travelers in lavish style, the other a bastion of culture presenting visual art and music performances in a stunning pink marble building. Union Station, home to The Durham Museum, and Joslyn Art Museum both turned 80 in 2011. Completed in the same year as New York City's Empire State Building, The Durham and Joslyn – with their patterned floors and soaring ceilings – are two of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States, and the similarities don't stop there. Both of these “marble marvels” (Blue and Black Belgian at The
Durham, Roman travertine and St. Genevieve Rose among 36 other varieties at Joslyn) were constructed by Kiewit and feature exteriors intricately engraved with quotations and figures representative of the institutions' purposes. Greater Omaha's museum tour doesn't end there. Also included is a celebration of cultures (El Museo Latino and Love's Jazz and Arts Center), new frontiers (Strategic Air & Space Museum) and the power of play (Omaha Children's Museum).
CELEBRATING A METAMORPHOSIS Known worldwide for his paintings and colossal sculptures, Omaha-based Jun Kaneko set the opera world a-flutter in 2006 with his first foray into set and costume design for Opera Omaha's “Madama Butterfly.” The production soared, and last April, Kaneko's colorful and abstract vision returned to the Orpheum stage in an acclaimed encore of the beloved opera. Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's Botanical Center, celebrated the artist, the opera – and its own 10th anniversary in 2011 – by hosting Kaneko's largest outdoor art exhibit to date, displaying more than 50 drawings and massive ceramic sculptures
throughout the 100-acre grounds. KANEKO, the artist's own cultural institute in Omaha's Old Market, celebrated “Madama's” return with “Kaneko Onstage,” a special exhibition of its founder's opera designs. The artist will have a chance to enthrall a West Coast audience next. He's currently lending his vision to a 2012 San Francisco production of “The Magic Flute,” which may find its way to Omaha.
PHOTO: KURT A. KEELER
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Treasured venues. Unforgettable performances.
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DEC. 2–31, 2011
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OCT. 21–NOV. 20, 2011
CHICAGO
The orchestra presents more than 100 orchestral performances from September through June, and most are held at the Holland. The symphony's nationally recognized education programs touch the lives of more than 30,000 schoolchildren annually. The symphony also works with more than a dozen community partners and tours Nebraska.
CA R A STREET SIRE E D D E NAM
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The ornate, circa-1920s Orpheum hosts Omaha
MARCH 2–25, 2012
ON GOLDE POND
AUG. 19–SEPT. 18, 2011
BLUES S BROTHER
FEB. 10–MARCH 18, 2012
JAN. 20–FEB. 12, 2012
AUG. 12–21, 2011
PHOTO: COURTESY OF OMAHA PERFORMING ARTS
The Holland, meanwhile, is home to the 90-year-old Omaha Symphony under the leadership of Music Director Thomas Wilkins and Resident Conductor Ernest Richardson. The orchestra doesn't simply play at the Holland; it revels in the acoustically superb, architecturally stunning concert hall.
NOV. 18–DEC. 23, 2011
The Holland, a sleek, boxy marvel in downtown Omaha, celebrated its fifth anniversary with a special performance by Jackie Evancho, the child prodigy discovered on NBC's “America's Got Talent.” The signature concert, held in August 2011, paid tribute to those who contributed to construction of the $90 million jewel, including namesakes Mary and Richard “Dick” Holland, and to the $10 million renovation of the Orpheum.
Performing Arts' Broadway series, as well as major productions of Opera Omaha and a wide range of other stage performances and lectures.
APRIL 27–MAY 27, 2012
The Holland Performing Arts Center and the Orpheum Theater are treasures in the city's rich arts scene. In just five years, 1.7 million patrons have laughed, cried, reflected, dreamed and cheered at world-class performances presented by Omaha Performing Arts in these treasured venues.
Y YESTERDAAY D O T A ND
Y HAIRSPRA
6915 CASS STREET | OMAHA, NE | 68132 | (402) 553-0800 | (888) 782-4338 | WWW.OMAHAPLAYHOUSE.ORG
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Live music
A VIBRANT THEATER SCENE
Taylor Swift kicked off the North American leg of her 2011 Speak Now tour at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Like a crowd-pleasing stage play, Omaha's vibrant theater scene has a powerful star and strong supporting cast.
