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volume 16 | issue 4
B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE
KRIS METZLER MAPLE 85 PREMIUM LANDSCAPE MULCH CENTER
As Maple 85 Premium Landscape Mulch Center nears its 20th anniversary, much of its business comes from repeat customers and personal referrals, says president Kris Metzler, who owns the landscape distribution company with husband Todd.
“It’s our customer service. We are very attention-to-detail and we try to make the process as efficient as possible,” she says. The experienced, all-woman office staff is responsible for making a good first impression and providing the kind of care that builds productive and long-lasting relationships with customers, she adds. In turn, they are supported by a warm, family atmosphere with owners who don’t hesitate to pitch in when needed and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty—literally. Maple 85 provides top-quality mulch and river rock, aggregates, top soil, fill dirt, and Nebraska compost to residential and commercial clients. Customers can also purchase accessories such as landscape fabric and edging. During the winter months, the company provides salt and sand to contractors.
KATE PACKARD KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
As president of Kaplan University’s Nebraska campuses—and a
woman—Kate Packard has a keen understanding of what the majority of her students need and want from their educational experience. After all, 75 percent of them are women, and just as she does, they learn to integrate education into their busy lives of children, career, and family. “As women, we understand the juggle—being a mom, daughter, employee, student, business leader, etc.,” Packard says. “As a female leader, I also juggle similar demands in a day. As a female leader, innovation is a valuable quality to possess. “This quality allows female leaders the opportunity to juggle and prioritize daily so that we can remain focused on personal growth and accomplishments.” Kaplan University is a higher education institution offering more than 180 programs including diplomas, associates, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, as well as professional certifications and graduate certificates for eligible, nontraditional students.
Another way the owners of Maple 85 distinguish their business from the competition is by offering the use of dump trailers for a minimal fee with any size purchase.
Fifty-nine percent of Kaplan’s students are over the age of 30. Time spent on any level of education assists students to master both basic and advanced skills. The more time spent focusing on education, the stronger the students’ writing, reading, comprehension, and communication skills will develop. Packard says it’s the flexibility of Kaplan University that also appeals to students—male and female, traditional and nontraditional.
“We have different size trailers that we can match up with any size SUV or truck,” she says. “For those customers that don’t have a vehicle to pull a trailer, we can deliver the product to them. Customer service is our number one priority!”
“Each day I focus on pushing the boundaries by approaching what we do inside the walls of the university to support our students,” she says. “By the end of your program, you will have become accustomed to interacting with a wide variety of people and these social skills will assist students in their job search.”
8415 MAPLE ST. OMAHA, NE 68134 402.397.8278 MAPLE85.COM
5425 103RD ST. OMAHA, NE 68314 402.431.6100 KAPLANUNIVERSITY.EDU/OMAHA-NEBRASKA.ASPX
“We offer the most variety of mulch—eight different types and colors,” Metzler says. “Most of our competitors offer three, maybe four.”