TERRY KROEGER CATAPULTS SMITH KROEGER AGENCY INTO THE FUTURE
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EXECUTIVE
CEO
Bill Sitzmann
EDITORIAL
contributing editor
Jen Litton
associate editor
Natalie Veloso
assignment editor
Isaac Nielsen
editorial intern
Lucy Mason
guest editor
Jim Vokal
contributors
Jesse DePriest
Rick Faber
Andrea Fredrickson
Dwain Hebda
Brandi Long-Frank
Kara Schweiss
Tim Trudell
CREATIVE
creative director
Rachel Birdsall
senior graphic designer
Renee Ludwick
graphic designer II
Nickie Robinson
graphic designer I
Joey Winton
chief photographer
Sarah Lemke
photographers
Roger Humphries
Katie Anderson
SALES
executive vice president
sales & marketing
Gil Cohen
marketing &
growth strategist
Michelle Schrage
business development
executive
Carole Sprunk
branding specialists
Francine Flegg
Sandy Matson
Kristen Springer
contributing branding specialists
Greg Bruns
Tim McCormack
Dawn Dennis
senior sales coordinator
Alicia Hollins
sales coordinator
Sandi McCormack
digital advertising sales specialist
Travis Fisher
OPERATIONS
business manager
Kyle Fisher
ad traffic manager
David Trouba
digital manager
Luis De La Toba
distribution manager
Carson Kruse
publisher
Todd Lemke
The right messaging can set a business apart in a crowded digital world. Terry Kroeger of Smith Kroeger shares how his team earns client trust on pg. 10.
Cover photography Bill Sitzmann
Cover design Nickie Robinson
CLEARING THE WAY FOR NEBRASKA’S LEGACY BUSINESSES
Omaha is fortunate to have many legacy companies that have withstood the test of challenges. When thinking of these challenges, state policy usually is not on the forefront of business owners’ minds as they consider the longevity and future of their business. And unfortunately, Nebraska’s tax landscape can negatively impact the future of legacy businesses and the long-term sustainability of key industries.
Nebraska has been seeking ways to modernize its tax code for several years, and unfortunately, the inheritance tax has often been left out of the analysis. The inheritance tax is a worthy subject for tax modernization and reform because only five states continue to have this tax: Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Appearing on this small roster has earned Nebraska a regular mention on Forbes’ list of “where not to die.”
Economic studies have found the tax to be hostile to economic growth and business continuity because of its destructive impact on capital formation and investment, as well as having high compliance costs. These costs are most acute for businesses that cannot be moved and are passed down from generation to generation, such as farms and factories. Importantly, while most states do not make the transfer of property after death a taxable event for property of any value, Nebraska imposes inheritance taxes and compliance costs even on heirs receiving relatively modest inheritances. And depending on the relationship of the legacy business owner to the desired successor, the inheritance tax rate could be as high as 15% on the transferred business assets.
Tangible personal property (TPP) taxation is another policy that disproportionately impacts legacy industries such as agriculture and manufacturing. These industries are much more property-intensive than service sector industries, meaning that they require much more property, in terms of equipment, to produce their valuable outputs and be successful.
Taxing land and its improvements is neutral and makes sense across sectors. Farmers improve their farmland with barns and silos, manufacturers build production facilities on their land, and service providers build office buildings on their land. Yet, taxing tangible personal property disproportionately burdens farmers and manufacturers, who must invest in costly production equipment to operate. And TPP taxation is “taxpayer-active,” requiring taxpayers to complete complex paperwork to calculate the valuation of different pieces of property on different depreciation schedules. TPP taxation is itself a legacy form of taxation that states are phasing out as a remnant of a bygone era that no longer makes sense in the modern economy.
In short, TPP taxation is a legacy tax that harms legacy industries, making it harder to sustain their profitable operations. TPP taxation in Nebraska is excessively high and disproportionate to most states, many of which have no TPP tax at all, and should be phased out to unleash our legacy industries in the modern era.
Finally, creating jobs and prosperity keeps young people close to parents so that keeping the business in the family is a possibility. Many small business owners ultimately close shop upon retirement because their kids live in another state and there is no one to mentor and transition.
State leaders should play an active role in creating a policy landscape that provides the foundation for legacy businesses and industries to thrive throughout many generations. And while there are many factors other than tax and regulatory policy that come into play, it sure is important that in Nebraska, leaders address the policies that can better set them up for longevity. B2B OMAHA
FROM THE GUEST EDITOR
Jim Vokal is Platte Institute’s CEO. He can be reached for story suggestions and pitches at Jvokal@platteinstitute.org. Or email editor@omahapublications.com.
FEATURE
BUILT ON OPPORTUNITY
HOW OPPORTUNITY ZONES ARE FUELING A NEW
STORY: TIM TRUDELL
PHOTO: SARAH LEMKE
DESIGN: NICKIE ROBINSON
Ralston city leaders once believed a convention center and arena were the golden chalice which would drive economic development. But years of underperformance created public funding issues.
However, the city of 7,000 is undergoing a rebirth with the redevelopment of the Granary once home to Bushwackers Saloon and a few momand-pop stores. Today, the Granary District is home to a revitalized Bushwackers, events venues, and other businesses designed to attract more people to downtown Ralston.
It’s all thanks to Gordon Whitten’s vision to redevelop the area as part of Nebraska’s Opportunity Zones, which are 44 economically disadvantaged areas across the state. Whitten is owner of I See It Ventures, which has its office at the Granary. It includes a business accelerator to help grow new ventures.
Opportunity Zones are designed to boost economic development in areas with a poverty rate of at least 20% or a median family income of 80% of a metro area’s income average. In Omaha, the average household income is $72,708, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Opportunity Zones were created as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, allowing governors to create development zones in economically challenged areas. Nationally, there are about 8,800 designated zones.
In Nebraska, then-Governor Pete Ricketts chose 44 census tracts designated as qualified Opportunity Zones, including 15 in the Omaha area, said Jeffery Schaffert, an attorney with Koley Jessen. Qualified Opportunity Zones in the Omaha area include parts of North Omaha, Downtown Omaha, South Omaha, the NoDo area, the Blackstone District, Ralston, and Aksarben, he said.
An advantage of Opportunity Zone investments include tax benefits, Schaffert said. Early investors in the program those who launched projects before Dec. 31, 2019 can exclude 15% of the reinvested gain from taxable income when they recognize their deferred capital gain on Dec. 31, 2026, he said.
People who invested before Dec. 31, 2021, can see a 10% exclusion, Schaffert said.
“This deferral benefit is not as meaningful as it was during the early days of the qualified opportunity funds program, as the deferral period is much shorter now,” he said.
The deferred capital gain tax payment allows people to invest and make money off the projected tax payment, allowing them extra income, which is not taxable with the 2026 payment, said Kim Kuhle of Veterans Victory Housing and Small Business Centers.
“They can basically get the benefit of interest and appreciation and knowing that their tax liability is going into something that helps society,” she said.
Investors can enjoy a major tax perk if they keep and improve their project over 10 years. They can sell their project after a decade and walk away without owing capital gains on it, Kuhle said. Part of her Opportunity Zone development includes an apartment complex.
“Our apartments cost $130 million right now to build, and when we sell, it will be over $200 million,” Kuhle said. “In the meantime, we’re getting our percentage payment of the rent, the equivalent of a dividend, so we can make sure that the extra money is right there when the tax is due in 2026. That would be a huge benefit. And how did you do all this? It all started out with your tax liability. Who wouldn’t want to make money on their taxes?”
In Ralston, the Granary District is part of a larger plan to connect a section of the city from 72nd and Main streets to Liberty Credit Union Arena. The arena is even doing better, hosting popular concerts such as Alice Cooper and Hairball, as well as the Omaha Beef indoor football and Omaha Lancers hockey teams.
The City of Ralston provided $2.5 million to assist Whitten’s group in developing the Granary District, which includes a six-acre tract. Venues at the Granary hosts events from wedding receptions to corporate parties. An elevator allows access to Bushwackers for post-event get-togethers, Whitten said.
While the Granary District development may be the best-known project in Omaha regarding Opportunity Zones, Kuhle believes her project in South Sioux City, Nebraska, will be transformative, paving the way for new and unique mixed-use communities.
Kuhle, whose Omaha-based development company jumped on the Opportunity Zone development bandwagon early on, views her South Sioux City project Victory Star Village as a labor of love. It has a two-pronged purpose for her professionally and personally.
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The daughter of an Air Force veteran, she recalled moving base-to-base and the positive influence the military had on her family. She has long wanted to help veterans, Kuhle said.
Personally, she believes her mother struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after suffering life-threatening third-degree burns in a 1975 explosion. Doctors almost amputated her legs, but instead used pigskin to graft her legs, Kuhle said. She’s been concerned with PTSD since, especially with veterans and first responders.
She sees Victory Star Village as an opportunity to help veterans.
“People might have some Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from what they witnessed in Iraq, Afghanistan, wherever they’re located, but if they focus on building something positive with their small business, then they will be feeling like themselves,” she said. “Together, all of the people who are leaving the service can energize each other and take advantage of those veteran preference grants and bids.”
