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OMAHA-METRO BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MAGAZINE FALL 2010 VOLUME 10 • NUMBER 4

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FEATURES

COVER STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Sapp Bros. Still Trucking Along

FEATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Who’s the BOSS?

SPECIAL SECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 NABCAP Premier Advisors

OmAHA! redevelopment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A South Omaha Renaissance OmAHA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Cherished Cherries business networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Networking around the Metro arts + entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 DiVentures the know-it-all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 “Yes We Can” office furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Choosing the right office chairs in the office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Kohll’s Pharmacy how i roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Clean “Green” Machine social media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Foursquare

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business ethics ....................................................... 38 Social Media Ethics

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STORY BY LEO ADAM BIGA

PHOTO BY MINORWHITESTUDIOS.COM

A South Omaha Renaissance Kroc Center, Chamber initiative lead the way

The $75 million Salvation Army Kroc Center represents “a neighborhood-changing improvement that makes the area much more attractive and safe,” said Major Todd Thielke, a senior Kroc Center officer.

T

he festive streets, high traffic flow, brisk business and diverse people of South 24th Street are a reflection of the economic engine and cultural melting pot that South Omaha has always been. But today, mariachi music plays instead of polka, tamales rule over dumplings and mixed-use developments stand on ground that used to be stockyards and packing plants. Still, that rich past survives, mixing with a robust present, to keep South O growing.

A Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce initiative called the South Omaha Development Project envisions a new slate of quality of life improvements to make the area even more desirable for residents, employers, workers and visitors.

Project coordinator Karen Mavropoulos and her board are charged with implementing a master plan two years in the making. Architecture, engineering, consulting firm HDR led the study that underpins the plan, unveiled in April to mostly positive reviews.

The 178-page report, which earned Omaha Planning Board approval and awaits City Council endorsement, contains recommendations for transformation.

Before Mavropoulos took the post, she headed micro-business training development for Catholic Charities, a job that sold the Venezuela native on South Omaha’s potential.

She said, “There’s a lot of good things the area has to offer. I see the passion of the community, I see all the opportunities that are there.”

Chief among South O’s assets, she said, is its energy. “It’s a vibrant place with a lot of activity. The 8 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

people are very entrepreneurial.”

State Sen. Heath Mello, a project board member, echoes Mavropoulos’ enthusiasm.

“The South Omaha community has a pull-yourself-up-from-the-bootstraps mentality. That is going to happen with this project, even in a recession,” he says.

The area’s already seen a resurgence. The busy South 24th business district features row upon row of small businesses that attract shoppers and diners amid a colorful, carefully designed streetscape.

“There’s been some great things done,” said HDR’s Doug Bisson, who led the SODP design team. “There’s vibrancy on South 24 Street -- that’s how streets should be, that’s how they always have been, full of activity. That’s what cities are all about.”

The $75 million Salvation Army Kroc Center on the former Wilson packing plant site represents “a neighborhood-changing improvement that makes the area much more attractive and safe,” said senior Kroc Center officer Major Todd Thielke.

South High School’s new Collin Field is a showplace stadium. The repurposed Livestock Exchange Building is a fulloccupancy, mixed-use success. Metropolitan Community College’s South Campus boasts the new South Omaha Library branch.

The Omaha Botanical Center and Henry Doorly Zoo are established, ever-expanding anchors. The Bancroft Street Market and Leavenworth Art Corridor are emerging cultural hubs.

All of it, said Bisson, points to “the synergy going on in South Omaha right now.”

The project is making neighborhoods-

housing, commercial centers-corridors and industry-employment its focused implementation areas. There’s also emphasis on enhancing marketing-tourism and transportation-parking.

Mavropoulos said the project depends on partnerships: “There are a lot of organizations doing very good work. We’re here to see where we can align efforts or create synergies, where we can fit in with expertise to help make things happen.”

Addressing substandard homes and creating new affordable homes are priorities. The project plans a campaign educating property owners about upkeep issues and code violations. She said the project may partner with an existing community development corporation or form a new one to coordinate efforts.

Attracting new industries and filling their labor needs is another priority. “For employers to go into an area, there has to be space available, incentives (tax) and a skilled labor force that lives nearby,” said Mavropoulos. Strategies include reusing former industrial sites, tax increment financing and job training.

In addition to large employers, she said, “We’re going to work with small businesses.”

There’s strong support for a proposed mercado, an incubator for small businesses and artisans in the Plaza de La Raza on South 24th.

“It seems like everyone feels the mercado would be an exclamation point and really help draw in not just area residents but people from throughout the Omaha metropolitan area and probably points beyond,” said Bisson.

Brick-and-mortar changes will take time.

Clearing and cleaning brown fields, for

example, can take years.

“It’s a 20-year plan, people have to understand that,” said Mavropoulos. “Development plans are not immediate, you don’t see changes quickly. I mean, some things will start happening, but they’ll have to do more with education pieces that go out to the community, which creates the groundwork for bigger projects. It is a process.”

With the master plan complete, she said, “Now people just want to see things happen.”

South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance President Duane Brooks said, “There’s almost a wait-and-see attitude on what’s going to come out of this implementation process. There’s an amount of skepticism here in South Omaha because there’ve been so many plans developed over the years.”

Bisson said a vetted plan gives stakeholders and developers confidence to invest.

Mello has no doubt a dynamic slate of new growth will follow.

“We’re going to find ways to implement some of our short-term goals of improving housing stock, encouraging better work force development and educational opportunities, maximizing public infrastructure and community parks and trails. Those are tangible, completely doable initiatives,” said Mello.

