B2B Omaha - April/May 2021

APRIL · MAY 2021 | U.S. $3.25

BUILDING A STRONG MANAGEMENT TEAM

CEOs FIND COMMON LINKS

2021 Results

HIRING WITH ENTHUSIASM CREATING EXCITEMENT FOR COMPANIES

CHILDREN COME FIRST CHANDA CHACÓN

Moving business forward since 1918

Call us for your free office reconfiguration consultation or your home office needs.

2558 Farnam Street | Omaha, NE 68131 | 402-341-2413 www.allmakes.com

02 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

FROM THE EDITOR

B2B IS THE BEST S

pring, for auto enthusiasts, is often a special time. It’s when they bring their toys out of storage, dust them, and start driving them down the road. My husband and I bring my Mercedes and our Volkswagen out of storage each year and look forward to trips, whether cruising around town in the Merc or camping in the Volkswagen. How I Roll subject Scott Rouse also understands this joy. As an owner of Victory Lane, he sees many customers with special vehicles, but he also collects cars himself. Like my husband and I, two of those special vehicles include a Volkswagen and a Mercedes.

In the feature well, this edition brings readers articles about building a strong management team.

Consultant Rick Faber and others discuss what common links can be found among those that have strong management in their companies.

This round will include the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd, an event that caused an uproar and protests worldwide. Many business leaders had to make the difficult decision to speak out or not. We asked OPPD CEO Tim Burke and Unionist Printing owner Larry Maupin why and how their companies are taking a stand. We also spoke with advocate Andrew Aleman, a young Black professional and influencer in the LGBTQ community.

As the weather warms, those who enjoy water sports may be thinking about dusting off their fishing poles or sailboats for some time with their favorite hobby. We may not be fishing here at B2B, but we are thinking about water in two of our articles.

Our In the Office article is about Wave Interactive, a web development and digital marketing company that recently renovated their offices to include many carefully thought-out details. The OmAha! department this round focuses on two companies here in the metro that are working with ozonated water, an alternative cleaning solution.

The third feature is about Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. New CEO Chanda Chacón tells why she became a hospital administrator, and how she plans to make this top-notch company go farther.

Daisy Hutzell-Rodman is the managing editor of Omaha Publications.

She can be reached at daisy@omahapublications.com

The fourth feature is one in which I learned a lot.

Many executives, including myself, have read Richard Nelson Bolles What Color is Your Parachute, which emphasizes networking to achieve a desired position in business. Universal Information Services’ Todd Murphy, however, has discovered that companies need to achieve something even greater when hiring— enthusiasm. We interviewed three companies, including Murphy’s, that succeed in hiring with enthusiasm.

Our roundtable this month inolves three businesses that opened successfully in the last 12 months. They pivoted because of construction issues, because of the pandemic, and dealt with issues of low stock and slow sales. All three are still open, and the business owners are optimistic about opening businesses in the face of adversity.

Core Bank has a great group of employees with an interest in giving back to the community in a variety of ways. How the enable their employees to give to their preferred companies is our Biz + Giving article.

This issue is also our Best of B2B edition. This special list is curated by businesses, for businesses, and is a useful resource for many business owners in the community. The categories range from Best Heating/AC Service to Best Insurance Agency, giving our readers a wide variety of places to find services for their businesses. We take much pride in the integrity of this list. Businesses are only allowed ballot, and the ballots may not be copied or scanned. Some winners want you, the readers, to know how to contact them and have paid for the contact information that is placed under their name in the list.

There are a lot of great articles, and I hope you enjoy them all.

B2B

EXECUTIVE publisher Todd Lemke

CREATIVE creative director Matt Wieczorek

vice president Greg Bruns

senior graphic designer Derek Joy

associate publisher Bill Sitzmann

graphic designer II Mady Besch

EDITORIAL managing editor Daisy Hutzell-Rodman

photographers Katie Anderson Keith Binder Scott Drickey Ariel Fried Sarah Lemke Jeremy Allen Wieczorek

senior editor Tara Spencer associate editor Linda Persigehl contributors J.D. Avant Chris Bowling David Brown Megan Keyser Jeff Lacey Sara Locke Charlie Litton Kara Schweiss Scott Stewart Wendy Townley Deborah Ward Houston Wiltsey INFORMATION advertising information 402.884.2000 subscribe online omahamagazine.com/ pages/subscribe B2B Magazine is published six times annually by Omaha Magazine, LTD, P.O. Box 461208, Omaha NE 68046-1208.

Telephone: 402.884.2000; fax 402.884.2001. Subscription rates: $12.95 for 4 issues (one year), $19.95 for 8 issues (two years). Multiple subscriptions at different rates are available.

No whole or part of the contents herein may be reproduced without prior written permission of B2B Omaha Magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted, however no responsibility will be assumed for such solicitations.

SALES executive vice president sales & marketing Gil Cohen sales coach Ed Cochran branding specialists Paul Bashus Dawn Dennis George Idelman assistant to the publisher Sandy Matson senior sales coordinator Alicia Hollins contributing branding specialists Jillian Dunn Mary Hiatt OPERATIONS accounting/operations manager Kyle Fisher ad traffic manager David Trouba digital manager Megan Bartholomew distribution manager Damian Ingersoll

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 03

TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER

48

BUILDING A STRONG TEAM CEOs FIND COMMON LINKS FEATURES

52

STAND UP OR SIT OUT

BUSINESS LEADERS CHOOSE

56

PUTTING CHILDREN FIRST

CEO DESIRES TO IMPROVE HEALTH

60

VYING FOR AN A TEAM

ENTHUSIASM ATTRACTS TALENT

DEPARTMENTS

36 BIZ + GIVING

40 IN THE OFFICE

44 omAHA!

38 HOW I ROLL

42 ON THE RISE

46 ROUNDTABLE

CORE BANK

SCOTT ROUSE

COLUMNS

WAVE INTERACTIVE

ANDREW ALEMAN

OZONE TECHNOLOGY

VIRAL OPENINGS

SPECIAL SECTIONS APRIL · MAY 2021 | U.S. $3.25

02 FROM THE EDITOR B2B IS THE BEST

64 OMAHA CVB

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

64 CHAMBER

OFFUTT AFB ADVANTAGES

05 BEST OF B2B RESULTS

32 BEST OF B2B

SPONSORED PROFILES

BUILDING A STRONG MANAGEMENT TEAM

CEOs FIND COMMON LINKS

2021 Results

HIRING WITH ENTHUSIASM CREATING EXCITEMENT FOR COMPANIES

CHILDREN COME FIRST CHANDRA CHACÓN

ABOUT THE COVER Greg Andersen, CEO of Bailey Lauerman, credits flourishing companies with having strong management teams. Story page 48.

THANK YOU! For giving us the opportunity to serve your Search, Staffing, and Consulting needs.

Omaha’s business leaders chose Hemphill as Omaha’s Best Employment Firm in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021!

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 05

2021 Results This special edition of B2B showcases the best companies for business owners to work with, as chosen by the business community. The categories are tailored for businesses. In the Building Services category, readers can learn where other business owners go for electrical services, snow removal services, and more. The Business Services category features necessities such as Best Office Supply Company and Best IT Services Company. Financial Services lets readers know who other business owners like to use for payroll and investments.

When a business needs to hire a social media consultant or a public relations firm, owners can turn to the Professional Services category to see who other business owners voted as the best choices in Omaha.

This might be a contest involving all work, but the Food Services category lets B2B owners know the best places to go for happy hour, while Travel & Event Planning reveals the best audio-visual companies.

The winners are all revealed within the next 32 pages.

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

06 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

Flat Roof Specialists

Reroofs • Repair • Metal • Skylight 34 Years of Quality, Integrity and Service

C O R P

Largest Durolast Contractor in Nebraska

A LWA Y S L O C A L, A LWA Y S B E A U T I F U L.

2021 Winner

Visit us online Ciaccioroofing.com or call 402.293.8707 for a FREE estimate!

4420 Izard St • Omaha, NE

Free with an Omaha Magazine Subscription.

OmahaMagazine.com/Pages/Subscribe

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 07

2021 Winners

BUILDING SERVICES AIR COMPRESSOR Ingersoll Rand Peerless Energy Systems

CARPET & RUG CLEANING Stanley Steemer Bartholomew Commercial Cleaning

COMMERCIAL ROOFING Ciaccio Roofing 402-293-8707 ciaccioroofing.com

Aksarben Roofing

CALL ABOUT OUR REBATES! Up to $1800.00 Now offering systems for as low as $130.00 per month!

13 Years!

13 Years!

CONCRETE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT Aksarben Concrete TR Construction

2021 Winner

DOOR COMPANY Precision Garage Door Service of Omaha Norm’s Door Service

ELECTRICAL SERVICES Miller Electric Brase Electrical 402-331-0400 braseelectrical.com

“Delivering Comfort Everywhere!”

Employee owned | 24 Hour Emergency Service

4972 F Street • 402-593-7500 • a1united.net

08 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

3rd Generation Family-Owned Business

D ig ital g n i s i t r e v Ad s n o i t u l So Reach your ideal audience, wherever they are.

2021 Winner

10 YEAR PARTS & LABOR WARRANTY ON NEW EQUIPMENT • 24 Hour Emergency Service

UP TO

$1000

G ARKETIN EMAIL M MEDIA SOCIAL ING DVERTIS A Y A L P DIS ING TARGET E C N E I AUD

off

A NEW SYSTEM (based on qualifying system)

• No Commisions Earned by Our Techs=Fair Treatment to Our Customers • 3rd Generation Family-Owned Business • Residential & Commercial Contractor

402.391.2336 | soshvac.com | 8314 Maple St. Omaha, NE 68134

Learn more about what our advertising team can offer your business by contacting our digital manager, Megan Bartholomew, at

402.884.2013

megan@omahapublications.com

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 09

ABE’S

2021 Winners

TRASH SERVICE

FENCE COMPANY

Quality, Dependable Trash & Recycling Service

SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS For Over 60 Years

American Fence Company Omarail Inc. 402-216-9911 omarail.com

FIRE PROTECTION

COMMERCIAL

• Waste Disposal • Rear Load Containers • Front Load Containers • Recycling

Fire Guard

D ential umpst er sid s Re

CONSTRUCTION & CLEAN-UP

• Roll-Off Containers • C&D Landfill • C&D Recycling • Green Build Services ial Trash Se ent rv ice sid Re

Associated Fire Protection 2021 Winner

COMPACTORS

RESIDENTIAL

• Stationary Compactors • Self-Contained Compactors • Cardboard Compactors • Recycling • Compactor Maintenance Performed

• Dependable Weekly Trash Service • Trash Carts & Recycling Bins • Weekly Recycling • Weekly Yard Waste

Locally Owned and Operated 8123 Christensen Lane | 402-571-4926 | abestrash.com

GARBAGE COLLECTION Abe’s Trash 402-571-4926 abestrash.com

Papillion Sanitation

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

2021 Winner

Lueder Construction The Weitz Company 402-592-7000 weitz.com

GLASS COMPANY Heartland Glass Inc. City Glass

HEATING/AC SERVICE SOS Heating & Air 402-391-2336 soshvac.com

A-1 United Heating, Air & Electrical 402-593-7500 a1united.net

BUILDING A BETTER WAY SINCE 1855

WEITZ.COM

10 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

2021 Winners

INTERIOR DESIGN Office Interiors & Design Commercial Interior Solutions 2021 WINNERS ‘BEST OF B2B’! SIX YEARS RUNNING!

JANITORIAL SERVICES

OFFICE MOVING - DATA CENTERS - COMPUTER/SERVER MOVING - HEALTH CARE FACILITIES LIBRARY MOVING - PACKING SERVICES - RECYCLE/DISPOSAL - SPACE DECOMMISSION LONG DISTANCE LTL & TRUCK LOAD - FINAL MILE DELIVERY - LOGISTICS & WAREHOUSING

Jani-King

8006 J Street, Omaha, NE, 68127 - SelectVan.com - 402.935.3700

Sparkling Klean

LANDSCAPE/LAWN CONTRACTOR Sun Valley Landscaping Lanoha Nurseries

Thanks Omaha for over 35 Years!