Victory Star Village, which will have more than 80 apartments and 75 single-family houses, should be completed by the end of 2027, Kuhle said. Once done, its use of changing technology could
revolutionize the way future mixed-use projects are developed.
“One of my key features is that we have the advantage of technology that helps to operate all the businesses and helps connect our buyers and sellers to the internet and to the satellites so our buildings will never go down,” Kuhle said. “We’re protected against 100 mph winds, and we’re tied to the satellites. We’ll have battery operation. So one of the things that I learned from when I was in banking is how to make use of the green deductions in qualified Opportunity Zones.”
Apartment and business complexes can be powered by turning their garbage into renewable energy to help power them, as well as possibly helping others in the power grid, Kuhle said.
Despite the current administration freezing some grant programs related to climate change and renewable energy Kuhle lost a $20 million federal grant application after that department’s employees were fired in early 2025 she said there are other opportunities to find funding for renewable energy.
“There are so many institutional investors around the world that are just so thirsty for renewable energy investments,” Kuhle said.
OUR APARTMENTS COST $130 MILLION RIGHT NOW TO BUILD, AND WHEN WE SELL, IT WILL BE OVER $200 MILLION. IN THE MEANTIME, WE’RE GETTING OUR PERCENTAGE PAYMENT OF THE RENT, THE EQUIVALENT OF A DIVIDEND, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE EXTRA MONEY IS RIGHT THERE WHEN THE TAX IS DUE IN 2026. THAT WOULD BE A HUGE BENEFIT.
-KIM KUHLE
The South Sioux City project includes retail spots as well as office space, all of which would be perfect for veteran-owned businesses, she said. It could also target minority-owned ventures, with four Nebraska-based Native American tribes within a 100-mile radius.
Having worked in business development for the Ponca tribe, Kuhle said she recognizes that Native Americans serve in the military at a rate five times higher than other ethnic groups.
Victory Star Village is one of 12 veteran-centric projects her company is working on nationally, Kuhle said. Other locations include Daytona Beach, San Diego, and Colorado Springs.
Veterans Victory Housing and Small Business Centers is the perfect company for economic development in Opportunity Zones, Kuhle said. The tax benefits offer incentives for her company and the businesses her projects will help create.
While Opportunity Zones encourage economic development, the 2017 legislation didn’t require public reporting, so the Nebraska Department of Economic Development doesn’t have specific information on the success of the program.
While companies like Whitten’s and Kuhle’s continue to create new businesses under the original legislation, potential changes to the tax law may delay their capital gain tax payments another two years, through 2028, and increase development opportunities in rural areas.
For Kuhle, anyone who wants to move away from Opportunity Zone projects can sell their interests to her. She plans to remain active in the development projects for another 20 years, creating a legacy for her family while helping others.
“This is the equivalent of a land trust that my daughters will take care of,” she said. “When they are in their aging years, they’ll decide whether or not to turn all 12 locations into a special land trust for veterans.” B2B OMAHA
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MARKETING & GROWTH STRATEGIES
SMITH KROEGER MAKES THE CASH REGISTER RING IN THE DIGITAL SPACE
PHOTO:
TERRY KROEGER
While today’s executives face the virtual hyper-loop of a modern AI workplace, one Omaha integrated marketing agency possesses the grit and historical chutzpah for day-to-day sustainability.
Smith Kroeger, led by former longtime Omaha World-Herald CEO and publisher Terry Kroeger, remains futuristic by deploying the right tools needed to build concrete messaging amid rapidly shifting narratives in marketing, communications, public relations, and more, for businesses nationwide.
There are a few reasons they stand out among a crowded market met with high demand for digital marketing, specialization within agencies, and a dynamic landscape with both old and new players. Those reasons are their digital tenacity and their deep, long-held community relationships.
Once joining the firm nearly a decade ago, Kroeger knew his mission. “We quickly determined that the team needed to be as good as it could get in the digital space in this marketplace,” Kroeger said.
The firm beefed up by investing time and money over the past six years to ensure their digital capabilities provide a variety of unique and updated options for their clients. Those options have become a core competency synonymous with their brand.
“The number of our options are unmatched in this marketplace,” Kroeger said. Smith Kroeger’s teams supervise every step of the way. Their strategy begins with a healthy interest in legitimately growing their clients’ businesses, contacts, or goals.
Digital Ad Spend: You Can’t Just Wing It
In the case of digital ad spend, Kroeger believes there is no set formula for success. “You’ve got to learn about not only your client’s business,” he said. “What are the personalities of the people who own the business? Who runs the business? What are they worried about?”
This list must be in alignment before they recommend a market strategy to deploy.
With a client roster including FNBO, Nebraska Lottery, Ronco Construction, and Cape School, these organizations first undergo a microscopic review to yield the best results.
“We want to help them achieve their goals, and so we spend time learning as much as we can about the business by talking to those clients, listening to those clients, and doing our own independent research as well,” he said.
Each project begins with careful planning, leads with data-driven insights, comes alive with imagination, executes with precision, and tracks and measures for improvement.
“It’s never a static environment where you just dial it up and let it go,” Kroeger said. Customized teams focus on doing more of what’s working well, and doing less of what’s not working so well.
“We monitor those things constantly and make sure our clients are getting the best bang for their dollar,” Kroeger said.
Regarding digital habits of audiences, Kroeger admits it’s a moving target. “Where people are drawn to is changing rapidly. I mean, a few years ago, nobody knew what TikTok was, and now, it’s a dominant player,” he said. “What kinds of leads are you trying to generate with your social media deployment?” Whether it’s cars, houses, or cosmetic medical procedures, he said that each audience deserves its own unique messaging.
This comes into play for things like web development, where they build mobile-first responsive designs that optimize for speed and searchability.
Kroeger, who served as chairman of the News/ Media Alliance, the national voice of news and magazine industries, remembers when he began with SKAR Advertising, which was renamed Smith Kroeger in 2019. “I was fortunate to walk into a place where we had super talented team members,” he said.
In a YouTube video discussing digital news and advertising from 2013 with industry colleagues Aaron Kushner and Ken Auletta, Kroeger locks in on the topic of news mediums with intensity, speaking in a soft, no-nonsense manner. His charcoal suit and dark, silver-tinged hair conveys a modern blueprint for how a Midwestern newspaper publisher would look and behave someone who began in his career as an assistant purchasing agent in the ’80s and rode the waves of a news media industry blighted by business model threats, ranging from newsprint tariffs to the loss of advertising revenue due to tech platforms.
He also survived the dot-com bust of the late ’90s, the 2008 financial crisis, and the explosion of news deserts beginning in the 2000s. He then took the helm at Berkshire Hathaway’s BH Media Group, a significant player in the newspaper industry with 75 regional dailies. More recently, he swiftly and safely landed at Smith Kroeger a little less than a decade ago, where trust and being a steward to long-grown connections are key.
“Mostly, we want to make sure that if we can’t make the cash register ring, then you shouldn’t hire us,” he said.
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FROM PAGE 11
A Nimble Team Enjoys Burnout Blockers
The team constantly monitors and updates their own internal database. “Our people are deeply versed in the environment and making sure we not only know what the trends are, but here again, it’s not just the trends. It’s what’s gonna work, what’s really gonna move the needle for our clients,” Kroeger said.
He believes shiny objects easily distract. “People talk about a new platform, or a new this or a new that, and we try to stick with what we know will work while being aware and conscious of the fact that there’s always changing tactics, changing platforms, changing vendors, all those kinds of things,” he said.
This dynamic environment requires a heavy investment to make sure they have the team with volume and talent to succeed in this space to deliver omni-channel marketing, which ensures consistency across all channels.
Their retention levels are high, with only one employee leaving voluntarily in the past year. The group focuses on making it an enjoyable atmosphere for their employees with step challenges and happy hours deployed as burnout blockers.
Generative AI,
Trust, and Hyperlocal Marketing
He mentions his long-standing career deeply involved in the Omaha community. “We have a reputation. We’re not the firm that’s going to let you down,” Kroeger said.
Rather, it’s built on trust. “When our phone rings, we get a shot at a business that others might not,” he said. Part of that is confidence. “They trust our brand, and they trust our team.”
Kroeger takes calls from clients late on Saturday nights and Sundays for urgent matters related to business public relations. “They trust us to handle it in a way that’s not gossipy and…they don’t have to worry about us handling their confidential information appropriately,” he said. “If the chips are down and you’ve got a crisis on your hands, you’re going to reach out to people you trust. We get a lot of that. We’ve earned trust in not only how we recommend that they deploy their message, but also the way that we handle their money.”
WE WANT TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS, AND SO WE SPEND TIME LEARNING AS MUCH AS WE CAN ABOUT THE BUSINESS BY TALKING TO THOSE CLIENTS, LISTENING TO THOSE CLIENTS, AND DOING OUR OWN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AS WELL.
-TERRY KROEGER
He mentions that it’s in their DNA to never cut corners. “If we say something, we’re going to back it up, and we’re going to do the right thing, and we’re going to take care of their money,” Kroeger said.