“It’s just a matter of bringing the right people to the table for each individual project and following through on that commitment.

“I feel very confident the people leading this project will help some of these short term initiatives come to fruition as we start working towards our longer term goals.”

Visit the project’s website at www.omahachamber.org/sodp/.

Advocacy

To learn more, go to WeKnowChildren.org

Children sometimes won’t — and often can’t — speak for themselves.

Children’s Hospital & Medical Center acts as a voice for those who need to be heard.

Fall 2010 B2B Omaha 9

STORY BY HEATHER HEIER LANE

PHOTO BY MINORWHITESTUDIOS.COM

Cherished Cherries

From an old family recipe comes an exciting new store

In addition to her grandmother’s original cordial, Melissa Hartman sells dessert cherries in a variety of flavors, including tangerine, champagne and bubble gum, at her new Rockbrook store.

M

elissa Hartman is forever indebted to her Grandma Sheldon, the inspiration for her new Rockbrook Village shop, The Cordial Cherry. The store is devoted to the delicious treats so many of us associate with Christmas, all of which are carefully crafted using her grandmother’s coveted recipe.

When you walk into this quaint store you can almost imagine Grandma Sheldon’s kitchen filled with chocolate-covered cherries—and her grandchildren (including Hartman) peeking at the creations in awe. In fact, the shop is filled with mementos and is a definite tribute to family: a door from Grandma Sheldon’s house has been repurposed as a tabletop; her apron hangs in the corner; and the red couch near the entrance was hers as well. Hartman said she’s proud to honor the memory of her beloved grandmother, Jacque, by sharing their love of cordial cherries with her customers.

Hartman, who grew up in Omaha, remembers, “When I was in high school I realized that one day Grandma wasn’t going to be around to make them, and I got sad.” Soon after that, Hartman started begging her grandmother to show her how to transform the simple maraschinos into elegant cordials. Eventually, Grandma Sheldon agreed, and in time Hartman started to make them herself for the holidays. Then, in 2004 while student teaching, Hartman agreed to make some cherries for a craft show fundraiser—and with that, a budding entrepreneur was born. Within hours of that first show, Hartman 10 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

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sold out and immediately realized she was onto something special. She started to sell cherries at various shows, and soon people started making special orders. From early on, Hartman’s customers encouraged her to open a shop; in June, she took their advice.

The original cherry recipe Grandma Sheldon showed Hartman how to make has been perfected, she said. Now, in addition to the original, you can find many different flavors and even different shapes and designs. On any given day you can buy flavors such as piña colada, tangerine, champagne and even bubble gum. And while the basic cherry with a stem is nice, you can also find fun little cherries shaped like baseballs, fish and even baby rattles. Perhaps the most whimsical is a mini ice cream cone filled with a cherry inside and a few stacked on top. All cherries are handcrafted and range in price from $1 a piece for originals, all the way up to $5 each for the more elaborate designs. Hartman takes special orders and has even incorporated corporate logos and mascots into the designs.

Sadly, Grandma Sheldon died in 2005, long before The Cordial Cherry opened its doors. Yet she was definitely aware of her granddaughter’s inherited gift, and was proud of Hartman’s enthusiasm and the success she’d had with early craft shows. Hartman says fondly, “She would compliment me, saying how much better I made them.” And the family tradition continues. You will often find Hartman’s four children hanging out in the shop, and Hartman’s mother helps make the cherries. Hartman’s husband and father built everything in the store, and her sister did all the marketing.

The Cordial Cherry is a special place. A place to get some treats for your own family, and perhaps even more so, a place to be reminded of why family recipes—and family businesses—are so special.

For more information visit www.thecordialcherry.com

CB: Business Exchange Group I ♦♦ Every First and Third Thursday @ 7:30 AM Chamber Office - Council Bluffs

Wahoo Mason’s Pancake Breakfast ♦♦ Every Third Saturday @ 9:00 AM Masonic Lodge - Wahoo

Tuesday Noon Networking ♦ Every Tuesday @ 12:00 AM Prestige Lounge: 168th & Pacific - Omaha

ITCouncil.org in the Presentation Room, Atrium Level ♦ Every First and Third Thursday @ 7:00 AM DTN: 9110 W. Dodge Rd - Omaha

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Bellevue Kiwanis ♦ Every Thrusday @ 7:00 AM Americana Bistro: 25th & Capehart - Bellevue

MBA: The Big Red Referral Group ♦ Every Wednesday @ 11:45 AM Vincenzo’s: 144th and Blondo - Omaha

Bellevue Kiwanis Club ♦ Every Thrusday @ 7:00 AM Holiday Inn Express - Bellevue

Metro Omaha Business Coalition (MOBC) ♦♦ Every Wednesday @ 11:30 AM LePeep: 120th and Blondo - Omaha

LVCOC - LEADers Referral Group ♦♦ Every Thursday @ 8:00 AM Chamber Office - Omaha

Omaha Rotary♦♦ Every Wednesday @ 12:00 AM The Field Club of Omaha: 3615 Woolworth - Omaha

LVCOC Tuesday Leaders Referral Group ♦♦♦ Every Thursday @ 8:00 AM 84th Street Cafe: 8013 South 83rd Av - La Vista

Optimist Club - Club # 10085 ♦♦ Every Wednesday @ 12:00 AM Westside Community Conference Center: 3534 So 108th St - Omaha