LOCKSMITH Carl Jarl Locksmiths Able Locksmith

MOVING COMPANY Select Van & Storage 402-935-3700 selectvan.com

Office Furniture Installers (OFI)

OFFICE FURNITURE All Makes 402-341-2413 allmakes.com ®

BOLD Office Solutions

OFFICE SANITIZING 2021 Winner

Stratus Building Solutions The Office Cleaners

402.399.9233 | WWW.SPARKLINGKLEAN.COM

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 11

2021 Winner

2021 Winners

Thank You for Voting Us

Best of B2B 2021

OFFICE SUPPLIES

The First Choice for Your Facility Solutions

Pay-less Office Products, Inc. Office Depot

PAINTING CONTRACTOR Traco Inc. M.S. Services

PARKING LOT MAINTENANCE

GoCityWide.com/Omaha|

402-331-1000

City Wide Facility Solutions Parking Area Maintenance, Inc.

PEST CONTROL ABC Termite & Pest Control Quality Pest Control

PICTURE FRAMING Lewis Art Gallery Ginger’s Hang Up

PLUMBING COMPANY Eyman Plumbing 402-731-2727 trusteyman.com

Backlund Plumbing

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Cushman & Wakefield | The Lund Company 402-393-8811 lundco.com

DP Management, LLC

2015 - 2021

     

NEW FURNITURE SALES PLANNING & DESIGN PROJECT MANAGEMENT MOVE & RELOCATION INSTALL & RECONFIGURE ASSET MANAGEMENT

www.boldofficesolutions.com | 4526 F Street | 402.934.6337

12 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

A Full Service Commercial Real Estate Company

RETAIL | OFFICE | DEVELOPMENT | RECEIVERSHIP MULTI-FAMILY | HUD & LIHTC

402.493.2800 | dp-mgmt.com info@dp-mgmt.com

Dial

Companies

402.572.6070

ontrol Serv ice st C Pe

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Warranted Programs 2021 Winner

PROFESSIONAL CONTROL OF:

SPIDERS . TERMITES . CRICKETS . SILVERFISH . ANTS BED BUGS . BEES . FLEAS . WASPS . RODENTS . ROACHES POWER SPRAYS . YARD SPRAYS . RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL RODENT CONTROL . MOSQUITOES AND MORE...

A Family Operated Business Since 1991 - Serving a 40 mile radius of Lincoln and Omaha!

8516 Maple St., Omaha, NE 68134 | ABCTermite -Pest.com | Lincoln 402.434.3290

Commercial Industrial Institutional

2021 Winner

When you hire AJ’s Landscaping to design and build your outdoor living space you are hiring a company that has more than 21 years in business.

TrusT The Big red Truck!

ajslandscapingomaha.com

8506 South 117th Street La Vista, NE 68128

24/7/365 Emergency Services TrustEyman.com • 402-731-2727

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 13

2021 Winner

2021 Winners ROOFING SPECIALIST

REAL ESTATE—COMMERCIAL

THANK YOU FOR VOTING FOR US!

Licensed, Bonded, Insured & Locally Owned in Papillion, NE Insurance Claims Welcome • New Roof & Reroofs Roof Maintenance & Repair

NAI NP Dodge Investors Realty

SECURITY EQUIPMENT/SYSTEMS Atronic Alarms SEi

SIGN COMPANY Renze Display

Call us today! 402-740-0800 | apconstructomaha.com

Best Buy Sign

SNOW REMOVAL A&P Construction 402-740-0800 apconstructomaha.com

AJ’s Landscaping

TOWING COMPANY Neff Towing 402-733-5500 nefftowing.com

Arrow Towing

Serving the Great Customers of Omaha for 76 Years!

Thank You

2021 Winner

for Voting Us #1 for 10 Years!

Nefftowing.com | 402.733.5500 | 4315 South 50th Street

14 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

T H A N K YO U for voting One Source Omaha’s Best in Background and Drug Screening!

2021 Winners Employment Screening Volunteer Screening Tenant Screening Personal Screening Site Access And More

BUSINESS SERVICES ADVERTISING SPECIALTIES Ideal Images Bergman

AUTO GLASS Metro Glass onesourcebackground.com | 402.933.9999 | info@onesourcebackground.com

M E RGE R S & AC QU ISI T IONS

2018 Winner

AUTO LEASING Doering Fleet Management Ryder Truck Omaha

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Selling Omaha Businesses using Ethics, Integrity and Confidentiality

Safelite

2021 Winner

BACKGROUND CHECK One Source 402-933-9999 onesourcebackground.com

Staff Mid-America Inc. 402-913-9080 | Resultsba.com 12020 Shamrock Plz. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68154

BUSINESS BROKER The Firm Results Business Advisors

BUSINESS FORMS Donis Corp Standard Printing Company

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 15

CLEAN RESULTS. 2021 Winners

2021 Winner

BUSINESS REBRANDING Daake 402-933-2959 daake.com

Wildfire

BUSINESS TELEPHONE SERVICE inTouch Communications ESI Communications

For all of your facility cleaning needs, Jani-King’s trained and dedicated franchisees deliver beyond expectations. It’s all of the efforts behind the scenes that prepare you for success.

Call our local Jani-King office today and discover how our efforts help your business each and every day.

402 . 932 .0514 • 5 8 8 5 S . 11 8 CI RCLE O MAHA , N E • JAN I KI N G .CO M

COMPUTER REPAIR Infinet 402-895-5777 omahait.com

Scantron

CORPORATE GIFTS Borsheims Made in Omaha

CORPORATE JET SERVICE Jet Linx 402-422-0393 JetLinxOmaha.com

NetJets

We believe a company’s greatest asset is its employees.

This family run business has been helping organizations with their employee benefit programs for over 40 years.

Join our family and protect your greatest asset.

Contact us 866.289.1046 16820 Frances Street, Suite 202 Omaha, NE 68130 www.theolsongroup.com

16 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

THANK YOU FOR VOTING

B EST DELIVERY SERVICE! 2021 Winner

402.592.9062 C A P I TA L E X P R E S S . B I Z

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 17

2021 Winners

DELIVERY SERVICE Capital Express 402-592-9062 capitalexpress.biz

Spee-Dee Delivery

DELIVERY VEHICLE DEALER Woodhouse Ford Mercedes Benz of Omaha

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING Sadoff Iron & Metal 402-345-6624 sadoff.com

2020 Winner

2021 Winner

Cross Electronic Recycling

INTERNET COMPANY Cox Business CenturyLink

MAILING LISTS nSightful Dundee Data

tracoinc.com 402.345.7213

MAILING SERVICE DBS Burke Digital Express

2021 Winner

COMMERCIAL PAINTING CONTRACTOR Painting • Wall Coverings • High Performance Coatings

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES DIVISION Remodeling • Additions • Renovation • Restoration

18 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

2021 Winners

NETWORKING EVENT Business Ethics Alliance Empower Omaha

NETWORKING GROUP Greater Omaha Chamber B4B Network

PRINTER Firespring Aradius Group

PRINTER SERVICE AllMakes 402-341-2413 allmakes.com

Bishop Business

SALES TRAINING Sandler Group The Sales Coach

THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS ELEVATED WEB SPECIALIZES IN SHOPIFY ECOMMERCE STORES! ELEVATED HAS WON BEST OF B2B WEB DESIGN COMPANY FOR 7 YEARS RUNNING. 2021 Winner

Visit our website or production studio 10404 Essex Ct Ste 600 Omaha, NE 68114 ElevatedWeb.com | 402.320.5375 | Andrew@elevatedweb.com

Gratton Warehouse Nebraska Warehouse

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 19

Sales Should Be Fun, Not Frustrating!

“Thank you Sandler! My 2020 sales increased 136% year-over-year because “Sandler Works!”

Sandler calls itself sales training, but I call it sales generating.”

2021 Winners

2021 Winner

Karl Schaphorst Owner

-Patricia Fredrichs

Our Services:

TRUCK LEASING MHC Truck Leasing RDO Truck Center

• • • •

Sales Training Sales Management Training Coaching Assessments

JOIN US for an executive briefing to learn more about how Sandler Training can grow your business.

Register at www.karlschaphorst.sandler.com Or call us at 402.403-4334.

WATER—BOTTLED Ideal Pure Water Culligan Water 402-347-4431 culliganomaha.com

WEBSITE DEVELOPER

T: 402.403.4334 10711 O Street • Omaha, NE 68127 kschaphorst@sandler.com

Elevated Web Design Chip Thompson Design

WEBSITE HOSTING Websnoogie 402-813-4034 websnoogie.com

WebSolutions Omaha

WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTOR Amcon Distributing Express Distribution

402.339.1000

lueder.com

2021 Winner

At Lueder Construction, your vision for your project becomes our mission. You can count on us to transform your vision into a beautiful, functional, vital space.

20 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

“

Get the financing you need from

PEOPLE YOU CAN TRUST.

“

Sean, Senior Commercial Loan Officer

Your business has financial needs. We’ve got you covered.

You need a responsive financial partner that’s easy to work with. See how we can help you meet your business goals.

Local staff, local decisions. That’s the value of Veridian. veridiancu.org/commercial

800.235.3228, ext. 8333

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 21

2021 Winners

FINANCIAL SERVICES BANK FNBO ACCESS Bank

CREDIT CARD MERCHANT American Payment Systems Heartland Payment Systems

CREDIT UNION Centris Federal Credit Union

HONORED TO SUPPORT BUSINESS, BIG AND SMALL. At FNBO, we’re here for your business.

Thank you to our customers for naming us a B2B Best Bank. It’s an honor to be recognized for our dedication, integrity, and service by the businesses we proudly support. It’s what you can expect from the great big, small bank.

Veridian Credit Union

INVESTMENT COMPANY Foster Group Weitz Investment Management, Inc.

2021 Winner

PAYROLL SERVICE ADP

Member FDIC

Ideal Payroll Services

• Guaranteed Lower Fees

• Guaranteed Lower Fees • Guaranteed Lower Fees • Low-cost Terminals & • Low-cost Terminals & • Low-cost Terminals & • Guaranteed Lower Fees Point of Sale Systems Point of Sale Systems Point of Sale Systems • Guaranteed Lower Fees • Low-cost Terminals & • Guaranteed Lower Fees • Top-rated Customer Service • Top-rated Customer Point of Sale Systems• Top-rated Customer •Service Low-costService Terminals & • •Guaranteed Lower Fees Low-cost Terminals & • Gift & Loyalty Card •Programs Point of Sale Systems • Gift & Loyalty Card Programs Top-rated Customer Service

• Low-cost & Point of Terminals Sale Systems • Gift &theLoyalty Card Programs (Including PinPointPoint Card Program) • Top-rated Customer Service of SaleCustomer Systems Service • Gift & Loyalty Card Programs • Top-rated 2021 Winner (Including the PinPoint Card Program) • Gift & Loyalty Card Programs For more information call 402.502.9985 or (Including the PinPoint Card Program) • •Top-rated Customer For more information call 402.502.9985 Giftor & Loyalty CardService Programs (Including the PinPoint Card Program) visit AmericanPaymentSystems.com (Including the PinPoint Card Program) 8 years in a row • Gift & Loyalty Card Programs visit AmericanPaymentSystems.com For more information call 402.502.9985 or For Owned moreBusiness information 402.502.9985 orCard Program) avisit LocalAmericanPaymentSystems.com & Family For call more information call 402.502.9985 or (Including the PinPoint more information call 402.502.9985 or aFor Local & Family Owned Business visit AmericanPaymentSystems.com visit aAmericanPaymentSystems.com AmericanPaymentSystems.com Forvisit more information call 402.502.9985 or Local & Family Owned Business Local&&Family FamilyOwned OwnedBusiness Business visit AmericanPaymentSystems.com aaLocal (Including the PinPoint Card Program)

a Local & Family Owned Business

a Local & Family Owned Business

22 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

PROFESSIONAL IMPECCABLE MEMORABLE

“Thank you for selecting us the Best Caterer in Omaha for the past 15 years!”

- Joe Thallas

Owner/General Manager

2021 Best of B2B & 2022 Best of Omaha

Soirée Celebration

Ask for Brandeis Catering at Many Fine Venues Throughout the Omaha Metro

OU R E XC LUS I V E V E N U E Livestock Exchange Ballroom

21+

(402) 334-5446 • www.brandeiscatering.com FEATURING

ONLY

music, performances, & networking hors d’oeuvres & beverages provided yH Happ our

Martini

2021 Winner

business chic attire requested

Now serving brunch on Saturdays & Sundays. We also now have Keno!