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
The veteran lead – the Omaha Community Playhouse – has been delighting audiences with award-winning plays and musicals for almost nine decades. Hundreds of volunteers, both on stage and behind the scenes, bring productions to life each season, allowing the Playhouse to fulfill its mission of “enriching the community through great theater.”
We rock when it comes to music “Omaha, somewhere in middle America ...” – Counting Crows “Omaha, you've been weighing heavy on my mind. I guess I never really left at all.” – Waylon Jennings “I've been to L.A., New York, I've done it all, but none of it compares to the Omaha mall.” – Justin Bieber Musicians sing about it, and music lovers eat it up. Uptown. Downtown. Inside. Outside. Along the river. In the park. Big venues. Intimate venues. The list goes on. We go gaga for Lady Gaga (who played Omaha on St. Patrick's Day 2011, filmed a music video in Sarpy County during the summer and declared her love of Nebraska to the local press), Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney. But we also celebrate local talent with bands like The Confidentials, The
Personics and Lemon Fresh Day. Local piano bars and nightclub stages are hopping every weekend. During the summer, Greater Omaha offers an array of music festivals and concerts as extensive as Katy Perry's 2011 world tour (it included a stop at the CenturyLink Center Omaha in September). The inaugural six-day Red Sky Music Festival in July drew a high-powered lineup, including Kid Rock, Omaha-born 311, 10,000 Maniacs and Buddy Guy. Every summer, our passion for live music is also echoed at Lewis & Clark Landing along the Missouri River, staging ground for the annual Omaha Riverfront Jazz and Blues Festival, the indie MAHA Music Festival and the Playing With Fire Omaha blues festival. PHOTO: COURTESY OF OMAHA COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE
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Omaha's Rose Theater came onto the performing arts scene more than 60 years ago. It is home to the Omaha Theater Company, which is the only resident, touring professional theater company in Omaha and one of the largest in the country. Productions for children and families are staged almost year-round. The 2011-2012 season includes “The Adventures of Nate the Great,” “James and the Giant Peach” and “Seussical the Musical.” The metro's ultra-talented cast of theaters includes the Blue Barn Theatre and its “boundary-breaking plays” and the Shelterbelt Theatre, which is known for producing original works. And last but certainly not least is the John Beasley Theater & Workshop, which is an intimate venue that “seeks to build cultural bridges” and make the theater arts come alive for a wide audience.
“Guys and Dolls” at the Omaha Community Playhouse
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
When in Omaha â&#x20AC;Ś PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Celebrate with us Many of these sponsored events support the important work of non-profits. The Corporate Cup 10K, for instance, aids the American Lung Association, while First National Bank's Trek Up the Tower supports the Wellness Council of the Midlands. Bank of the West's patriotic summertime concert benefits the Food Bank for the Heartland. ConAgra Foods, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Omaha Public Power District and Mutual of Omaha also bring significant events to the public.
Here's a sampling of seasonal favorites: Celebrate: Omaha's Holiday Lights Festival downtown beginning Thanksgiving night and continuing through New Year's Day; World-Herald Fireworks Night at the Home Run Derby in early July.
Relax: Jazz on the Green at Turner Park on Thursday evenings during the summer; Omaha Summer Arts Festival downtown and Shakespeare on the Green at Elmwood Park in June; and the Offutt Air Force Base open house and air show in August. Perspire: Omaha Marathon, Race for the Cure Omaha, Omaha Corporate Cycling Challenge, Over the Edge (rappelling the Woodmen Tower).
PHOTO: JIM FERGUSON
A number of big-draw events in Greater Omaha have grown into full-blown traditions, thanks to a long list of corporate and private donors.
Omaha Fashion Week: A six-night celebration of the city's creative talent in hair, fashion and makeup design. For 40 designers and their models, it's a resume booster like no other. A week of small shows at Nomad Lounge culminates in a glitzy Saturday night runway finale on an outdoor stage in the Old Market. (The 2011 red-carpet event drew 5,000.) Entrepreneur Nick Hudson and his wife, Brook, are the creative duo behind OFW, now the Midwest's largest fashion event.
