AUGUST · SEPTEMBER 2019 | U.S. $3.25
Legacy BUILDING AOMAHA’S LEGACY LONGEST-LASTING
COMPANIES SHARE COMMON VALUES
HOMEGROWN APPS
CONSUMING A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY PIE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD EVOLUTION OF A TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY THAT THRIVES IN OMAHA
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02 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 3
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 editorial interns Jane Glazer Samantha Weideman contributors Keith Backsen Leo Adam Biga Tamsen Butler Anthony Flott Kirby Kaufman Elizabeth Kottich Beverly Kracher Lisa Lukecart Patrick McGee Kara Schweiss Scott Stewart INFORMATION advertising information 402.884.2000 subscribe online omahamagazine.com/ 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 senior branding specialist Mary Hiatt senior sales executive Gwen Lemke branding specialists Dawn Dennis George Idelman digital sales manager Jillian Dunn assistant to the publisher Sandy Matson senior sales coordinator Alicia Hollins marketing intern Lauren Faber OPERATIONS distribution manager Mike Brewer operations officer & Local Stubs ticketing representative Joshua Peterson accounting associate Kendra Hill
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 03
TABLE OF CONTENTS MAIN FEATURE
BUILDING A LEGACY
TWO LONG-LASTING COMPANIES SHARE COMMON VALUES
FEATURES
30
PUTTING MEAT ON OMAHANS’ BONES
STOYSICH AND OMAHA STEAKS
34
HOMEGROWN APPS
CONSUMING A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY PIE
44
TELECOMMUNICATIONS EVOLUTION OF AN INDUSTRY
DEPARTMENTS
06 AFTER HOURS
10 HOW I ROLL
14 ON THE RISE
08 BIZ + GIVING
12 IN THE OFFICE
16 LEADERS
TALACKO SAFETY SOLUTIONS
ARROW STAGE LINES
COLUMNS
05 FROM THE EDITOR LEGACY
THE PELICAN
LEGACY DESIGN STRATEGIES
SPECIAL SECTIONS
MICHAEL CRABB
VICKI GRAEVE-CUNNINGHAM
AUGUST · SEPTEMBER 2019 |
U.S. $3.25
20 LEGACY
SPONSORED CONTENT Legacy
48 OMAHA CVB
LEGACY RESTAURANTS
48 ETHICS
REIMAGINING LEGACIES
49 THE FIRM DEAL REVIEW SPONSORED CONTENT: A PRODUCT OF THE FIRM
BUILDING AOMAHA’S LEGACY LONGEST-LASTING
COMPANIES SHARE COMMON VALUES
HOMEGROWN APPS
CONSUMING A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY PIE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD EVOLUTION OF A TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY THAT THRIVES IN OMAHA
ABOUT THE COVER A mini-tug chugs through murky waters, cleaning it for communities in need, while an app floats nearby and the sands of time flow steadily for the many legacy companies in Omaha. Illustration by Derek Joy
04 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
“Veridian combines credit union values, business knowledge and commercial lending together.” — Sean Miglini Senior Commercial Loan Officer
We have loans to meet all your business needs. As a local financial institution, we’re responsive and easy to work with. We’re committed to developing personal relationships, and we’ll work with you to help your business succeed.
That’s the value of Veridian. veridiancu.org/commercial
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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 05
FROM THE EDITOR
LEGACY
Thanks Omaha for over 30 Years! We would also like to thank Omaha for voting our company the Best of B2B™.
veryone wants to leave a legacy. This issue is about legacy in business, and it spans a variety of industries. One article I enjoyed reading was our “In the Office” feature. We spotlight Legacy Design Strategies, an estate and business planning law firm. Owner and managing partner Andrew Sigerson has a special interest in history. His firm’s office showcases many interesting autographs and pieces of memorabilia. Our main feature is about how two companies, Lueder Construction and NAI NP Dodge, share common values, such as customer service and transparency, to continue the legacy these building-industry companies have maintained for more than 100 years. Another legacy-related article deals with telemarketing, which Omaha was known for throughout the 1980s and 1990s. This article looks at factors that made Omaha a prime hub for this important industry and how it is doing today. We also bring you an article on two meatindustry companies in Omaha: Stoysich and Omaha Steaks. These companies started when the stockyards thrived and have continued to thrive throughout the decades. We also bring you stories about people in this community. Michael Crabb is a vice president in the Strategic Development & Acquisition Group for Tenaska Inc. who has an eye for what will keep his company successful in the long term. Vicki Graeve-Cunningham started Thrivinci to match nonprofits with volunteers who can assist them in meaningful ways, which in turn helps the nonprofits stay solvent in Omaha. There are many great articles in this edition, and I hope you read them all. B2B
Daisy Hutzell-Rodman is the managing editor of Omaha Publications. She can be reached at daisy@omahapublications.com
8 Consecutive Years ®
402.399.9233 | WWW.SPARKLINGKLEAN.COM
“I DIDN’T REALLY HAVE A PRECONCEIVED NOTION OF THIS. FOR ME, IT’S AN IDEA THAT’S GOING TO SAVE LIVES. IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WE NEED TO START PLANNING FOR THE WORST.” -DUSTIN TALACKO
Caption
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 07
AFTER HOURS | STORY BY KIRBY KAUFMAN | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN
FIGHTING FIRES IN EMERGENCIES TALACKO SAFETY SOLUTIONS ustin Talacko has been an Omaha firefighter and paramedic for seven years. His work days are 12 hours long and often include responding to life-or-death emergencies. “A person can bleed to death in sheer minutes,” said Talacko, owner of Talacko Safety Solutions. He also knows that, according to the FBI, it can take police up to 10 minutes to respond to an active shooter situation. That’s why, in his spare time, he is working to provide the tools and education needed to stop emergency bleeds during tragic events across the country.
He said the goal is to bridge the gap between emergency personnel response times and the short window when responders can stop a potentially fatal bleed. The kits include one tourniquet, a sixinch pressure bandage, two rolls of sterile gauze, trauma shears, one permanent marker, two pairs of nitrile gloves, and instructions to control bleeding. The contents are stored in a commercial sealable bag. Wall enclosures can hold up to 28 of the kits, which are stored in a tactical medical bag. Talacko wants to get his kits into every school to make sure they’re prepared in the event of emergencies. He said the kits are available at all Omaha Public Schools.
The 36-year-old founded his business in January 2019. Talacko said the idea came together while he was attending graduate school for his Master of Public Administration with an emphasis in emergency services management at Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Alabama. The day after his realization that he could create kits to help people stop severe bleeding, the Las Vegas shooting at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino happened. The shooting reportedly killed 58 people—many of whom were attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival—and wounded another 422. The following panic resulted in over 800 injuries. Hearing of this tragedy gave Talacko the drive to focus on triage response and awareness in the event of an active shooter situation for schools and other venues across the United States.
Before working with schools, Talacko worked with area fire departments and emergency personnel. He raised about $22,000 to pilot his kits for 16 medic units, seven battalion chief rigs, and one paramedic shift supervisor. “I didn’t really have a preconceived notion of this,” Talacko said. “For me, it’s an idea that’s going to save lives. In this day and age, we need to start planning for the worst.” Talacko said his company teamed up with the nonprofit Stop the Bleed, which provides training to pack wounds and perform improvised tourniquets. The Stop the Bleed initiative was activated by the American College of Surgeons, and the White House fully endorsed it in 2015. The initiative’s 90-minute course was condensed into 60 minutes for Talacko’s company trainings.
TALACKO WANTS TO GET HIS KITS INTO EVERY SCHOOL TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE PREPARED IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCIES. “We need to teach people how to stop bleeds and place tourniquets,” he said. This school year the kits will be available at Westside Community Schools. Westside Foundation organized the effort and found donations; they are not going to be funded through taxpayer dollars. “Safety is a top priority at Westside,” Director of Communications and Engagement Brandi Paul said via email. “The Stop the Bleed initiative will help us equip and train our students and staff to be prepared for an emergency, with kits distributed to all of our schools for the 2019/2020 school year.” While Talacko designed his safety kits with active shooter situations in mind, companies have approached him about having them at construction sites, steel factories, and other hazardous work environments. Talacko also is working with CHI Health Center Omaha and Valmont Industries, who plans to take the kits internationally. “[We] want to get this equipment and training coast to coast,” Talacko said. Visit talackosafetysolutions.com for more information. B2B
08 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
BIZ + GIVING | STORY BY PATRICK McGEE
TAKING A STAND AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING ARROW STAGE LINES’ PHILANTHROPHY maha-based Arrow Stage Lines is in the business of giving back. With a little over 650 employees and 250 vehicles, Arrow’s success demonstrates that community involvement and charity pay dividends. Arrow COO Luke Busskohl said that this familyowned business’ success is, in part, due to their dedication to local and international humanitarian issues. That’s why they devised the Hero Project. It has been in existence for several years, helping open clean-water wells for communities in need in Africa and South America. Busskohl said in prior years Arrow has donated $15,000-$20,000 per year to this cause, or approximately one dollar per trip on an Arrow motor coach. In 2019 Arrow began shifting its charitable approach from clean water to raising awareness and establishing protocols to stop human trafficking, an issue that effects transportation providers such as Arrow directly. Busskohl said Arrow has a duty to combat human trafficking. Arrow’s buses are involved in transportation and charters, and they frequent the types of places where human trafficking is most likely to occur—bus stops, shopping malls, and large parking lots. Traffickers themselves may use buses. Furthermore, buses travel between cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Kansas City, and Omaha. This increases the likelihood that Arrow buses will come into contact with traffickers or victims. Because of their exposure to potential risk factors, Arrow employees, especially drivers, undergo specialized training to identify human trafficking. They are taught what to look for and how to report the findings.
A FAMILY-OWNED AND OPERATED BUSINESS, ARROW IS NOT BEHOLDEN TO THE SAME CUTTHROAT PROFITEERING COMMONPLACE IN PUBLICLY TRADED CORPORATIONS. Arrow opted into this training program as a way to give something back to the community. The training is mandatory for Arrow employees. Busskohl and Arrow feel strongly about educating the employees on this issue. There are also nontraditional benefits to providing this training. Fighting for different causes such as human trafficking and clean water does not turn a direct profit, Busskohl said. “We want to do this to make a difference,” he explained. “It is my conviction, and the conviction of my family.” A family-owned and operated business, Arrow is not beholden to the same cutthroat profiteering commonplace in publicly traded corporations. That is one reason Busskohl can more easily train employees to identify and report human trafficking. There are benefits to Arrow’s ethical practices. Busskohl said the biggest benefit of the Hero Project (aside from the direct benefits to victims) is increased employee engagement. “People look to work for companies that are making a difference,” he said. “Working at Arrow gives people the opportunity to say, ‘we have a part in building wells in Africa or ending sex trafficking in the U.S.’”
Customers and employees appreciate this intangible value. Ethical business has benefits beyond money. Customers benefit from knowing that their payment, in part, goes to a good cause. Employees feel more validated by their work if it is for a good cause. Contributing to solutions, such as Arrow has done with clean water and human trafficking, also makes the world safer and holds competitors accountable to do the same. Visit arrowstagelines.com for more information. B2B
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 09
IN PRIOR YEARS, ARROW DONATED $15,000-$20,000 PER YEAR TO CHARITY WATER, OR APPROXIMATELY ONE DOLLAR PER TRIP ON AN ARROW MOTOR COACH.
PERLEBACH, THOUGH, LOOKED A BIT LIKE JIMMY BUFFETT AND BOASTED AN ADVENTUROUS ATTITUDE REMINISCENT OF HEMINGWAY.
Caption
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 11
HOW I ROLL | STORY BY LISA LUKECART | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN
THE SLUGGISH PELICAN SWOOPS DOWN ON NEBRASKA GEORGE PERLEBACH’S TUGBOAT group of seven men affectionately known as The Havana Mafia drink, smoke cigars, and solve the world’s problems on Thursday afternoons at Havana Garage in the Old Market. Picture this scenario: on one Thursday afternoon this spring, the group heard a summery statement from member George Perlebach. “Let’s take the boat out,” he announced. The seven friends, armed with sandwiches and cigars, were soon riding the waves on Cunningham Lake at the slow, steady pace of nine knots—about 10 miles per hour—on Perlebach’s tugboat. Some of these lawyers, doctors, judges, and media professionals came straight from work and were not dressed for boating. Perlebach, though, looked a bit like Jimmy Buffett and boasted an adventurous attitude reminiscent of Hemingway. His flip-flops, sunglasses, and relaxed vibe seemed straight out of “Margaritaville.” Riffs of Buffett’s signature song drifted from the radio as the sun set. It’s a perfect night, according to Perlebach, who believes boating is all about hanging out with friends.
THE FORMER DOCTOR FOUND JET SKIS AND PONTOON BOATS TOO BORING.
Perhaps that is why he wanted a tugboat. Perlebach retired as a family practice physician two years ago, about the same time he purchased the boat; a minitug. Whatever the reason, he can’t wait to spend more time on the water. Perlebach, 65, has been obsessed with boats since childhood, when he built models of ships out of anything, including boxes. He always wanted to move to the coast. “The sea gods cursed me and I ended up in Nebraska,” Perlebach said, laughing. The former doctor found jet skis and pontoon boats too boring. Why not buy one built for the ocean? Tugboats are typically ships that push or pull other vessels and are rarely seen on the lakes and rivers of Nebraska. He found a slightly used 21-footer, the smallest available, for sale in Virginia. Perlebach, along with his fiancée, son, and two grandchildren, rechristened it the Pelican with a champagne bottle made of sugar. He wanted it to be named the Lazy Pelican, the Drunken Pelican, or even the Kinky Pelican, but all those names were too long. “The pelican has a perfect life,” he explains. “It sits by the ocean, gets hungry, and eats fish. What could be better than that?” The 2014 tugboat, like its namesake, won’t get anywhere in a hurry. The diesel engine, a Volvo D1-30 three-cylinder, runs at 30 horsepower, roughly the same as some lawnmowers. The good news is it burns about a quart of diesel an hour at full throttle. A 20-gallon tank can fuel the boat for about 350 miles. It barely tugs itself.