4150 S. 144 TH ST. • 402.894.9411 • CHARLIESONTHELAKE.NET

L A K EFRON T V E N U E

SAVE THE DATE THURSDAY, OCT. 28, 2021

2021 Winner

purchase tickets at localstubs.com/events/soiree2021

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 23

2021 Winners

FOOD SERVICES BANQUET FACILITY A View Venues Omaha Design Center

BUSINESS BREAKFAST First Watch

Five venues, five unique celebration experiences. Hosting events for 100 - 1,000 guests, Omaha Event Group boasts 15 years of experience with over 300 events each year, including Omaha Fashion Week. Schedule a consultation with our team of experts today.

Early Bird

hello@omahaeventgroup.com | 402.819.8792 | omahaeventgroup.com Omaha Design Center | The Downtown Club | Empire Room | Omaha Palazzo | Anderson O'Brien Fine Art Gallery

BUSINESS DINNER V.Mertz Mahogany Prime Steakhouse

BUSINESS HAPPY HOUR Spezia Charlie’s on the Lake

BUSINESS LUNCH Jams Dolce

CATERER Brandeis Catering A Catered Affair

COFFEE PROVIDER Host Coffee Ideal Pure Water

28,552 TREES & COUNTING Omaha Magazine, by partnering with PrintReleaf, has reforested 28,522 standard trees since April 2015.

24 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 25

2021 Winners

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ACCOUNTING OFFICE Lutz + Accounting, Financial, Tech, M&A, Talent 13616 California Street, Suite 300 www.lutz.us

Bland & Associates

ADVERTISING AGENCY Sleight 402-334-3530 sleightadvertising.com

BluePrint Advertising Agency

ARCHITECTURAL FIRM Leo A Daly RDG

BUSINESS INSURANCE Lockton 402-970-6100 lockton.com

Husker Insurance

COLLECTION SERVICE BQ & Associates

A Law Firm with over 30 years experience in representing retail and commercial creditors.

NAS/National Account Systems of Omaha

BQ & Associates can assist you in getting the money you are owed.

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COMPANY

Our Firm represents creditors throughout the United States through our network of attorneys.

The Olson Group Midwest Benefit Advisors

2021 Results

client-service@bqlaw.com

Please contact our office to see if your matter can be handled on a contingent fee arrangement. (402)-554-4400

26 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 27

The Harry A. Koch Co. is now FNIC

2021 Winners

It’s not just a new name and brand. It’s the transformation of seventeen individual insurance agencies uniting their brands, experiences, stories, and futures into one.

EMPLOYMENT AGENCY Snelling Hemphill Search Group

2021 Winner

INSURANCE AGENCY

Best Insurance Agency

Thank you for voting us 10 years in a row!

FNIC formerly The Koch Co.

800.344.5624 | fnicgroup.com

800-344-5624 fnicgroup.com

Chastain Otis Insurance

IT SERVICE InfiNet 402-895-0777 omahait.com

Scantron

LAW FIRM Croker Huck Dvorak Law Group

PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM Zaiss & Co

Commercial Insurance . Employee Benefits . Surety Bonds . Personal Insurance

What do you want from your agent?

Honesty?

Integrity?

At Chastain Otis we believe these traits are a given. Our philosophy is that an agent should have superior knowledge of their products, should inform their clients of their risks to financial loss, and should actively search the markets for the best options at the best price… and not just when they first sign you up.

What is your agent doing for you?

• • • •

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28 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

2021 Winners

TRAVEL & EVENT PLANNING AUDIO-VISUAL SERVICE AVI Systems

2021 Winner

Concepts AV Integration a national and regional powerhouse in meetings & events.

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2021 Winner

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 29

SPON S OREDCON CONTEN TENTT SPON SORED

2021 Winner 2021 Winner

full-servicemarketing marketing AAfull-service communications company communications company with purpose. with purpose.

Have a marketing puzzle you can’t quite Have a marketing puzzle you can’t quite crack? Want a beautiful, effective website to crack? Want a beautiful, effective website to help build your brand? Need to design and help build your brand? Need to design and print a direct mail piece or some posters or, print a direct mail piece or some posters or, heck, a giant sticker of the Kool-Aid man? heck, a giant sticker of the Kool-Aid man?

Want a strong strategy to marry all those Want a strong strategy to marry all those things together? Firespring has your back. things together? Firespring has your back.

With offices in Omaha, Council Bluffs and With offices in Omaha, Council Bluffs and Lincoln, Firespring has nearly 30 years of Lincoln, Firespring has nearly 30 years of experience in the print, marketing and web experience in the print, marketing and web spaces. No matter what you need from spaces. No matter what you need from Firespring, our job is to help you accomplish Firespring, our jobmake is to help accomplish your goals—and sure you you’re lookin’ your goals—and good along themake way. sure you’re lookin’ good along the way.

Basically, Firespring has four key parts: Basically, Firespring has four key parts: • A versatile in-house print shop.

• A versatile in-house print shop.

• A bold full-service marketing agency.

• A bold full-service marketing agency.

• An expert web development and • Ansupport expert team. web development and support team.

• An unwavering commitment to do good.

• An unwavering commitment to do good.

Printing Printing We first opened our doors in 1992 and cut We first opened doors business—before in 1992 and cut our teeth in theour printing our teeth in the printing business—before the web side of Firespring was even a the web side of Firespring washas even a a twinkle in our eye. Printing been twinkle our eye.ofPrinting has been a since. proud in mainstay our company ever proud mainstay of our company ever since.

Anything you dream up to print, we Anything you dream up to print, we can likely make it happen. Whether you can likely make it happen. Whether you need a perfectly printed annual report, need a perfectly printed annual report, personalized direct mailers, trade show personalized direct mailers, trade show materials, a full suite of business package materials, a full suite of business package elements or interior signage the size of a elements or interior signage the size of a wall, our print team can bring your ideas to wall, our print team can bring your ideas to life. And we can print on a wide variety of life. And we can print on a wide variety of materials, from paper to metal. materials, from paper to metal.

Marketing Strategy and Execution Marketing Strategy and Execution Every marketing asset we create for Every marketing asset we create for our clients—from smart blog posts to our clients—from smart blog posts to comprehensive campaigns and everything comprehensive campaigns and everything in between—starts with a carefully crafted in between—starts with a carefully crafted strategy based on your goals. Once we have strategy based on your goals. Once we have a roadmap, our award-winning creatives a build roadmap, our award-winning the elements you need tocreatives succeed. We build the elements you need succeed. don’t just want our work to to look pretty, We we don’t want our workexactly to lookwhat pretty, wantjust it to accomplish youwe set want it to out to do.accomplish exactly what you set out to do.

Websites and Powerful Online Tools Websites and Powerful Online Tools With award-winning designers and cuttingWith designers and cuttingedgeaward-winning developers, Firespring works with you edge developers, Firespring works withyou you to define your website goals and help toachieve define your website goals and help you them. achieve them.

Modern website development is about more Modern website development is about more than pretty pictures and clever copy. It’s than pretty pictures and clever copy.

It’s a strategic endeavor to implement highly a targeted strategicmarketing, endeavor to implement highly communication and targeted marketing, communication and commerce engines to drive the success commerce engines to based drive the success of your organization on your of your organization based on your

objectives. From WordPress to Firespring’s objectives. From WordPress to Firespring’s proprietary CMS, from email marketing to proprietary CMS, from email marketing to SEO services, we’ve got the arsenal of tools SEO services, we’ve got the arsenal of tools to help you make your website work hard to help you make your website work hard for you. for you.

Community Impact Community Impact The driving force behind all of Firespring’s The driving force behind all of Firespring’s endeavors is a pursuit of purpose. endeavors is a pursuit of purpose.

Firespring is Nebraska’s first Certified B Firespring is Nebraska’s first Certified B Corporation®—a designation earned by Corporation®—a designation earned by for-profit businesses that reach the highest for-profit businesses that reach the highest standard of social and environmental standard of social and environmental performance. Firespring was also the performance. Firespring was also the first Nebraska company to implement first Nebraska company to implement ® the Entrepreneurial Operating System / the Entrepreneurial Operating System®/ Traction framework—a comprehensive Traction businessframework—a system with acomprehensive complete set of business system with complete of simple business toolsaand provenset business simple business tools and proven business processes to align and synchronize all processes and synchronize all aspects oftoa align company and its leaders. aspects of a company and its leaders.

Firespring now helps other companies Firespring helps other companies establish anow vibrant company culture, create establish a vibrant company create positive community impact culture, and elevate on positive its pathcommunity to purpose.impact and elevate on its path to purpose.

Let us help you exceed your goals Let help your goals thisus year in ayou freeexceed 30-minute strategy this year with in a free strategy session one 30-minute of our experts. session with one of our experts. firespring.com/omahab2b

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 31

2021 Winners

FLORIST Stems Beyond The Vine

HOTEL Magnolia Hotel Hilton Omaha

RENTAL SERVICE United Rentals Honeyman Rent-All

TRAVEL AGENCY Travel & Transport us.travelctm.com

Bursch Travel

2021 Winner

32 | B2B MAGAZINE

SPONSORED CONTENT

SEi

BEST OF B2B 2021 SPONSORED PROFILES PHOTOS BY KATIE ANDERSON & PROVIDED STORIES BY KARA SCHWEISS & PROVIDED Business involves many moving parts, as all owners and managers know. One day’s work may involve finding the best wealth management company to set up employees 401Ks, the next day might involve figuring out where to recycle the computers that suddenly went kaput for the last time.

The following pages feature native content from Best of B2B winners, and because they won this contest, readers can be assured that they offer quality products and services.

B2B

SECURITY EQUIPMENT INC. BUSINESS SECURITY SOLUTIONS Managing business security is challenging. Internal responsibilities and external threats make it difficult to stay ahead of the game.

SEi handles protecting life and property by monitoring security, fire and video 24/7/365 + technical support. They make it easy by connecting services like security, video and access control in one system.

For more than 50 years SEi has been dedicated to delivering the most comprehensive custom security solutions while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry.

SEi is ready to secure businesses and their employees today.

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2021 Winner

INGERSOLL RAND For more than 145 years, Ingersoll Rand has provided a wide range of technologically advanced, highly reliable, and low-maintenance air compressors, Area Sales Leader Jeffrey Esparrago said. In fact, he and his colleagues feel that compressed long ago joined electricity, gas and water as the “fourth utility.”

“We provide compressed air equipment and services to our customers that impact their productivity, reliability and efficiency,” Esparrago said. Compressed air is used in countless industries, he added, and during the early months of the pandemic, Ingersoll Rand’s compression technologies supported many sectors deemed essential including medical facilities, food production, power plants, the manufacturing of critical products like N-95 masks, and more.

Globally, Ingersoll Rand has high standards beyond reputable products and services, Esparrago said, including a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as environmental responsibility.

“We have a goal to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 60%, and greater than 15% greenhouse emissions from our products that we actually produce, by 2030,” he said.

Ingersoll Rand is a local leader in its sector, Esparrago said, but his team doesn’t take that for granted. They strive to build trust with every customer and to be a valued partner and community supporter.

“We have great products and services, but the reason customers continue to work with Ingersoll Rand is the people and the culture,” he said. “We may be a large company, but we have a strong presence in the Omaha market. The team is local and would not be successful without being part of the community.”

13205 CENTENNIAL ROAD, SUITE 2 OMAHA, NE 68138 402.330.5831 INGERSOLLRAND.COM

2021 Winner

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APRIL · MAY

| 33

2021 Winner

BLUEPRINT ADVERTISING AGENCY Results and customer satisfaction have been BluePrint Advertising Agency’s best referral source.

2020 was another banner year for the fast growing, full-service advertising agency, and they show no signs of slowing down in 2021. A vast majority of their new customers are referral based.

“Just like most business owners, 2020 gave us unique challenges and tested us in ways we couldn’t imagine. For some businesses it was an extremely difficult year, but for us it was an opportunity to take a step back, evaluate, seek new strategies, and make our business even better then before,” Owner Ryan Pankoke said. “The only way to fix a problem is to acknowledge that you have one. In 2020, we discovered problems we didn’t even know existed. But now that they’ve been identified, we can focus on overcoming those challenges and keep improving our services for clients.”