King among attractions Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is a place you simply have to see whether you're in town for a few days or a few decades. Get beyond the sheer variety, and you'll start to appreciate the attention paid to presentation. The zoo is a prime example of philanthropy at work. The non-profit Zoofari Foundation has raised $2.35 million in recent years for renovation and expansion of major exhibits, including the Walter and Suzanne Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium. Start your visit at the Lied Jungle and the Desert Dome, the largest exhibits of their kind in the world. After that you have to make choices: sharks, penguins, hippos, polar bears, lemurs, rhinos, gorillas and much, much more. If your legs have a hard time carrying you through the grounds, go by train, tram or Skyfari chairlift. Then stop by the Lozier IMAX theater for a high-quality movie experience.
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FEATS OF GLORY Venues, volunteers and fans set the stage for a highly anticipated string of world-class athletic events.
OLYMPIC SPLASHDOWN Record crowds celebrated the elite swimmers who touched the wall first or second in their races and made the American team for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Michael Phelps, possibly the greatest athlete to pass through Omaha, put a historical glow on his time in Omaha by winning eight gold medals in Beijing. The superstars of swimming return to Omaha June 25 to July 2, 2012, this time for a chance to qualify for the Summer Olympics in London. A record 160,000 fans spilled into CenturyLink Center Omaha over eight days in 2008. Swimmers, including Phelps, set a total of nine world records and 21 American records. Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Nathan Adrian, Rebecca Soni, Natalie Coughlin and Allison Schmitt are expected to be back.
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When Omaha performed so impressively as a first-time host of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, there was much optimism that the city could reach an even higher level the next time around. USA Swimming officials, athletes, coaches and other visitors loved Omaha, and the feeling was mutual.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
A DAZZLING ICE SHOW In January 2013, U.S. Figure Skating brings its championship event to CenturyLink Center Omaha, where about 250 elite skaters will compete for spots on the U.S. national championship team. Peggy Fleming, the 1968 Olympic ladies singles champion, won her fourth of five U.S. titles when Omaha hosted this event in 1967. Who will be the next Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi or Scott Hamilton? Jeremy Abbott, Ryan Bradley, Rachael Flatt and Alissa Czisny are likely contenders, and they're all expected to compete in Omaha.
PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
A U.S. figure skating championship is another feather in Omaha's cap. The nine-day event (Jan. 19-27, 2013) will include more than 1,000 competitors and draw total crowds in excess of 100,000.
CWS, Swim Trials share city The College World Series and U.S. Olympic Swim Trials will overlap in 2012. A total of up to 38,000 people could pack TD Ameritrade Park Omaha and CenturyLink Center Omaha on June 25 and, if the CWS requires an additional game to determine a champion, June 26. Officials, however, say, “No sweat.” Simultaneous ballpark and arena events are just the challenge Omaha wants.
MASTERS AT GOLF
Mutual of Omaha celebrated its corporate sponsorship of the 2008 swim trials with a mammoth banner – a swimmer 245 feet tall and 60 feet wide – on its 14-story headquarters at 33rd and Dodge Streets.
Greater Omaha scores national attention each summer as host of the Cox Classic Golf Tournament at Champions Run. A number of the game's biggest names have played our greens. July 8-14, 2013, the historic Omaha Country Club will host the U.S. Senior Open, the club's first United States Golf Association Championship. Tournament greats Mark Calcavecchia, Fred Couples, Greg Norman and Vijay Singh are among those eligible to play.
PHOTOS: WORLD-HERALD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
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A league of our own Omaha doesn't hurt for activities if you want to get on the field yourself. Whether you are young or old, Omaha has some of the most active sports and recreation programs in the country. City-sponsored adult leagues for basketball and volleyball are offered, along with youth basketball. And Metro Omaha Softball is one of the most enthusiastically supported programs in the country. Leagues and clubs for youth football, soccer, gymnastics, hockey, swimming and tennis can be found throughout Greater Omaha, too. Plus, golf courses abound for all levels of play. Omaha's expansive trail system passes through woods, along streams and the Missouri River. And Omaha now has 20 miles of marked bike lanes and routes for commuters. PHOTO: ERIC FRANCIS
Renovations to be completed June, 2012.