The outside is red, white, and tan. It has authentic brass porthole windows and a gold barometer clock. Although it looks old-school, it has been modernized with an emergency radio and GPS depth finder. A bed could be placed below deck and fit two tightly. The Pelican is ready for long stays on the sea, including such necessities as a toilet. The teak wood has been polished to a bright shine. A gold plate taken from a boat his father owned hangs inside, proclaiming, “Nobody’s perfect, except the captain.” A storage area fits swimsuits, tank tops, and towels. A refrigerator keeps beverages cool while a stove is ready for use under one of the white seats. It has windshield wipers and a heater so the Pelican is ready for stormy weather. So far, the little tug has seen time on Lake Michigan, Branched Oak Lake, and Lake Cunningham, but the boat, and its owners, are about to find new adventures. Perlebach is building a home in Valley, Nebraska, on the sandy shores of Bluewater, which features seven miles of beaches and lake depths that average 40 feet. He hopes to take the Pelican out every weekend, or even every night, after he moves. For now, Perlebach is grateful for every chance he gets to feel the wind in his face with friends and family by his side. B2B
12 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
IN THE OFFICE | STORY BY TAMSEN BUTLER | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN
ANDREW SIGERSON’S MENAGERIE A LEGACY AMONG LEGACIES he term “legacy” in law firm Legacy Design Strategies is about more than leaving one’s own legacy. A glance at the framed images on the wall reveals pieces of American history. A closer look reveals an impressive array of memorabilia. This memorabilia comes from a variety of places that, Sigerson said, “are reputable.” He also said he takes great care to make sure what he is buying is original and that there are a number of ways to authenticate the items. The validity of the pieces makes the collection even more impressive. Documents lining the walls include signatures from notable historical figures such as James Madison, James Monroe, Lafayette (formally known as Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette), Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, and George Washington. “The legacy of the country is in this room,” said Sigerson, who explained it’s a fitting display for an office that helps people forge their own legacy. In a humorous nod to history, Aaron Burr’s signature is kitty-corner to that of Alexander Hamilton.
“THE LEGACY OF THE COUNTRY IS IN THIS ROOM.” -ANDREW SIGERSON
“MOST OFFICES ARE THE SAME—NICE FURNITURE, BUT NOT SOMETHING THAT CREATES A CONVERSATION.” -ANDREW SIGERSON Visitors tend to linger at a real estate transaction document signed by George Washington from before his presidency. “Washington used to draw this design with his signature,” Sigerson explained, pointing at a whimsical scribble that resembles a simple cloud. The room also includes a document signed by Samuel Adams in 1797. Wandering the halls of the office reveals a collection rivaling that of a museum. Items signed by John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Amelia Earheart, Harry Houdini, Marilyn Monroe, and all four Beatles are displayed throughout the office. Sigerson has a signature from every U.S. president, including an overwhelming display specific to Abraham Lincoln. The collection includes the signature, a piece of blood-stained bedsheet from his assassination, and a piece of wood from Ford’s Theatre. Nearby is a playbill from a different production touting John Wilkes Booth as the lead actor. “John Wilkes Booth was the George Clooney of those times,” Sigerson explained. “So imagine if George Clooney were to assassinate President Trump; that’s how crazy that all was.” He doesn’t own a John Wilkes Booth signature yet, but it is on a list of pieces he actively pursues.
An original Star Wars poster from 1977, signed by the cast (including Harrison Ford, who Sigerson said didn’t like signing anything) hangs on the wall in another room of the Legacy Design Strategies office. A copy of Issue No. 1 of The Amazing Spiderman is on display in another room. Visitors are greeted with sports memorabilia on display in the entryway, including a base signed by Red Sox players from Game 7 of the American League Championship Series in 2004, when the so-called “Curse of the Bambino” was finally broken. In an interesting blend of history and sports, a display of baseballs signed by people such as Warren Buffett, Margaret Thatcher, Donald Trump, and Sarah Palin also resides in the entryway. Sigerson’s parents were collectors when he was growing up. “My dad loves history and politics, and I have an appreciation for people who influenced this country,” he said. When the building for Legacy Design Strategies was being constructed, Sigerson wondered how the office should be decorated, but realized displaying memorabilia was a logical choice. “Most offices are the same,” Sigerson said. “Nice furniture, but not something that creates a conversation.” Walking down a hallway and encountering signatures from Muhammad Ali and John Hancock within steps of each other certainly creates conversation, and allows guests and clients to appreciate the legacies that people leave. Visit ldstrategies.com for more information. B2B
“I GOT INVOLVED THERE HELPING DO SOME FINANCIAL FORECASTING FOR THE SPROUTS PROGRAM, AND IT’S BEEN REALLY FUN.” -MICHAEL CRABB
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 15
ON THE RISE | STORY BY ELIZABETH KOTTICH | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN
LEARNING AND EXCELLING ALONG THE WAY MICHAEL CRABB orking as a vice president in the Strategic Development & Acquisition Group for Tenaska Inc. was not what Michael Crabb intended to do for a living. He had a different idea while studying architectural engineering, economics, and math at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. “I really wanted to do architectural acoustics— designing concert halls, performance spaces—but there isn’t a big market for that,” Crabb said. “I was lucky to get an internship here in the private equity funds and really enjoyed it, and then they offered me a full-time position August first of that summer.” Crabb worked in several positions, including analyst and associate, in private equity funds, which eventually led to working with the Strategic Development & Acquisitions Group before becoming a vice president there. He came to the position through his tenacity and interest in the job. “He’s willing to do things that push the normal person out of their comfort zone, and he does so with a great amount of enthusiasm,” said Colter Boice, an analyst on Crabb’s team who works on financial modeling. “He takes on new opportunities head-on. He’s open-minded and goes after things.” Crabb leads a team that focuses on acquiring existing power plants, which he said brings unique opportunities and challenges. “The team of experts does all the work,” Crabb said. “We have environmentalists, engineers, operating specialists, tax, insurance, among others, and my job is to synthesize those inputs and communicate the results of that work to our owners.”
Crabb said one aspect of his role that he particularly enjoys is the ability to learn what everyone else on the team knows. He said when he first started, he made a point to go along with the engineers, environmentalists, or other colleagues when they went to inspect various power plants, intent on learning as much as he could from those more knowledgeable. Those lessons allow him to better understand the risks and benefits of each acquisition project. Crabb’s desire to learn from his colleagues also allows him to make better connections and decisions within his team. The outgoing UNO alum is interested in building strong bonds, and because of this, Crabb helps others successfully come on board with Tenaska. “Michael does a good job of bringing people into the team’s culture and our group’s culture,” Boice said. “And also understanding how we think about things like risk and return, and forming that probability distribution around opportunities we look at. He champions that for the group.” Boice further said that Crabb’s ability to hone in on key areas in any acquisition deal is a great asset to the team. “What Michael has an ability to do that’s unique is…he has the ability to identify the two to three core drivers of the deal and form a probability distribution around them,” Boice said. “That really helps focus the team when we’re looking at acquisition opportunities to what’s important and what’s really driving the idea.”
“HE’S WILLING TO DO THINGS THAT PUSH THE NORMAL PERSON OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE, AND HE DOES SO WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF ENTHUSIASM.” -COLTER BOICE Crabb leads and helps others in the workplace as well as in the Omaha community. He is a member of the Omaha Venture Group, where members pool resources and provide grants to various local nonprofit organizations. Crabb also serves on the board of directors at the Omaha Conservatory of Music, which is an organization near to his heart. He is currently the vice chair and treasurer, and he will begin his tenure as chair of the board in summer 2020. “It’s a really cool organization,” said Crabb, who plays the violin in his spare time. “I got involved there helping do some financial forecasting for the Sprouts program, and it’s been really fun.” At work and beyond, Crabb focuses on doing what is best for all involved. He will continue to work to help Tenaska, the Omaha Conservatory of Music, and Omaha itself grow and succeed. Visit tenaska.com for more information. B2B
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 17
LEADERS | STORY BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN
THRIVING AT PROVIDING SKILLED LABOR AND JOB SATISFACTION VICKI GRAEVE-CUNNINGHAM “VICKI HAS AN UNCANNY ABILITY TO ANALYZE PROCESSES AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.” -KANDACE MILLER, PH.D.
icki Graeve-Cunningham wanted to practice medicine, helping people heal through skills as a doctor. While working toward a bioscience degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, she took a project management class, which started her on a path of healing in a different way. “I’ve always loved organizing,” Graeve-Cunningham explained. “Even in high school I had color-coded charts and calendars.” She switched degrees to sociology and psychology and became involved in the Volunteer Program Assessment organization at UNO. The organization’s mission is to provide quantitative and qualitative data and feedback to nonprofit organizations from the perspective of their volunteers. Within seven months of starting, Graeve-Cunningham became the assistant director and was instrumental in increasing the number of clients from four to 15 per semester. “One thing I saw was that issues at these organizations pop up, and then they go away,” Graeve-Cunningham said. “We would ask them ‘what have you implemented [in] year two?’ and they would respond ‘nothing.’ Nonprofits are stretched so thin.”
Volunteering was a value instilled in her by her parents, Tom and Debra Graeve, who both worked in public service. Through VPA, Vicki found that nonprofits had a problem with retaining volunteers, especially first-time volunteers. People’s time is precious, and if they do not feel engaged with their service work, they are likely to quit. GraeveCunningham worked with a variety of nonprofits to improve their volunteer programs, primarily through analysis. Graeve-Cunningham graduated from UNO and then worked as a project manager at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which satisfied her interest in medicine. She moved on to AIM Institute, where she became the director of Lean Operations. Lean is a set of standard practices created through science that make an organization run more efficiently. She did not just work as the director; she thrived at this job. “Vicki has an uncanny ability to analyze processes and make improvements,” said AIM Institute President and CEO Kandace Miller, Ph.D., in an email. “She is both strategic and detail-oriented. She can conceptualize a big idea and also take it to execution, a rare talent.” While at AIM, she thought of a method to help nonprofit organizations alleviate their volunteer retention problem. One of the biggest ways to make a company lean is to hire skilled professionals. This is exceptionally challenging with nonprofit organizations, which often have limited budgets and rely on volunteer resources. CONT. PAGE 18
18 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
FROM PAGE 17
The Omaha Metropolitan Area (OMA) Tourism Awards celebrates front-line employees who go above and beyond to make the Omaha metro area a great tourism destination.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS Outstanding Guest Service in a Hotel Raymelle Buxton Johnson with DoubleTree Hotel Outstanding Manager of the Year Christine Patterson with Microtel Inn & Suites Outstanding Customer Service in a Retail Outlet Danette Van Epps with Chocolaterie Stam Best Front of the House Loretta Ashley with Liberty Tavern at Hilton Omaha Outstanding Guest Service at an Attraction Cindy Vanek with Omaha Performing Arts Outstanding Guest Services at a Hotel Christian Hiltbrunner with Courtyard By Marriott at Beardmore Event Center Best Heart of the House Zead Basbos with Embassy Suites Outstanding Volunteer Gayle Strickland, Community Volunteer Outstanding Service In Attraction Operations Brittany Thornton with Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority
2019 TOURISM HERO OF THE YEAR DENNIS PATE
Executive Director/CEO, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
She put this method into action when she served on the Greater Omaha Young Professionals Council the next year. She initiated a project that connects people to various councils and boards that can assist them professionally while allowing young professionals to further develop their skills. “She worked closely with our chair, and was instrumental in finding those resources,” said current Y.P. Council chair Andrew Prystai, CEO and cofounder of Event Vista. “She was willing to do the work of manipulating the data as well as creating a personal connection to the organizations. She worked with Wordpress and the chamber to set up the site.” Her passion for getting people involved in the community combined with her data research experience in strategy creates the perfect skillset for helping other individuals and organizations thrive. That is what her business, Thrivinci, founded in January 2016, is about. Graeve-Cunningham’s organization identifies motivated professionals willing to provide skilled services to nonprofits, using data and intellect, just as Leonardo Da Vinci used intellect and data to solve problems during his time. The idea is to give volunteers a chance to gain career-related experience, develop themselves personally or professionally, and enhance their skills and competencies while providing organizations with needed skills such as social media strategy or database design and management. In one instance, Thrivinci worked with On Your Feet Foundation in Evanston, Illinois, to strengthen their board of directors. Graeve-Cunningham and her colleagues conducted an analysis to develop job descriptions for the board and auxiliary board members. Thrivinci also worked with Omaha Area Youth Orchestras to conduct an organizational audit of staffing resources through job analysis, gap analysis, and assessment of stakeholders.
A national & regional powerhouse in meetings & events. @planitomaha
The design is holistic. As Thrivinci gives hiring managers and companies a more skilled workforce, it also enables people to gain career-related experience so they can advance on the job and in executive boardrooms.
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 19
“SHE WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR CHAIR, AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN FINDING THOSE RESOURCES. SHE WAS WILLING TO DO THE WORK OF MANIPULATING THE DATA AS WELL AS THE CREATING A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THE ORGANIZATIONS.” -ANDREW PRYSTAI
“Omaha needs more skilled labor,” GraeveCunningham said. “You can learn theory in school, but until you apply it, you don’t know what you do not know.” That far-reaching gaze is helping GraeveCunningham help organizations and businesses across the metro and beyond. “She is someone who continues to be a contributor to organizations across the board, and we’re lucky to have her in Omaha,” Prystai said. Visit thrivinci.com for more information about Graeve-Cunningham’s organization.