Ralston Business Exchange Network ♦♦♦ Every First and Third Wednesday @ 7:30 AM First State Bank: 72nd & Main St - Ralston SCOC: Toastmasters ♦♦ Every First and Third Wednesday @ 8:00 AM Shadow Lake Town Centre: 7775 Olson Drive, Suite 207 - Papillion Build Your Own Business Referral Group (BYOB) ♦♦ Every First Friday @ 11:30 AM Millard Plaza Ballroom: 5339 South 139 Plaza - Omaha Omaha AstroClub ♦ Every First Friday @ 7:30 PM UNO in the Durham Science Center Room 169 - Omaha Spirit World Tasting ♦♦ Every First Thursday @ 6:00 PM Spirit World: 7517 Pacific St - Omaha Turning Point Youth Ministry Campus ♦ Every First Wednesday @ 12:00 AM Big Mama’s Kitchen & Catering: 3223 N. 45th Street, Bldg. A - Omaha OWCOC: Quarterly Luncheon Meeting ♦♦ Every Forth Wednesday @ 12:00 AM Green Drinks Omaha ♦ Every Forth Wednesday Every Two Months @ 5:30 PM Whole Foods Market: 10020 Regency Circle - Omaha Kiwanis Club of Omaha ♦ Every Friday @ 11:45 AM Scott Conference Center: 6450 Pine St - Omaha MBA - TGIF Referral Group ♦♦♦ Every Friday @ 12:00 AM Millard Plaza Ballroom - Millard Omaha West Rotary ♦♦ Every Friday @ 12:00 AM Ironwood Golf & Country Club - Omaha Millard Rotary ♦ Every Monday @ 12:00 AM Bel Air Banquet Room: 12100 West Center Rd. #520 - Omaha Grow Omaha airs live each Saturday ♦ Every Saturday @ 8:00 AM News Radio 1 - Omaha The Omaha Empowerment Breakfast ♦ Every Second Friday @ 7:00 AM Park Plaza Regency Lodge: 909 South 107th Ave - Omaha Friends of Joslyn Castle ♦ Every Second Tuesday Except July, August @ 11:45 AM Joslyn Castle - Omaha PRSA - Professional Development Luncheons ♦♦ Every Second Tuesday Except July, August @ 11:30 AM Ironwood Country Club: 128th & Pacific St. - Omaha Omaha Coin Club ♦ Every Third Friday @ 7:00 PM The Paralyzed Veterans of America building: 7612 Maple Street - Omaha

MBA - Thursday Nooners Referral Group ♦♦ Every Thursday @ 12:00 AM Le Peep: 17660 Wright Plz near 178th and Center - Omaha Media Day at the Omaha Press Club ♦ Every Thursday @ 11:30 AM First National Center: 16th & Dodge Streets - Omaha Optimist Club - Club # 10015 ♦♦ Every Thursday @ 7:00 AM Westside Community Center: 108th and Grover - Omaha Realtalkers - Toastmasters International ♦♦ Every Thursday @ 7:30 AM Omaha Area Board of Realtors: 11830 Nicholas Street - Omaha Suburban Rotary ♦♦ Every Thursday @ 12:00 AM Anthony’s Restaurant & Lounge: 144th and F Street - Omaha Center Sphere Business Professional Networking Group ♦♦ Every Tuesday @ 8:00 AM Funny Bone Village Pointe: 17305 Davenport Street - Omaha Northwest Rotary ♦ Every Tuesday @ 12:00 AM Champions Run - Omaha Northwest Rotary ♦♦ Every Tuesday @ 12:00 AM Champions Run - Omaha Omaha Leads Club I ♦♦ Every Tuesday @ 11:45 AM Valentino’s: 108th between L & Q Streets - Omaha Omaha Leads Club II ♦ Every Tuesday @ 11:30 AM Garden Cafe: Rockbrook, 108th & Center - Omaha Omaha Morning Rotary ♦♦ Every Tuesday @ 7:00 AM Happy Hollow Country Club: 1701 S 105th St, Omaha - Omaha Optimist Club ♦ Every Tuesday @ 12:00 AM Westside Community Center: 3534 So 108th St - Omaha Southwest Omaha Night Rotary ♦♦ Every Tuesday @ 5:15 PM Prestige: 810 S 169th - Omaha

Rotary Club of Omaha (Downtown) Every Wednesday @ 12:00 AM Field Club of Omaha: 3615 Woolworth - Omaha Sunrise Lions Club Meeting♦ Every Wednesday @ 7:00 AM The Market Basket Restaurant: 911 South 87th Avenue - Omaha L.I.F.T. Luncheon Group ♦ First Thursday @ 11:30 AM Venice Inn: 6920 Pacific St - Omaha BCOC: Chamber ChitChat ♦♦ Last Friday @ 7:30 AM Chamber Office - Bellevue Conversations with Neuroscientists at KANEKO ♦ 18/10 @ 6:00 AM KANEKO: 1111 Jones St. - Omaha KANEKO presents Creativity: An Open Interview with Joan Acocella ♦♦ 27/10 @ 7:30 PM KANEKO: 1111 Jones St. - Omaha KANEKO presents Promoting Peace Through Education with Greg Mortenson ♦♦ 14/01 @ 7:30 PM KANEKO: 1111 Jones St. - Omaha KANEKO presents Waiting for the Magic Man with Fletcher Benton ♦♦ 29/10 @ 6:00 PM KANEKO: 1111 Jones St. - Omaha National Cartoonists Society; North Central Chapter ♦ 02/10 @ 6:00 AM KANEKO: 1111 Jones St. - Omaha Omaha Press Club Show ♦ 26/03 @ 5:30 PM Mid-America Center: One Arena Way - Council Bluffs Stanford Lipsey Exhibit at KANEKO ♦♦ 29/04 , 30/04 , 01/05 , 02/05 , 03/05 , 04/05 , 05/05 , 06/05 , 07/05 , 08/05 , 09/05 , 10/05 , 11/05 , 12/05 , 13/05 , 14/05 , 15/05 , 16/05 , 17/05 , 18/05 , 19/05 , 20/05 , 21/05 , 22/05 , 23/05 , 24/05 , 25/05 , 26/05 , 27/05 @ 1:00 PM KANEKO: 1111 Jones St. - Omaha Urban League of NE Young Professionals Meeting ♦ 18/10 , 15/11 , 13/12 , 10/01 , 07/02 , 07/03 , 04/04 , 02/05 @ 5:30 PM Urban League of Nebraska - Omaha