Founded in 1962 by Wayne Smith as Smith, Kaplan, Allen, Reynolds (SKAR), the Smith Kroeger agency reflects on its rich history. “We have this stewardship of those who lived before us, which is why Wayne Smith, our founder, comes to mind,” he said. Kroeger respects the blood, sweat, and tears that go into running a small business.
“Reverse mentoring” also comes into play at Smith Kroeger, where junior employees have opportunities to share insights on emerging technologies. He notes a diversified workforce in terms of age and gender.
“I probably drive them nuts, but it’s very energizing for me [to work with younger people] because… it’s a great collaborative environment,” he said.
For Kroeger, it’s not the destination, but the journey that matters. “Understanding where you’ve been,” he said, “and understanding where you’re trying to go, really means a lot.”
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ECONOMIC TRENDS
STORY: LUCY MASON
DESIGN: NICKIE ROBINSON
OMAHA’S OLDEST BUSINESSES
W LEGACY IN THE HEARTLAND
ith more than 45,000 businesses in the Omaha area, according to the Greater Omaha Chamber, the city is home to a network of both new businesses and longstanding, stilloperating businesses that serve as active pieces of Omaha history. Among these are some of the oldest operating businesses in the region. These legacy businesses not only reflect Omaha’s entrepreneurial spirit, but also serve as a reminder of how innovation and tradition can work hand in hand to mold a city.
The 30 oldest businesses can be followed back to 1855. Among them are familiar names such as Johnson Hardware, NP Dodge, and the Aradius Group (originally founded in 1856 as Omaha Print). These businesses have stayed within their founding families for over a century, an indication of Omaha’s community and dedication, having established themselves as Omaha legacies.
Omaha also gave rise to major institutions that have helped shape the city’s identity. Union Pacific and First National Bank were both founded in the mid1800s and have played a pivotal role in connecting Omaha nationally. By the late 1800s, many medical and educational institutions opened. These include BrownellTalbot in 1863, University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1869, Metro Omaha Medical Society in 1866, and Creighton University in 1878, all of which continue to educate and shape professionals in Omaha.
As Omaha entered the turn of the century, a different aspect of legacy businesses emerged notably, hospitality and food. With the city diversifying and more people planting roots in Nebraska, family-owned restaurants and bars began to define the city. As a place known for its restaurants, it was during this era that Omaha’s reputation as a food destination began to take shape. From Orsi’s Italian Bakery, which opened in South Omaha in 1919, to Johnny’s Cafe (1922), Omaha’s vibrant legacy of restaurants displays the scattering of people and history throughout the city.
Into the 1930s, this trend continued with businesses like Andy’s Place (1929), Nite Hawkes Cafe (1931), and Darby’s Tavern (1933), followed by Nifty Bar, The Neighber’s, Fan Tan Club, and The Musette Bar, all in 1935. With many of these establishments still remaining family-owned today, those which have changed ownership still retain the sense of local identity they were founded on.
Today, 43% of the 30 oldest Omaha businesses are familyowned and operated. Regardless of ownership, these institutions have established themselves as Omaha legacy businesses. Organizations like First National Bank and UNMC have remained integral to Omaha’s growth since their founding.
The concept of legacy runs deep within the business community in Omaha. While some companies have evolved and expanded over the years and others have remained steadfast, the city encompasses an impressive variety of legacy businesses that continue to shape and support the community. B2B OMAHA
THIS TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS OMAHA’S OLDEST BUSINESSES, COMPILED FROM GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER MEMBER RECORDS AND OMAHAEXPLORATION.COM.
CATEGORIZED BUSINESSES
OMAHA’S 30 OLDEST BUSINESSES BY INDUSTRY SECTOR
HOSPITALITY/TAVERN
Kendall Tavern, Dundee Dell, Andy’s Place, Nite Hawkes Cafe, Darby’s Tavern, Fan Tan Club, Nifty Bar, The Neighber’s, The Musette Bar
REAL ESTATE/CONSTRUCTION
NP Dodge, Byron Reed, Aradius Group, Chicago Lumber of Omaha
SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
Johnson Hardware, Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, Borsheims Fine Jewelry and Gifts
HEALTH
Metro Omaha Medical Society, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Humane Society
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Orsi’s, Johnny’s Cafe, Olsen’s Bake Shop
EDUCATION
Brownell-Talbot, Creighton University
INDUSTRIAL/MANUFACTURING
Union Pacific, Ingersoll-Rand Air Center, Baird Holm LLC
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
First National Bank, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network of Nebraska, New York Life
Nite Hawkes Cafe
VOICES OF INDUSTRY
BEYOND THE DEAL
HOW A BUSINESS SELLER SELLS MORE THAN BUSINESSES
STORY: LUCY MASON
PHOTO: SARAH LEMKE
DESIGN: NICKIE ROBINSON
FRANK HAVERKAMP
Frank Haverkamp had spent years in the business of buying and selling businesses before he purchased Sunbelt Business Brokers. From being an attorney, to a judge, to having built and bought several businesses, a smallbusiness attitude continues to carry the way that Haverkamp leads Sunbelt.
“I take great pride in taking care of everybody that we deal with,” Haverkamp said. “It’s not about us getting to the end and just closing a deal. It’s about making sure that we got the right deal for the seller…I tell my buyers and sellers, if I run into you on the street, I want to be able to come up to you and say ‘hi’ and shake your hand.”
Haverkamp isn’t short of old-world sayings and quaint metaphors. He scatters them in his speech while he ensures that Sunbelt values its customers and each deal is the right fit.
“People always say, ‘Frank, you sell businesses.’ I say, actually, what I do is I sell lifestyle. If we put somebody in the wrong thing, they’re going to be miserable, they’re going to be unhappy…we change people’s lives here,” Haverkamp said.
Surprisingly, Haverkamp accidentally stumbled upon brokerage, never having intentionally planned to be in this business for 25 years. The original owner of the Omaha Sunbelt franchise was a legal client of Haverkamp’s that needed an NDA written up. During a phone conversation, Haverkamp was asking questions and getting information for the NDA, and the two had lunch. Soon after, they shook on the deal, and Haverkamp became the new owner of Sunbelt.
“I will tell you, I got in because of that crook,” Haverkamp said, referring to a previous Omaha broker who was well known for shady dealings. “I said, you know, this city needs a good, honest business broker who knows what they’re doing and who has been a business owner to do this.”
Haverkamp’s passion for wanting to do right by the community as a broker shows his true fashion when it comes to business. Sunbelt has more than 170 offices nationwide, yet Haverkamp gives it a smallbusiness feel because he cares about his customers.
“I care so much about the buyers that are taking over that I want them to succeed,” Haverkamp said. “And so, for me, my legacy is that I’ve got all these people out there. They’re now successful. They’re not children, but kind of like that…I care about reputation, and Sunbelt’s reputation, which is that we will take care of you.”
As a lawyer, Haverkamp had done a lot of adoptions, and many aspects of his law career prepared him for brokerage. In a way, he said, selling a business is kind of like an adoption.
“An adoption is the only thing you can do as a lawyer, where when you’re done, everybody wants to take pictures and let you be in them,” Haverkamp said. “It’s the same thing with closing for the buyer it’s the most exciting, it’s wonderful. They’re starting this great new adventure for the seller. They’re changing their life.”
When asked what he found so fulfilling about being a broker, Haverkamp spoke of a port-a-potty business that had come to Sunbelt several years ago. Most buyers were hesitant to take the business, and it was turned down time and time again.
“It eventually went to a guy who was a construction manager who didn’t mind getting his hands dirty,” Haverkamp said. Squeezing together enough money to buy the business, within two years, the man had tripled the company, and his income was 10 times what he’d ever made as a construction manager.
“To me, it’s very fulfilling to see somebody younger come in, take the risk, buy a business and make it work, and then become financially successful themselves and grow that and what they can do with that,” Haverkamp said. “So, yeah, that’s why I do it.”
He lights up with passion as he relays this story of hope that serves as an example of what Sunbelt can help do for the people of Omaha: be a true beacon of what America has to offer. Haverkamp lived the dream of creating something from the ground up and now loves to share that opportunity with the customers of Sunbelt. Through his vision of a customer-focused brokerage business, he has created Sunbelt to be the place that people keep coming back to not only because he promotes aligning business decisions with the lifestyles of his customers, but because he continues to be a perfect example of the rewards that can come from risk, care, and hard work. B2B OMAHA
I CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THE BUYERS THAT ARE TAKING OVER THAT I WANT THEM TO SUCCEED. AND SO, FOR ME, MY LEGACY IS THAT I’VE GOT ALL THESE PEOPLE OUT THERE. THEY’RE NOW SUCCESSFUL.
-FRANK HAVERKAMP
FEATURE
18
NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED
STORY: DWAIN HEBDA
PHOTO: SARAH LEMKE
DESIGN: NICKIE ROBINSON
As a longtime staffing professional, Kelly Adams knows the importance of punctuality in an employee, a message he preaches regularly through his nonprofit, “It’s All About Employment (IAAE).” He set up the organization to help people with various hiring challenges in their background get back on their feet, people like Jose, who had previously been incarcerated.