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20 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
SPONSORED CONTENT
• 15 YEARS •
Olson Group theolsongroup.com
It's Yours Pottery itsyourspottery.com
Secret Penguin secretpenguin.com
Scott Conference Center scottcenter.com
Koca Chiropractic kocachiropractic.com
One Source onesourcebackground.com
•30 YE ARS • • 20 YEARS •
Team Sotfware teamsoftware.com Written by Leo Adam Biga, Tamsen Butler, Sara Locke, and Kara Schweiss
Cox Buisness coxbusiness.com
A-1 United Heating ,Air & Electrical a1united.com
Intro by Daisy Hutzell-Rodman
Sleight Advertising sleightadvertising.com
Photos by Katie Anderson & contributed
Omaha boasts many companies that claim to have been in business for more than 100 years. In fact, at least four companies—Brocker Karns & Karns, Gratton Warehouse, Malashocks Jewelry, and Peterson Michelson Hardware Supply—will celebrate their 125th anniversaries in 2019. Like the sands of time through an hourglass, these companies continue to work steadily through the years. Omaha Publications is thankful to have the support of these legacy businesses on the following pages. These longrunning companies, ranging from 15 to 100 years and more, have many reasons to be proud of their contributions to Omaha industry. Note: This sponsored list reflects a portion of the companies in Omaha that are eligible to claim legacy status. B2B
Batten Trailer Leasing Inc. battentrailerleasing.com
• 40 YEARS •
Forest Green Lawn forestgreenlawncare.com
Ciaccio Roofing ciaccioroofing.com
Center Trophy centertrophy.net
Lovelyskin lovelyskin.com
Diamond Window Cleaning, Inc. diamondcleanwindows.com
Gloria’s Elegant Interiors gloriaselegantinteriors.com
Ideal Images ideal-images.com
Skin Specialists lovelyskin.com/dermatology
Futuramic's Clean Water Center omahawater.com
planitomaha planitomaha.com
Cushman & Wakefield Lund Company lundco.com
Scantron scantron.com
AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 21
SPONSORED CONTENT
• 50 YEARS •
AK &C
•80 YEARS •
Lueder Construction lueder.com
Abrahams, Kaslow & Cassman LLP akclaw.com B.I.G. Meats bigmeatsomaha.com
Centris centrisfcu.org
Red Diamond Coffee & Tea reddiamondbevservice.com
Bronco’s broncoburgers.com Frankel Zacharia fzacpa.com
Veridian veridiancu.org
• 125 YEARS •
• 90 YEARS •
Heartland Area Federal Credit Union heartlandfcu.org
Gratton Warehouse grattonwarehouse.com
General Fire gfsomaha.com Rotella's Italian Bakery rotellasbakery.com Lamp Rynearson lamprynearson.com
• 150 YEARS •
• 1O0 YEARS •
Lithuanian Bakery lithuanianbakery.biz Nebraska Medicine
nebraskamed.com OFWF ofwfcpa.com
All Makes Office Equipment allmakes.com
• 160 YEARS •
Lockton Companies lockton.com
Since 1963
Norm's Door Service normsdoor.com
S&W Fence sw-fence.com
SOS soshvac.com
firstnational.com
The Harry A. Koch. Co. hakco.com
The Weitz Company weitz.com
• 70 YEARS •
MD West One mdwestone.com
• 60 YEARS •
Independent Roofing Company independentroofing.net
Abe's Trash abestrash.com
First National Bank
G.M.S Wërks gmswerks.com
Neff Towing
22 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
SPONSORED CONTENT
100 YEARS
GMS WERKS GMS Werks president Terry Bortolotti remembers his grandfather Isidoro as “loud and boisterous. He was never mean, but he wanted to make sure he was heard.” Isidoro’s legacy is heard loud and clear as GMS Werks. His grandfather started the company 100 years ago, but because he was not yet a citizen, he could not incorporate until 1924. “He wasn’t afraid of anything,” added Terry. His fearlessness was evident as he emigrated to the United States after a stint in the Italian armed forces. He brought with him his knowledge of terrazzo and mosaic work, and a work ethic that meant no complaints despite long hours of hard labor. Terry said GMS Werks has managed to be successful for over a century largely because of the culture of “hard work and honesty” his grandfather fostered. A portrait of Isidoro hangs in the company’s showroom, reminding visitors of the rich history of this local company.
The Bortolotti family’s involvement in GMS Werks remained constant even after Bill Fairfield purchased the company. “After my grandfather came my uncle Norman,” said Terry. “My aunt Norma May stepped in too, and then my father Doro ran the company. When I was in charge of the company, my daughter Sabrina and my son Brock worked here; Brock still works here in the summer.” Fairfield bought the company nearly three years ago. Terry joked that the purchase of GMS Werks allowed him to “drop his hours from 60 a week to 55.” Though no longer the owner, he still has an active role as president of the company. Fairfield said that despite Terry’s designated office space, “We have to fight to keep Terry out of the showroom— Terry can figure out anything.” Fairfield told the story of people from a local restaurant coming to the showroom with a photo of natural stone behind a bar and asked, “Do you know what this is?” Without missing a beat, Terry replied, “That’s Verde Mare; we have some in the warehouse.” The representatives of the restaurant were overjoyed to have quick access to the exact stone they sought, and everyone was in awe of Terry’s ability to pinpoint the exact stone from a simple photo.
“The fingerprint that Terry put in place helps us succeed,” said Fairfield. They are booked with clients through the end of the year. The company has sold products in all 50 states and installed their products in 28 states. “We can do things that other people can’t,” said Fairfield, showing off a photo of a project at condos on the Riverfront. That project involved using a crane to hoist a large slab of natural stone up and into the condo. “You have to know what you’re doing to do things like this,” he said, explaining that even a faint breeze could result in big trouble for an installation of that magnitude. Fairfield also attributes the company’s success to their dedicated, artistic employees. “It really is an artistic product,” he said. GMS Werks continues to carry on Isidoro’s legacy by delivering premium products consistently and honestly. 4225 FLORENCE BLVD. OMAHA, NE 68110 402.451.3400 GMSWERKS.COM
AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 23
SPONSORED CONTENT
60
YEARS
LAMP RYNEARSON Industry leader Lamp Rynearson leverages their engineering, landscape architecture, and survey experience to meet client needs for any sized project. The purpose-driven company knows its infrastructure work lasts generations, thus it creates enduring, yet socially-environmentally responsible designs. “It’s about being stewards,” President and CEO Nancy Pridal said. An expanded footprint sparked a recent rebranding. “Operating under four names in different office locations impeded us from pushing forward as one company with the same culture,” Pridal said. “Rebranding is an opportunity to step back and say, ‘We are Lamp Rynearson–and we are proud of that legacy.’ ” Engineering News Record ranks Lamp Rynearson among the top 500 design firms. “We’re proud of where we are from a growth standpoint,” Pridal said. “Our strategy right now is about organic growth. We want to grow in a measured way so that we maintain our culture.”
Its employee-owners are the authors of a lived purpose statement: “To leave a legacy of enduring improvements to our communities, while perpetuating our company for future generations.”
make sure we stay relevant and viable regardless of changes in technology or the environment. We’re not going to put our head in the sand. We stand in the fire of change and agility.”
Their core values include fostering employees’ professional and personal development, advancing the firm’s professions and communities, and making innovation, creativity, and quality the company’s hallmark.
Staying agile requires a free flow of ideas.
“Commitment to integrity, honesty, and ethics… is something we all buy into,” Pridal said. “I can’t stand up in front of my team and say this is how we’re going to be if I’m not leading in that way.” She herself serves on various boards and is a 2019 ICAN Leadership Award winner. Employees donate time and resources. Pridal said, “Leadership has to be about looking at the bigger picture and holding us accountable for the things we say we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it. It’s also thinking about what the future is going to look like and how we drive that.” The firm helps forecast the industry’s future through Engineering Change Lab USA. “We are jumping into that conversation at a national level through this initiative. We are proud of being engineers and of the work we do. We want to
“Our human resource strategy uses a new performance-based communication training. We’re enhancing our ability to have direct conversations by showing empathy while holding each other accountable.” Another way is by maintaining a fresh talent stream. “We have great success bringing young people into the company and retaining them,” Pridal said. “Several veteran project managers came in as interns. We’ve developed an apprenticeship program and have a strong relationship with ACE Mentor Program of America.” A legacy of servant leadership, project management, and technical expertise have kept Lamp Rynearson at the cutting edge through 60 years—but the firm’s strength is its dynamic people. 14710 WEST DODGE ROAD, SUITE 100 OMAHA, NE 68154 402.496.2498 LAMPRYNEARSON.COM
24 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
SPONSORED CONTENT
53
YEARS
LOCKTON COMPANIES Associates, clients, and communities are at the center of everything Lockton does. As the world’s largest privately owned, independent insurance broker and consultant, Lockton specializes in risk management, employee benefits, and retirement services. Lockton has been part of the Omaha community since 2011. Their focus on service and strategic consulting has grown the office from seven associates to more than 50. Lockton Omaha’s property and casualty team partners with clients to develop risk management strategies. The service team includes claims management and loss control experts. The employee benefits group helps clients develop and manage comprehensive health and wellness programs that include actuarial compliance, nurse advocates, data analytics and stop loss—this allows the client to change the trajectory of their health care costs.
Lockton Omaha has a fully staffed retirement services team of investment professionals, an ERISA attorney, and former DOL auditors who advise clients on 401(k) and other retirement programs. Jack Struyk leads Lockton’s Nebraska business as president and partner of the Omaha office. Struyk has more than 40 years of experience in risk management, underwriting, and insurance brokerage. Kirt McAlpine and Cody Beguin joined Lockton in 2018. They have over 30 years of combined insurance industry experience. Jason Smith heads up the retirement division for Lockton Omaha. Brad Smith is senior vice president of the employee benefits division. Bob Harry and Alex Petrovich are experienced insurance professionals.
Lockton experts are ready to help clients protect their most valuable assets—their people, property, and reputations. 13710 FNB PARKWAY, SUITE 400 OMAHA, NE 68154 402.970.6100 LOCKTON.COM
AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 25
SPONSORED CONTENT
100 YEARS
68
YEARS
INDEPENDENT ROOFING COMPANY Maintaining a thriving roofing company for a century is no simple task, but Independent Roofing Co. owner Bob Swanda said having dedicated team members helps. “While we have gone through a lot of people over the years, we have many long-term employees that make up the core group today,” Swanda said. “Some of these employees have been with us for over 20 years. Because of that, the product we give our customers defines us from our competitors.” IRC began as a residential roofing company in 1919. Swanda joined as a truck driver in 1975. His career had a dramatic start when a tornado touched down west of the IRC office. “I found out how hard being a roofing contractor could be after that storm.” Dedication and honesty are the cornerstone of the IRC culture. “Doing the right thing all the time, not just part of the time,” contributes to the company’s longstanding success. “We provide a safe work environment for all team members and a great product for our customers,” Swanda said. The first 100 years isn’t the entire story. “IRC has started a succession plan to ensure the viability of IRC for the next 100 years,” said Swanda. “As the industry grows and technology changes, we will adapt to the changes in technology and material and installation. We will continue to invest in the communities we serve. We will continue to invest in our people, technology, and equipment to make sure we are producing the best product we can.” 6102 ARBOR ST., SUITE NO. 5 OMAHA, NE 68106 402.348.0909 INDEPENDENTROOFING.NET
O’DONNELL, FICENEC, WILLS & FERDIG, LLP O’Donnell, Ficenec, Wills & Ferdig is among Omaha’s most trusted public accounting firms, yet the company still thrives by satisfying clients’ individual needs with a suite of services and technical expertise. Joe Ficenec founded the company in 1951 with his original partner, Cecil O’Donnell. Jess Wills joined the firm in 1959. Wills has seen the industry move from accounting by long-hand in pencil on paper to digital files. “Through the computer and the cloud, it’s all handled so easily anymore,” Wills said. The next biggest change was the scope of work. “We are more than just accounting today.” The firm began as an auditing and tax preparation business but has evolved to offer full service bookkeeping, financial planning, business valuations, projections, litigation support, employee benefit plan audit, reporting, and compliance services. The employees stay current with rules and trends through CPE (continuing professional education). Good client relations is as important as being correct. “That personal contact is so important,” Wills said. The firm has a rigorous quality review system that ensures accuracy and a state-of-the-art security system that keeps records safe. Clients range from individuals to nonprofit organizations and unions to large and small businesses. The firm works hard to make sure everyone’s on the same page. “We’re able to work together and we know where we want to get to,” Wills said. “The foundation was set by Joe Ficenec back in ‘51 when he set up the partnership.” 4815 S. 107TH AVE. OMAHA, NE 68127 402.592.3800 OFWF.COM
26 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
SPONSORED CONTENT
47
YEARS
30
YEARS
SCANTRON TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Even those who aren’t familiar with the name Scantron know their work. Their clients began as schoolchildren who handed in bubble tests in grade school.
TEAM SOFTWARE TEAM Software has been around for three decades but in many ways it feels like a startup, said President Jill Davie.
Founded in 1972, Scantron credits their longevity to the culture cultivated among their team. They have a knack for attracting top talent, and for retaining them through respect, loyalty, and opportunities to constantly advance.
“We have a very vibrant and entrepreneurial culture,” she said. “We have a lot of energetic people working for us, and it’s a casual yet productive environment. There’s a tangible, positive energy.”
V.P. of Managed IT at Scantron Kim Larsen stated: “Scantron has a positive culture and continues to educate our employees to make sure they are always staying up on the latest technology.”
Ironically, its growth and stability is a result of focusing on innovative technology and always looking forward. “We are making some bold moves in regard to expansion and growth,” Davie said.
Scantron considers the driving force behind their longevity the work/life balance they provide to their staff. Many staff members stay for decades, because Scantron keeps their team challenged, energetic, and filled with pride.
Last fall, the company announced a strategic investment partnership with Accel-KKR, a technology-focused private equity firm based in Silicon Valley. “That’s given us a new outlook on what’s possible as we move ahead,” Davie said.
As technology advances, the call for techs who are ready and willing to stay ahead of change grows louder, and Scantron answers it with access to cutting edge training for the entire staff.
In May, TEAM acquired Lighthouse, which has operations in Melbourne, Australia, as well as Oakland, California. “We are now a global company, which is very exciting for us,” Davie said.