Fall 2010 B2B Omaha 11

S TO R Y B Y S T E P H A N I E LY N A M

PHOTO BY MINORWHITESTUDIOS.COM

DiVentures

Omaha’s unique scuba and swim center attracts attention

Avid divers Dean Hollis, in red, and Mark Roberts opened their own scuba shop in 2009. “[DiVentures customers] come from all walks of life — people who love water, people who want to love water, and people that are simply curious,” Hollis said.

A

nautical-looking building dotted with portholes—in Omaha—is bound to attract a lot of attention. DiVentures Scuba and Swim Center at 120th & I streets is doing just that. “Some people come by just to see, ” said co-owner Mark Roberts, referring to the portholes, “or some call them bubbles.”

The DiVentures facility—designed by Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture and built by LundRoss Constructors—includes an indoor pool with depths of 3½ to 14 feet, holding 164,000 gallons of water. It’s home to a multi-faceted business offering scuba dive courses, swim lessons for ages 6 months to adults, scuba equipment sales, rental and repair, and even travel to exotic scuba destinations. The scuba and swim center serves as a unique venue for corporate events and hosts pool parties for kids as well.

The idea for DiVentures materialized a few years ago when Roberts and friend Dean Hollis, while in the Nicaraguan jungle on a mission trip with a Christian group, talked about the need for a one-stopshopping diving business in Omaha. After more than two years of planning and talking with other 12 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

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dive shop owners, DiVentures was launched and operated out of a temporary location for about a year. The business relocated to their new, permanent facility near 120th Street in May. “We both had an interest and passion for diving,” Hollis said. The Omaha men are certified divers—Hollis a diver since the age of 16 in Florida, and Roberts certified for the past 10 years. Hollis and Roberts also shared the desire to try something new after retiring from business careers at ConAgra and computer software companies, respectively.

Dozens of courses are offered at DiVentures, including the Discover Scuba Diving course, a quick introduction available three times a week (no certification earned). The popular Open Water Diver course earns a lifetime certification and involves classroom time, confined water dives in the pool and open water dives. It takes two to six weeks on average to earn a scuba diving certification, which can be earned as young as age 10. There are usually about four to eight students in a class. Families commonly take these courses together, Roberts said.

Many specialty dive courses are offered at DiVentures, including the Boat Diver course and Digital Underwater Photography course. The travel department arranges dive trips to Belize, the Bahamas and Australia, among other destinations.

Roberts and Hollis don’t have one favorite location to dive, but go to different places for different reasons, although they both agree the Caribbean is hard to beat.

About a third of the business comes from lessons and classes, a third from equipment sales and service, and a third from travel, Hollis said. One surprise they’ve seen? The large number of adults taking swim lessons.

There seems to be no one type of DiVentures customer. “They have been from all walks of life — people who love water, people who want to love water, people that are simply curious,” he said.

For more information on DiVentures, visit their web site at www.diventures.net.

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cover story

Story by Corey Ross

•

Photos by minorwhitestudios.com

Bill Sapp, at left, enjoys a cup of coffee with brother Lee at their Ashland travel center.

Still Trucking Along

With their nationwide travel center business on the brink of its 40th anniversary, the surviving Sapp brothers – Bill and Lee – share their life stories of family, the Depression, war, and business success in a new book.

A few minutes into an interview with the surviving Sapp brothers, Bill and Lee, owners of Sapp Bros. travel centers, one of the secrets of their business success becomes abundantly clear.

14 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

The clarity comes from an answer Bill Sapp, youngest of the four original brothers, gives about a book to be released this fall detailing their life stories, from life in rural Nebraska to growing up during the Depression to their military service and then ultimately, to the brothers becoming Nebraska business icons.

So why did Bill, 69, and Lee, 71, write the book?

“Because we’re the only ones left to tell the story,” Bill says, answering the question quite literally.

That sort of common-sense thinking has guided the Sapp Bros. company through decades of business success. Next year their most renowned business success, their travel centers, will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

That upcoming anniversary seemed an appropriate time to reflect, and The Sapp Brothers’ Story: Tough Times, Teamwork, & Faith provides ample insight into the Sapps, including how they built their truck stop empire, recognized by many by its iconic coffee pot.

The Sapp Brothers’ Story, published by Addicus Books, is 234 pages of alternating narratives told by the brothers. Lee Sapp succinctly boils the theme of the book down to the following: “Hard times will always come again, but you endure by realizing it’s all about people and taking care of them.”