2020 Ups and downs “In 2020 any problem that could go wrong, did— not only for BluePrint, but also for our clients. It was a difficult year. In addition to learning how

to adapt to a changed world ourselves, we had to help our clients adapt. In hindsight, it allowed us to think outside of the box and create new- and better- solutions,” Pankoke explained.

Like every other business in 2020, it was a steep learning curve. BluePrint had to adapt quickly and address unprecedented challenges. “Many businesses became focused on things beyond their control. We focused our energy on solutions to problems we could resolve,” said Pankoke.

BluePrint adopted a cloud-based system that allowed for more freedom in remote work.

Meetings moved to digital platforms such as Zoom. BluePrint recognized the potential in these platforms, examined outdated systems, and used the opportunity to improve efficiency and effectiveness—for themselves and their clients.

Because of this, BluePrint is better today than it was at this time last year.

They accounted for their own challenges, and they translated what was going on in society and people’s media habits. Because of the pandemic, people consumed advertising in different ways. Time spent on different media platforms changed quickly. On the fly, BluePrint changed media strategies for clients several times in the span of a few months.

It was difficult work, but worth it for the clients.

Businesses that address unique challenges and pivot in the face of unprecedented changes become better.

For BluePrint and their clients, Pankoke believes making it through 2020 has made them stronger.

2021 Big year for BluePrint “2021 is going to be a very big year for BluePrint Advertising Agency,” Pankoke said. “We are already in the process of hiring more staff to accommodate all of our clients’ new goals and strategies. We’re also opening a brand-new building with a production studio on 156th and Dodge that should be open in fall 2021. I have also signed with a publishing company and should have a book coming out late summer. I am hoping to build on our success and make 2021 our best year yet.”

5701 S. 108TH ST., SUITE 10 OMAHA, NE 68137 402.671.5000 BLUEPRINTADAGENCY.COM

34 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

SPONSORED CONTENT

2021 Winner

COX BUSINESS Cox connectivity is Cox’s business. Whether it’s connecting with the community or connecting customers to the things that matter most, Cox strengthen’s relationships. They do this by investing in technology, people, and business opportunities to enhance community growth.

Cox Business provides voice, data, video services, and security detection, along with surveillance to more than 355,000 small and regional businesses nationwide. Included in Cox’s portfolio are health care providers, K−12 and higher education facilities, financial institutions, and federal, state, and local government organizations.

Beyond core Cox Business telecom services, Cox has invested in several B2B new venture areas that add to Cox Business’ ability to serve customers.

These investments have been made in health care (Trapollo), hospitality, and infrastructure, to name a few.

Addressing the cloud market, Cox Business acquired RapidScale. Together, the companies provide a better customer experience through end-to-end IT management and streamlined

IT operations. Cox’s offerings benefit small and medium businesses, including small enterprise.

Their solution features reduce technology burden and costs through implementing an end-to-end suite of reliable, innovative, and secure cloud solutions solving all basic IT needs.

With a rich history and longstanding customer relationships, Cox is leveraging the robust coax and fiber infrastructure to deploy intelligent, scalable applications to local cities, governments, and more. Cox Business is uniquely positioned to be a powerful provider of Smart Communities solutions. Current smart community product offerings include lighting, curbside management, kiosks, and video analytics solutions.

“Simply put, our company is well positioned for business growth, and as we continue to grow, we continue to make a positive impact on the communities we serve,” stated Cox Business Director of Sales Jayte Burns.

Being a good citizen is at the core of the company, and being involved in the community is more than a corporate commitment—it’s a way of life. In addition to volunteering each year, Cox employees proudly give back to Omaha through their employee-funded and employee-guided

Cox Charities foundation. Last year, employees awarded grants that totaled $136,000 to 36 Omaha educators and schools, and 18 nonprofits.

When closing the digital divide became more important than ever last year, Cox created solutions to ensure more households had internet access.

Their Cox Connect2Compete (C2C) program is a low-cost internet service designed to augment the educational opportunities of low-income children who do not have a reliable internet connection at home. C2C saw a 50% growth in the program yearover-year, and 43% of those families connected since COVID-19.

Cox is proud to serve the Omaha community, and will continue to make connections that matter most.

COX BUSINESS 401 N. 117TH ST., 402.934.0462 COX.COM

SPONSORED CONTENT

APRIL · MAY

| 35

2021 Winner

THE HARRY A. KOCH CO. NOW FNIC The Harry A. Koch Co., established in 1916, provides creative risk management and financial security solutions with services in four areas: commercial insurance, employee benefits, surety bonds, and personal insurance.

Despite the pandemic, the company had a strong year in 2020 and expects 2021 to be solid as well.

President and CEO Scott Hill likes to point out that The Harry A. Koch Co. is among a small group of Omaha companies that have been through two pandemics, Spanish Influenza in 1918 in addition to COVID-19 in 2020.

“We’ve done this before, and we’ve made it through,” he said. “Strength and stability was never an issue.

We were confident in our survival.”

“We were grateful for the technology that allowed us to continue to work and service clients and keep our employees safe,” Vice President of Human Resources Megan Thom added.

2020 was a year of adjustment but 2021 will bring about an even bigger change for the company: a

new name, FNIC, representing the transformation of seventeen individual insurance agencies uniting into one brand.

“Moving from one brand to another will look somewhat gradual to clients,” Thom said.

of one enterprise, one tax ID, and to function really as one cohesive unit across a multistate platform.

We can deliver resources more efficiently, we can service our clients more effectively,” he said. “When you function as one, you can no longer have 17 different brands.”

When clients ask what will change for them, Sr. Vice President and Director of Sales Clyde Wilberger said, the answer is, “It’s really business as usual.”

FNIC’s logo has long been associated with First National Bank of Omaha and both are affiliated with the Laurtizen Corporation.

“Nothing’s really changing with how we’re doing business today,” he said, emphasizing that clients can expect the same level of trust, integrity and communication they’ve always relied on.

“We were given the privilege of working with the Circle One, which is iconic in our world,” Hill said.

“It shows the strength we have. We have the strong support of a very large family-owned institution behind us, and it allows us to do anything and everything that we want to do.”

“When a client’s making a decision of what broker to work with, there are usually four reasons: coverage expertise, price, service or relationship,” Wilberger said. “We hang our hat on all four of those, but there’s one thing we feel we do better than our competitors; we bring that coverage expertise.”

Hill said the rebranding discussion began several years ago.

“We’ve operated these (agencies) in a very decentralized way since the early ‘70s. We concluded in 2019 that the time was right to bring these together in terms

“We have producers, or agents, who are very experienced in various lines of coverage, which is one of our top selling points,” Thom said. “That unified brand really allows us to bring that expertise across all of our offices and leverage our talent across all of our locations.”

14010 FNB PARKWAY, SUITE 300 OMAHA, NE 68154 402.861.7000 HAKCO.COM

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VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

“WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS REALLY INVOLVED IN MAKE-A-WISH [OF] NEBRASKA. HE WOULD RECRUIT TO MAKE A LARGE DONATION DURING THEIR RADIOTHON FUNDRAISING.” -LINDSEY WEDEL

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 37

37

BIZ+GIVING | STORY BY MEGAN KEYSER

CARE TO THE CORE

BANK EMPLOYEES POOL RESOURCES, PARTICIPATE TOGETHER

C

ore Bank’s manifesto, published on their website, states, “We never pretend to be nice. We just are.”

“The feeling you get looking at the website is the same feeling you get as an employee,” Human Resources Generalist Michelle Greenwood said.

Core Bank is based out of Omaha. It’s a full-service banking company that focuses on personal and business clients between seven Midwest locations.

“There’s extreme passion for community giving.

We say that we are a community bank. We want to make sure we walk that talk,” Greenwood said.

The company fosters that culture of giving through a variety of ways, such as paid time off for serving others.

Core gives each employee 16 paid hours to volunteer their time to a cause that they care about.

“Like Habitat for Humanity or the Humane Society, for example,” Vice President of Human Resources Lindsey Wedel said.

Additionally, each employee is given a $100 stipend to donate annually. When an employee is ready to use it, they complete a request form. The employee is then issued a check to deliver to the organization.

“Some employees will pool together their dollars.

We have an employee who is really involved in Make-A-Wish [of ] Nebraska. He would recruit to make a large donation during their radiothon fundraising. During the floods [of 2018], people gave that way. The Special Olympics of Nebraska is a recipient often,” Wedel said.

“I think that it helps employees and small businesses like ours feel part of a community. We have a lot of fun doing it. When we do the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics of Nebraska, we make a day of it, celebrating employees and the funds,” Greenwood said. “We dress up in costumes. One year everyone dressed up as ‘Where’s Waldo?’. We had a safari theme one year with hats and animal costumes. We were dominoes. ‘Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,’ was our saying,” Greenwood said.

All employees, like banker Austin Kuch, can participate at an influential level.

“WE GET WISH LISTS FROM SIX ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AND PUBLISH THESE.” -LINDSEY WEDEL “A good family friend of mine is in a wheelchair. I’ve known him my whole life,” Kuch said. “He played numerous types of sports. He coaches a wheelchair basketball team, with ages ranging from 10 to 18.

I send my credit over to them every year. One year, I got seven people to donate to it. When they have spaghetti feeds, I try to get as many people as I can over there to support. Whatever help my friend needs, I will do so. I’ve seen a lot of kids grow in the program on those teams.”

When holiday seasons approach, employees bind together to give to those in need in a Core Bank initiative called “Christmas Families.” The company wrapped up its 22nd year of this initiative in 2020.

Core partners with Eastern Nebraska Office On Aging to sponsor elderly residents who lack a support system. They also partner with four local schools, working with counselors to find families who have fallen on hard times. “Maybe mom or dad lost a job, or families are fleeing domestic violence,” Wedel said. “We get wish lists from six elderly individuals and families and publish these.

Employees can purchase off of them. They’re really shopping for them as if they’re shopping for a family member. We want to make sure that a coat, for example, is the girl’s favorite color and will last multiple years.”

When all gifts are purchased, the company holds a wrapping party celebration. “It ends up being 400 presents, so it takes a group to get those wrapped,” Wedel said.

“We are always looking for new ways to support the community. The generosity is awesome to see,” Greenwood said.

Visit corebank.com for more information.

B2B

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38

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

HOW I ROLL | STORY BY HOUSTON WILTSEY | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

THE PAST AND THE CURIOUS

COLLECTOR SCOTT ROUSE ENJOYS LEARNING ABOUT VEHICLES AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND THEM

I

’ve been a car guy ever since I was little,” Scott Rouse said. “My first baby pictures are of my mother holding me at the drag races in Northeastern Iowa.”

Rouse is one of four partners of Victory Lane Omaha, the city’s only private car condo complex, located on 204th Street and West Center Road. It’s a haven for motorheads, as well as a hangout for those who are not quite as auto-inclined.

Victory Lane is also special for Rouse because it gives him the chance to show off and sell his collection of more than 50 vehicles, which includes everything from restored Volkswagen Beetles to pristine Ferraris.

“I’m a nondenominational car guy,” he said. “A lot of people are brand-loyal, but I appreciate being able to drive everything.”

“IT’S JUST A GREAT LINE OF VEHICLES. IT WAS KIND OF A TRENDSETTER AND A REASON WHY I HAVE VERSIONS FROM THIS LINE FROM ‘58, ‘68, ‘78, AND ‘88.”

-SCOTT ROUSE One of the crown jewels of Rouse’s collection, a 1958 Mercedes Benz SL 190 Roadster, is a true reflection of that mindset.

Rouse said he first saw it when he was driving around his new neighborhood about 15 years ago.

“I caught a glimpse of it in my neighbor’s garage, covered by a mountain of boxes,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

“WHEN YOU INVEST IN CARS, YOU STILL HAVE THE THRILL OF BEING ABLE TO LOAD UP THE FAMILY, PUT ON SOME TUNES, AND JUST DRIVE. IT’S REALLY A THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCE FOR ME.” -SCOTT ROUSE Rouse eventually became friends with the vehicle’s owner, Lori Folkers, and when it came time to sell, she looked to him.