“We have a team of engineers with decades of expertise in cybersecurity, business continuity, network design and implementation, and a host of other critical skillsets,” Larsen said. “They regularly attend conferences and trainings, and so do our employed field service technicians. We also benefit from a network effect, where we apply learning from one engineer or customer engagement across the entire customer base.” She continued, “To this day, as part of our Scantron DNA, we embrace our founders’ spirit of entrepreneurship, invention, innovation, and civic duty.” The company thrives because its people, values, and culture deliver the “secret formula” for IT to so many clients. That is why Scantron is the right answer for IT service and support. 2020 S. 156TH CIRCLE OMAHA, NE 68130 800.722.6876 SCANTRON.COM
Though it’s a global company, it’s still driven by Midwestern values. “We are a family at TEAM, and even though we’ve grown to be 150 employees those connections are still very important to us. We try very hard to make sure we are interacting in a respectful way that builds trust, and that naturally extends to our customers,” Davie said. “We operate with a lot of integrity.” And customers appreciate that service, she adds. When attendees at a recent client conference were asked to evaluate whether TEAM employees were courteous and helpful, Davie noted that “One hundred percent said ‘yes.’” 402 S. 27TH AVE. OMAHA, NE 68131 800.500.4499 TEAMSOFTWARE.COM
AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 27
SPONSORED CONTENT
125 YEARS
B.I.G. MEATS INC. DBA HUSKER HOME FOODS 50 YEARS
GRATTON WAREHOUSE Gratton Warehouse Co. President Bo Gratton says the family-owned, third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse has endured for 125 years and five generations because its leaders have followed the simple principle of focused expertise. “We do only what we do, and that’s warehousing,” Gratton said. “We do what we do best and we let our customers do what they do best: selling and manufacturing their products.” The company has three facilities along the I Street industrial tract plus additional flex space, and its services support retailers and manufacturers through the storage and distribution process. “Whether it’s food products, paper products, or something else, I can guarantee you that at some time you’ve touched something that has come through our warehouse,” Gratton said. The company’s core values include an emphasis on communications, a positive attitude, doing the right thing, security, and accountability. “Core values and mission statements are a big part of a company, but you have to live them,” Gratton said. “That’s why we succeed. We want this to be a place where everybody wants to be.” 11005 E CIRCLE OMAHA, NE 68137 402.339.9993 GRATTONWAREHOUSE.COM
Brothers Dale and Glenn “Yogi” Hanke started B.I.G. Meats in 1969, and while Yogi likely appreciated his teenage sons Mark and Dave help around the shop, he probably didn’t realize he was building a legacy for them. Fifty years later, “there are very few butcher shops left,” said Dave Hanke, who is part-owner alongside his brother, Mark. They provide high quality, certified Angus beef, wild game processing, and custom raw dog food. The Husker Home Foods side is a home delivery service for their frozen products, including poultry, fish, pork, sausage, bacon, and desserts. “Our customer service sets us apart,” Dave said. “You’re always greeted by one of the two of us.” 4853 S. 137TH ST. 402.895.9525 BIGMEATSOMAHA .COM
IT’S YOURS POTTERY 15 YEARS This family-owned, paint-your-own pottery and creative arts studio is more than a business. Founderowner Judi Novotny says, “it’s my life.” She’s shared her passion for creativity throughout the past 15 years at this place that brings people together to create their own ceramics, glass works, canvas paintings, wood decor, and candles. Everything needed for a project is provided at the arts entertainment venue. Novotny encourages people to visit the studio, be creative and make memories with family and friends. The studio also offers a range of special events, such as Story Time Art for Tots or Girls Nights. She invites everyone to stop by and “let your inner artist out to play.” 2518 S. 132ND COURT OMAHA, NE 68144 402.330.3470 ITSYOURSPOTTERY .COM
OMAHA MAGAZINE
SECRET PENGUIN
39 YEARS
19 YEARS
Omaha is a great community with great artists, businesspeople, philanthropists, and families. Omaha Magazine publisher Todd Lemke truly believes this, which is why the company motto is “It’s About All of Us.”
Since 2000, SecretPenguin has created and refined more than 200 brands with an eye on making them stand out among the competition, and in their communities. The company itself stands out, too. Secret Penguin has a mission to make the world a better—and more fun—place, and Founder and Creative Director Dave Nelson has a focus on creating a healthy work/life balance for his team. That means it is no surprise that this experiential branding agency is selective about working only with brands that add value to a community, from gathering places to nonprofits.
Lemke began the company in 1983 with the purchase of an alternative newspaper called City Slicker. Lemke’s next move, in 1987, was to purchase a monthly publication titled Our City, which listed local places to shop, eat, and be entertained—an ideal publication to place in hotels around our city. In 1989, the publication’s name changed to Omaha Magazine. The magazine has won several honors, including being named a finalist in the 2019 City and Regional Magazine Association Awards. 5921 S. 118TH CIRCLE OMAHA, NE 68127 402.884.2000 OMAHAMAGAZINE .COM
1516 CUMING ST. OMAHA, NE 68102 402.637.1250 SECRETPENGUIN .COM
28 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
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30 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
FEATURE | STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN
PUTTING MEAT ON OMAHANS’ BONES THE LEGACY OF TWO BUSINESSES IN OMAHA
Caption
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 31
ood, especially meat, is big business in this state. Nebraska has been called “the beef state” (even adopting that slogan for 1950s and 1960s license plates) for good reason; it consistently ranks as one of the top cattleproducing states in the country, according to the Nebraska Beef Council. Nebraska Department of Economic Development statistics show food processing to be the state’s largest industry as measured by total payroll dollars. Food is big business locally, too. Omaha was once the world’s largest livestock market and meatpacking center, and although its economy no longer depends on agriculture, it’s still home to dozens of food manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and several family-owned, longstanding, meat-based businesses known locally, regionally, and beyond. The first Stoysich House of Sausage shop opened in 1961 at 24th and Bancroft streets, where it continues to operate today. It also operates a second facility 10 miles west near 130th and Arbor streets. Ken Stoysich is the third of four generations of Stoysich men [“my grandfather, my father, myself, and my son”] involved in the business. He said the company makes more than 140 varieties of sausage and processed meats using a mixture of locally raised beef and pork combined with imported spices. Over time, the recipes have grown to represent a wide variety of nations—Poland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, England, Czechoslovakia, Mexico, Greece, Denmark, Sweden and Ireland— as well as some American-born formulas. Stoysich said he takes great pride in preserving an old-fashioned style of doing business through the company’s traditional, small meat-market model. It’s led to a local reputation for quality. Stoysich has found through his travels that Stoysich House of Sausage is nationally and internationally known. CONT. PAGE 32
From left Matthew Stoysich and Ken Stoysich
32 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
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KEN STOYSICH IS THE THIRD OF FOUR GENERATIONS OF STOYSICH MEN [“MY GRANDFATHER, MY FATHER, MYSELF, AND MY SON”] INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS. FROM PAGE 31 “We offer that personalized service; we talk to the customer and find out what they’re looking for. The foodies who come in—people who really enjoy food and like to try different recipes— we try to cater to them and have everything on hand that they would need,” he says. The Stoysich team is also “happy to help” amateurs who need guidance selecting, preparing, and/or serving any of their meat products that span 10 categories (one being sausage). Stoysich chuckled as he recalled an 83-year-old woman who asked for advice on cooking a turkey for the very first time. New customers appreciate the extra attention and often seem “surprised by the questions and effort to get the details right,” something he said they won’t find in a large supermarket. “It’s one of the best feelings knowing people are taking home a product I made and feeding it to their families, and that everyone’s enjoying it,” he said. “Quality is always remembered.” Omaha Steaks is an international company today, but it’s still headquartered in its namesake city where it was started in 1917 by father and son J.J. and B.A. Simon. Founded as “Table Supply Meat Co.,” a name that came from the modification of an existing sign at the business’ first quarters, the butcher shop thrived and grew over ensuing decades. Lester Simon became the third generation to join the business and was credited with accelerating its growth through cross-country foodservice partnerships that put Omaha beef on the menus of railroad dining cars and troop transport trains. Omaha became synonymous with high-quality beef by the time the Simons introduced mail order in 1953, and in 1966 the company was renamed Omaha Steaks International.
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 33
ALTHOUGH THE CENTURY-OLD COMPANY IS NOW A $450-MILLIONDOLLAR BUSINESS EMPLOYING MORE THAN 2,000 YEAR-ROUND EMPLOYEES AND A LARGE NUMBER OF HOLIDAYSEASON TEMPS, OMAHA STEAKS REMAINS A PRIVATELY HELD BUSINESS RUN BY THE SIMON FAMILY.
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The first retail store opened in the state in 1976. Today, more than 70 retail outlets operate throughout the United States. Customers all over the world can order Omaha Steaks products through mail order and various electronic media, including their website and smartphone apps. In addition to steaks, customers can choose from a wide selection of meat, seafood, meals, sides, desserts, and wine. The company also created a fundraising vehicle called Steaks for Good—which allows customers to donate 10 percent of their purchase price to a charitable cause of choice—and a rewards program for repeat customers. Although the century-old company is now a $450-million-dollar business employing more than 2,000 year-round employees and a large number of holiday-season temps, Omaha Steaks remains a privately held business run by the Simon family. Lester Simon’s sons Stephen, Fred, and Alan eventually followed him into leadership roles at the company. Alan is currently the chairman of the board. His son Bruce is president & CEO, and Fred’s son Todd is senior vice president. Todd says the company is still managed as a family business, with the kind of attention to detail and personal pride that helped it flourish and contributed to its expansion over a century. “Being a family business that’s rooted in the Midwest, it’s one of our biggest advantages. Omaha is part of our heritage,” he said, adding that the company will remain headquartered in the community that supported its success and growth. “From here, we can deliver amazing experiences to customers all across the country,” he said. “That’s why we’ve been here for 100 years. That’s why we’ll stay here.” Visit stoysich.com and omahasteaks.com for more information. B2B
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34 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
FEATURE | STORY BY ANTHONY FLOTT | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN
HOMEGROWN APPS CONSUMING A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY PIE
“THE JOURNEY OF BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR CAN BE LONELY SOMETIMES AND IT CAN BE FRUSTRATING.” -CARINA GLOVER
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 35
veryone knows “There’s an app for that.” After all, with 2.1 million apps and counting available at Google Play Store, every conceivable idea should be covered. But as Carina Glover and Kate Shannon have discovered, there is not an app for everything. Rather, there’s still room to make money in the ever-expanding industry that, in 2016, generated $88.3 billion in revenue (per market and consumer data company Statista). Glover’s offering is Her Headquarters, created for women who own brands in the fashion, beauty, entertainment, event planning, and PR industries to grow their businesses through collaborations with other women. “It helps women entrepreneurs with problems they are facing,” Glover said. “Not only does it help them secure partnerships, but I also like that it helps them to secure allies. The journey of being an entrepreneur can be lonely sometimes and it can be frustrating. It’s a platform of women who are open to partnering.” Shannon’s app, Stur, helps users create and manage events and activities via invitations, chat spaces, planning, photo and video shares, and more. The events span everything from a grand gala to a birthday bash.
“PEOPLE HAVE THIS INHERENT NEED TO FEEL CONNECTED AND EMBRACE THE SHARED EXPERIENCE, AND FEEL THEY ARE A PART OF SOMETHING.” -KATE SHANNON “People have this inherent need to feel connected and embrace the shared experience, and feel they are a part of something,” Shannon said. “The invite services that exist today and event platforms, they don’t wrap everything into a little bow for you. It’s all disorganized and disconnected.”
Stur, she said, “Creates space that allows you to really engage.” Consumers, it appears, remain ready to engage with new apps. According to Statista, consumers downloaded 178.1 billion apps in 2017, and that number is projected to grow to 258.2 billion in 2022.
In Glover’s case, assistance came in a unique Omaha offering—the Omaha Chamber’s Startup Collaborative, an accelerator program that helps entrepreneurs build software-centric companies. Before approaching the Startup Collaborative, though, Glover said she did everything backward.
Her Headquarters and Stur were both created in Omaha. While the inspiration for each came in something of a flash, getting the product to market was anything but.
“All I had was an idea,” Glover said. “I didn’t have any tech experience, no relationships or connections with people in the tech world, designer, or developer. And I didn’t have any money.”
Glover previously owned an event planning business. She was considering her next career move and wanted to focus on business partnerships among women. The Marian High and University of Nebraska at Omaha graduate said the idea for an app came to her at 3 in the morning.
That didn’t stop her from creating a pitch and seeking investors. The response?
“I couldn’t sleep and the idea came to me out of nowhere,” Glover said. That was in summer 2017. Her Headquarters went public in May 2019. Shannon’s partners are artist Jon Tvrdik and developer Jason McEvoy, who she knew previously. She said the idea for Stur came to Tvrdik about two-and-a-half years ago. The app launched in March this year (it’s free only in Apple’s App Store). Neither women had experience building an app. “I went from being an expert in one arena to literally being the epitome of an amateur in a completely different industry,” Glover said. They both had help. Tvrdik, an Omaha businessman, turned to Shannon, an advertising copywriter and content strategist, to help put meat on the skeleton of his idea. McEvoy handled the technical construct. “We take our different knowledge and backgrounds to sort of mesh our skills together,” Shannon said. “We’ve learned a lot and grown a lot.”
“I basically had six months of ignored emails and rejections,” Glover said. The Startup Collaborative had her start anew by first proving a need for her product. Glover’s research and surveys confirmed that need, one large enough that she charges $8.99 for the app (a limited version is free). Glover was next connected with a designer, then a developer to build the app. That was followed by user testing, feedback, and adjustments. A beta version was released in mid-May and a full version a couple weeks later. Only then did she secure an investment of $50,000. Early downloads encouraged both women, though neither shared specific numbers. A prelaunch limited to Omaha, Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami generated Her Headquarters downloads from women in all five industries the app targets. “It got a lot of traction in LA, which was really interesting to me because we didn’t do any marketing or advertising in LA compared to the other cities,” Glover said. CONT. PAGE 37
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FROM PAGE 35 Shannon, an Omaha native and Central High grad, said Stur also started strong. “We hit our goals really quickly,” said Shannon, who marketed mostly via press releases, social media posts, and direct touches with potential users. “Within the first three days we hit a goal that was four or five months out.” Their work, though, is far from over, said Zac Fowler, director of IT outreach for UNO’s College of Information Science & Technology. He also manages the college’s Attic, a group of tech-savvy UNO students who have helped individuals and companies build apps since 2006. Fowler said app creators too often focus on the start but then falter. “The biggest mistake people make when planning for an app is to discount the need for maintenance,” Fowler said. “Google and Apple update their tooling and add features frequently. To remain listed in the stores after major updates, developers may have to spend significant time updating code in their apps.”
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Glover and Shannon grasp post-launch challenges. Shannon said, “We want to be able to react as soon as possible while still playing a slow game to make sure we have all the systems in place so that it won’t break.” That includes building an Android version this year. Glover also advised “taking it slow.” “There are so many directions we know we want this to go and so many features we know it needs to have, but we want to be smart about building.” Glover’s already tried the backward approach. Now, she and Shannon are looking forward. Visit herheadquarters.app for more information about that app. Stur can be found on the App Store. B2B
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VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
FEATURE | STORY BY SCOTT STEWART | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN
BUILDING A LEGACY TWO LONG-LASTING COMPANIES SHARE COMMON VALUES
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 39
he transcontinental railroad brought prosperity to Omaha during westward expansion, and many of the companies with the deepest roots in the city can trace their fortunes to those boom times. Union Pacific built the railroad. First National Bank of Omaha extended credit to pioneers. Kiewit began building hotels and warehouses to accommodate growth in the late 19th century. One of the area’s oldest companies, NP Dodge, started out a decade prior to Nebraska statehood and is now the longest-running, family-owned, full-service real estate firm in the country. “There are a lot of companies in Omaha that have been around for 100 years. Why? It’s because they never lose sight of their customer, they’re transparent, and they always do the right thing,” said Debra Graeve, president of NAI NP Dodge, the commercial real estate division of NP Dodge. NP Dodge began in a small office in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1855. The company only had five employees in 1945, but it has grown to more than 450 real estate agents, staff, and managers today, spread across seven divisions. Nate Dodge is the fifth person named N.P. Dodge to run the company, maintaining a family connection that has spanned more than 16 decades. While family ownership can foster a legacy, some companies thrive through ownership changes. A.C. Busk founded a small masonry company in 1884 that soon began to offer general contracting services. Roy M. Lueder joined the firm in 1920, and two decades later owned the company and had changed its name. The company has changed hands three times since then, but its legacy lives on.