That philosophy, steeped in the Sapp brothers’ Christian faith, has guided the business and continues to. The brothers are currently renovating the restrooms in all 16 truck stops so all of them can honestly say, as Ogallala and Sydney do, that they’re the cleanest around.

Attention to detail and a focus on excellence has grown the business from their single stop in Ashland, opened in 1971, to a chain that stretches from Salt Lake City to Clearfield, Pa. Among other business ventures, the Sapps had an auto dealership and a semi-truck dealership before buying the 52-acre parcel of land in Ashland that became the truck stop. (To read more about this, refer to the book excerpt on page 19.) The original motivation was to provide a more convenient location to service their truck customers. Moving from 11th and Pierce Streets in downtown Omaha

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16 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

cover story continued from page 15

Struggling in these difficult economic times?

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to just a few hundred yards off the newly opened interstate provided better access.

The decision to expand their dealership into a full-blown truck stop came after Bill Sapp toured several successful truck stops throughout the Midwest and learned the tricks of the trade—and came up with a few of his own.

From the start, the brothers decided not to sell alcohol or pornography at their stops.

More than their Christian faith guided the decision. Bill Sapp says the move was just good business and symbolic of the relationship the Sapps sought with their customers.

“We try to do everything we can to not encourage people because we know people, especially truckers, are on the road away from wife and family,” he says. “They can stop next door and buy something. But if they buy a six-pack and have a wreck, that’s really hard on insurance on those trucking companies.

“We’ve always tried to do what’s best for our customers.”

Another key to the Sapps’ success has to been to require each of their truck stop managers to make their center shine in one particular area. For instance, Bill Sapp claims the stop in Cheyenne, Wyo., has the best truck service center in the country.

Another has the best Burger King. The area of excellence isn’t the same at any two stops, Bill says, and is dictated by that manager’s particular strengths.

“If you excel at something, that will make people want to come back,” he says.

“For instance, in Cheyenne truckers will drive an extra 100 miles to have their truck serviced by us.”

Semi-trucks are still a big part of the business, but car traffic (“four-wheelers, as the Sapps call them) is just as important now, thus the term “travel center” has phased out “truck stop.”

That shift, and changes in the trucking industry, have provided the Sapps many challenges over the years, but they mostly have been up to the task.

Lee Sapp says, “None of us are perfect.

We all fall short. But the bottom line in life is this: What can we do to help our brother?”

By any measure, the Sapps have done a lot.

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cover story

Excerpt from The Sapp Brothers’ Story: Tough Times, Teamwork, & Faith From Truck Stops to Travel Centers: Bill Sapp The good news back in 1966 was that we were selling so many GMC trucks we needed a bigger place.

The bad news was that truckers were complaining that our off-the-beaten path GMC location in downtown Omaha was hard to find and difficult to get into because of the narrow streets.

Knowing all of this, we brothers discussed trying to find a location just off the interstate, so truckers could get right off and then right back on the road. When a real estate agent approached us in 1967 about land that was in a very good location right on the interstate, we were ready to listen. He said the parcel was a fifty-two-acre lot at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 50 near Omaha, and we could buy at a very reasonable price.

The idea behind purchasing this land, of course, was to move the GMC dealership from Omaha and rebuild it out there. Lee and I decided that moving the GMC dealership was the thing to do, and we convinced the other brothers of it. We were all pretty aggressive thinkers, and we just felt like we didn’t have room to grow and improve in downtown Omaha. So, we negotiated a deal and bought the fifty-two acres of farmland.

Soon after our purchase, however, we realized we might be in over our heads, although GMC headquarters had sent us a letter saying it was okay for us to find some land to build a larger dealership on.

We learned we would have to get commercially rezoned in Sarpy County. We didn’t have any streets, water, sewers, level land—nothing. Here we were going to move our dealership from downtown all the way out there to this intersection that was not developed. We would have to build everything and pay for it ourselves, which was going to be Mission Impossible because we didn’t have much cash at that point. We weren’t at all sure we could come up with the kind of money we needed to build roads and get everything to operate a successful dealership.

But then a real blessing came along, although we didn’t necessarily view it that way at the time.

Our GMC dealership was in Douglas County, and the land we bought was in Sarpy County. There was already a GMC dealer in the small town of Papillion in Sarpy County at that time, and he told General Motors that we shouldn’t be allowed to infringe on his franchise territory since this was a franchised area. That latest glitch in our plans made Dean came up with a great idea: Why not build a truck stop on the land? When we looked at the intersection and the property with that thought in mind, we could see it had tremendous potential for future development.

At that time, the fifty-mile interstate route from Lincoln to Omaha had been open to traffic for only about five years. Interstates were a relatively new concept then. America was only 10 years into the whole idea of President Eisenhower’s interstate highway system. In Nebraska, Interstate 80 existed only in short bits and pieces of unconnected highway in some places.

Considering history, and I like to do that, it seemed that commerce was bound to develop and grow along the interstate as it had along other transportation routes like the railroad and before that along the rivers and waterways.

In 1967, Interstate 80 showed the promise of becoming one of the most traveled highways in the country, both for trucks and automobiles. Beginning in downtown San Francisco, the highway was meant to stretch all the way across the country to Teaneck, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City, with Omaha almost smack dab in the center between those two cities. That made the prospects for a truck stop look very bright.

Add to that calculation the steady traffic flow on Highway 50, bringing trucks from the south into Omaha, and we had a convincing equation for business success.

Recognition

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Fall 2010 B2B Omaha 19

feature

Story by Judy Horan

•

Photos by minorwhitestudios.com

Chamber Vice President Butler says members want networking above all else. “It’s their opportunity to network with people who sit at the same level they do, connect with somebody who’s walked in their shoes.”