On one particular day, Adams had a meeting scheduled with Jose to discuss the new lawnmowing business IAAE had helped him set up. Jose was late, which could mean a variety of things, not all of them positive.
“We’d ended up giving him a lawnmower and printing 100 flyers for him to take around his neighborhood. That was like, on a Thursday or Friday,” Adams said. “The next Monday, he was supposed to meet me and he was late. He was late because he was working. He said, ‘I’ve been busy mowing lawns and I’m getting busier. I’ll be able to hire folks who are in similar situations to me.’”
With that, Adams let out a round, satisfying chuckle.
“That was the whole intention of [IAAE’s] process, and it worked,” he said.
The win wasn’t Jose’s alone, nor the organization’s, but snaked its roots to young professionals all over the city of Omaha. Those individuals, members of a giving circle called Omaha Venture Group, approved a $7,800 grant last year that helped launch IAAE’s program that ultimately gave Jose the opportunity and encouragement he needed to achieve self-sufficiency.
In the process, Omaha Venture Group, a program of the Omaha Community Foundation, helped its members gain the philanthropic skills that are seeding the next generation of givers in Omaha and beyond.
“We’ve got a really great community of nonprofits in Omaha,” said Chandler Green, an interior designer with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture and current OVG chair. “[Omaha Venture Group] members are exposed to the amazing nonprofits that are out there, along with a network of likeminded individuals who have a passion for their community, have a passion for giving back. We create stronger relationships with individuals and organizations to continue to better the community.”
Fertile Ground
Now in its 23rd year, the Omaha Venture Group has directly benefited more than 100 local nonprofits in its history through microgrants. Four awards are made annually, capped at $8,000 each, and funded through a combination of member fees $400 for full membership, $200 for non-voting membership as well as the generosity of two benefactors.
Important as it is, the direct financial impact the group has made is dwarfed by the larger ripples of training hundreds of members in the finer points of philanthropy, from assessing the full range of community needs and scope of local nonprofits to the nuts and bolts of grant applicant evaluation and award decisions.
“Our mission is twofold,” Green said. “I think there’s somewhere around 3,000 nonprofits in Omaha, and our group is set up to help young professionals or folks interested in philanthropy that are just starting to get their toes wet to be involved in the philanthropic community.”
“The other side of it is supporting nonprofits through those younger, newer-to-the-scene members and giving that nonprofit exposure in hopes of [members] becoming advocates for them in the community and bringing their mission goals and projects forward,” Green said.
OVG’s membership target is particularly apt given recent studies into the philanthropic attitudes, habits, and challenges of the workforce’s youngest demographic groups, millennials (born between 1981 and 1997) and Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012). While much has been fairly or unfairly said that is unflattering about these generations’ work ethic, resiliency, and sense of entitlement, their commitment to charitable causes is above reproach.
The nonprofit world has been touting the millennials’ capacity to be philanthropy’s new power brokers for at least a decade now, and according to recent studies, those expectations are being fulfilled. Not only is this demographic deeply committed to charitable causes, but it stands at an unprecedented moment in history, the crossroads of the enormous transfer of wealth happening from baby boomer fortunes changing hands and members of Generation X creeping into their 60s.
Nonprofit fundraising consultancy Compel You described millennials as “shaking up the nonprofit world with a blend of tech-savvy and heart-driven generosity,” noting that 84% of people in this category made charitable donations the previous year. More than that, millennials are driven by transparency and involvement in the causes they favor most, appetites fed by the educational model of groups such as Omaha Venture Group.
I THINK THERE’S SOMEWHERE AROUND
3,000 NONPROFITS
IN OMAHA, AND OUR GROUP IS SET UP TO HELP YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OR FOLKS INTERESTED IN PHILANTHROPY THAT ARE JUST STARTING TO GET THEIR TOES WET TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY. -CHANDLER GREEN
FROM PAGE 19
As a category, Gen Z’ers are equally committed to giving, but are faced with several unique challenges compared to their millennial peers. For one, they have yet to accumulate the kind of financial wherewithal of demographic groups that have been in their careers longer, and what money they do have is under duress from inflation and high student loan burdens. Consumer Affairs noted that workers in their 20s have 86% less purchasing power than baby boomers did at the same age; nearly 1 in 4 Gen Z’ers have student loan debt, higher than their millennial counterparts, and they carry a median debt load 14% larger than their older peers.
Despite these challenges, Gen Z’ers have held their own when it comes to charitable contributions. The Abacus Cooperative reported that Gen Z adults made an average of 5.3 donations in 2022, more than the 4.8 donations made by millennials and 4.7 gifts made by Generation X. In one analysis, Why America Gives, Gen Z and millennials even “show a willingness to cut back in other areas to continue their charitable giving behavior and, in many cases, increase it.”
Given those contributions come as a greater sacrifice to the Gen Z’ers, they too are responding to the OVG model, not just for the participatory aspect of it, but to help them make more informed decisions about where their hard-earned funds are going.
Tessa Barney, who last year took over as director of philanthropic services for the Omaha Community Foundation, has been a member of Omaha Venture Group for five years. She said the group’s mission appealed to her on several levels.
“When I initially joined OVG, I was in a different role at a different organization and I was interested in opportunities that gave me insights across our community and not just in the industry that I was familiar with because of my job,” she said.
“By joining OVG, it really gave me insight into seeing not just the organizations that are doing work in these spaces, but some of the problems or issues that our community is facing and how nonprofits are responding to those. That was incredibly rewarding personally, and from a professional level, I have really appreciated the opportunity to be part of that grantmaking process,” Barney said.
What’s in a name?
Depending on one’s perspective, the name of the organization can be slightly misleading. Contrary to the word “venture,” members in the Omaha Venture Group are not limited to banking, finance, or investment professionals, as Green and Barney both attest. Rather, the word applies to OVG’s nonprofit target audience.
“The venture part of it comes in where we are looking at nonprofits who are more in their infancy or starting up a new project,” Green said. “Right now, our threshold is a $500,000 operating budget cap on the nonprofits that we look at and evaluate, with the goal to keep focused on those nonprofits that are starting out.”
“We also look at how we can continue to support an organization that’s maybe been around a little bit longer but is starting a new project to serve their audience. For groups that have been around for a long time, we help fund new programs they are wanting to bring online to meet a need they see in the community,” Green said.
Even though the work of the OVG doesn’t have anything to do with “venture” according to some definitions, Barney said there are definitely similarities between the group’s funding of new nonprofits or programs and that of venture funding of for-profit startups.
“We talk a lot throughout the process about being comfortable with risk,” she said. “When you’re looking at a venture gift, you’re not necessarily looking at an organization that has been established and has years of impact or result data. Part of a venture investment is there’s a chance that it won’t be successful.”
“We spend time with our members to help them understand that our intention is really to look at things where we feel there is value in either the organization itself or in the programming that they’re proposing that’s worth exploring or advancing or expanding because there is a real benefit that could come from it that will improve our community. We are okay with the idea that not every organization or program that we invest in is going to be successful; philanthropy is unique because there’s not the same pressure to return a financial result,” she said.
This philosophy allows OVG to fund nonprofits and their initiatives seeking to innovate and address issues among their constituents that would be difficult to quantify on a traditional balance sheet. Tamika Mease founded the North Omaha Community Partnership (NOCP) in 2019, and the organization was awarded an $8,000 OVG grant last year to address an issue that had for too long been pushed into the shadows.
“[The grant] helped us out tremendously with our Bridge the Gap mental health program,” she said. “We used the funds to send our staff through training to become grief support facilitators. We work with families through our crisis program, families that have been affected by gun violence, gang violence, or suicide.”
“Sometimes, especially in the Black community, there’s a stigma when it comes to mental and behavioral health,” she said. “Historically, we have been taught whatever goes on at home, stays at home. You don’t share your business with outsiders, so there is often that reluctancy to see a therapist when it comes to dealing with grief or trauma.”
Mease said that in addition to cultural barriers, NOCP also has to consider practical challenges that impede people from seeking help.
“With the community we serve, we’re having support groups in the evening and they’re bringing their children and they need to be fed, so we’ve used the grant funds to provide a meal,” she said. “When folks come in, they have that time where they’re able to sit at a table together. A lot of the families and individuals we serve are experiencing poverty, so we offer a stocked closet of household cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items that they have access to every week when they come. We’ve addressed transportation barriers, provided gas cards.”
“Our support groups have been full, and what some folks have told us is they decided to come initially just for a meal or because we offered gas cards and they thought, you know, ‘I’ll just come this time to get this and probably won’t be back,’” she said. “Instead, they’ve actually shared with us through exit surveys that they came back because they found people who could relate to what they were going through and they didn’t feel so alone anymore. I honestly don’t think we would’ve been able to have that type of impact without the Omaha Venture Group’s help.” B2B OMAHA
“How does work culture shift when leadership changes?”
Business culture is defined by the shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors within a company that shape how employees interact, work, and perceive the organization. It’s the “personality” of the company, influencing everything from employee engagement to its overall success.