Brad von Gillern
“In 135 years, to have a company survive five ownership transitions—really only one of which was family—we think is kind of remarkable,” said CEO R. Brad von Gillern, the company’s fifth owner. “We do business like we want to be around another 135. We don’t make shortsighted decisions.”
How to Build a Legacy Companies that have built a lasting legacy value many of the same things: ethical conduct, transparency, relationships, employees, and the importance of adapting to changing marketplaces. Graeve said the bottom line is never forgetting who your customers are, especially following a problem or when there’s an ethical misstep. “We’re quick to act,” Graeve said. “Some companies lose sight of that or they may not deal with something as quickly as it should be dealt with— or even sweep it under the rug.” Accountability is important for financial goals, too. Von Gillern said he shared Lueder’s business plan with the company’s employees in 2013, and it brought everyone together to achieve success. “If I had kept it to myself, we never would have hit it,” von Gillern said. “If you share it with your people, they’ll embrace it and they’ll produce results that will take you there.” Of course, external factors can get in the way. If you don’t plan for a downturn while the market is hot, work can grind to a halt when it cools. However, companies that build strong relationships, especially in good times, can keep their doors open during a recession. CONT. PAGE 40
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“IT’S BECAUSE THEY NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THEIR CUSTOMER, THEY’RE TRANSPARENT, AND THEY ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING.” -DEBRA GRAEVE FROM PAGE 39 In commercial real estate, Graeve said many offmarket deals come together because an agent connects a buyer with someone whose property isn’t listed but would be willing to sell for the right price. To be successful, real estate agents need to identify trends, know the marketplace, and predict what’s going to happen next. Ultimately, the game requires knowing the players and bringing them together. That’s often what it takes to win work in many other fields, too. “Companies don’t do business with companies; people do business with people,” von Gillern said. “I know that I’ve had a successful project if, at the end of the project, I’ve made a new friend.”
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When work dries up, Lueder relies on hard-bid work from public entities to provide financial stability. Even though most of the company’s business comes from negotiated bids, those hardbid projects were still available when the market tanked in 2008, and the company knew how to win those contracts. “We didn’t do great, but we did OK,” von Gillern said. “A lot of people that were heavily reliant on developer-driven work failed during that time or struggled dramatically.”
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Lueder employees were told during the Great Recession that the company had a plan in place to avoid pink slips. That boosted morale and fostered an environment where those plans could be executed.
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 41
“COMPANIES DON’T DO BUSINESS WITH COMPANIES; PEOPLE DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE.” -BRAD VON GILLERN
“It was like we were all in a foxhole together,” von Gillern said. “It was a bad situation, but it was a good outcome for the company.” Successful companies should help clients who are struggling during a downturn. When the economy improves, the work will return—so long as those clients are still around. “Sometimes just offering help, maybe for free—folks don’t forget that,” Graeve said. “Clients don’t forget that you were willing to go above and beyond to be willing to help them.” Having a workplace where employees are valued, and where their needs are met, is another important foundation for a successful company. Von Gillern said he found it’s important to make adjustments to attract and retain talent. “Early on, we bought in on the negatives about millennials,” von Gillern said. “Then we realized that it isn’t necessarily a negative. You have to figure out how to capture the things that are important to them.” Toward that end, the company established maternity and paternity leave policies, as well as a sabbatical policy, which are unusual within the industry. Improving the mental health and happiness of its workers boosts their productivity, which in turn improves client outcomes, von Gillern said. “We’ve always been a company that took care of its people,” von Gillern said. “We’ve taken traditional values that we’ve implemented for a century and we’ve modernized them into ways that are relevant for people today.” CONT. PAGE 42
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FROM PAGE 41 Lueder also embraces cutting-edge technology to deliver cost-savings and higher quality. Von Gillern said Lueder is using a laser scanner to create an image of the Blackstone Hotel that shows its existing condition, which can then be compared to blueprints. “The two don’t always match,” von Gillern said. “We can fabricate materials off-site with confidence that they’ll fit when they get there.” Those younger, tech-savvy employees bring new ideas, too. “One of the things that we had to learn to stop saying is, ‘This is the way we’ve always done it, and that’s the way you should do it,’” von Gillern said. “It turns out that some of these folks have better ideas than we do. Some of the new ways of doing things are way better than the old ways of doing things.” Some of Lueder’s competitors have been left behind due to unwillingness to embrace new approaches and technologies, von Gillern said. Graeve said that’s true in real estate, where technology—such as the website Zillow and apps that provide an offer within minutes for unlisted property—only heightens the competition. “For a company our age, you have to be flexible,” Graeve said. “You have to change with the times. If you don’t, then I think those companies go by the wayside. We’re always looking ahead. We respect the past, but we’re always looking for how we can do things better.” For more information, visit nainpdodge.com and lueder.com. B2B
“WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN DOING BUSINESS LOCALLY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ALSO ON A NATIONAL LEVEL.” -Carmen Tapio
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 45
FEATURE | STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN
TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD EVOLUTION OF A TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY THAT THRIVES IN OMAHA A 1991 NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ESTIMATED THE NUMBER OF OMAHANS EMPLOYED IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR AT THE TIME TO EXCEED 10,000. ometime during the second half of the 1980s Omaha became known as the “Telecommunications Capital of the World” due to the presence of several dozen inbound and outbound telemarketing companies such as Gary and Mary West’s WATS Marketing of America and West Teleservices, and Steve and Sheri Idelman’s Idelman Telemarketing Inc. Omaha was also known for company call centers such as those of First Data Resources, Marriott, Hyatt, Greyhound, and Ford Motor Credit. The industry thrived: a 1991 New York Times article estimated the number of Omahans employed in the telecommunications sector at the time to exceed 10,000. Today, the number of people employed in “telemarketing” positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is under 700. Steve Idelman, who in 1981 with wife Sheri founded the forerunner to Idelman Telemarketing Inc. and ITI Marketing Services, said the rise of telemarketing in the 1980s and 1990s was commonly credited to Omaha’s Central time zone location, which easily accommodated time differences across the country, and the technical infrastructure such as the availability of flat-rate, long-distance WATS (Wide Area Telephone Service). But he said other dynamics were more significant.
“I believe the call center industry blossomed here at a very important time in the evolution of Omaha’s business community and economy…It’s a laborintensive industry and at the time, Omaha’s labor force was in need of good part-time and some fulltime employment opportunities,” Steve explained. “The workforce itself was ideal: the Midwestern work ethic and no discernible accent, which would enable people to communicate into all regions of the country with relatively equal degree of effectiveness. But what really pushed Omaha to the point where it became the telecommunications capital of the world was the aggressive support of what was then Northwestern Bell Telephone and the help of the Chamber of Commerce in bringing call center entrepreneurs to Omaha.” The Idelmans were Chicago natives who found their way to Omaha and into the telemarketing industry mostly “by accident,” Steve said. The couple recognized opportunity and built it into a company that eventually spanned several Midwestern states, operated bilingual operations in the Miami area, and employed thousands of mostly part-time telephone representatives and support staff. The company was sold in 1995, and the Idelmans went on to found a cybersecurity firm. Today, Sheri is co-owner of an exercise studio while Steve is, as he puts it, “retired from active duty.” Like the Idelmans, the industry went on, but evolution was necessary for survival. “Call centers are still here in Omaha. They are not the big story in Omaha any longer as Omaha [has] continued to grow,” Idelman said.
That number set up by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is strictly defined by those people who work in outbound sales. In many cases of inbound calling, the job description and title has changed, but the job is still working in customer service, and there are several thousand people working these jobs. One example: A recent online job description for an opening at PayPal read, “By using the latest in modern communication and technology tools, you will be able to provide our customers with accurate answers to their questions in both a quick and helpful manner.” In its heyday, telemarketing offered some of the highest-paying part-time jobs in the region, and the availability of flexible schedules, including evening and weekend hours, made it ideal for students and people looking for supplemental work. Over time, workers—often called phone agents or TSRs (telemarketing sales representatives or telephone service representatives)—saw positive changes such as corded desktop phones and handwritten, labelsand-paper call tracking give way to headsets and computer monitors. The industry itself had to fundamentally transform with the emergence of communication technology such as interactive voice response and the internet, increasing consumer use of caller ID and callblocking technology, companies outsourcing offshore, and the establishment of the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registry in 2003. CONT. PAGE 46
46 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2019
VOLUME 19 · ISSUE 4
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“I’m not a subject matter expert on call centers today, but I think it’s fair to say that, first and foremost, technology plays a much bigger role,” Idelman said. “It’s much more automated, less labor-intensive. I think outbound has become more teleservices than telemarketing; much more customer service- and customer retention-oriented. Inbound doesn’t have the type of negativity associated with the old-style outbound telemarketing. There are no time-of-day restrictions and so forth, and you’re answering calls from people who’ve proactively placed them. And call centers today are more of an integrated ‘MarComm’ [marketing communications] pursuit. I know call centers wouldn’t exist in a vacuum today; they work together with multimedia.” “Omnichannel” is how Carmen Tapio described it. Tapio worked as a call center executive before founding North End Teleservices in 2015.
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“We are an omnichannel outsource contact center provider,” Tapio said of North End. “The new term is ‘contact center’ because it is phone, email, SMS text, and social media,” she explained. “And it can be more than just the human interaction; it’s evolved with the artificial intelligence that is being used in call centers.” Tapio started working in an inbound call center at age 18, and witnessed the blossoming of a “follow the sun,” global, 24-hour support industry. “Now we’re using reporting tools that allow us to have near-real-time and real-time intelligence on how the contact center is operating…and we’re able to deliver a much better and more seamless quality of service to our customers,” she said. “CRMs [customer relationship management data analysis] can provide intelligence to operators as they’re speaking.” Technology makes it easier for call center personnel to do their job, she said, but it doesn’t replace the human element.
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“This is and has been a people industry, supported and underscored by technology. The technology has evolved but a lot of the data we look at is the same. How we get to it is different, but we’re still talking about human interaction, and that’s the one thing I never want to see completely lost in our industry. That’s why I think call centers will never fully go away,” she said. Tapio said telemarketing today is viewed as a more professional position than it once was because of the multimedia expertise involved, the speed at
OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST · SEPTEMBER | 47
which information is shared, and the fact that the reputation of companies, products, and services can be made or broken. “Every interaction matters,” she said. “We’re trying to increasingly professionalize the role; that’s why we have an apprentice program that’s registered with the Department of Labor, that’s why we have leadership development, career-pathing, a mentor program. We view this as a critical role.” North End Teleservices provides not only jobs, it also creates careers, Tapio said. “We take a lot of pride in doing business locally in our community and also on a national level,” Tapio said. “Our mission is creating jobs and changing lives, and we feel there are underutilized individuals and opportunities in our own state. We were intentional about bringing jobs to a community where unemployment is still way higher than the less-than-three percent that is talked about in Omaha; it’s still in double digits where we sit in northeast Omaha.” Even the service reps who intend to go on to other careers learn valuable skills, Tapio said. “We are trying to help people see themselves differently in the role and to see it as more than just a job. It is a career path,” she said. “The skills you learn, absolutely you take that with you.” Idelman agreed. Two decades after leaving the industry, he still sees how former employees have made good use of what they learned in telemarketing. “What I’m most proud of—and Sheri would share this with me—is the people; watching with great feeling and great pride how many of them have become big-time successful in not only in their business careers, but in their lives. And how many of these teammates—starting as part-time employees wanting to make a few extra dollars to support themselves or their families, or wanting to go to school—have grown up to be real leaders in their own respective endeavors,” Idelman said. “In the grand scheme of the world, ITI was just another small business. But to so many of us who participated in that together, it was like catching lightning in a bottle. The relationships and friendships; there are hundreds of people still connected through their experience at ITI.” Visit northendteleservices.com for more information. B2B
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OMAHA CVB BY KEITH BACKSEN
LEGACY RESTAURANTS MAKE OMAHA WORTH A VISIT maha Restaurant Week is Sept. 14-23. It’s a great time to dine out and see why Omaha’s reputation as a foodie destination continues to grow. Last year, stories about the city’s culinary scene appeared in 62 different publications and websites, including The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Livability.com to name a few. Media shared stories about the history of Omaha’s original Reuben sandwich, the process of dry-aging steaks—even the sweetness found in the candy shops sprinkled throughout the city. Omaha’s travel-worthy cuisine didn’t happen by accident. The city’s food scene has deep roots. In 1946, brothers Al and Joe Cascio opened the legendary Cascio’s Steakhouse in Omaha’s Little Italy neighborhood. Through the years, the old-school steakhouse has served steaks to famous customers such as Mickey Mantle, Jerry Rice, and Tina Turner. In 1965, Frank “Dinker” Synowiecki opened a neighborhood bar in south Omaha that quickly gained a reputation for serving one of the best burgers in the city. Today, the restaurant, Dinker’s Bar & Grill, is run by two of Frank’s grandchildren, who still use their grandfather’s original recipes. Petrow’s is another Omaha original that has thrived throughout the years. The Petrow family has been in the restaurant business longer than any other family in Nebraska—they
opened their first restaurant in 1903. Today, their restaurant on 60th and Center streets, known for its classic diner food, is run by the third generation of Petrows and still serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Research shows that out-of-towners spend $304 million annually on food and drinks when visiting Omaha— that’s more than they spend on shopping, hotels, or entertainment. Visitor spending means jobs. The more visitors eating in our restaurants, the more employees need to be hired. Visitor spending at our local restaurants and bars means the creation and retention of 5,555 jobs—from chefs and waitresses to bus boys and truck drivers who deliver the weekly produce. Omaha Restaurant Week is a great time for people to reconnect with one of the legacy restaurants or get acquainted with a new dining hotspot. We encourage everyone to enjoy creations from Omaha’s top chefs during the 10 tastiest days of the year. For more information about the event, visit omaharestaurantweek.com. B2B
ETHICS BY BEVERLY KRACHER
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO OUR LEGACIES? ow good would others consider us to be if our private thoughts and conversations were made public? Take the article about thenpresidential-candidate Jimmy Carter in Playboy that rocked the world in 1976. In the article, he confessed, “I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” This confession raised the question of Carter’s goodness because if he really was faithful to his wife, wouldn’t he have an eye only for Rosalynn, even in his mind? Fast forward to the invention of the internet. We now have the ability to look up answers to questions that are so personal that we wouldn’t even ask our friends. In addition, we use email to forward jokes to others that we otherwise would have told face-to-face with no trail left behind. Of course, we have tried to be careful. Regarding our emails, like mom said, “Anything we write down can become public.” But late at night, when tapping out a note, there have been times many of us have gone over the line in a way that would be offensive to someone. When we spend time online, it is often like thinking to ourselves or having a quiet, private conversation behind closed doors. But the internet is not private. Website searches and email jokes do have trails. Those searches we did and jokes we told 10-20 years ago can become available to the public if the internet companies want to share them or people hack them. We are finding that we gave up our privacy long ago without really knowing the extent of what that meant.