3321 South 72nd Street | Omaha, NE | 68124 | 402.590.5126 | RamadaPlazaOmaha.com
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Restaurant Sampler:
Dining in 3D
CLAYTON CHAPMAN
PHOTO: WORLD-HERALD
Whatever you crave, Greater Omaha is sure to satisfy with a restaurant roster that is decidedly (and famously) 3D: Deep, diverse and delicious. But, don't take our word for it.
The Grey Plume
Dante Pizzeria Napoletana
A seasonal, farm-to-table restaurant serving contemporary American cuisine
Omaha’s first restaurant specializing in Neapolitan pizza and rustic Italian cuisine
Even before its christening as the greenest restaurant in America, The Grey Plume was highly anticipated in Omaha. The idea behind it was as uncompromising as winter, as hopeful as spring: Built with reclaimed barnwood and modern efficiencies in a prominent new development. Conceived and co-owned by Clayton Chapman – an Omaha-raised, Chicagotrained, world-traveled chef who wowed diners at V. Mertz when he was just 21. Chapman and crew apply classic and modern techniques to carefully selected ingredients, including regional meats and produce. Green, but far from granola. The small, serene dining room has latte-colored walls, a gauzy fringe of cream-colored curtains, brushed charcoal banquettes and chestnut-colored floors. White linens adorn tables set with small vases of rosemary. Diners who sit at the bar get a view of the kitchen. Dinner menu only; reservations recommended. “Sophisticated dining spots have sprouted in recent years, with the arrival of top restaurants such as The Grey Plume, a locavore haven owned by wunderkind chef and Omaha native Clayton Chapman (try the fries cooked in duck fat).” Kiplinger, 2011 “Best Value City” “Touches like house-churned butter and morning-after pastries make The Grey Plume one of the most thoughtful and delicious places to dine – anywhere. Refined yet approachable.” Omaha World-Herald
Zurlo’s Bistro Italiano
blanc burgers + bottles
West Omaha hot spot for cocktails, northern/central Italian cuisine
Gourmet burger restaurant known also for its truffle fries, homemade ketchup and extensive bottled beer list
Big portions of traditional pasta, pizza and paninis and interesting “big plates” like seared duck with blueberry balsamic and saffron polenta cakes. The terrifically textured tomato-basil soup and housemade pesto gnocchi taste like summer. – Omaha World-Herald
“The great thing about the place is that the culinary team is always dreaming up new specials to keep you from falling into a burger rut.” – Omaha Restaurant Examiner
“Dante Pizzeria houses the only VERAcertified wood-fire oven in Omaha, which sets (chef and owner Nick) Strawhecker's Neopolitan pizza apart from other Italian cuisine in the metro.” – Omaha Magazine
Greenbelly Eco-friendly establishment that serves environmentally responsible fine food “Its very name underscores its dual missions: good for you, good for the planet. That doesn't mean it won't help you blow your diet with interesting salad toppings, unusual sandwiches and grilled pizzas.” – Omaha World-Herald
7M Grill An eclectic mix of upscale food, wine and local Omaha art “7M Grill offers a diverse menu with a few ambitious twists, and it should please just about everyone who lives or works in northwest Omaha.” – The Reader
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Destination Shopping:
A Breadth of Fresh, Open-Air Offerings Shopping. Strolling. Eating. Relaxing. Whatever your mission, you can accomplish it with ease at one of Greater Omaha's open-air malls. All-inclusive destinations like Shadow Lake Towne Center and Village Pointe Shopping Center thrive on convenience, variety and crowd-pleasing community events. Run a quick errand or park the car and stay awhile. Bring the whole family for lunch or that special someone for dinner. A wide range of fresh, openair options abound in Greater Omaha for one-stop retail, dining and diversion. Here's a sampling. PHOTO: BILL SITZMANN
Aksarben Village Aksarben Village is a $200 million mixed-use community built on property that was, in a former life, the Ak-Sar-Ben Racetrack and Coliseum. Aksarben Village flourishes in Midtown Omaha with locally owned Wohlner's Grocery Store, a multiplex movie theater and restaurants. The development also features a fitness club, an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and easy access to Omaha's Keystone Trail.