After a combined 75 years of working with so many different companies, both in size and industry, we’ve found that most had a shallow culture, did shallow work, and in some cases, even achieved shallow results. We would like to say that because we were part of those companies, we created better cultures, helped produce great work, and delivered higher-than-average results. But that would not be true. Unfortunately, we don’t even think about our shallowness. We see our shallow work as normal work, and think that if we achieve a little bit more than last year, we are doing great work. It’s the lens we were either given or adapted to. We watched others, tried to assimilate, intentionally did our best to fit in, and looked to others to set the bar of achievement. We didn’t question leadership, we didn’t challenge the process, we didn’t even call each other out when it would have been the right thing to do. A mission statement was a sign on the wall, values were fluffy words we heard in “all-hands meetings” that didn’t really drive success behaviors they were just long-ago established words and phrases that have lost their meaning.
So, how does work culture shift when leadership changes? Well, if it isn’t deliberate and intentional, absolutely nothing changes. At best, the new leadership might be clearer in expectations aligned with their “new” agenda and reinvigorate some new energy into the system. But culture doesn’t really change at all, and ultimately, we remain shallow in our performance.
Company culture must be intentionally designed and deliberately practiced daily. David Friedman, author of Culture by Design, calls this “creating rituals” in our daily work that reinforces the desired success behaviors as a continuous part of our performance review process. It includes correcting behaviors that are antithetical to our values, immediately. This is the real work of leadership it requires courage and candor and consistency with a spirit of love and care. Because it requires consistent engagement and energy, many leaders don’t do it, and hence, why most organizations never really achieve a healthy, high-performance, results-driven culture…a culture you can see, taste, and feel for great work. It is gritty, not shallow.
Please don’t get us wrong. We are not blaming, nor judging anyone. The truth is that we get culture by default. We don’t really take inventory of whom we’ve surrounded ourselves with, we haven’t been exposed to high-performance success behaviors that actually reflect our purpose and mission, and very few of us had mentors who could really frame culture in a way to make lasting, positive change.
Here are a few things to know or reflect on culture change.
1. Leadership is the only group that can drive a productive, positive culture. If we are not in leadership of a company, at best, we can only begin to try to influence it. Influence should include a discussion of unacceptable behaviors in the workplace with your leadership, and which behaviors have proven valuable.
2. Culture by Design is the work of leadership to create and cultivate a set of success behaviors that guide us in how we achieve great work. It also vets those that work in, are recruited by, and are hired by our company.
3. We believe that a company that can articulate and demonstrate their high-performance culture to others will be noticed and trusted by their customers and partners.
4. You know you have a great culture based on the stories that are told inside and outside of your company. It’s evidenced in how people talk about you. Leaders and teammates alike need to spark this activity by sharing success-behavior stories with others; i.e., where and when we saw the desired behaviors at work, how it drove performance, created great experiences for our clients and team-members, and sometimes determined how we interacted with someone, or how we achieved excellence.
5. 5L Performance Group believes that culture should be evident in our products, our standards of quality, and what continuous improvement looks like. Deliberately practicing intentional success behaviors is a strong antidote to shallowness. B2B OMAHA
For more information, visit www.5LPerformanceGroup.com.
BUSINESS CULTURE IS DEFINED BY THE SHARED VALUES, BELIEFS, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS WITHIN A COMPANY THAT SHAPE HOW EMPLOYEES INTERACT, WORK, AND PERCEIVE THE ORGANIZATION.
-JESSE DEPRIEST AND RICK FABER
CULTURE
COACHING CORNER
JESSE DEPRIEST AND RICK FABER
STORY: JESSE DEPRIEST AND RICK FABER
PHOTO: SARAH LEMKE
DESIGN: NICKIE ROBINSON
FROM THE BASEMENT UP
TWO HALF-CENTURY BUSINESSES EXEMPLIFY A LEGACY OF SERVICE
MAIN FEATURE
STORY: KARA SCHWEISS
PHOTO: SARAH LEMKE
DESIGN: NICKIE ROBINSON
Thrasher, Inc.
When Thrasher Foundation Repair CEO Dan Thrasher says he grew up in the family business, he means that literally.
“I came along a few years after the business started. My first year they showed me pictures of it my bedroom and the office were the same room, so there was a crib on one side and a desk on the other,” he said. “People talk about work-life balance or being able to separate things. That’s never been a category for me; there’s overlap, absolutely.”
Greg Thrasher launched the company in 1975, as Thrasher Basement Water Control, from their farmhouse in the small Western Iowa town of Earling.
“My dad was always thinking he was going to be a part of a family business with his dad in Earling, Iowa. To his surprise, his dad sold his grain elevator, and so that put my dad in the position of having to decide what he was going to do,” Dan said. “So, he ultimately decided to start his own business doing home improvement, primarily basement waterproofing. He got trained up on some products and how to do that, and kind of got started all on his own.”
Greg and Nancy Thrasher married soon after the venture began and carried the business forward together.
“The two of them really did everything themselves for the first 25 years or so; my dad and mom were involved in every single project from 1975 through about 1992. It was very much an owner/operator, pretty small mom-and-pop business for quite a few years,” Dan said. “My mom answered the phone and did the bookkeeping, and my dad would go out and do the estimating of the jobs, and then do the jobs. I remember my mom talking about how when he got a business card, she thought, ‘Well, who does this guy think he is?’”
Thrasher described his parents as “modest, small-town” folks.
“Life was very simple,” he said. “Starting a business, I don’t think my mom thought of it as much as a business as a lifestyle. It was more like, ‘It’s a job, you’re here to do the work that’s needed.’”
As the business expanded, it served a growing number of customers in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area, necessitating a trip of at least two hours each visit. In 1981, the family and business (still operating out of a home office) relocated to Omaha.
“It was hard to stay busy in a small town, and so my dad was starting to have to drive to Omaha pretty regularly to help customers,” Dan said. “It just made sense to move…it was like, ‘If we’re going to be in Omaha most days anyway, we should probably just live there.’”
By 1986, Thrasher had three employees and three company vehicles and began offering foundation repair in addition to basement waterproofing. In 1989, the company was incorporated as Thrasher Basement Waterproofing, Inc., and moved into its first commercial space an office and warehouse at 66th and Grover streets in 1993. By that time, Thrasher had also expanded its service footprint to the entire state of Nebraska as well as Western Iowa and Northwestern Missouri.
The company achieved other important milestones in the 1990s, including becoming a member of a professional network called Basement Systems, gaining access to cutting-edge products, as well as shared information on industry best practices. In 1997, the company changed its name to Thrasher Basement Systems, Inc. Greg Thrasher was now known in the sector for his expertise and had become a sought-after consultant in the industry. A serious knee injury in 1992 surprisingly, it did not happen on the job, but on a basketball court turned out to be a catalyst for growth, his son said. The founder’s focus turned from executing projects on site to evolving the business, entrusting others to handle the work in the field.
“It was a scary moment that turned out to be a really pivotal moment, because it launched the business in a new direction,” Dan said.
The company flourished. In the first two decades of the 2000s, Dan and his brother, Dave, joined the family business after completing college, and in 2005, operations moved to a new building in La Vista. A sister company, Foundation Supportworks, was founded in 2008 to design and manufacture products in Thrasher’s sector. In 2015, Thrasher Basement Systems was re-branded to Thrasher, Inc. A Kansas operation joined the family of businesses a few years later following a longtime colleague’s retirement. By 2020, the company had moved to a larger La Vista headquarters and expanded into facilities in Wichita, Kansas City, Grand Island, Sioux City, and Des Moines.
Thrasher today employs several hundred employees and serves customers in four Midwestern states. Not only has the company been named Best of Omaha in multiple categories over the years, in 2023, the business was recognized by the Better Business Bureau with its Torch Award for Ethics.
“What makes us different is we’re still family-owned and operated, yet big enough that we have the resources to take care of a lot of different issues, and customers have the confidence that we’re going to be here for a long time to stand behind the work,” Dan said. “I think, in our industry, you tend to have either very small mom-and-pop, or you have a conglomerate owned by a big corporation out of state; we’re kind of a happy medium.”
Since its beginnings 50 years ago, Thrasher, Inc. has earned a reputation for treating its employees as well as it serves its customers. CONT. PAGE
I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY, AND AS A BUSINESS, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT IN A REALLY BIG WAY. -DAN THRASHER
FROM PAGE 27
“I think that business has an opportunity to have a huge impact in the world, and that impact can either be positive or negative. We can either do things that help the employees, help the customers have a better life, and be involved in the community, or we can take value away from people by taking advantage and not taking care of people,” Dan said. “I really feel like we have an obligation to contribute to society, and as a business, we have an opportunity to do that in a really big way. So, we talk a lot around here about being ‘people first,’ and thinking really long-term about the right decisions that’ll make the organization healthy and that our customers and our employees can expect us to be able to take care of them for the long haul…we would love for this to continue to be a family business and continue to thrive and be a part of the community for a long time.”
SEi
SEi is one of the Midwest’s largest security companies, serving more than 18,000 customers across 44 states, operating a fleet of service vehicles, and employing more than 220 individuals in facilities in Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, Iowa City, and Kansas City.