“I told her at the time ‘I’d be happy to help, but I’d really like to buy it myself.’” So they researched the vehicle together and eventually settled on a fair price.

When released in 1955, the main draw of the vehicle was that it offered a similar experience to the Mercedes SL 300, but for roughly a third of the price. Though the model remained largely unchanged throughout its seven-year production run—four-cylinder, front-mounted engine, curvaceous body, and relatively luxe interior—the vehicle helped establish the Mercedes SL line and grow the company’s presence in the U.S.

experts are always on the lookout for rare automobiles in unexpected places. “Usually, you have to spend years searching and drive across the country to find something good. The fact that my ‘barn find’ was down the street is crazy.”

Even crazier is how much the investment paid off.

Today, similar models sell for upwards of $150,000.

Despite the high value, it’s not a car Rouse treats like an antique.

“It’s still something that I like to take out and drive,” he said. “I let people examine it all the time. I don’t even mind if a kid wants to jump in and grab a picture.”

Rouse finds investing in vehicles provides a thrill that he can’t find anywhere else.

“You can’t enjoy your stock portfolio or savings account this way,” he said. “When you invest in cars, you still have the thrill of being able to load up the family, put on some tunes, and just drive.

It’s really a therapeutic experience for me.”

There are those vehicles—including the ‘58 Mercedes—that transcend investment status.

“It’s just a great line of vehicles,” Rouse said. “It was kind of a trendsetter and a reason why I have versions from this line from ’58, ’68, ’78, and ’88.”

“That one’s a keeper,” he said. “It’s one of those cars I have a special bond with and I can’t imagine letting it go.”

“It was just sitting there, wasting away, and I felt bad that I wasn’t using it,” Folkers said. “I was just so glad that it was going to a good home.”

Visit victorylaneomaha.com for more information.

“Everyone these days is looking for what’s called a ‘barn find,’” Rouse said, referring to the vehicles made popular by shows like Chasing Classic Cars and American Pickers, where the shows’ antique

B2B

Caption

Caption

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 41

41

IN THE OFFICE | STORY BY JEFF LACEY | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

A WAVE OF SMART DESIGN:

WAVE INTERACTIVE’S OFFICES ABOUND WITH EFFECTIVE DETAILS

W

ave Interactive offers web-based design solutions, and their clients include household names like Travelocity, Expedia, and CheapTickets, among others. Wave’s mission is to provide clients with seamless functionality and a pleasant user experience when it comes to their product. So, when it came time to design a new office space, they aimed for similar objectives, teaming with Holland Basham Architects to turn their concept into reality.

The result is their office at 128th and Pierce streets: an elegant, inviting space that includes special touches that make it popular with employees.

Jamie McNeely, vice president of operations, explained that the ultimate goal when designing the office was to strike a compelling balance between form and function. “We didn’t want it to be a traditional office space,” McNeely said. “We wanted it to be open and inviting, but we also wanted a place flexible enough so people could have some control over their level of privacy.”

“LIKE PICKLE, THE OFFICE AT WAVE INTERACTIVE ABOUNDS WITH SMALL TOUCHES THAT PROVE TO BE WONDERFULLY INTERESTING.” -JAMIE McNEELY

The final product is 4,400 square feet of fluid, highly functional, work area. Walking in the front doors, clients are immediately greeted with a large four-screen display in the waiting area (one of 16 screen display areas) that features time-zones for all the parts of the world in which their clients are based. The waiting area is flanked on both sides by conference rooms (referred to as ‘huddles’) that serve as multi-use work environments for the entire staff. These huddles include conference tables that can be raised at the touch of a button for a standing desk option, as well as one of the central design motifs of the office: floor-to-ceiling marker boards.

The marker boards are comprised of a blue wall background covered with clear paneling that can be used for whatever ideas a dry erase marker can summon. These boards are a key feature of Wave’s office design, and are found throughout the office.

“We wanted to be sure to have a lot of space to be able to work things out and collaborate, so these marker boards are available all over the place,” McNeely explained.

Past the lobby is a wide-open, high-ceilinged area that takes up the majority of the square footage.

Two rows of a beautifully lit hub of work stations run though this space. The word ‘cubicles’ doesn’t do these stations justice: they are flexible, wellequipped, and patterned in a pleasant nearhoneycomb design. On the other side of this great hall is the kitchen/lounge area, which features retro light fixtures and a 50-gallon fish tank. The tank is placed strategically so that the lounge is distinct from the kitchen area, yet lots of light is still allowed to permeate both areas.

“WE WANTED TO BE SURE TO HAVE A LOT OF SPACE TO BE ABLE TO WORK THINGS OUT AND COLLABORATE.” -JAMIE McNEELY The most magical element of the office is the garage door. The primary conference room at Wave gets a major upgrade via a fully functional glass-paneled garage door that opens up into the lounge area. The door is lowered or raised according to the needs of the day. “We wanted a simple but interesting space, and the garage door is something we thought added a lot,” McNeely said.

Aside from these smart, elegant touches, there is also the presence of reclaimed light fixtures over the great central area, reclaimed interior glass, and pops of color throughout.

Those who visit Wave Interactive might also be lucky enough to meet Pickle, McNeely’s precocious miniature dachshund. “The office doesn’t have a dog policy,” McNeely said, “but it is dogfriendly.” Like Pickle, the office at Wave interactive abounds with small touches that prove to be wonderfully interesting.

Visit wave.dev for more information.

B2B

42 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

42

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

ON THE RISE | STORY BY WENDY TOWNLEY | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

ADVOCATING ALTRUISM

ANDREW ALEMAN

I

t would be remarkably easy for one to list the professional and community accomplishments of social worker and LGBTQ advocate Andrew Aleman.

a more transparent status among those close to him.

Doing so can only make him better equipped to help others.

Aleman said. “We like to hide things instead.”

His professional positions speak volumes of his work and his passion: director of programs for Black and Pink; independent consultant in the areas of equity, inclusion, and sexual health; adjunct instructor in University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Grace Abbott School of Social Work; human trafficking program coordinator for the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence; and community engagement supervisor at Nebraska AIDS Project.

Then there’s community recognition, including Ten Outstanding Young Omahans and Young Black and Influential Awards.

Aleman finds it’s the hidden pieces of his complicated, oftentimes emotionally draining work that, in his opinion, deserve much more light and far more conversation.

In his advocacy work today and previous position as a therapist, Aleman views the structure as physical exchanges of energy and emotion—responsibilities and regular tasks that don’t often surface on a job description. His primary concern is supporting and advocating for others. “[In these situations with clients], someone is physically handing me something that they’re going through and navigating, and I have to hold it,” Aleman explained. “When they leave, I have it put it down and tell myself, ‘I’m going to leave this here.’”

Rather than hiding the emotional and mental challenges of social work, Aleman is striving toward

A national organization, Black and Pink works to support current and formerly incarcerated LGBTQ individuals and others living with HIV/ AIDS, as well as those impacted by violent and oppressive systems. The work, much like most social work, can be emotionally and mentally taxing. In an increasingly socially distanced and isolated society, it’s often an almost absentminded choice for Aleman and others in his field to keep their struggles silent.

Aleman adds it’s important for therapists and social workers to see their own therapists.

“It’s hard for us to say when we’re struggling and not OK,” Aleman said. “So I’ve really encouraged folks and myself to not be OK in front of others.”

Aleman continued, “I navigate my own mental health with my own mental health professionals.

It’s important to talk about it and it’s OK to talk about it.”

Advocacy and helping others drives Aleman on a daily basis. But it’s more than the immediate impact he sees when working with clients; it’s for the next generation of social workers, and preparing them for the hardships of such important work.

It’s also why Aleman values his adjunct teaching position at UNO. “I do this work every day because of the young people who see us, and the young people who will come after us,” Aleman said. “If we’re not honest with them about the challenges and barriers that

we face in life, if we give them this falsehood, then we’ve failed. That is my biggest fear.”

Dominique Morgan knew Aleman long before she hired him at Black and Pink. Years ago, Aleman served as Morgan’s case manager.

“I was just starting in my career space, in school, and he was a constant support,” Morgan said of Aleman. “He was a constant that held me accountable and challenged me in ways I hadn’t been challenged before.”

As Morgan grew Black and Pink, she sought someone to manage programs at the national level.

Aleman was Morgan’s first choice, but she wanted to ensure the selection process was fair and transparent by hiring an outside consultant.

“In my heart, I didn’t want anyone but Andrew running this program,” Morgan recalled. “Out of all the people that have been in my life...Andrew is one of maybe two or three people who made me feel like I mattered.”

Their longtime friendship also meant that Morgan had watched for years how Aleman navigated the complicated worlds of social work and advocacy.

“Andrew is fearless when it comes to holding people to what they say they want to be,” Morgan said.

“Andrew’s balance of head and heart is impeccable.

You know that he’s centering. He’s leading a national effort to address the needs of LGBTQ in all levels. He’s a visionary, an innovator, and a template. If people are looking for how to do the work, they need to look at people like Andrew.”

Visit blackandpink.org for more information.

B2B

“IT’S HARD FOR US TO SAY WHEN WE’RE STRUGGLING AND NOT OK. SO I’VE REALLY ENCOURAGED FOLKS AND MYSELF TO NOT BE OK IN FRONT OF OTHERS.” -ANDREW ALEMAN

PLENTY OF RESEARCH SHOWS IT TO BE EFFECTIVE AGAINST DANGEROUS CRITTERS THAT INCLUDE E. COLI, SALMONELLA, STAPHYLOCOCCUS AND KLEBSIELLA.

Dan Lynn, CEO of BioSecurity Technology Co.

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 45

45

omAHA! | STORY BY CHARLIE LITTON | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

BIOSAFE FOR USE WITH PETS AND LITTLE ONES

OZONE TO THE RESCUE

L

et it be added to the list of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic: Cleaning supplies are limited.

There are, however, more options than most might realize.

As the pandemic continued to spiral out of control in early 2020, cleaning supplies became scarce. One report showed that sales for aerosol disinfectants alone exploded by 385% in March 2020 when compared to the previous year. It should come as no surprise that costs rose to meet demand, yet some product shelves remained empty for weeks that stretched into months in some places.

That doesn’t mean other options aren’t available.

Omaha is home to a few different companies that offer alternative cleaning solutions that share a common molecule: Ozone.

Local companies such as BioSecurity Technologies and CleanCore Solutions use similar root technology to add an extra oxygen atom to O2, transforming the molecule into ozone.

Adding ozone to water does creates a solution known as ozonated water, or aqueous ozone. Its only byproducts are a little water and some extra oxygen floating around.

The ozone cleaning solutions are created electronically with a system that is tied into the local water supply of a commercial building or home. The device creates the ozone molecules, then combines it with standard tap water to make a highly effective cleanser that reaches the EPA’s minimum standard as an approved sanitizer.

Ozone has been used as an effective water treatment for more than 100 years, but its popularity as a surface cleaner has been more recent. Plenty of research shows it to be effective against dangerous critters that include E. coli, salmonella, staphylococcus, and klebsiella.

Ozonated water’s effectiveness as a cleaner against viruses such as SARS-CoV-2—which is responsible for COVID-19—remains a scientifically unproven but intriguing possibility. CleanCore is working on new formulations and added experiments in hopes of meeting the high standard required to legitimately make such a claim.

That ozone molecule—completely natural and environmentally safe—has a proven ability to destroy microbes like bacteria and molds. The added benefit is there is no resulting residue, fumes, or vapors.

No aqueous ozone products from any company are listed in the EPA’s database of 531 approved disinfectants for coronavirus.

That also means no sick pets or children and no catastrophic reactions, like the potentially lethal chlorine gas created when bleach and vinegar mix.

BioSecurity, the other Omaha company specializing in aqueous ozone, has its own powerful weapon in a fogging system that can disinfect entire rooms.

The fogging system might bring to mind those chemical bombs used to rid a structure of pests.

However, the BioSafe fogging system—created by BioSecurity founder and inventor Dan Lynn—is entirely safe for pets and humans, young or old.

Biosecurity Technologies has clients throughout the United States, including the Thurston County Sheriff’s office in Northeast Nebraska. Sheriff Shelly Perez told B2B that they use the aqueous ozone to sanitize things such as holding cells and animal control units.

“We really like it,” she said. “It saves money on the disinfectants that we had to buy for the virus.”