Midtown Crossing A $325-million destination for upscale shopping, dining and entertainment, Midtown Crossing is serving as a catalyst for renewal in central Omaha. This mixed-use development balances a blend of national restaurants and retailers and local businesses, including Three Dog Bakery, blanc burgers + bottles, Cantina Laredo and Prairie Life Fitness. An outdoor market and Jazz on the Green concert series draw crowds in the summer. During the November and December holidays, the grounds are illuminated with an impressive light display. A free event shuttle
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makes it easy to travel between Midtown Crossing and popular downtown locations, including the Old Market.
One Pacific Place An infusion of exciting new offerings – including Nothing Bundt Cakes, Red Mango and in-gre-dient – have reenergized this shopping and dining mainstay, a fixture in west-central Omaha for almost 25 years. The 2010 arrival of Trader Joe's specialty grocery store cranked up the energy level and sparked a $1 million, center-wide renovation.
Shadow Lake Towne Center This massive development in Papillion, just south of Omaha, boasts an extensive list of bigname national retailers, restaurants and specialty stores, while embracing homegrown offerings like Morning, Noon & Night wine and coffee bar. Family friendly entertainment options include a summer concert series on the plaza and a New Artist Showcase at a local restaurant.
The Shops of Legacy With more than 120,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and services, The Shops of Legacy in southwest Omaha is one of Nebraska's largest upscale shopping centers. The mission? To offer a unique dining, retail and service experience with an eclectic tenant roster that focuses on nonchain, one-of-a-kind establishments like Dante Pizzeria Napoletana, which specializes in brickoven pizza prepared with local ingredients.
Village Pointe Shopping Center As Greater Omaha expands westward, so have the options for dining, shopping and entertainment. Village Pointe bustles with a multi-screen movie theater adjacent to a host of restaurants, including Johnny's Italian Steakhouse. The parking lots – and the events calendar – always seem to be full. Village Pointe hosts a number of community gatherings throughout the year, including The Vibes at Village Pointe concert series, the Village Pointe Wine Festival and the Village Pointe Farmers Market.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Advertiser Index 62 41 102 58 25 77 125 100 44 17 46 97 40 143 113 1 140 130 34 143 18 28 FC2 127 4 15
AAA Nebraska
48 36 9 27 5 38 29 33 55 101
First Data
30 22
ACCESSbank Alegent Health American National Bank Baird Holm Attorneys at Law Bank of the West Bellevue University Bloomfield Forum Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska Borsheims CBSHome Real Estate Cella Quinn Investment Services Centris Federal Credit Union CenturyLink Charles Drew Health Center Children's Hospital & Medical Center Coco Key Water Resort Ramada College of Saint Mary Colliers International Completely Kids ConAgra Foods Conductix-Wampfler Cox Communications Creighton University Creighton University Medical Center Embassy Suites Omaha-La Vista/ Hotel & Conference Center First National Bank First Nebraska Educators Credit Union Fraser Stryker Attorneys at Law Gallup Great Western Bank Grunwald Mechanical Contractors Inc. Husch Blackwell Hyatt Immanuel Communities
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Jackson Lewis Lawson Kroeker Investment Management
109 123 110 72 2 94 111 29 43 143
Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska
107 52 96 135 143 132 121 115 RC2 70 51 56 41 129 RC 35 86 7 118 105 21 12 120
The Nebraska Medical Center
Marian High School Methodist Health System Metropolitan Community College Metropolitan Utilities District Midtown Crossing Midwest Dermatology Midwest Woodworkers National Safety Council Nebraska Business Development Center NEI Global Relocation NP Dodge Omaha Community Playhouse Omaha Friendly Services Omaha Performing Arts Omaha Public Schools One World Community Health Center Omaha World-Herald Pinnacle Bank Power Protection Products, Inc. Quality Living Inc. SAC Federal Credit Union Sioux Falls Seminary TD Ameritrade Tenaska Travel and Transport University of Nebraska University of Nebraska at Omaha University of Nebraska Medical Center Werner Enterprises West Corporation Westside Community Schools
Feel the energy. Build on the excitement. Join our 3,200 member businesses. Together we can keep all Greater Omaha businesses strong and growing. For membership details, visit OmahaChamber.org/join. For business information and more, visit SelectGreaterOmaha.com.
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TD Ameritrade, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC/NFA. TD Ameritrade is a trademark jointly owned by TD Ameritrade IP Company, Inc. and The Toronto-Dominion Bank. © 2011 TD Ameritrade IP Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.