And when others learn about our private website searches and email jokes, even if we have built good organizations or given back to the community through volunteerism and philanthropy, will our goodness and legacies be called into question like former President Carter’s? We all know the answer is “yes.” And because of this, every 55-year-old or older I know has done a mental rundown of their internet searches and saved emails to consider the possibility that, like an unexpected flood, their online privacy may be breached. Perhaps it will not flood, so to speak. Just as floods affect some people, others are not impacted. We might be lucky, and our legacies will remain intact. Or maybe our transgressions are so insignificant that, if made public, people will move on thinking they are just not juicy enough. And if this last point is the case, then the real idea that Carter was trying to make in his 1976 interview (if you read the whole thing) could ring true. Let’s not think we are better than the other person because our online indiscretions are small, and our legacies remain intact. The relative degree of offenses doesn’t make us better than the next person. We are all fundamentally the same. We are all fallible. Our best legacies are found in how we treat each other as fellow human beings, and in the fact that we judge less and forgive more. B2B
Keith Backsen is executive director of the
Beverly Kracher, Ph.D., is the executive director of the Business
Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Ethics Alliance and the Daugherty Chair in Business Ethics and Society at Creighton University.
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Published by The Firm Advisors Cortney Sells • President Anya Roberts • Broker Liason Cassandra Powers • Chief Operations Officer Dan Hayes • Outreach Coordinator Elise Turille-Barnett • Operations Executive Jessica Hughes • Outreach Coordinator Lori Hulshof • Client Coordinator Makayla Holliday-Kalagias • Brokerage Principal McKenna Thorngren • Portfolio Manager Megan DeBoer • Strategic Development Officer
Embracing Seasonality by Cortney Sells
Some of the best businesses that come across my desk are seasonal enterprises. From small, mom and pop flower shops to large commodity futures firms, each is unique in how they tackle the concern of inconsistent revenues. However, being a seasonal business owner does not mean that you must surrender yourself to tight cash flow or high stress. In this issue, we showcase entrepreneurs who have diversified revenue streams, managed their assets, and artfully drew customers to their front door all year long. Snow and ice can wreak havoc on outdoor operations, while economic funding cycles may dictate project completions, but it’s how an owner confronts these challenges that determines the true strength of a company. Diversification is key for owners seeking to balance summer income with slower times around the holidays. Challenge yourself to view your business from a new perspective. Take a look at your client base; are you missing customers you could be easily snapping up? Examine your monthly profit and loss to see if costs can be trimmed in the off-seasons.
Molly Dunning • Marketing Strategist Rachael Rand • Brokerage Director Rene Rademacher • Client Relations Susanne Miller • In-House Legal Counsel
Strategize long-term to anticipate changes in order to act offensively, rather than giving in to a slow quarter. Viewing the seasonality of your business as a strength will empower you to take command of your company’s vision. Use slow times to create a roadmap to guide your company, building goals and developing strong marketing plans. Assess what tools you have at your fingertips to reach your organizational goals. I encourage you to embrace the possibilities with seasonal businesses. Don’t hesitate to own, purchase, or sell a company because of preconceived notions of how these businesses operate. If a seasonal business does not have a twelve-month revenue stream, seek to create one. As you’ll read in the pages that follow, a business is only as strong as its plan for success. •THE FIRM
Editor • Cortney Sells Editor • Elise Turille-Barnett Contributing Writers • E.A.Baker, Megan DeBoer, Molly Dunning, Makayla Holliday-Kalagias, Bill Zechmann, Brandon Avery
To Subscribe: info@TheFirmB2B.com 210 N. 78th St. Omaha, NE 68114 | 402.998.5288 Advertising Inquiries: 402.884.2000
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Ta k e a L o o k 04
Music City Blooms
06
How Do I Finance My Seasonal Business?
07
Award-Winning Team
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50/50 Revenue Streams
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8 Businesses That Could Change Your Life
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Timing is Everything
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Learning From a Pro
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For the Love of Design
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Hog Farming to Hedging Commodities
How one Nashville entrepreneur created year-round revenue for her seasonal business
Banking options for seasonal business owners
The Firm wins big at The International Business Broker Association Awards
Diversifying your client base to meet the needs of your business
The impact of trends on sale price
Brandon Avery, Farm Bureau Financial Services
Expanding a seasonal landscaping business
Tale of two unlikely partners
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Culture is Key
It's time to adapt to what millennials want in the workplace
Music City Blooms How one Nashville entrepreneur created year-round revenue for her seasonal business by E. A. Baker Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas; these floral holidays guide the seasonal income earned by your local flower shop. With bursts of timeline-driven production, fluctuations in staffing requirements, and inventory management concerns, the floral business is often considered a seasonal enterprise. But, is this the only way to operate? Creations by Debbie offers a strong and resounding rebuttal to the status quo by creating a niche in their community for year-round specialty arrangements, proving that holiday-driven instabilities can be tamed.
ends. Some events take days and even weeks to plan. This involves getting their containers ready, pulling props, as well as getting their flowers ordered, processed and ready to create their special look. We also work with the venue regarding delivery. Therefore, we work on a regular basis.” Despite the event coming and going, there is always another project the next week.
This is especially so during wedding season. Though Creations by Debbie works with brides all year long, the most sought after months for marriages in Nashville Debbie Sumner started Nashville’s Cre- are April, May, September, and October. ations by Debbie in 1976 with a love Debbie designs five to six weddings per of fresh blooms and a desire to create weekend during this time, but throughout something incredible for her clients. Her husband’s business, Events Plus, Inc. directly complements Debbie’s venture as she provides the florals and he provides the wedding drapery. “We chose to specialize in corporate events and weddings so that we don’t have the everyday deliveries and orders to fill. This gave us more time to focus on the important events we were involved with.” As a result, this team can enjoy the holidays, plan for events without drastic staffing fluctuations, and manage the demands of their unique set of clients. When building her client base, Debbie thought of diversification first. The goals were not to produce holiday florals, but to find customers who held events, either one-time or annually, who appreciated her design aesthetic and excellent customer service. Projects now range from weddings to college graduation ceremonies to corporate galas, all of which keep the team busy throughout the week. “We are not just busy on week-
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Deal Intelligence
the year, brides are consistently requesting their services. Despite the intensity of wedding season, these peaks in matrimony are an excellent counterbalance for her second largest client base, corporate accounts. Working for universities, organizations, and businesses alike, Sumner
Deal Review: Creations by Debbie • Location: Nashville, Tennessee • Year Established: 1965 • Cash Flow: $331,291 • Profit Margin: 49% • Employees: 16 • Intangible Assets: Outstanding reputation, long-standing clent relationships, solid team with great experience, excellent social media reviews
is able to stabilize her revenue stream January through December. For owners of seasonal businesses, she advises, “Investigate, keep your eyes open. What can you do to not make your business a seasonal business? What markets can you penetrate to increase sales during those seasonal times?” It took great creativity and resourcefulness to seek out corporate relationships and to build trust. After working with many business customers year-after-year, they simply call Debbie, explain their order, and let her handle the rest. Refusing to stay idle, she sought options that would enable her to build Creations by Debbie into her vision of what a life in floral design meant to her, not resigning herself to the standard, holiday-focused mentality of her competition. With attention on quality of life and designing from her heart, Debbie built an incredible following in Nashville. With flowing and lush works of art that The Firm Deal Review
fluential wedding sites. “The consumer reads these reviews and that results in business generation.” With millennials flexing their purchasing power, even event-based flower shops must adapt and excel in the reviews game to reap the rewards.
“Investigate, keep your eyes open. What can you do to not make your business a seasonal business? What avenues can I go into to go into to increase sales during those seasonal times?”
Debbie Sumner Owner of Creations by Debbie TheFirmBusinessBrokerage.com
rival the design stars of Instagram, her love of floral arranging is palpable in every conversation. “Every bride or client that you work with is different. There is always a challenge to create for your customer what is in their mind. You have to work with them to discover what they like, what they don’t like.” Debbie is nearly clairvoyant in her creative process, blending a client’s colors, feelings, hopes, and dreams into one cohesive design theory that flows throughout an event. Her customers are astounded by her resonance and her ability to seemingly pluck form their minds the perfect arrangements.
But when it’s simply Debbie, fresh blooms, and a client to please, she is always striving for joy before praise. “You have to love people and the opportunity to make somebody’s day. It doesn’t mean that you’re not going to have discouraging days or that you’re not going to get tired. When I’ve reached that point, I’ll get a thank you note in the mail from somebody saying, ‘Debbie, you have made my wedding day beautiful and you can’t know how much I appreciate what you’ve done.’ You have to love what you’re doing. I have a great staff that all works together to create all the wonderful events.” Having built a seasonal business into an annually successful company, she has proven that ingenuity and creativity can re-shape industry expectations. •THE FIRM
The success of Creations by Debbie is extremely evident in the exuberant social media reviews. With the cultural landscape around gifts and purchasing of flowers shifting over time, social media can play an impactful role in the success or failure of a small or seasonal business. Reviews are something she is mindful of at every step. “We are on two of the top websites, which include The Knot and Wedding Wire. We are thankful to say that every wedding we do and every event we do, our customers are so appreciative.” And this is clearly reflected in their perfect reviews on the most inDeal Intelligence
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How Do I Finance My Seasonal Business? Banking options for seasonal business owners by Makayla Holliday-Kalagias
How can I best support an months (as scheduled with your banking ongoing cash flow during institution), which would bring your avai- Does my business qualify for slower months without laying lable amount back to $1MM. a seasonal loan? off my employees? Generally, the three best ways to help the cash flow during slow months for a seasonal business would be to either take out a line of credit, set up deferred payments, or use a seasonal loan.
What is the difference between these three options?
Seasonal Loan – This is a regular loan, but the payment structure is set up differently from your typical loan. During the busier months, the loan payments will be higher. During the slower months, the payments are lowered to an amount that can be supported by the cash flow at that time.
This will depend on your business and the banking institution you use. However, you would generally need to be able to prove a recurring seasonal need for additional funds, lasting longer than one month. Requirements to qualify will vary depending on the bank.
A line of credit is offered to several business industries, so this will not solely depend on the provability of seasonality in your business. They will look at the trends of the business – revenue, longevity, financial ratios, collateral, etc. In the way of approval, it is very similar to getting any other type of business loan.
siness and who you work with. Generally, you will not need proof of financial struggle during certain times of the year. Some banks work with you to make sure you have deferred payments during specific times of the year.
Does my business qualify for Deferred Payment – The easiest Does my business qualify for a deferred payment? way to think of this is like a credit card a line of credit? This again will depend on your bupayment or in-store financing. For example, you don’t have the money to buy a new computer, but the store offers 6 months of deferred payments, so the full amount is paid over the next 6 months versus paying the full amount up front. This would be similar to having a lower cash flow in the winter months, so you take one (or a few) of your bills and set up payments for future months. Line of Credit – A line of credit (LOC) is opening a loan for a set amount. This loan stays open for use as needed. For example, you take out a LOC for $1MM. In December, you need $150K to pay payroll for the month, so you can draw from the LOC. That amount would need to be paid back over the next few
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Deal Intelligence
How do I apply for either a seasonal loan or line of credit? To apply for either a seasonal loan or line of credit, you will need to reach out and work with your banking institution. Most banks will offer these options. If yours does not, your banker will likely be able to point you in the right direction. The Firm Deal Review
Grit. Always confidential. Industry experts. These are three major values that drive The Firm Advisors towards success each day. These core strengths empowered The Firm to rise over 2,000 other applicants in 2018, earning five of the top awards from the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), the largest international non-profit community exclusively serving professional business intermediary specialists across the globe. “As the largest international association for business brokers, it’s important for the IBBA to recognize individuals like Cortney who are leaders in this industry and who display the high standards of skill and excellence that the IBBA promotes,” stated Jeffrey Snell, IBBA Board Chair. The five awards showcase The Firm’s accomplishments in 2018: • Top Deal Maker Award • Selling at least 10 qualified businesses • Chairman’s Circle Award • Closing one or more deals amounting to $3 million or more in total purchase price • Closing of the Year Award • The single largest business deal • Top Global Producer of the Year Award • The highest total purchase price from all deals combined • Top Deal Maker of the Year Award • Selling the greatest number of qualified businesses in 2018 TheFirmBusinessBrokerage.com
Deal Intelligence
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Daniel Ozbun and his team
50/50 Revenue Streams
Diversifying your client base to meet the needs of your business by E. A. Baker
An entrepreneur from the start, Daniel Ozbun may have started his national moving business in high school, but it is a company that has positioned him well for retirement. As a teenager helping his grandparents relocate from California to Arizona, he immediately knew he was made for the moving industry. “When I finished that project, I was still in high school and I decided to do some advertising and pretty soon I was moving people every Saturday and Sunday. I graduated from high school, and it’s been a full time job ever since.” From family customers to international corporate relocations, Ozbun built a company around meticulously addressing the details. “Moving isn’t rocket science but it certainly is detail-oriented. We live and breathe to execute the details flawlessly every day, every move.” Work that requires a rigorous dotting of the i’s is about knowledge, experience, and confidence. He encourages fellow entrepreneurs to, “Learn as much as you can about all of the components of your
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Deal Intelligence
Deal Review: Daniel’s Moving and Storage • Location: Los Angeles, CA • Asking Price: $170,000 • Fair Market Value: $575,000 (‘17 Cash Flow $177,405 * 3.25) • Assets Included in Purchase: $250,000 • Services: Moving, packing, crating, shipment tracking, storage • Owner Responsibilities: Absentee owned
business as quickly as you can so when you are making decisions you can engage them in a way that is meaningful to the result you are trying to drive. Understanding how the details impact the components is critical for astute decision making.” Daniel’s Moving and Storage, has been managing the components of corporate and residential moves for over forty years, but one detail remains in constant flux, the seasonality of moving. For Daniel, success in the moving business has come from balancing a highly seasonal business with other revenue streams that are annually consistent. With 70% of residential moves occurring between May 15 and September 15, Ozbun recognized the need to flatten out his services to generate reliable income throughout the year. Early in his career an opportunity arose while moving a residential customer who happened to work as a property manager for a large financial institution in Phoenix. After receiving superior service in moving her household goods, she contracted with Daniel’s The Firm Deal Review
Moving to manage her company’s relocations. After affirming their high-quality services and spreading the word of their expansion, earning commercial contracts became a daily opportunity. These new efforts were so successful, that rather than balancing out their summer services, commercial work became 75% of the moves completed. Recognizing the shift and understanding that the best approach was to keep the commercial and residential income streams as balanced as possible, Ozbun developed a business plan to stabilize his earnings. “That’s when we moved toward a relationship with Atlas Van Lines. Our goal was to expand the household goods segment to more of a 50/50 revenue stream.” He chose Atlas for their agency-owned approach and the corporate responsiveness to the customer. Ozbun felt that partnering with a van line would help his company maintain a steady flow of residential customers as well as corporate and military relocations. “You can do an office move from $50,000 to $200,000. You might only do one or two on a monthto-month basis, but it takes a great deal of household goods moves to make up that same revenue. Having consistent commercial revenue helps flatten out that really high household goods curve of the summertime.” The partnership with Atlas
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helped to boost residential moving contracts, fostered expansion of the territory, and cross-country services bloomed into a business with multiple locations.