BioSafe systems are also in use at Thurston County Courthouse, varied locales such as Rosebud Casino in Valentine, Nebraska, and in the metro area’s Elkhorn Public Schools.

Elkhorn South High School uses BioSafe’s ozonated water on most surfaces and floors throughout the building, Elkhorn South High School’s head custodian, Rusty Valverde, said in a recent press release.

“We have been using BioSafe units since February, 2020, and we are ecstatic on its effectiveness,” he said.

B2B

46 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

46

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

ROUNDTABLE | STORY BY SARA LOCKE | PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

A VIRAL OPENING

THREE BUSINESSES THAT SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED DURING A PANDEMIC

T

his month, B2B reached out to three local businesses that opened during arguably the hardest time in recent history to do so. Jenifer Holmquist opened Coco and Charlie’s, Joshua Vollertsen opened Coolgreens, and Sarah Peter and Angela Moran-Manzitto opened Clean Juice.

SP & AM-M: We had to continue with construction, but had a lot of holdups due to people not working during COVID. We learned to be patient, kind, and understanding of everyone who walked through our doors, and to be grateful for their business, adapting quickly to safety guidelines.

SP & AM-M: Sales were very low due to decreased foot traffic; we were unable to have our normal grand opening celebration. Our business relies heavily on educating customers. Catering came to a halt. We were unable to host samplings at stores, gyms, offices, and wellness retreats.

B2B : What physical issues did you encounter when you pivoted?

B2B : What would you suggest to other retail owners for opening during a difficult time?

JH: I wasn’t planning on opening at all. COVID changed my employment and childcare options, so I decided to go for my lifelong dream of owning a children’s store. Late August I traveled to the KidsWorld market [in Dallas] to buy fall/winter clothing for 2020. I came back and found a perfect space! After a few renovations and setbacks, I was able to open on Dec. 2.

JH: We had some small renovations, and had to delay our opening when I tested positive for COVID.

JH: Do it. Absolutely go for your dream—pandemic or not. I held myself back for too long. Even in the midst of a pandemic, people (especially in Omaha) are so supportive.

JV: Our original timeline for opening our first location in Loveland Centre was March 1. We ended up having our “Grand Opening” on June 1, right in time for the unrest and demonstrations downtown and having to close early that day.

SP & AM-M: Construction delayed, which resulted in us having to pay rent for extra months prior to opening, and a salary for our manager during the delay.

B2B : What was your original timeline for opening?

SP & AM-M: We were hoping to open in April 2020 but got pushed back to August.

B2B : How did you pivot once the virus hit?

JH: I didn’t plan to open at all until after COVID. JV: Once the virus hit, we experienced delays, primarily in equipment delivery and sourcing, as well as difficulty setting up supply chains with respect to our vendors such as chemicals, dry goods, and produce.

JV: Just the logistics of getting equipment and goods, as well as preparing for an unknown environment with respect to deep cleaning, masks, and other guidelines.

B2B : What business issues did you encounter?

JV: Given this new paradigm of operating a retail or restaurant [business], forecasting and knowing all of the guidelines that you will need to comply with will be paramount. This, in addition to working with vendors to forecast time delays, as well as severe fluctuations in pricing, will be more important than in the past.

SP & AM-M: Have faith and stick with it.

Get creative with connecting with your guest and advertising.

JH: Suppliers still aren’t producing much outside what is ordered prior to production. When I placed our fall/winter order in August, there were gaps in styles and sizes, and a lot of depleted stock. It was challenging filling an 1,100 square foot space with so much backordered.

Do what you can to adapt, reach out to neighboring businesses, apartments, and press to work together.

Collaborate with influencers, and remind customers how they can help by posting photos and leaving good reviews.

JV: We, as many others, have experienced slow sales, marginal foot traffic, and increases of cost of goods sold.

We’ve been fortunate to keep our doors open, fulfilling Omaha’s need for healthy food. Positive feedback from our customers makes it that much more rewarding.

B2B

Jenifer Holmquist

Joshua Vollertsen

Sarah Peter and Angela Moran-Manzitto

Greg Andersen

Caption

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 49

49

FEATURE | STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

BUILDING A STRONG MANAGEMENT TEAM

CEOs FIND COMMON LINKS

S

uccessful companies share one thing: effective leadership.

a standard for what ‘great’ looks like and they have a common definition for what that is.”

Rick Faber is chairman for Vistage Worldwide Inc., and the founder of Growth Guru—both entities that provide consulting services to businesses.

He said a good leadership team is vital to any company’s longevity, growth, and success.

Faber said other common features of strong leadership teams include a high level of trust and an aligned agreement on success behaviors.

“Without great, effective leadership teams, you don’t have followers,” he said. “And without followers, things don’t get done.”

The influence of good leadership extends beyond the bottom line, said Equitable Bank Community Bank President Doug Nodgaard. He continued that he can get a sense of a company’s leadership from a mere glance around a workplace.

“Is it a sterile environment or do they have pictures of their kids and grandkids and dogs?” he said, explaining that people who don’t feel at home won’t put down roots. In companies where people feel disengaged, turnover is going to be high.

Greg Andersen, CEO of creative agency Bailey Lauerman, said that effective leadership teams are easy to find: Look behind flourishing companies.

“So the question is, ‘Why?’ I think there are characteristics of companies that have strong leadership teams. They are cohesive. They are able to collaborate to define their opportunities of success but also to be able to maneuver through turbulence,” Andersen explained. “And I think that they are also strongly connected to their employee base and have direct influence on the culture of the company and are able to nurture that in positive ways. In building that culture, they are establishing

“First and foremost, trust is necessary. Without trust, it doesn’t really matter what else we think is important. If there isn’t trust between leaders, the team will struggle,” he said. “Aligned agreement on success behaviors is like a list of ‘This is who we are and the behavior we expect to see,’” he said.

These success behaviors are specific to each organization but not limited to management, Faber explained. For instance, a success behavior could be as simple as always arriving to work on time or answering incoming phone calls within two rings.

Faber also said good leadership teams have a “regular and consistent communication cadence,” meaning information is shared in a comprehensible and predictable way.

Similarly, Andersen said, this kind of transparency also helps erase “the perceptual barrier of ‘them’ and ‘us.’” In his experience, successful companies are often the “flattest.”

“When there was a really strong connection between the leadership team and staff,” he said, “in those companies it always only felt like ‘us,’ the collective ‘we.’”

Diversity in the leadership team is also key, Andersen said, and that encompasses a variety of characteristics including industry experience, market experience, and even life experience.

“That gives us another set of unique and different perspectives that fundamentally make our leadership team stronger,” he said. “Ultimately, we really believe that diversity is important because it creates a stronger fabric, just like a culture.”

Leadership teams shouldn’t be a homogenous echo chamber of like minds, he added.

“We also have diversity in personality types… when you create an environment for a leadership team where people feel it’s a place where you can speak your mind with civility, that tends to create confidence for everyone to share their opinions,” he said. “That diversity of perspective is important, and it needs to be encouraged.”

It’s easier for a small or medium-sized business to assess leaders, Faber said, because they are closer and more accessible to their customers and employees. In smaller companies, the leadership team usually has expanded roles and responsibilities.

“As companies grow, the focus typically becomes narrower,” Faber said.

“When you’re in a small company, they need to know that you know them not as an employee or a customer, but as a person,” Nodgaard said.

“That’s the advantage of being a smaller company: you know people better.”

CONT. PAGE 50

50 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

FROM PAGE 49 Companies that are struggling may be more inclined to assess their leadership, but companies that appear to be doing well by financial and other measures should also regularly assess their organization and its leadership, Nodgaard said. He emphasized that people in positions throughout the company, not executives only, should be included in the process.

Board members can also participate.

“You do a 360 review anonymously,” he said.

Andersen explained, “Everyone is evaluated by a set of people ‘above’ them, a set of people within their peer group, and a set of people who report to them.

That ensures that we have that diversity of perspective and it’s not a group of senior people telling each other how amazing they are because they’re doing each other a favor or they don’t want to offend somebody who is a colleague in the leadership team.”

Gathering information on how people feel about the company in general is another useful element of a 360 review, Andersen said, and indicates if leaders are collectively doing a good job.

“We’re also constantly measuring and getting the perspective of our staff as it relates to their views of the company. That can be anything from their confidence in the strategic direction of the company to how they feel about the quality of contribution of their peers, their understanding of expectations and standards and the things that go with that,” he said.

“And the fundamental characteristics of the company: feeling that they’re empowered, that they’re trusted and supported, that they have a clear career path set out before them.”

Fortunately, many credible professional tools are available to organizations looking for insight, Nodgaard said.

“We had everybody do the Gallup StrengthsFinder, which I think is pretty objective, and then we went over the results with everybody,” he said, adding that effective organizations are comprised of people with different strengths. “You learn what other people’s strengths are and you learn about how they process information and how they make decisions, and it just makes it easier to work together when you know that.”

Assessment may uncover difficult truths, including a realization that “who got you here won’t get you there,” Faber said. As a company evolves over time, so must its leadership, and the people in place when the company launched may not all be the right people to meet future goals.

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

“Companies have to make difficult choices along the way,” Faber said.

Sometimes good leaders have to be the ones to make these hard decisions about who stays and who goes, Faber added. Even informal assessment tools, like a simple high and low/trust and performance quadrant can help; generally, if it can be said that someone is both trusted and performs well, they’re effective.

Low trust or low performance indicates problems.

“I can probably deal with somebody if their performance is a little mediocre, because I can probably work with them on that if I have high trust. If I don’t have trust and their performance is mediocre, then why are we doing this?” he said.

“The other end of the spectrum is high performance/ low trust. We have these rock stars who knock the numbers out of the park but everyone thinks are jerks. No one trusts them and they disrupt a strong team.”

Leadership teams also evolve over time with the introduction of new members, and that kind of growth can be fostered by supporting professional development from within the organization, Nodgaard said. It contributes to stability and successor management, which he considers important characteristics of an effective management team.

To begin with, internal communication channels should share opportunities with all employees, he said. “Our company policy is that no matter what the job is, it’s posted internally first.”

Employees should also be encouraged to take advantage of industry training classes and even career-building activities in a company culture that supports professional development, Nodgaard added.

Equitable Bank employees are asked what their career goals are as part of the performance review process, and are invited to work with managers on a plan to get there.

He emphasized that these opportunities should be “safe” places for employees to learn with confidence, rather than overwhelming responsibilities individuals are not ready for.

“Some people become available at a certain point in their career and it lines up with an opportunity within the company,” Andersen said. “That is my story and how I joined the agency; the stars aligned for a number of different reasons…It just fell into place.”

However, the process can be fostered, he said.

“It’s understanding where people’s strengths are and where they’re not so strong; you’re trying to build the right formula and the right combination of skills and personalities and perspectives and put that together,” he said. “It is an iterative process and it’s not easy, but when you understand your past as well as your future and what it’s going to take to continue to be successful, you try for the parts of that formula you think are going to get you there. Then, when you have those pieces in place, create opportunities for people to lead and succeed.”

Andersen added, “[The leadership team is] a catalyst of the work and we try to be a source of confidence, but we also try to get out of the way and let other people do what they do well. That’s how you nurture the next level of leadership: allowing people with the ability to do great things to do that, and to create an environment for them to feel like they can and are trusted and supported, knowing they can come to you when they need to,” he said. “I think it’s about providing just enough leadership, just enough direction to allow the company to move forward on its own, to allow individuals to see that they have an opportunity to lead no matter what position they’re in or how long they been in the agency or the industry. That’s how you can start to see the behavior that indicates someone is ready to lead, and then you create opportunities for them to do so.”

It’s all part of looking at the long game, Faber said.

“I can’t remember the last time I turned down a training opportunity for any of my employees,” he said. “We want to know what our employees are looking for.”

Faber agrees companies can cultivate future leadership teams by being conscious of what lies ahead.

“We always have to have that future [organizational] chart in front of us,” he said. “Then we have to provide experiences for these potential leaders along the way.”

“Effective leaders have great vision, and their teams follow them,” Faber said. “Great leadership provides pathways for continuous and incremental growth.”

Visit baileylauerman.com, equitableonline.org, or vistage.com for more information.