Who’s the BOSS? Chamber program provides networking for company CEOs, owners and presidents

Omaha’s mayor asked to speak to the group. Congressman Lee Terry called to say he would appreciate their input. The governor wanted to share with them his thoughts on the Nebraska economy and other issues of interest to small business.

What is this highly respected group in such demand? It’s BOSS —Business Owner Success Series—an invitation-only group made up of members of the Greater Omaha Chamber who are business owners, presidents and CEOs. It’s exclusive, and members like that.

BOSS was launched by James Butler, the Chamber’s vice president of member services last year.

“We set it up last September (introduced during a dinner and golf outing) thinking larger companies would take advantage of it.

I’m happy to say, it’s quickly becoming a small-business-dominated organization.”

At the Chamber, more than 81 percent of the 3,300 members are small businesses with 50 or fewer employees.

BOSS was the idea of Chamber President David Brown, who wanted to offer networking at the highest level, while making it as educational and informative as possible.

Butler says members want networking above all else. “It’s their opportunity to network with people who sit at the same level they 20 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

do, connect with somebody who’s walked in their shoes.”

At one meeting, members played a networking game. They received a number, went to that table, and talked about themselves.

“It got the ball rolling,” says Butler, “We had trouble getting people out the door.”

Meetings have taken place at various locations that the Chamber thought members would enjoy—Gallup, Durham Museum, the Rave Theater, and at Jet Linx Aviation where Craig Pearce, the founder of the Institute for Innovative Leadership at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, spoke. His message in May was about entrepreneurial leadership.

“I think members walked away with a feeling they had insight into what’s expected of a leader in small business,” Pearce told us as he prepared to leave to give a speech in Montreal. “Leadership is a thing to be shared. We’re in an age of knowledge. We need leadership from everybody if we’re to succeed.”

He accepted the invitation to speak to BOSS because he saw the group as engaged and desiring knowledge. “It’s always nice to connect with leaders who impact the lives of people day-to-day.”

Because of the enthusiastic acceptance of the quarterly BOSS meetings, Butler introduced “mini BOSS meetings.” They’re smaller

and issue- or event-based. The first was with Congressman Lee Terry in June.

“He wanted feedback from our members and gave his perspective on what’s going on in Washington,” Butler says. “There were a lot of questions about the future for small business, health care reform, and cap and trade.”

Health care reform also was the topic when Omaha native Patrick Cooney, president of a Washington, D.C., lobbyist firm, spoke to BOSS members on June 18 at the Rave Theater.

A capacity crowd gathered at Gallup to hear Jim Krieger, Gallup’s vice chairman and CFO, and Dr. Gale Muller, chief consultant of Gallup World, discuss the firm’s work.

Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle asked to meet with the group on July 1 to discuss his 2011 budget, taxes and other Omaharelated issues. Then on Aug. 10, Gov. Dave Heineman met over coffee with members for a wide-ranging talk about small business and the Nebraska economy. Held at Metro Community College’s Culinary Institute, the event was limited to 200 members Dacia Kruse, the Chamber’s public policy lobbyist, sat down with BOSS to receive input about the Chamber’s public policy strategy for 2011.

By the end of 2010, BOSS will have hosted four quarterly and seven mini BOSS events including the BOSS annual golf outing. “We found the quarterly events attract members that haven’t been to events in years,” Butler says.

Chamber member Dave Marples, head of CFO Omaha Inc., has attended every BOSS and mini BOSS event. “BOSS was designed to bring together people who have a common interest, owners of businesses faced with the same types of problems.

Bosses are faced with different problems than their marketing director.

“The meeting with the mayor at Durham Museum gave us an opportunity to give him a unified response that taxing us is not going to solve the city’s problems,” Marples says.

He says meeting with the Chamber’s lobbyist gave him a voice. “When you have a voice in state and local government through the Chamber of Commerce, all of a sudden my voice becomes magnified by hundreds of others.

“Without BOSS, each one of us would be floundering around, trying to make our voice heard.”

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special section

Premier Wealth Advisors

For the first time, B2B Omaha Magazine presents a list of the top financial advisors in Omaha/Lincoln, according to NABCAP. What follows is a list of this year’s winners and a closer look at some of the region’s top financial specialists.

How They Do It The primary focus of the National Association of Board-Certified Advisory Practices (NABCAP) is to serve the investing public by helping identify top wealth managers. NABCAP, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and its board of directors created an unaffiliated evaluation process in which 20 categories of practice management are assessed. Advisors are invited (and/or nominated) to participate, and then a multistep verification process uses independent resources to assess the accuracy and truthfulness of the information submitted by participating practices. NABCAP’s unbiased approach produced the final 2010 Omaha/Lincoln Premier Advisors list found on pages 23-24). Rather than merely winning a popularity contest, the financial professionals on this list have met an objective standard of excellence. For a detailed description of the process, visit nabcap.org.

How To Use It While NABCAP’s evaluation process is comprehensive, not every practice on the Premier Advisors list will fit you as an investor. To best use the list, NABCAP first recommends narrowing the list by average client size. Select practices whose average client’s assets are between a quarter and a half the size of where you estimate yourself to be — if you have approximately $2 million of investable assets, look for practices with an average client size of $500,000–$1 million — so you will fall within the top 20 percent of a practice’s clientele. Also look at each practice’s top five specialties and designations to be sure they align with your individual needs. Try to select at least three practices to interview so you can evaluate their different personalities, service models, and practice methodologies.