“Someone that is passionate about doing the right thing and helping their customers get from one point to another will have a well-positioned company whether its seasonal or not.” Reflecting on his expansion throughout the United States, with branches in eight states, he acknowledges that having multiple locations is not necessarily the key to higher earnings. “I oversee the Best Practices Council for Atlas Van Lines. We see great success from some of the multi-location owners and we also
see great success from single location owners.” Ozbun emphasized that larger profit margins are often related to owner/ operators who are hands-on throughout their company and who are invested in their local markets as they are often able to manage their business more effectively. “One of the reasons why we started to divest is we wanted to have a smaller footprint so we could manage the business a bit more effectively.” As his team shifts focus once again to better address the needs of his business, effective management and customer outreach are the driving forces behind his impactful changes. Having dedicated service line sales representatives is a key aspect to high-quality customer service as is networking and building relationships with corporate organizations to foster positive, long-term, and trusting relationships. Moving a client’s home goods or transporting a company’s office furnishings is ultimately about responsiveness, trust, and a detailed plan. “I recognize that moving is stressful for my customers and we work really hard to reduce the stress of moving. We do that through a significant amount of preplanning, managing the scope and the goals of the relocation. We then execute seamlessly on moving day.” Roadmaps not only benefit the process of moving, but the business as well. A thorough plan has taken Daniel’s Moving and Storage from a seasonal after school project to a national player by embracing a, “Constant recognition of where you are, where you want to go, and building processes and roadmaps to get you there.” Ozbun continued, “Recognize what drives the seasonality and then mitigate that with other revenues that are your passion. Someone that is passionate about doing the right thing and helping their customers get from one point to another will have a well-positioned company whether its seasonal or not seasonal.” •THE FIRM Deal Intelligence
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8 Businesses That Could Change 1 Oklahoma Paving and Utility Installation Price: $3,919,000 Owner Profit: $979,858
Specialists in concrete construction, utility installation, and the related earthwork, this company is earning over $13MM annually working for municipalities within 90 miles of their headquarters. The company holds millions in equipment and vehicles, ensuring that all assets necessary to continue operations are in place. The team of 75 includes safety and project managers who lead the field team from job development to completion.
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Sales and Rentals of Heavy Construction Equipment Price: $10,400,000 Owner Profit: $2,260,971
Specialists in the sales, rental, and maintenance of heavy construction and foundation equipment, this business earned over $11.8MM in 2018. The professional team can help contractors purchase or rent equipment for their large infrastructure and construction projects. Over $2.7MM in inventory, machinery and parts is on-hand.
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Industrial Painting • $25MM in Sales Price: $19,365,000 Owner Profit: $4,303,363
This Midwest-based company specializes in painting large infrastructure projects and any associated site preparation. With $2.8MM in assets including tools of the trade and company vehicles, all equipment is in place for continued success. The team of union foremen and painters work primarily for general contractors and maximize their awarded contracts through competitive bidding and strong professional relationships.
Environmental Testing and Remediation Price: $3,349,000 Owner Profit: $802,102
A knowledgeable and dedicated provider of environmental testing and remediation services, this Denver area company works with clients to meet their safety and compliance goals. This team has extensive experience working with federal agencies, local municipalities, nonprofit organizations, as well as business owners. The company regularly manages large multi-year contracts ranging from $250,000 - $1,000,000.
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Deal Intelligence
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Vet Practice with 7 DVMs and 21 Professionals Price: $5,050,000 CAD Owner Profit: $869,537 CAD
There are 21 professionals, including seven DVMs, at this Alberta-based veterinary practice. There are also six techs, two assistants, and six administrators. They have been in the area since 1988. The state-of-the-art facility is truly designed to meet the needs of the practice and includes several exam rooms, two surgical suites, an in-house lab, private offices, and indoor animal housing.
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Advanced Tax Preparation and Financial Advising in Chicagoland Price: $1,670,000 Owner Profit: $543,879
The owner is one of five CPAs and is willing to stay on up to 2 years. Located in the Chicago area and filing in 28 states, this company maintains great profit margins year after year! The firm offers income tax preparation, accounting services, financial planning, and advising. Over 13,000 annual billable hours from CPAs and bookkeepers contribute to this successful business.
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Asbestos Abatement and Selective Demolition Price: $4,500,000 Owner’s Profit: $1,058,690
As a prominent player in the asbestos abatement and selective demolition industry of the upper Midwest, this company has shown great growth. The team of well-trained specialists provide exceptional abatement and selective demolition services to industrial (<5%), commercial (90%) and home owners (<10%) alike. With most projects one to two weeks in duration, this company completes 800 jobs per year.
Multifamily and Commercial Plumbing with 5 Master Licenses Price: $1,920,000 Owner Profit: $615,249
Nearly 20 seasoned staff providing service in Johnson/Linn County area! This trusted plumbing business brought in sales of $3,508,229 for 2018 and has over $647,000 in assets. An established reputation for accurate bids and project timeliness leads contractors & clients to repeatedly seek out their services. An experienced team of 17 employees, master plumbers and apprentices work together on projects. TheFirmBusinessBrokerage.com
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Mike and Kathryn Romley with their sons
Timing is Everything:
THE IMPACT OF TRENDS ON SALE PRICE by E. A. Baker
Creating a brand can seduce you with its need for bottomless creativity as can the hope for a secure financial future. The emotional investment necessary to create something bigger than yourself can leave you with little time for anything other than invention, marketing, and growth. In the end, you may have products, a company, and global sales, but often, the story doesn’t play to such a finely-tuned melody. For Mike Romley, ingenuity, passion, and experience are woven throughout his company, Red Cup Living. But for all the hours of effort and his previous experiences scaling companies, the difference between a successful exit and retaining a beloved company came down to one factor, timing. Turn back the clock to when Mike Romley and his wife purchased a new home and immediately added a beautiful brick patio to enjoy the evening Phoenix sun. As all good gatherings happen, friends began gravitating to the Romley’s evening respite, meeting neighbors for the first time that they had lived by for years. “We thought there’s really something cool about having red cups and bringing people together, creating community.” But after working all week and partying Friday evenings, the Saturday morning clean-up also became a regular routine. “I became really tired of throwing away the single-use plastic cups every Saturday morning. We woke up one morning and said, there has to be a reusable and dishwasher safe party cup out there. There wasn’t, and we realized we had to bring them to market.” With this spark, a company was created in 2011, and Mike and his wife embarked on the adventure of creating their lifestyle brand, Red Cup Living.
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Deal Intelligence
The Firm Deal Review
Deal Review: Red Cup Living • Location: Relocatable • Asking Price: $305,000 • Gross Sales: $325,561 • Year Established: 2011 • Products: Drinkware lifestyle brand, 15 SKUs • Patents: 17 • Owner Responsibilities: Less than 15 hours per week • Status: For sale Soon product ideas were flowing and designed. In a previous business Mike co-founded, he developed and marketed kitchenware items worldwide. Knowing that he wanted to expand quickly with multiple SKUs, he decided to pursue overseas manufacturing as the tooling costs in the US were too significant for the new company. In the designing and planning process, he tapped into an established network of manufacturers in Taiwan. “I wanted to go back and work with the manufacturer in Taiwan. I believe you get a higher quality product in Taiwan and, most importantly, Taiwan is an ally of the U.S.” Due to his previous working relationships, Mike did not find working with an overseas manufacturer to be particularly challenging, but quality control and a superior product were more elusive. “There were several different iterations of prototypes before we nailed it. The challenge was being
extremely particular about putting out a world class product, getting it right the first time.” And they did. The cups were sturdy, ready for the dishwasher, and instantly recognizable as a party favorite. Scaling the business was an intense undertaking that brought long work days as well as many sleepless nights. The company stretched to keep up with demand. After creating additional molds to produce at twice the previous capacity, all forecasts pointed to a manageable growth trajectory. That is, until country music favorite Toby Keith released his party anthem "Red Solo Cup" celebrating the iconic party staple. At the release, sales forecasts went from respectable gains to skyrocketing sales. “We created the market and the product category and then the song hit. It significantly helped bring attention, so at some point the products became trend driven.” The trend expanded the category and with it, competition and knock-off products. Despite the creative spirit and resourcefulness with which Red Cup Living developed their brand, the offshore manufacturing behemoths created inferior products at a fraction of the price. Though this company demonstrated forward-thinking by earning 17 design patents, the original red cup itself was not patentable, leaving room for competitors to undercut the premium product. “We got knocked off by very large, significant factories. Retailers came out and imported their own cup at a faction of the cost of ours. Though the quality was not as high, it was still a red cup and it com-
peted. We virtually lost half of our retail customers in a period of months.” Battling large retailers or manufacturers on patent infringement can be costly and smaller companies are often unable to pursue lengthy and costly legal battles. “It’s very time consuming and expensive and we didn’t have the resources. Plus, I’d much rather play offense, than playing defense. At some point it does not make sense to fight the infringers.”
“We created the market and the product category and then the song hit. It significantly helped bring attention, so at some point the products became trend driven.” At their peak, Red Cup Living was valued between $4MM and $7MM, with a higher valuation impacted only by their short operating history. They were sought after for acquisition and licensing, but Romley had faith in his vision of building a lifestyle brand. They created additional products to generate growth, expending capital as well as acquiring and storing costly inventory. “We just knew we wanted to scale the company and you can’t scale significantly with only a
Red Cup Living Products
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handful of proucts. Over the eight years we’ve had the business, we grew into thirty-nine different SKUs.” Rather than focusing on their core items, they pushed ahead. Regardless of their palpable passion for Red Cup Living, sales began to fall, and the trendy song-inspired enthusiasm went the way of all trends. Reflecting on his company’s exponential growth and eventual slowing of sales, he has reckoned with the results and maintains a solid perspective on what happened. It, “was Custom Red Cup too much growth, too fast, and not all of the products were Living Products well received in the market.” The combination of declining sales and a lack of enthusiasm for the wide-ranging product line impacted his ability to sell. “The fact that my business did not sell is more a reflection of the declining revenues, but even with that, I was exposed to a lot of qualified buyers at The Firm and it was a good process.” Receiving feedback from potential buyers has given the Romleys the opportunity to truly ruminate on their Red Cup Living journey. Emphasizing that you cannot build a long-term business based on trends, he encourages other business owners to constantly consider their options. His advice, “Remove your emotional attachment to the business and take the $4MM-$7MM upfront and then go build it again.” Aside from a missed financial opportunity, Romley has gained an invaluable amount of experience and advice to share. “There is an old adage in business, that the first money offered is always the best money. There’s some truth to that. But the main thing, is that I believe that every business is for sale every day and you have to run it that way. Always be prepared, so when you do get that call, you are ready to have a conversation.” To all those entrepreneurs with a great idea, Mike says, “Go for it! A lot of people have ideas and they never execute and always wonder what if.” In the end, Red Cup Living is thriving and creating an undeniable party atmosphere on blocks across this country. “We have cleaned up our product line and are down to 15 core items and all sell very, very well. Due to the war on single-use plastics, we are again seeing renewed interest in our brand and products. Currently, many corporations, cities, and states are legislating against single use plastics. I believe our future is bright and Red Cup Living’s reusable and dishwasher safe partyware is perfectly suited to capitalize on this market dynamic.” So, if you’re celebrating with your friends and family and you see a red cup held in someone’s hand, may it be a reminder that passion, vision, and determination are key to creating a timeless American brand, but timing is everything. •THE FIRM
Interested in purchasing this lifestyle brand? Call The Firm today!
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The Firm Deal Review
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Corporate Safety and Compliance Training Cash Flow: $655,964 Multiple: 3.45 Profit Margin: 40% Reason for Selling: Retirement planning Clients: Corporations with 5-5,000+ employees Classes: 44 Different class offerings Employees: 11 Full-time Seller Training Period: 3-5 Years
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Steel Manufacturing & Project Management Gross Sales: $39,434,598 Cash Flow: $3,694,821 Multiple: 4.1 Reason for Selling: Retirement Equipment and Vehicles Included: $5,296,325 Backlog: $14,182,000 Employees: 68 Full-time Seller Training Period: 1-2 Years
Successful Deals Closed by The Firm ! D L
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Exotic Pet Food and Treats Manufacturer Profit Margin: 34% Multiple: 3.15 Products: Cat food (wet), dog food (dry and wet), cat and dog treats (jerky and freeze dried) Location: Massachusetts and California Ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Responsibilities: Passively owned Manufacturer Locations: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United States Inventory: $280,000 TheFirmBusinessBrokerage.com
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Midwest Manufacturing Company Sales Trends: 39% Growth Profit Margin: 14% Multiple: 3.9 Reason for Selling: Retirement Assets Included in Purchase: $1,100,000 Trademarks: 2 Inventory: $452,280 Seller Training Period: 1-2 Years Service Area: U.S. and Canada with 600 U.S. retailers Deal Intelligence
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What is seasonal business insurance?
Seasonal business insurance is beneficial for businesses who operate during certain times during the year. Business insurance will provide coverage to protect the business in the instance of a covered claim or loss. Seasonal business insurance can also provide coverage for a certain timeframe when the business is operating. I am seeing a trend of many seasonal businesses beginning to operate year-round with online sales as well.
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What is the advantage to purchasing seasonal insurance rather than standard business coverage? One of the primary differences of purchasing seasonal insurance vs. standard business policy is the timeframe to pay expenses. A standard plan will have payment options to pay throughout the year and verification at the end of the policy year. These standard plans typically have a policy period which run on an annual basis. A seasonal business policy will require the insurance costs to be paid in full by the end of season and the verification process completed at end of season. This may be beneficial to have all expenses paid and profits figured soon after the close of the business for the season. Seasonal policies typically are in effect for the time period your seasonal business is running.