B2B

Rick Faber

52 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

52

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

FEATURE | STORY BY CHRIS BOWLING PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

STAND UP OR SIT OUT

BUSINESS LEADERS MUST CHOOSE WHICH SIDE THEY’RE ON

U

nionist Printing has often helped Omahans make a statement—and while those multicolored banners, signs, and postcards appearing in yards or the mail may be business as usual to a larger operation, they mean something more at this print shop.

Larry Maupin has owned the business for 50 years, and his top priority is always to make Omaha better. His designers put in extra work for a message worth spreading. Unionist Printing even put a Biden/Harris sign in the window of their West Omaha facility. When the client’s cause resonates, Maupin may give good discounts, sometimes to the detriment of his bottom line.

“I’m sure after a discussion with certain customers they’ve made a decision of, ‘well, maybe we won’t use them anymore because maybe they don’t agree with some of our philosophy,’” Maupin said. “We don’t try to turn anybody away. We’ll print for anybody as long as we think it’s a just cause.”

The decision of when to speak up or sit out was one many business owners in Omaha faced last year.

Protesters filled the streets, people of color died of COVID-19 at disproportionate rates, and topics such as affordable housing and income equality captured the spotlight.

Many of Omaha’s business leaders responded.

Some went big—making sweeping commitments to build a more equitable Omaha. Others went small—posting a sign in the window or holding a hard conversation in the office. Many now wonder if those commitments will be forgotten once the normal churn of business returns.

“This is one of those items that we need to be consistent on,” said Tim Burke, board chair of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and CEO of OPPD, which has about 1,800 employees servicing nearly 850,000 people across 13 counties.

“It can’t be hot in ’20 and cold in ’21. This needs to be a commitment we make as a chamber on this work.”

After police in Minneapolis killed George Floyd in May 2020, following which protests erupted across the United States, CEOs of Omaha’s biggest companies met to discuss how to address racism in their city. The “We Will” statements followed, with promises to listen, learn, and rout out racism.

Nearly 300 companies have since signed on, including big names such as Mutual of Omaha, Werner Enterprises, Kiewit, and Union Pacific.

Some people considered the statements a chance to recommit to long-held beliefs. When Burke came to OPPD in 1997, he said the company thought of equity as a federal requirement rather than a core goal.

CONT. PAGE 54

“WE DON’T TRY TO TURN ANYBODY AWAY. WE’LL PRINT FOR ANYBODY AS LONG AS WE THINK IT’S A JUST CAUSE.” -LARRY MAUPIN

Caption

54 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

“AT THE END OF THE DAY I WOULD SAY, THAT’S OK IF WE LOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT COMMITTED TO THE THINGS WE’RE COMMITTED TO WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. I’M OK WITH THAT ACTUALLY BECAUSE I THINK IT’LL BUILD A STRONGER ORGANIZATION LONG TERM ANYWAY. BETTER FOR THE COMMUNITY, BETTER FOR THE CUSTOMER OWNERS AND BETTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES.” -TIM BURKE

FROM PAGE 52 Ideals and ideas began to change. Newcomers wanted to build a company that looked like the people it served. The board of directors and senior leadership, long composed of white men, grew more diverse. The company started reexamining how it hired and promoted people.

Burke himself logs onto Zoom meetings with his pronouns displayed. He talks in-depth about “White Men as Full Diversity Partners,” training sessions required of white male company leaders to learn about privilege.

Changing OPPD is going to take hard work. That might be challenging for some employees who wonder why this is so important to a company that charges people for electricity. Burke said this is essential, and if that makes people uncomfortable, maybe they’re not the right fit.

“At the end of the day I would say, that’s OK if we lose people because they’re not committed to the things we’re committed to within the organization,” Burke said. “I’m OK with that actually because I think it’ll build a stronger organization long term anyway. Better for the community, better for the customer owners, and better for the employees.”

Maupin was reminded in 2020 of why it’s important to lead a value-driven business.

His father and two friends left the printing presses of the Omaha World-Herald in 1945 to take over The Unionist, a newspaper for blue-collar workers and union members. When it folded in 1967, Maupin transitioned it to a printing company, retaining that ideal of giving service to good causes.

Through the years, Maupin’s done business with organizations such as Black Votes Matter, which has increased voter turnout among Black Omahans, and Civic Nebraska, which promotes civic engagement. They’ve also worked with a lot of Democratic candidates. Maupin said they print for all parties, but Democrats usually have the messages they want spread. That hasn’t gotten Maupin into too much trouble, mostly because their customers come to them because of their principles as much as their business efficacy.

“Word of mouth has gotten out that we’re kind of people-friendly, and we try to help whomever we can,” Maupin said. “Some don’t have a lot of money and we try to help them through some tough times, and during this pandemic it’s been a real good example of what people are going through in their lives.”

As much as the pursuit for equity is a moral endeavor, it’s also rooted in dollars and cents.

In 2015, a survey by the Urban League of Nebraska and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce found Black professionals were five to six times less likely to recommend Omaha as a place to live and work than workers of other races. Meanwhile the Latino population is projected to represent about a quarter of the city’s population by 2040.

Omaha is changing and companies have no choice but to adapt.

In response, the chamber started the Conference on Opportunity, Diversity, and Equity (CODE).

Created in 2016, CODE aims to increase workplace diversity, bolster minority-owned businesses, and ensure customers are getting equitable service.

“Those aren’t light statements,” Burke said. “Those aren’t glassy or fuzzy. Those are real statements about what we will do as a community.”

James Hauschildt arrived in Omaha at the peak of protests and calls for racial justice this summer.

The new president of Clarkson College, a private institution focused on teaching health services in midtown, had to decide what stance to take.

That’s when he saw the “We Will” statements, which inspired him not only to sign his own name, but also to ask the leaders on campus to do the same.

Since then, the college has held campuswide strategic planning on equity as well as reevaluating their admission requirements and hiring practices.

It’s a start, Hauschildt said.

“In all truth and in all sincerity, it’s our number one priority,” he said. “And here’s why: I equate [equity] with having a compassionate, caregiving, mutually respectful, collaborative culture. We can’t have that type of culture unless we focus on this.”

Last year was an awakening for many. While communities of color have advocated for equality across generations, and some white allies have met that call, 2020 felt like a tipping point. Many in Omaha’s business community took the step over that precipice with statements, commitments, and strategies. They come with the recognition that businesses haven’t served every Omahan equally in the past. But that can change.

Time will tell the results. Maupin thinks it all comes back to a simple rule: treat people fairly. That means his company works with clients that promote those ideals, sometimes at the expense of making money.

“We’re not martyrs by any [means], but we do see we do have a purpose and a relationship that we’ve built with certain organizations,” he said. “In tough times they need a little help and they’ve been loyal to us, so we’ll help them now.”

Visit unionistprinting.com and oppd.com for more information.

B2B

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 55

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“IT DOESN’T MATTER TO A PATIENT AND FAMILY IF MY OFFICE IS INSIDE THE HOSPITAL, BUT IT CERTAINLY MATTERS TO A PATIENT AND FAMILY IF THEIR CHILD GETS DIVERTED FROM HERE OUT OF STATE BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH CLINICAL SPACE.” -CHANDA CHACÓN

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

57

APRIL

· MAY | 57

FEATURE | STORY BY SCOTT STEWART | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

PUTTING CHILDREN FIRST

CEO DESIRES TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR FAMILIES

C

handa Chacón remembers the day a doctor changed her life.

“I couldn’t imagine not being a part of the next chapters we get to write here,” Chacón said.

As an 11-year-old, she was involved in a car crash that left her with chronic pain. Her parents spent two years shuffling her to various doctors until they eventually found a doctor who put his attention squarely on her.

The first chapter is the opening of the Hubbard Center for Children this fall. The $410 million project along 82nd Street and West Dodge Road has 482,000 square feet devoted to neonatal intensive care, fetal care, cardiac care, oncology, surgery, radiology, and emergency care, as well as a rooftop helipad and additional space for future expansion.

The doctor told her that she needed a spinal fusion to repair two cracked discs in her lower spine. Painfree at last, Chacón remembers the difference that doctor made—and laments the time it took for her family in environments not used to taking care of children.

“I wanted to help change what it felt like for families who had kids in health care,” Chacón said.

Chacón earned undergraduate degrees in biology and Spanish from Vanderbilt University, and a master’s degree in public health management from Yale University, where she interned at the Mayo Clinic.

She spent 14 years in various positions at Texas Children’s Hospital, including as president of its west campus—Houston’s first community hospital designed for children. Chacón eventually left for Arkansas Children’s in Little Rock, where she helped expand statewide services as executive vice president and system chief operating officer.

A friend referred her to a recruiter looking to hire the next president and CEO of Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha. Initially, she wasn’t that interested. But she discovered the people at the Omaha hospital were engaged like no other organization she had ever encountered, and she realized she was in the right place in her career to make a difference.

“We moved as many offices out of our clinical space as we could.” Chacón said. “It doesn’t matter to a patient and family if my office is inside the hospital, but it certainly matters to a patient and family if their child gets diverted from here out of state because we don’t have enough clinical space.”

Children’s growth goes beyond its physical campus in midtown Omaha. Chacón said that the organization is strategically growing its primary care presence across the region, bringing its medical practice closer to where children live.

The facility will add about 100 inpatient beds, allowing Children’s to avoid diverting patients— an issue it encountered this winter. Chacón said the addition will mean that her staff will “never say ‘no’ to a child,” especially those in need of complex treatments.

In the age of coronavirus, telehealth visits have also expanded, allowing for check-ins and other visits to take place remotely, and making it easier to serve patients outside Omaha.

Just as physical health is the foundation of whole health, so too is the physical infrastructure at Children’s the foundation for the organization’s overall mission.

Chacón said Children’s also focused on growing its people. Over the past year, more than 30 clinical providers have joined its team, including several top-notch clinicians in areas such as neurosurgery, pediatric plastic surgery, anesthesiology, and pediatric surgery.

“Buildings in and of themselves do not provide care to kids. People provide care to kids,” Chacón said.

“The buildings just help us be more efficient and effective and make it easier for us to do that hard work that our team does every day.”

The additional capacity is being matched with a more efficient use of existing space, including shifting administrative offices to the former HDR campus west of the hospital. By rearranging spaces, clinical spaces are closer to labs and other patient services, while support staff can still have easy access using a skybridge that spans 84th Street.

Dr. Oluwaseun Adetayo, division chief of pediatric plastic surgery at Children’s, said she was impressed by how kind the people were when she joined the hospital in February 2020.

“I really felt the sense of community and the passion of everyone I met during the interviews wanting to do the right thing for the kids,” said Adetayo, who is also a professor of surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. “The comprehensive services we provide and the fact that we are dedicated solely to pediatric care really sets Children’s apart.”

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58 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

FROM PAGE 57 By putting people first in every decision, Chacón recognizes the importance of what happens in the broader community in terms of improving health outcomes for children.

“We know that the work we do in health care really only represents about 20% of health; 80% of health happens outside of the walls of a hospital,” Chacón said.

Children’s plans to prioritize partnerships with community organizations over the next several years, addressing policy areas such as food insecurity, housing, and education—the so-called social determinants of health.

Founder of Growth Guru Rick Faber

THE

FUTURE OF

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“Health doesn’t happen only because of us taking care and waiting for sick kids to show up to us,” Chacón said. “We have to get further upstream and help organizations that are doing amazing work already about social determinants of health really be engaged and empowered and have us as a trusted partner.”

Continued growth is what’s behind Chacón’s professional success, and it’s the aim as Children’s looks to continue pursuing its mission of improving the life of every child.

“If you’re standing still, you’re normally falling behind,” Chacón said. “Children’s here is independent, and it is freestanding, and that sets a unique tone. The priority is always about kids. It is always about how we can make this experience better for kids and their families.”

Under Chacón’s leadership, Children’s will continue to provide a kid-centered, family-friendly environment for delivering health care—offering the opportunity for others that Chacón wishes she had found sooner as a young person.

“We built the environment around families and those children,” Chacón said. “That, to me, is unique and absolutely would have changed the experience for me and my family had we been able to touch an organization like I get to be a part of here at Children’s.”

Visit childrensomaha.org for more information.