“We just celebrated our 55th anniversary last year,” SEi Chief Operating Officer Matt Vellek said.
The longstanding business, however, emerged from small beginnings. Founder Sid Meridith’s earliest exposure to business leadership and customer service was in his parents’
small general merchandise store in Boone, an unincorporated community in Northeastern Nebraska. Meridith, who started his education in a one-room schoolhouse, earned a business degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University before serving as a Navy officer for seven years during the Vietnam War. After completing his military service, Meridith settled in Omaha and founded Security Equipment Inc. (SEi) in October 1969 with a focus on fire and smoke safety solutions.
“We were founded by Sid, really in the basement of Sid’s house, and for the first number of years, everything was ran out of the house,” Vellek said.
An early catalyst for expansion was federal legislation enacted to reduce crimes against financial institutions.
“The Bank Protection Act that came out in 1968 required banks to upgrade their security with alarms and also cameras…as we fast forward 55 years, banking is still a big part of our business,” Vellek said. “That’s what really helped Sid get the business going. Especially at first, it was slow; security was new. Everything was in its infancy. So, it wasn’t a rapid growth, it was slow growth that’s continued over 55 years and was really built one customer at a time, as Sid likes to say.”
SEi moved out of the basement in the 1970s when Meridith purchased the company’s first office building in West Omaha. A monitoring center established in the
MIKE MERIDITH AND MATT VELLEK
mid-1980s propelled growth even further. SEi eventually secured clients all over the country, but it still has a significant base in Omaha, with many of the community’s top companies, financial institutions, universities, schools, hospitals, and churches choosing SEi. The company also serves residential customers.
“Our business is booming. The industry is booming. Technology just continues to ramp up and rapidly evolve…The technology is going to continue to accelerate at even a faster pace than what we’re used to. You go from one or two employees in a basement to today, we have over 200 employees operating out of five regional offices, supporting customers and doing business all throughout North America. It’s a lot of change and a lot of difference there,” Vellek said. “But I think the one thing that has stayed the same, whether it was 55 years ago or today, is the focus on customers. At the end of the day, we’re a service business, and our goal, what we do, is not a one-time sale. We want to form lifelong relationships really, partnerships with our clients.”
Today, SEi protects life and property by monitoring clients’ security, fire, and carbon monoxide around the clock, and technological advancements over the years make it possible to connect security, video, access control, and automation in a single system.
“We’re the only UL-listed monitoring center in the state of Nebraska. It’s one of the things that we have a lot of pride in, and it’s an ability to support our customers, because it allows us to have our employees front and center with our clients, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. If anybody needs anything, anybody calls us, it’s our team members that they’re getting,” Vellek said. “Another thing we’ve added in the services side is building out our own managed services team…as we talk about technology and technology changing, that’s great, but we need to be there to support it. We know our clients are operating 24/7/365 as well, and we need to make sure that we have the team in-house to support them on those systems and be there for them, not only from an alarm monitoring standpoint, but also if their system is having issues.”
The people who work for SEi have always been key to the company’s success, Vellek said, and serve as trusted advisors to clients. So, the company makes sure employees’ roles and accountability are clearly defined.
“Investing in them and coaching and development and training what is needed for them to be successful,” he said, adding that leaders strive to foster open communication.
“It’s us getting out there and engaging with employees, one, just to get out there and say, ‘thank you.’ The second part is to always be learning; they can teach us a whole lot and help us in making decisions. We need to listen to them and bring that feedback back, and that’s how we continue to improve,” Vellek said. “We want to be known as the experts…as a service organization, we’re only as good as our people are. Our people are out there every single day, and so as an organization, our job is to make sure that our employees, all of our team members, are set up to be successful, so that they can deliver to our clients.”
Everybody wins, he added. “You look at some of the clients we’ve been with for 10 years, 20 years, 30 years...it’s about taking care of that customer time and time again,” Vellek said. B2B OMAHA
QUALITY. VARIETY. EXPERIENCE. EXPERTISE. SERVICE.
Our priority is to deliver
ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEYS
STORY: BRANDI LONG-FRANK
PHOTO: SARAH LEMKE
DESIGN: NICKIE ROBINSON
hen Pat Costello opened Just Good Meat in 1959, he wasn’t just starting a butcher shop he was continuing a family tradition that began decades earlier in a meat market across the street from Disney Studios in Hollywood. A third-generation butcher, Costello started cutting meat at just 9 years old and became California’s youngest journeyman butcher at age 15. After serving in the Air Force and living in Las Vegas, he returned to his roots in Omaha, using the money from selling his California home to open Just Good Meat.
More than six decades later, the business remains a staple in Omaha’s food scene, now led by Costello’s grandson, Sean Fuller. Fuller, who represents the third generation in the family’s butcher legacy, has embraced the responsibility of keeping the brand relevant while protecting its deep roots.
“Legacy means everything,” Fuller said. “There’s this deep sense of responsibility to do it right, because it was done right before me. That pride in quality and community came from my grandpa and grandma. I try to keep that alive every day.”
Just Good Meat built its reputation on premium cuts and personalized service, but it also evolved with the changing needs of Omaha families. During the shop’s early years, Costello responded to a cultural shift as more women entered the workforce and families relied more on fast food and convenience items.
“There was a time we sold hundreds of pounds of lunch meat because kids were taking lunches to school and dads were taking them to work,” Fuller explained. “Then things started to shift. People still wanted to buy in bulk, but they didn’t need a whole side of beef anymore. That’s when my grandpa started making smaller meat bundles to adapt to how people were living.”
That spirit of innovation continues under Fuller’s leadership. Today, Just Good Meat carries more than 600 products, and the team continues to find new ways to meet customer needs. Recent additions include new beef sausage varieties, a line of smoked wing sauces, and the revival of a house-made steak sauce originally crafted by Costello.
“We’ve always done pork sausage but only had one or two kinds of beef. Now we’re expanding that. We also realized we had all these barbecue seasonings and sauces, but no wing sauces, even though we smoke a ton of wings. That didn’t make sense, so we’re fixing it,” Fuller said.
In addition to meat, Just Good Meat now offers all-natural beef and chicken dog food, smoked dog bones, and turkey products. “We’re listening to what people want,” Fuller said. “It’s about evolving, but in ways that make sense for our customers and our legacy.”
While expansion has been on the table in the past, Fuller has made a conscious decision to grow in a way that doesn’t compromise quality or the company’s small-business feel.
“There was a time I wanted to go nationwide open multiple stores, get into big shipping but as I’ve grown, I’ve realized preserving what makes us special is more important. If we stretch too far, we lose that,” he said. “So, for now, we’re keeping it close, keeping it ours.”
Community involvement remains central to Just Good Meat’s mission. This fall, the company is reviving its annual golf outing a tradition started by Costello years ago. The proceeds from the September event will benefit the Francis House, continuing the business’s long-standing commitment to giving back.
“We’re lucky to be in a community that’s supported us all these years, and we want to keep giving back,” Fuller said. “We’ll be here as long as they want us.”
As for the future, Fuller is already looking ahead to the next generation. His son, Jnye, has become increasingly involved in the day-to-day operations of the business.
“He’s learning the ropes from the cutting room to the customer side,” Fuller said. “My hope is that one day he’ll carry this legacy forward in his own way, just like I did.”
From a Hollywood butcher shop to a neighborhood staple in Omaha, Just Good Meat has never been just about meat it’s been about heritage, hard work, and staying grounded while moving forward. And with Fuller at the helm, that legacy is in capable hands. B2B OMAHA
HUMAN RESOURCES
STORY:
ANDREA FREDRICKSON
PHOTO: SARAH LEMKE
DESIGN:
NICKIE ROBINSON
NO PLAN, NO LEADERSHIP
Abusiness owner recently looked me in the eye and said, “We have plenty of time for that.”
That’s not a plan. That’s a hope and hope isn’t a strategy.
If you’re a business owner or executive without a succession plan, you are not doing your job. You’re hoarding power, knowledge, and control and calling it leadership. It’s not.
Leadership means building something that works even when you’re not in the room. It means creating clarity, not confusion. It means owning your role in protecting the future of the business not just your seat in it.
What succession planning actually is
It’s not just naming your favorite lieutenant. It’s not a folder labeled “in case of emergency.” And it’s sure as hell not something you start six months before retirement.
Succession planning is what happens when you take your business seriously enough to design it to last. It’s the process of identifying the roles the business will need next and preparing people now, before the spotlight hits. It’s building a structure that doesn’t break when a key player exits. It’s not about stepping down. It’s about stepping back with intention.
ANDREA FREDRICKSON
If you’re not planning, here’s what’s happening
People are guessing. They’re watching. They’re whispering. They’re trying to read the tea leaves of your silence. And your best people? They’re wondering if they have a future here or if it’s time to build one somewhere else.
Meanwhile, decisions get slower. Accountability softens. Everyone’s waiting on you, whether they say it out loud or not. I’ve walked into rooms where the smartest people in the company are sitting on their hands, waiting for clarity that never comes. That’s not leadership it’s inertia.