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Will seasonal insurance be impacted by certain liability exposures?
As with any insurance, liability can be the primary driver of costs. Depending on the type of business, the risk of harm to a person or property will determine rate. For example: a ski lodge may think they only need liability insurance during the ski season, but they may be sued during the off season if someone is hurt on the property even if the business is not open at the time of injury.
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QUESTIONS
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Does seasonal insurance cover my property year-round?
Seasonal insurance usually only covers a business during the operating season. If the client owns the property, it would be best to have a standard policy which provides coverage year-round. Many standard business policies can have riders for peak season operations that expand coverage limits during the busiest times of the year.
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I have vehicles and equipment that are used for eight months of the year, should I have coverage year-round? Many insurance companies do understand that certain equipment is used only for certain seasons, like a lawnmowing businesses. They may use their lawnmowers during summer months or a snow plowing businesses will use their blades during winter. The insurance company will rate equipment based on its value and use. Unfortunately, there is always the chance of having equipment stolen anytime during the year. In short, you should maintain coverage year-round on your vehicles and equipment.
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Should I consider seasonal workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; compensation?
Workers' compensation covers the employee if they are injured on the job. Having workers' compensation will limit the employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exposure to pay the employee for injury. It is always recommended, and often required by law, to have a workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; compensation policy for any employee.
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How will my business benefit from diversifying my insurance approach? Insurance is one of those things that people hate to pay for, but appreciate if anything goes wrong. Insurance will help cover losses that would be detrimental to operations or the balance sheet. On the farm, if you lose two cows no big deal, but if you lose 40, you are out thousands. If your business has someone slip and fall, you may have to pay to cover their medical expenses. In severe cases, that number could increase to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Insurance will mitigate the risk of the business owner, protecting your livelihood and future.
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Final thoughts?
Business owners should review their insurance policy regularly and ask questions if anything is unclear. They should insure what their business cannot afford to lose, whether that is equipment or employees. Business owners are the most hardworking people in America. They must not forget to ensure their success by having the proper coverage for themselves. They are the drivers of their business, income replacement and retirement plans must not be overlooked.
Brandon Avery Insurance Agent
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The Plan You Needed: The Partner You Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Expect Meet The Award-Winning Team Cortney Sells Cassandra Powers-Satterfield Rene Rademacher
Susanne Miller Makayla Holliday-Kalagias Rachael Rand
Elise Turille-Barnett Jessica Hughes Lori Hulshof
Megan DeBoer McKenna Thorngren Anya Roberts Molly Dunning
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FOR THE LOVE OF DESIGN:
EXPANDING A SEASONAL LANDSCAPING BUSINESS by Molly Dunning
Being a seasonal business in Nebraska doesn't mean you're doomed to zero cash flow in the off-season. It's all about careful planning and creating a strategy to keep the business going through the slower months. That is exactly what Vickie Lea Coonrod accomplished with Vickie Lea Designs, a custom landscape and design business in Omaha. “I wanted to combine what I loved the most, plants and design,” Vickie Lea stated. “In order to keep myself and employees busy year round, working with these two loves, I had to come up with something that worked in every season.” Building upon her design abilities and vast artistic experience, Vickie Lea created a five-season program for creating elegant planters for client’s homes and businesses. The program included installation five times per year and the storage of plants when seasonal varieties would not survive in the harsh Nebraska climate.
Deal Review: Vickie Lea Designs • Location: Omaha, Nebraska • Years in Business: 16 • Profit Margin: 28% • Assets Included: $145,750 • Number of Clients: 450 • Seller Training Period: One to-two years with seller consulting and designing
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As the business grew, professional green-house space was needed. She and her husband bought land near Valley and built greenhouses. This allowed them the opportunity to grow annuals, perennials and to bring in tropical plants year-round. This also allowed her to store tropical plants for clients during the winter months. Vickie Lea was among the first in Omaha to combine beautiful tropical plants and annuals in planters, and becoming a specialist in tropical plants in Nebraska set her apart from the competition. Having the ability to grow her own plants and flowers, as well as the storage of seasonal plants in the greenhouses, provided income through the winter months and sales throughout the year.
Vickie Lea Coonrod
“I wanted to use my talent, which was design and the knowledge of plants, to make the client enjoy their own yard, to get them out into nature.”
While Vickie was designing planters in front of client’s houses, she saw a need that was not being fulfilled. “When working in yards creating planters, I would see other needs to improve my clients’ landscapes,” observed Vickie Lea. “Once I started landscaping for people, their yards would look very different from other yards because of designs intended to enhance their architecture. Neighbors regularly knocked on doors to find out who had landscaped their home.” Very rapidly, by word of mouth, her landscaping design business expanded.
With a solid system in place, Vickie Lea extended her services to include floral arrangements and interior plantscapes with year-round maintenance. She also began designing indoors with beautiful holiday decorations and exterior holiday light installations. The take-down and storage of holiday decorations then provided an additional revenue stream. “When it was cold outside you could be inside maintaining buildings, decorating a staircase, mantels and so forth.” Vickie Lea emphasized.
Business owners are constantly looking for new ways to incentivize their customers to spend during the slow seasons to help their bottom line. Vickie Lea accomplished this by looking at her clients’ needs in each month of the year and filling those needs. By attracting the same kinds of customers through the same products and services that were normally considered “seasonal,” Vickie Lea brought the beauty of the outdoors inside her client’s homes and businesses. “Customers are in need of something year-round, and that diversifies you automatically,” said Vickie Lea. Planter designs are what built the company, providing additional services maintains its success. “I came up with something that would take me through each month, every season, and you can’t do that with just landscaping,” Vickie Lea added. Vickie Lea Designs was sold in 2018 to Shawn Kolterman, but you can still see the yellow trucks driving all around town. Now, as a consultant and designer, Vickie Lea is continuing to work with clients every day. “The most important thing was to use my talent to make my clients enjoy their yards and bring them out into nature,” explained Vickie Lea. “Seeing my clients enjoy creation was always the motivation for my work.” Vickie Lea Designs continues to provide superior award-winning exterior landscaping and maintenance and offers nationally recognized interior plantscapes and designs for all seasons. This year-round landscape and design business services everything from seasonal planter change-outs to complete yard designs. Additional services include consulting, holiday decorating, maintenance and floral designs. Vickie Lea owes her success to the wonderful clients that she has come to know and serve. She looks forward to the continuation of those many personal relationships throughout the coming years. •THE FIRM
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Hog Farming to Hedging Commodities Tale of two unlikely partners by Bill Zechmann, seller Brooks Brown and Bill Zechmann don’t appear at first glance to be a good match. Brooks hails from Charleston, South Carolina and spent his early career in the commodities markets, including a stint trading in the Chicago Board of Trade. Bill spent most of his life in small town Nebraska, growing up a farmer’s son. His first entrepreneurial venture? Selling pregnant pigs. But the two men came together as a perfect match. As a farmer, Bill used futures to hedge against price fluctuations in commodities. And then decided he wanted to help other farmers hedge: “I got my feet wet being a farmer and hedging some of these products and learned the mechanics of how it worked. Then I got the challenge bug. That challenge to beat the markets was something very powerful in me.” Bill
Deal Review: Midwest Futures • Location: Norfolk, Nebraska • Years in Business: Over 25 • Cash Flow: $788,515 • Profit Margin: 52% • Commodities: Corn, wheat, beans, cattle • Number of Clients: 700 Active clients across 30 states • Seller Training Period: Three year transition
started helping clients who wanted to invest and speculate using commodities futures. These clients wanted to beat the markets, too. “I was motivated to help the famers and I loved the speculation side of it too.” So he built Midwest Futures to feature several brokers serving clients around the U.S. Brooks eventually left the Chicago trading pits and started to manage investment funds comprised of commodities futures. But in the last few years, Brooks began to think about moving from managing funds to helping individuals invest in commodities futures. The best way to move into the commodities futures brokerage business? Acquire a business.
Bill Zechmann
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Deal Intelligence
And that company was Bill Zechmann’s Midwest Futures. Brooks acquired Midwest Futures in 2018 and incorporated the company into Husk Trading and Investments. What specifically brought these two men together? Bill fully enjoyed his business, loved working with his clients helping them hedge against price fluctuations in wheat, corn, soy, cattle – all commodities – or speculate and occasionally beat the market. But after years of running the day-to-day business, he wanted to slow down. Bill loved the thrill, not the details. So he decided to sell, but wanted to find a buyer with the right reason for purchasing his firm. “I looked at a lot of different buyers and I probably ended up selling it to the person more than I ended up with the price I wanted. Some
Brooks Brown
The Firm Deal Review
people didn’t fit right for my customers and my current brokers.” After speaking with over 10 perspective purchasers, Brooks Brown rose to the top due to his perspective on the industry as well as his personal background in managing funds. Bill could have sold to another broker, but he liked the fact that Brooks had a background managing funds and knew Brooks could bring his skills to a brokerage. But the lynchpin of the decision was that the two men’s personalities meshed. Despite their different backgrounds, they felt they could trust each other and work well together to help Husk Trading and Investments excel and grow. Bill agreed to remain on staff to guarantee stability and to foster Brooks’ growth in the brokerage side of the business. Brooks said, “I needed to make sure that Bill would help with the transition and that we could strategically work together.” Bill has been able step away from the minutia of running a business and now focuses on passing along his knowledge to a new
generation of brokers while still managing some key clients. Over the past year, Brooks and Bill have persevered together through the com-
modities futures market ups and downs. Bill noted, “We’ve been through some really tough markets since I’ve sold. Husk got to go through the fire and then also saw us come out of the fire very well. We weathered that storm which enabled me to pass my experience along.” Despite the challenges, Brooks has been eager to evolve and adapt, speaking with Bill frequently about strategies in a difficult market and how to address clients’ concerns when the market moves against their positions. Neither Bill nor Brooks shy away from
the variability of the markets. Brooks emphasized, “Everybody can guess, and they can have their opinions, but my biggest belief is that the markets are right in the end.” Bill Zechmann echoed the point and noted, “There’s always risk. You never know what is going to come out of the woodwork. The market tends to get it right because the market is the sum value of everybody’s knowledge.” Brooks and Bill may never have crossed paths if they hadn’t been introduced when Bill wanted to sell his company. Through the company sales process, they learned they could work together. Now they enjoy addressing the challenges of a highly volatile business, together Both Brooks and Bill remain committed to an exciting future for Husk Trading and Investments. With his sights set on the best long-term outcomes for farmers and speculators alike, Brown’s advice to those looking to sell their commodities brokerage firm? “Sell it to me.” •THE FIRM
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Imagine waking up excited to go to work. Instead of snoozing your alarm six times in the morning, you wake up refreshed and energized for a new day in the office. Imagine you work for an organization where your co-workers are also your real-life best friends. A place where the company culture is supportive, empowering, educational and uplifting – this is the reality of working at The Firm.
CULTURE IS KEY:
It's time to adapt to what millennials want in the workplace by Megan DeBoer, millennial
A company’s culture is its personality and values. For many millennials like me, a company’s culture is the main ingredient in where we choose to work. In fact, we value company culture more than any generation before us, according to Forbes. We crave company characteristics that are unique and align with our personal beliefs. More and more every day, millennials are looking for certain things in organizations. We want: • Culture events/team bonding experiences - The Firm specializes in these! From Dinner Detectives to boating on the river to Friday night volleyball, we value the time we spend with one another and our families.
Friday night league
• Rituals & traditions - Have you ever cherished a tradition so much that you literally countdown the months, weeks, days, hours until that thing? That’s how we feel about the Kentucky Derby, Halloween at the pumpkin patch, annual July 4th parties, and more! • Inclusive meetings - The Firm’s team meetings are unlike any other. Each week, we meet for a 10-15 minute “huddle,” where we talk about our goals for the week, any updates we have for the team, and things we need to be cognizant of. Every Wednesday morning, The Firm team runs through an overview of where we are for the week versus where we need to be. This is a great chance to note the items we need to stay front-of-mind on to make our team and personal goals for the week. Then, Friday afternoons, we unwind together for a full weekly review – what goals we hit, what goals we didn’t, what we can improve on, what we blew out of the water. • Dog friendly - Meet Taco, our furriest and cutest employee!
Taco
• Have a relatable mascot - Here at The Firm, we are the Swans – loyal, timely, mindful, full of character and always composed. “It’s important to know each other, our families and integrate those relationships into our workspace,” says President Cort-
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Cortney, Rene, and Cassandra in Thailand
The team at a Dinner Detective event. The Firm Deal Review
ployers up to $550 billion every year in lost productivity. Not only that, but workplace stress costs employers roughly $300 billion annually. Burnout is one of the major factors hurting retention. Further, a strong and healthy company culture that aligns with personal beliefs increases productivity and the quality of work. When productivity goes up, financial health also increases leading to higher salaries and more efficiencies in the workplace. Breast cancer mud volleyball fundraiser
ney Sells. “When you spend just as much time in the office, if not more, as you do at home, it’s inevitable to build connections that are deeper than just being coworkers.” The Firm hires employees based on who they are and tailors the job to fit their strengths and personalities instead of the other way around. Like match-making, but in the workplace. This allows the team to avoid burnout which in turn, helps save the company money. According to a Gallup poll, employees “checking out” of their jobs costs em-
skills while always feeling supported by our Firm family. Because I know that I’m not alone and feel comfortable reaching out to any of my team for help, I’m able to help our clients to the fullest.”
Millennials want a purpose when we come to work. We yearn to feel engaged and know our work truly matters. We’ve become accustomed to the fast-paced era with limitless potential and want a career that allows us to continuously improve and grow. The Firm makes me feel as Not only is The Firm an office, we’re a fa- though I am a part of something bigger mily. We stay in touch both on and off the than just myself and provides fuel to be clock with our mass group chat. In our the best me. •THE FIRM own language, we keep everyone up-to-date and have fun while doing it. Constant gifs, emojis and bitmojis are sent on the daily and makes work much easier when we genuinely enjoy the people and the environment we’re surrounded by. Before coming to The Firm, I didn’t realize it was possible to enjoy working as much as I do. Now, I can’t imagine any other life for myself. Fellow Firm swan Anya Roberts can relate: “The Firm allows me to better my
Derby day!
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Experience you can count on. 117 Current Opportunities
$276 Million in assets under management 121 Days - Average time on the market 250 Closed deals 21 Industries respresented 2018 - Voted Top Business Broker IBBA 24
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