B2B

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 59

5 TIPS FOR PLANNING SUSTAINABLE AND LASTING GROWTH FOR YOUR BUSINESS By: Patti Brannon, Director of Market Growth

For a business to thrive in today’s market, it must follow a sustainable business growth strategy. Developing such a strategy presents a challenge for all business leaders, but while all businesses differ in some ways, a good business growth strategy features characteristics that apply to any business. Let’s examine five tips for planning sustainable and lasting growth for your business.

1. Stay Mission-Driven At the root of every business should be a mission or vision. What are the broader goals of your business, its purpose? A clear mission statement provides a foundation for all business operations moving forward. This applies to leaders, employees, and customers. Leaders can always come back to the mantra during challenging times or when teaching others. When coming aboard, staff members should immediately learn the business’ mission and understand how they can contribute to advancing it.

Customers and clients should also be aware of the mission. A business should boldly scribe their mission statement on their website and in their offices and storefronts. By making these objectives known, everyone involved with the business gets a better idea of its brand, its purpose, and its goals for the future.

2. Create a Recognizable, Strong Brand Business development and brand development go hand in hand.

A coherent mission is at the core of a business’ brand, but brands go even further into the psyche. We all know the power of brand by the coffee cups we see or hold on a daily basis, the shoes on our feet, or the phones in our pockets. These brands have become inherently valuable, from their logo to their place in the social sphere.

To develop a brand, you’ll need a stark marketing campaign. Your business should feature an elegant and recognizable logo and motto that’s ready to be printed on any object imaginable. These images and words should evoke the mission and character of the business and its marketing. If done correctly, the logo will become synonymous with the business and its mission, creating a truly powerful brand.

3. Focus on Developing Effective Leadership A ship won’t get very far without a competent captain and clear roles. To avoid a shipwreck or mutiny, a business must instill its values into its leaders and encourage leadership development.

Employees should feel empowered in the workplace to speak up, ask questions, and be heard. This type of environment doesn’t just increase productivity, it increases the overall value of a business.

Websites like Glassdoor.com feature public comments from previous employees that reveal the inner workings of a business. When people learn of a business’ poor leadership, they may rescind their brand loyalty and go elsewhere.

However, effective leadership helps retain employees and leaves a far better impression for the public eye. And the more leaders, the better, so long as everyone can work collaboratively.

4. Establish Solid Partnerships Your business doesn’t exist in a vacuum. To optimize the output of that sales growth formula, it needs the help of external resources, such as marketers, distributors, accountants, lawyers, and more. It’s crucial to work with the right people and build a relationship of mutual trust. Though your business is not responsible for the mistakes or failures of a partner, it must react to these eventualities in the proper way by either cutting ties or helping to ameliorate the situation.

5. Build Internal and External Communities Business development is all about people, both inside and outside of the company. This is why it’s so important to foster a positive work culture and expand that atmosphere externally.

These spheres will influence each other. Internally, employees and leaders should trust one another to make decisions and change course when necessary. On the outside, customers should feel at home when stepping into a storefront or office space. Providing little comforts like complimentary coffee or water can go a long way.

The digital space has opened several doors for building communities. Staying active on social media by posting often and engaging with customers makes a big difference and doubles as a marketing tool. Everyone should feel welcome and involved in the business, regardless of their stake in it.

By creating a salient mission, imbuing it with a strong brand, instilling this in leaders and partners, and cultivating a positive community, businesses have a better chance of growing and staying relevant for years to come.

Leaders can learn about even more business growth solutions via Leadership Resources. Our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Visit Leadership Resources at LRSuccess.com to learn more.

Patti Brannon is the Director of Market Growth for Leadership Resources, a leadership development and strategic planning organization with offices in Omaha and Lincoln. If you are interested in more information you can reach Patti at 402.423.5152 or patti.brannon@LRsuccess.com SPONSORED CONTENT

“IF YOU WANT A-PLAYERS ON YOUR TEAM YOU GOT TO HIRE FOR A-PLAYERS. IF YOU DON’T CARE WHO’S ON YOUR TEAM, MAKE IT A PROCESS THAT SUCKS THE LIFE OUT OF THE CANDIDATE.” -TODD MURPHY

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 61

61

FEATURE | STORY BY J.D. AVANT | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

VYING FOR AN A TEAM

COMPANIES USE ENTHUSIASM TO ATTRACT TALENT

O

maha’s hiring landscape has evolved into an employee-friendly market.

Boasting a nationwide low unemployment rate (around 3% as of February) and an abundance of well-qualified workers, businesses wanting to secure top talent in the Metro area need to work harder than ever.

Skilled workers frequently receive offers from a host of recruiters and well-paying prospects. Todd Murphy, CEO of Universal Information Services, recognized the hiring renaissance around 10 years ago while directing operations as the company’s president. He became exasperated by the oldfashioned process his father, the former owner, used.

“My father would go to the window and watch potential employees leave to see how fast they walked to their car,” Murphy told B2B from his office in downtown Omaha. “He felt if they walked with determination and speed they would probably work with determination and speed, but those voodoo practices didn’t help him know who YOU are.”

Hiring methods used for the past 20 years didn’t appeal to Murphy, so he applied his own philosophy to this important task, focusing more on the individual’s personality and skills. His philosophy asked, will I be lucky having that person on my team? rather than telling them they’d be lucky to work for his company.

“If you want A-players on your team you got to hire for A-players,” Murphy said.

Murphy knows that hiring is, in many ways, a competitive activity, and thinks the key is to gain the enthusiasm of the candidates. Employees are the best ambassadors for any company, and they are the ones who can help attract those coveted prospects who will push a company to the next level. In reviewing hiring processes, he discovered three dated and/or inefficient practices frequently used by companies. The first is sending cold, lifeless responses to potential employees via email or phone.

“When an application comes in, respond with enthusiasm,” Murphy advised.

The second is waiting two or three weeks to set up an interview with a desired employee, giving rival companies a chance to snatch them away; and the third is carrying out a detached, impersonal, routine interview.

The method is different than a traditional job hire that goes through a human resources person, who often works by a rule book set up by the government or the previous company head. This method involves those with whom the employee will work from the beginning of the hiring process in order to create enthusiasm about the company and position.

“That [potential hire] may have wanted to work for a large company, but my ad is my enthusiasm...I answer emails myself,” Murphy said. “Next thing you know, that person is in my interview.”

Murphy encourages businesses in Omaha to renew their hiring methods. He thinks Volano Software and FNBO have implemented successful, contemporary hiring practices.

“Any business wants to attract the best talent,” Murphy said. “To do that you have to be enthusiastic when you’re interviewing people.”

Volano Software’s hiring procedures progressed over their 14-year tenure. They first published technical ads on Careerlink and paid handsome referral fees to anyone introducing them to qualified prospects.

“Hiring software developers is terribly tough because of the attention they receive,” said Rod Smith of Volano.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the jobless rate in the IT sector hovered around 3% even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

In order to encourage their versions of A-players to seek out Volano, cofounders Smith and Don Stavneak learned to encapsulate the company’s personality in job posts.

Smith refers to the redesign of their company’s website in 2020 as a great way to show job-seekers what it’s like to work at Volano. The new culture section of the “about us” page highlights benefits, perks, and current beers on tap in office.

“Part of our hiring process is to bring potential hires in during Friday afternoon events to get the vibe of what they’re walking into,” Stavneak said. “Letting you know that we have a jukebox usually playing in the office. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with high caliber peers. For the right person, it’s the right fit.”

“When you’re hiring, people want to know what [they’re] going to get paid and what it’s like to work here,” Smith said. “That second question is very much related to culture.”

CONT. PAGE 63

62 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM APRIL · MAY | 63

FROM PAGE 61 Turnover ratios for software development jobs are high, according to LinkedIn (13.2%), so Smith and Stavneak focus on portraying an environment made for software developers. The website says that 47% of their employees have worked at Volano for more than five years.

“Volano is by developers, for developers,” Stavneak said.

An outstanding company culture is an advantage in any company. Members of FNBO’s public relations, human resources, and brand promotive teams are eager to explain why Omaha’s big small bank is a fantastic place to work. They proudly present modern ways to promote themselves as a great employer.

“Online and offline, word of mouth is huge,” said Regina DeMars, director of content marketing and social media. “What are employees saying? How are FNBO’s values coming to life and how are other people talking about them?”

Tammy Williams, managing director of brand promotion and creative, believes platforms such as FNBO’s brand ambassador program, employeerun podcasts, and YouTube channels give workers the chance to talk about the company’s culture and share content on social media.

“That’s the beauty of familiarity; it breeds favorability,” Williams said.

Kevin Langin, the senior director of public relations, stresses that these social media friendly efforts weren’t easy choices for the company’s leadership.

“It was a dedicated decision for a time-honored, conservative company to allow its employees the freedom to utilize social media about their work and the things they do here,” Langin said.

He continued, “It’s important we continue to build and become more innovative and open. That allows us to attract top-level people to come and work here.”

Visit volanosoftware.com, fnbo.com, or universal-info.com for more information.

B2B

64 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2021

VOLUME 21 · ISSUE 2

OMAHA CVB BY DEBORAH WARD

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE raveler sentiment is slowly improving, thanks to the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine. Pair that with pent-up demand and a solid 2021 calendar of events, and this year provides hope for our industry.

T

Currently, there are 62 events and meetings on the books for 2021, business that could bring more than $167 million into our local economy.

For perspective, in 2019, a year without a global pandemic, meetings and events brought in $121 million.

Therefore, 2021 looks promising, but here is where the cautious optimism comes in: A recent traveler sentiment report by Destinations Analyst shows that nearly half of Americans say they will avoid travel until vaccines are widely available. The comfort level of travelers, event planners, association executives, and businesses will dictate the industry’s success, and that needle (literally) is constantly moving.

Leisure travel will lead the recovery. Visit Omaha plans to begin targeting leisure travelers in the second quarter by employing innovative digital media technology that customizes ads based on consumer preferences and tracks both visitation to the city and spending by those travelers who received Visit Omaha advertising.

The convention and group tour business will take longer to recover.

Based on Tourism Economics’ projections for the meetings industry, full recovery will not happen until 2024.

In the meantime, youth and amateur sports are taking center stage with events such as the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship and the Northern Lights Qualifier youth volleyball tournament.

Northern Lights brought 280 teams and nearly 3,800 athletes to Omaha in January. During a typical January weekend (Friday and Saturday), hotel revenue averages around $639,000.

However, hotel revenue jumped to $1.1M, a 72% increase, the week with the volleyball tournament.

These events are a welcome shot in the arm for our local economy, and proof that tourism will help in our community’s recovery.

B2B

GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER BY DAVID BROWN

OFFUTT AFB ADVANTAGES OVER REDSTONE ARSENAL IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA T

he effort to attract the U.S. Space Command Headquarters to Offutt Air Force Base continues. I want to describe the rationale for the headquarters being located here, rather than Redstone Army Base in Alabama.

Advantages: Mission Synergy. Offutt is mostly a war-fighting base with substantial experience in the space war-fighting mission, with U.S. Space Command embedded in U.S. Strategic Command for 17 years.

Workforce. Offutt has proven it has a productive, highly trained workforce, and can attract the talent necessary to operate the Space Command. Our past and present reflect this as evidenced by the exceptional staff supporting StratCom, the 55th Wing, the 57th Weather Agency, and the U.S. Space Command for 17 years.

Regional Civilian Airport Access.

Eppley Airfield in Omaha has nearly three times the departures as Huntsville Carl T. Jones Field in Alabama.

Telecommunications Capability.

Offutt has the most sophisticated communications infrastructure of any base in the country.

Deborah Ward is the acting executive director

David Brown is president and

at Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau.

CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber.

Energy Resilience. In measures of energy resilience, including reliability, renewables, interruption frequency, and cost, Offutt is superior to Redstone Arsenal.

Community. Our data show that the quality of life here exceeds that of Huntsville.

Education. Offutt boasts the sixth best educational record in the country compared with the designation of 50th for Redstone Arsenal.

Community Support. Offutt can show levels of unmatched community support, including university support, the portability of professional licenses, public and private support of the base, a unique multi-state regional UARC Consortium, and support from Fortune 500 and 1000 corporate headquarters.

Cost of project. State, local, and private investments in this project of more than $100 million makes Offutt the most cost competitive of any location.

In short, Offutt is the best choice for the new headquarters and we will continue to make that case to decision makers.

B2B