Here’s what happens if you keep avoiding it
One of three things:
• A crisis forces your hand (and you scramble).
• Your successor leaves out of frustration (and you scramble).
• Or your business dies with you (and someone else scrambles to sell off the pieces).
None of those are good options. The truth is, most businesses don’t fall apart because they fail. They fall apart because their leaders waited too long to plan for what’s next.
What healthy succession actually looks like It’s not dramatic. It’s not mysterious. It’s...steady. It looks like:
• Leadership that’s distributed not just concentrated in one person.
• Expectations that are lived, not laminated.
• Talent development that’s happening consistently not just when someone threatens to leave.
• Conversations about the future that aren’t whispered behind closed doors but held out loud, with intention.
Succession isn’t a handoff. It’s a build-up. And if you’re not building, you’re waiting for what?
What’s in your way? Let’s be honest. Ego? Guilt? Fear of being irrelevant? Maybe you think no one’s ready. Maybe you’re protecting people from hard decisions. Maybe you’re trying not to pick favorites. Or maybe...you just don’t know where to start.
But avoiding it doesn’t make it easier. It just makes the fallout worse. And here’s a brutal truth: if your people don’t see a future here, they’ll stop trying to build one.
Where we start when we help companies do this At Revela, we walk in and look for clarity. Not just who’s next but what’s next. What will this business need in three to five years? What kind of leadership will it take to get there?
Then, we map it out. We talk about roles, gaps, readiness. We surface what’s being left unsaid false harmony, power struggles, off-the-record assumptions. We bring the right people into the room: family, key executives, sometimes HR, sometimes the people no one was thinking about who’ve been quietly holding everything together. Because succession isn’t about ego. It’s about continuity. And that takes more than a spreadsheet.
Why this moment matters
This isn’t just a leadership shift. It’s a generational one. Boomers are exiting. Gen X is leading. Millennials are hungry. And if you’re not developing them now, someone else is. Delaying this doesn’t protect your legacy. It weakens it.
The question you need to ask today
What would break if you disappeared tomorrow? And why haven’t you fixed that yet?
You don’t need a perfect plan. You don’t need to name your successor tomorrow. But you do need to stop pretending that avoiding the conversation is harmless. It’s not. It’s a risk. It’s a message. It’s a slow drip that erodes trust.
Where to start
Call the meeting. Name the issue. Say the quiet part out loud: “We need a succession plan.” Because if your business is still all about you, then it’s not a business. It’s a bottleneck.
And you owe your people and yourself more than that.
B2B OMAHA
LEADERSHIP MEANS BUILDING SOMETHING THAT WORKS EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT IN THE ROOM. -ANDREA FREDRICKSON
Omaha EmPower Breakfast
Aug. 1
Beacon Hills in Aksarben Village 6730 Mercy Rd. —omaha.empowerbreakfast.org/event
1 Million Cups
Aug. 6 | 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons 1229 Millwork Ave. —1millioncups.com/omaha
B.A.I.L Open Office Hours (Banker, Accountant, Insurance and Legal)
Aug. 6 | 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Commonwealth - GROW Nebraska Women’s Business Center 5424 N. 103rd St. —gnwbc.org
19202 Davenport St. jjohnson@omahachamber.org —youromahachamber.org
YP Week
Aug. 11-15
CHI Health Center Omaha 455 N. 10th St. 833.587.7471 mbrtek@omahachamber.org —youromahachamber.org
EVENTS & ENGAGEMENT NETWORKING CALENDAR
Small Business Workshop Series
– Nebraska Enterprise Fund
Aug. 13 | 5 – 6 p.m.
Highlander Accelerator 2112 N. 30th St.
Coffee & Connections
Aug. 13 | 7:30 – 9 a.m. OCI
4221 N. 203rd St. —westochamber.org
FutureCon Cybersecurity Event
Aug. 14
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Omaha Downtown 1616 Dodge St. 314.797.7210
info@futureconevents.com —futureconevents.com/
Omaha Business Hall of Fame Gala Aug. 20 | 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. CDT Holland Performing Arts Center 1200 Douglas St. jwalcutt@omahachamber.org —youromahachamber.org
Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Summit
Aug. 22 | 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha 455 N. 10th St. miwatkins@yahoo.com —attendcresummit.com
HR Nebraska State Conference
Agile HR: The Best Bet for Success Aug. 20-22
Embassy Suites by Hilton Omaha La Vista Hotel & Conference Center 12520 Westport Pkwy. —hrnebraska.org/2025-Conference
Nebraska Executive IT Leadership Forum 2025 June-Sept. 2025
UNeMed Idea Pub: Morning Edition Aug. 28 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Catalyst 4601 Catalyst Ct.
CFMA/NAWIC Annual Golf Outing Sept. 9 | 9 a.m.
The Players Club 12101 Deer Creek Dr. nebraska@cfma.org —birdease.com/31843
Coffee & Connections
Sept. 10 | 7:30 – 9 a.m.
OCI Insurance & Financial Services 4221 N. 203rd St. —westochamber.org
Bru Bash Sept. 25
TBD —west0chamber.org
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CIACCIO ROOFING
PASSING THE TORCH: CIACCIO ROOFING’S LEGACY CONTINUES
For over three decades, Ciaccio Roofing Corp. has been a trusted name in roofing across the region a company built on grit, integrity, and the steady leadership of its founder, Pete Ciaccio Sr. From industrial complexes to commercial skylines, Ciaccio Roofing has left its mark on the region’s most prominent rooftops one project at a time.
Building a Foundation of Trust
Founded in 1987, Pete Ciaccio Sr. began Ciaccio Roofing by performing roof repairs out of his garage. With a commitment to honesty and hard work, the company quickly gained a reputation for quality and reliability. Over the years, Ciaccio Roofing expanded its operations, moving into a 16,000-square-foot facility and serving clients across Nebraska and beyond.
A Legacy of Excellence
Under Pete Sr.’s leadership, Ciaccio Roofing became the largest Duro-Last contractor in Nebraska, earning numerous accolades including the John R. Burt Award and the Chairman’s Award from DuroLast. The company was also named “Best Roofer in Omaha” by B2B Magazine for over two decades.
The Torch Is Passed
Now, as Pete Sr. steps into a well-earned retirement, the family legacy enters a new chapter. His son, Pete Ciaccio Jr., a third-generation roofer, is officially taking the reins of Ciaccio Roofing. It’s a powerful passing of the torch, and a rare moment where two generations unite under one vision.
“This isn’t just about taking over the family business,” said Pete Jr. “It’s about honoring what my dad built and carrying it forward with the same passion and purpose he’s shown every single day.”
A Future Built to Last
Pete Jr. grew up in the business, watching and learning from his father. Over the years, he has honed his skills and knowledge, preparing to lead Ciaccio Roofing into the future. With a deep understanding of the industry and a commitment to excellence, Pete Jr. is poised to continue the company’s tradition of high-quality workmanship and customer satisfaction.
As Pete Sr. enjoys retirement, knowing the business is in trusted hands, customers can expect the same
level of excellence they’ve known for decades now with expanded capabilities, a forward-thinking team, and the continued presence of the Ciaccio name.
“Pete knows the industry, knows the business, and knows our customers,” said Pete Sr. “He’s earned this. I’m confident he’ll continue to run Ciaccio Roofing the right way just like we always have.”
Backed by decades of experience, a legacy of trust, and Pete Jr. now leading the way, the future of Ciaccio Roofing is secure, seamless, and built to last.
INVESTORS REALTY
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF TRUSTED COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE EXPERTISE
In 1975, two brokers with a vision and a few rounds of tennis and scotch decided to build something of their own. What started as a leap of faith in a recession has grown into one of the region’s most trusted and respected commercial real estate firms.
Today, Investors Realty is proud to celebrate 50 years of helping people and businesses navigate commercial real estate with clarity, integrity, and unmatched experience.
Our founders, Steve Farrell and Jerry Heinrichs, believed that if you take care of the client, the commission will come. That belief has never wavered. It’s what shaped our culture then, and it’s what drives our team of over 50 professionals today.
We’re a full-service firm offering brokerage, property management, project management, facilities services, and maintenance. With nearly 9 million square feet under management, we bring strategic guidance and local expertise to every deal whether it’s a 1,000 SF lease or a multi-million dollar investment.
As Omaha has grown, so have we. But through every shift in the market and every change in technology, our commitment to being clientfocused, ethical, educated, accountable, and grateful has remained constant.
We’re more than a service provider. We’re a partner. A problem solver. A team of advisors dedicated to helping our clients succeed.
As we mark our 50th anniversary, we’re incredibly proud of our past but even more excited about the future. We’re continuing to evolve, innovate, and invest in the next generation of talent and tools to better serve our clients for the next 50 years.
LINDLEY CLOTHING
Lindley Clothing, established in 1935 in Wahoo, Nebraska, is a revered institution in the world of men’s fashion. With a rich history spanning nine decades, the brand has built a legacy of quality craftsmanship. Known for its commitment to well-made attire, Lindley Clothing has dressed generations of Omaha’s gentlemen, offering everything from tailored suits to casual wear. The store’s personalized service and deep community ties have made it a local favorite, embodying the spirit of resilience and dedication. As trends evolve, Lindley Clothing remains a symbol of timeless elegance, great style, and unwavering tradition in the region.
INVICTUS STRATEGIES
Retirement planning can be tough. Co-owners Wesley Siebert and Jacob Stroh of Invictus Strategies bring the expertise needed to help their clients tackle these important decisions. Siebert has 18 years of experience in professional wealth management, and Stroh has over 10 years of experience in insurance and financial services. The two work together along with their support staff, Derek Dunn, who serves as their Paraplanner, and Shawnalee Jones, who serves as their Client Ambassador. The group is passionate about helping their clients get to the next level in their retirement plans.
The team at Invictus primarily serves two different demographics. The first is closely held owners entrepreneurs and family-run companies with concentrated ownership. The second is individuals transitioning from wealth accumulation to distribution. For business owners, they primarily focus on their Buy-Sell, Business Protection, Key Employees, and Benefits and Plans. With individuals, they work on building income strategies for the next stages of their life, including retirement goals, dreams, and their legacy. With “pre-retirees,” these conversations usually focus on how to prepare for when “every day is a Saturday.”
Siebert and Stroh believe that your financial health is equally as important as your physical and emotional
health. They understand that often, the topic of finances can be a stressor for individuals, families, and businesses, and they strive to assist their clients to ease that stress and establish well-planned goals and a path toward achieving them. Invictus utilizes a process-based approach that is not driven by products, but rather a series of conversations and clear communication to create goals while establishing the strategies, paths, and resources needed to accomplish them.
The mission with Invictus Strategies is to help your community and those you serve. They also support your goals and values by building mutual trust and respect. Their clients count on them to take the time to understand their goals and be committed to their success.
“Clients choose to work with us because we are transparent, thorough, and focus on making complex situations easy to digest and understand for our clients to feel comfortable and confident,” Stroh said.
When asked about his retirement advice, Siebert suggested, “Develop a plan and stick to it. The market is going to do a lot of things in the years that you are planning for what’s next. People may tend to abandon plans when things get a little bumpy like what we are
currently experiencing but generally, they should stay on the course.”
Invictus is a financial advisory team, and their motto, “an unwavering approach to wealth management,” highlights their mission. Unlike other companies, they don’t have a minimum investment amount; they believe everyone should have access to a trusted financial advisor. They want to help you get from where you are today to where you want to be in the future.
“I have the best job in the world,” Siebert said. “We intersect people in all areas of their lives. We discuss and provide solutions to help them make their financial goals become reality!”
Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Company (except in NY), Principal Life Insurance Company®, and the companies available through the Preferred Product Network, Inc. Securities and advisory products offered through Principal Securities, Inc., Member SIPC. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392. Wesley Siebert and Jacob Stroh, Principal National and Principal Life Financial Representatives, Principal Securities Registered Representatives, Financial Advisors. Invictus Strategies and Omaha Magazine are not affiliates of any company of the Principal Financial Group®. Paraplanners are not licensed, registered, or entitled to offer financial services or investment advice in any capacity. 4530547-062025
MCGINN LAW FIRM
When you are looking for a lawyer, it’s important to find one that you can trust. McGinn Law Firm is one of Iowa’s oldest and most established law practices, with a family firm in Iowa for over 100 years.
The firm was founded by Albert McGinn in 1914. In 1936, Albert’s wife, Kathleen McGinn, took the Iowa Bar Examination without ever having attended law school. She passed the bar and was sworn in as lawyer that year. By that time, she was the mother of ten children. Edmund A. McGinn, son of Albert and Kathleen, joined the law firm in 1952. He was followed by his brother, Joseph F. McGinn, in 1957.
As a kid, Bill McGinn would stop into the office and see his grandpa. His dad and his uncle were both attorneys. He wanted to become a lawyer so he could help people.
Today, the firm consists of partners Bill McGinn and Shawn McCann, along with three associates Keith Buzzard, Tim Jeffrey, and Tim Lenaghan. Former partners Norm Springer and Ed Noethe also remain with the firm in an “of counsel”
role. Their general practice handles all types of legal matters an individual may have with each attorney having different specialties. They work to find the best attorney suited for your case.
“I do mainly criminal, estate, and real estate. My partner, Shawn McCann, does mostly personal injury, wrongful death, and civil and family law. We have three lawyers who do family law, social security, bankruptcy, estates, wills, criminal law, and appeals. We have a new associate coming aboard, Kailey Coughran,” McGinn said.
“We’re different from other firms because of our reputation in the court system. We’ve been around forever. We are active in Iowa and Nebraska. We have a good reputation in those court systems. The judges and the prosecutors know who we are. We’re honest and we do good work for our clients,” McGinn said.
“We take communication with the client seriously. Most of our business comes from referrals from other clients and other attorneys. Many clients see us again. We help them with many stages of their life,” McGinn said.
“We specialize in representing people, not corporate America. We’re a broad-based practice, experienced in representing clients in a wide range of individual client needs. We can help with a will, or an accident, or end-of-life issues. We handle a lot of personal injury and workplace injury claims and any family law matter need, like adoption, divorce, guardianships, conservatorships, and custody cases. With our extensive courtroom experience, we can help clients reach their best possible resolution for their situation whether it be an agreement, a plea, or a trial,” partner Shawn McCann explained.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MCGINN LAW, SCAN THIS QR CODE:
PIP PRINTING
PIP Marketing, Signs & Print is a one-stop partner for Omaha businesses that want to grow.
They specialize in commercial printing, custom signage, direct mail, and marketing solutions that help businesses stand out and communicate effectively. From branded materials and storefront signage to targeted mail campaigns and promotional products, they handle everything under one roof with speed, precision, and care.
PIP is more than a printer they’re a strategic partner for local businesses. They have invested in cutting-edge equipment, skilled people, and smart processes to make sure every project runs smoothly from start to finish.
Go to PIP for out-of-the-box ideas about how to promote your business. They stay current on the latest marketing trends and can execute your plans seamlessly. They also know how to create high-quality sales materials that distinguish your brand from the competition.
The PIP team thrives on being responsive, solutionfocused, and easy to work with. Proud to be veteranowned and locally operated, PIP has been a trusted
name in Omaha for over 40 years. “We’re part of the community and they are here for the long haul,” said owner Joe Mitchell.
Everything at PIP is done in-house design, production, finishing, even fulfillment which means our clients get faster turnaround times, consistent quality, and fewer headaches. A recent success story in fulfillment is Big Bay, Little Bay a girls’ line of clothing from birth to 12 years old. PIP manages the inventory and fill orders for this client.
“We’re not just transactional; we’re relationship driven,” Mitchell said. “Our clients know they can call us, talk through an idea, and we’ll find a way to make it happen. Whether it’s a startup or a multi-location brand, we bring the same level of commitment and craftsmanship to every job.”
Mitchell likes working with other business owners who are invested in the Omaha community. “With a Marine Corps background, I’ve always believed in leading by example and serving the mission and now that mission is helping businesses grow. I love collaborating with fellow entrepreneurs, solving real problems, and being part of their journey,” Mitchell said.
“We’ve done a good job of creating an environment that’s like a family. There is a buy-in from the staff. The customers see that, too. We put a lot of energy into the customer experience, so they have an easy and fluid experience,” Mitchell said.
PIP cares about your business and works hard to help you grow and succeed. They are your local marketing shop with a nationwide network behind them. Their tagline is: We Do. They work hard to help small businesses in Omaha grow so those businesses can focus on what they are good at.
“Omaha is a B2B town at its core, and there’s something powerful about local businesses supporting each other sharing resources, showing up, and helping each other succeed,” Mitchell said. “That’s what we’re about at PIP. We’ve been part of Omaha’s business fabric for more than four decades, and we’re proud to help move the city forward one project, and one partnership at a time.”
TWO BROTHERS CREATIVE
AI CAN’T SAVE YOUR BUSINESS
AI won’t save your business.
Not because it can’t—but because most small business owners never learn how to use it.
A new dog park opened near my apartment, featuring local businesses promoting their services. I attended without any dogs to share too much unsolicited advice about marketing, which is sadly on-brand for me.
I’m noticing a trend: too many small businesses aren’t learning how to use AI, let alone how to use it effectively.
There’s a widening gap—not a tech gap, but a willingness gap. It’s the space between those fully embracing AI and those still treating it like a novelty or joke.
Meanwhile, a 15-year-old in Millard is launching a fully branded e-commerce business in a single weekend—using AI. Not because this kid is smarter than you, it’s worse—this kid is more willing than you to learn and adapt.
Too many business owners are trapped in a willful state of delusion about AI magically doing everything for them.
AI is a tool. But if you don’t learn how to use the tool, it doesn’t do anything for you.
You don’t need to fear AI.
You need to fear getting left behind by the 15-yearold in Millard who’s already figured it out.
TWO BROTHERS CREATIVE 8790 F STREET, SUITE 712 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68127 531.232.9811 TWOBROTHERSCREATIVE.COM
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