NABCAP’s focus is to provide objective differentiation between financial advisory practices and, through its evaluation process, to help add transparency to the financial services industry. Even though the NABCAP Premier Advisors list is comprehensive, it should not be considered exhaustive, and the disclaimers on page 24 should be considered.

ALIR Group Merrill Lynch

$1,345,000

45

Beukelman Group UBS Financial Services Inc.

$1,760,000

86

Bob Bennie Wealth Management, Inc. LPL Financial

$640,000

Bob Kenny RBC Wealth Management

6:4

CFP FP,IM,PP,LM,CM

Omaha 402-496-5115

3:2

CFP,CIMA FP,BP,EP,PM,CM

Lincoln 402-328-2084

125

1:3

CFP RP,FP,EP,PM,CM

Lincoln 402-421-2626

$170,000

226

1:1

RP,IM,RS,PM,CM

Omaha 402-392-6100

Cambridge Advisors Inc. Schwab Institutional

$670,000

45

5:1

CHFC,CFA RP,FP,IM,PM,AM

Omaha 402-697-1166

Carson Wealth Management Group LPL Financial

$715,000

83

12:8

CFP,CPA,CHFC,CLU RP,HP,IM,BP,CM

Omaha 402-330-0808

22 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

Christopher Scott UBS Financial Services Inc

$1,000,000

Dworak McEwen Winner Group UBS Financial Services Inc.

$1,160,000

Egermier Wealth Management Group LPL Financial

40

1:1

RP,FP,RM,ES,CM

Omaha 402-963-2969

72

4:3

CIMA FP,IM,EP,PM,CM

Lincoln 402-420-7799

$200,000

82

5:2

CHFC,CFP RP,FP,WP,PM,AM

Omaha 402-861-9696

Ethen Bagley Group Merrill Lynch

$445,000

143

2:2

CFP RP,FP,IM,PM,CM

Omaha 402-496-5192

Feltz WealthPLAN LPL Financial

$580,000

141

6:4

CFP,CFA RP,FP,IM,CM,AM

Omaha 402-691-0200

Frank J. Ward Ameriprise Financial

$150,000

600

1:1

RP,FP,SP,IM,CM

Omaha 402-397-1600

Furstenau Financial Management LPL Financial

$165,000

290

1:2

RP,WP,IM,PM,CM

Neligh 402-887-4302

Hammes Seymour Adams Financial Group UBS Financial Services Inc.

$275,000

133

3:1

CIMA,CFP RP,FP,RS,RM,CM

Omaha 402-397-1600

Jeff Sharp SilverStone Group

$1,850,000

50

2:5

CHFC,CLU,CFP RP,WP,IM,EP,CM

Omaha 402-964-5440

Judge/Rose/Riggs Group Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

$270,000

165

3:1

CPA,CRPS,CFP RP,WP,EP,CM,SA

Omaha 402-397-0900

Kerlik, Sadler & Associates Ameriprise Financial

$115,000

166

3:0

CFP RP,FP,WP,EP,CM

Omaha 402-334-7265

The Korkow Group-- Craig D Korkow Merrill Lynch

$765,000

150

1:3

CFP RP,FP,WP,RS,RM

Omaha 402-496-5127

The Militti Group Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

$760,000

50

3:1

RP,FP,EP,CM,AM

Omaha 402-399-1513

The Mindock-Nelson Group Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

$700,000

75

2:2

CFP RP,WP,IM,EP,LM

Omaha 402-399-6337

Moylan Kropp Retirement Planning, LLC Securities America

$280,000

300

2:3

CHFC,CLU,CPA,CFP RP,FP,WP,EP,CM

Omaha 402-390-9066

Mundy & Associates NFP Securities

$645,000

2:4

CIMA,CPWA,CHFC,CLU

Omaha 402-398-1103

Revolution Group, LLC LPL Financial

$225,000

85

1:2

RP,WP,EP,PM,CM

Omaha 402-933-3371

Slatterys & Hruby Group Merrill Lynch

$1,000,000

121

3:2

CIMA,CFP RP,RM,EP,PM,CM

Omaha 402-496-5109

Windy City Wealth Management Schwab Institutional

$475,000

12

1:0

RP,FP,PM,CM,AM

Omaha 402-614-2023

80

RP,IM,EP,PM,AM

Fall 2010 B2B Omaha 23

Credentials Index: CEP- certified estate planner CFA- chartered financial analyst CFP- certified financial planner CIMA-certified investment management analyst CAIA- chartered alternative investment analyst CPWA- certified private wealth advisor

CHFC- chartered financial consultant CRPS- chartered retirement plans specialist CLU- chartered life underwriter MCEP- master certified estate planner CPA- certified public accountant AIF- Accredited Investment Fiduciary

Specialties Index: RP: Retirement Planning FP: Financial Planning EP: Estate Planning SP: Special Needs Planning PP: Philanthropic Planning BP: Business Planning

WP: Wealth Preservation/ Insurance CP: Capital Preservation CM: Comprehensive Wealth Management AM: Asset Allocation Management

PM: Portfolio Management IM: Investment Management RM: Risk Management LM: Liability Management RS: Retirement Services CS: Corporate Services

FS: Family Office Services ES: Executive Services PA: Professional Athletes HP: High Profiled Individuals LC: Low Cost Provider SA: Separately Managed Accounts

Disclaimers:

[a] To ensure the best interests of the investing public, NABCAP does not accept financial support from advisory practices, financial institutions, or the media in exchange for beneficial reviews, rankings, or industry insight. NABCAP is not affiliated with any advisor or financial institution participating in the survey. [b] Selecting a NABCAP Premier Advisor is no guarantee as to future investment success nor is there any guarantee that the selected financial advisory practice will be designated as a Premier Advisor by NABCAP in the future. [c] The inclusion of a financial advisory practice on the NABCAP Premier Advisors list should not be construed as an endorsement of the financial advisory practice by NABCAP or B2B Omaha Magazine. [d] Although NABCAP invites all advisors in a market to participate, the final decision lies with the advisor, and as such, there may be advisors who would qualify but do not appear on the list as they chose not to participate, and if they were included, some advisors on this list would not have been included. [e] NABCAP screens candidates for regulatory compliance issues: Checks and balances are imposed to limit the inclusion of an advisor with a negative regulatory history or multiple client complaints. These checks and balances include the following: [i] NABCAP requires financial advisors to be registered/licensed financial advisors in good standing with state and federal regulatory bodies. In addition, NABCAP requires financial advisors to be in compliance with their respective broker/dealer or affiliated representation. [ii] NABCAP reviews each financial advisor and support staff’s U-4 or ADV to verify

their employment and compliance record. [iii] If an advisory practice makes the list with a settlement on its record, we recommend investors inquire with the advisory practice and with its supervisor for the nature of the settlement. [f] The supervisor survey is structured to make it equally easy for a respondent to give negative or positive responses, and the method of calculating results incorporates both negative and positive survey responses. [g] The client-survey portion of the evaluation process is optional. Client input does not impact the overall score for participants nor is it a reflection of client satisfaction in any way.

The aggregate of client surveys that are received are given back as feedback to the advisor.

The information is not published or distributed. [h] NABCAP does not perform subjective analysis of the survey results but assigns numerical ratings based on questionnaire and survey responses as well as third-party verification. [i] 5,000+ direct contacts were made via email in Nebraska and 40,000+ indirect to the magazine subscribers for participation/nomination of participants. Premier Advisors list will not exceed 3.5% of each market’s financial advisory practices [j] NABCAP created the methodology and process. Rank Premier Advisors is contracted to administer the evaluation process. [k] All profiles in the special advertising section following this article were sold exclusively by B2B Omaha Magazine and not endorsed in any way by NABCAP. B2B Omaha Magazine is exclusively responsible for all advertisements.

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE’S

wealthmanagement

WINNERS

The Militti Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

What is your philosophy on what it means to be a financial advisory practice?

The Militti Group’s philosophy is driven by ethos and professionalism. Trust is paramount for a relationship to flourish. Trust is only built by showing great character and integrity over an extended period of time. Professionally, we utilize our years of combined experience to develop customizable investment and lending strategies for differing client needs. In sum, we feel that to be recognized as a premier wealth management team we must exhibit enduring trust; never utilize a “one-size-fits-all” approach; and be results-driven, solely dedicated to our clients’ success.

In your own words describe your practice’s financial planning process: We make it easy for our clients. First, through discovery, we gather key client information, so to immerse ourselves in where the client stands and where the client needs to be. Next we develop a core financial plan based upon client interviews and other key findings to develop goals. We then present our client with a holistic plan, then verify that our client concurs with the plan and can adhere to the plan’s design. The plan must be measurable, so we consistently measure the plan’s progress and our own progress. As we consistently monitor the plan we decide what tweaks are needed along the way. Life changes around us, so financial plans need to be revisited on an often basis. Our process is designed to give our clients great comfort and more time to enjoy life and family.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. 24 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

Carroll Militti-Hacker Financial Advisor

Edward J. Militti, Sr. Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor

E.J. Militti, Jr. Financial Advisor

1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 500 Omaha, NE 68124 402-399-1513 www.morganstanley.com/fa/milittigroup

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE’S

wealthmanagement

Revolution Group, LLC

WINNERS

Ryan Fleischer, RFC® President of Revolution Group, LLC Ryan received his bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Ryan has been a financial advisor for over 10 years and has received numerous industry achievement awards. He holds his Series 6, 7, 24, 63 and 65 licenses. Before starting his own consulting and investment firm, Ryan was a top producer and manager for a large national financial services firm. Ryan is a Registered Financial Consultant and currently is a registered principal of LPL Financial, the largest independent broker-dealer in the United States (based on total revenues as reported in Financial Planning Magazine, June 1996-2010.) He also has been part of the Oppenheimer Funds President’s Council since 2001 for his education, expertise, professionalism, and superior commitment to his clients. Ryan recently completed his qualifications at Metropolitan State College of Denver to sit for the final of the CFP® exam which he plans to do later this year.

Areas of expertise and menu of services: Legacy Planning, Portfolio Optimization or Investment Issues, Retirement Planning and Income, Business Issues, Life Planning Issues, Charitable Gifting Issues, Family Support Issues, Insurance Issues, and Tax Issues.

What is your philosophy on what it means to be a financial advisory practice?

I believe it’s an A-Z approach. From a planning perspective, one must gather facts, analyze, plan, and then implement based on the clients’ needs and future goals. This means you must really get to know your clients and understand what’s important to them. I think this also entails the financial advisor and their firm aligning their clients with unbiased and objective advice and products with no strings attached. To be a good advisory practice in this day and age, you must have unique planning tools and effective risk-management investment products that are going to reduce the volatility of the market and combat today’s economy. If we had a motto, it would be about putting clients’ needs first above all else, even if it means protecting the client from making mistakes or telling them something they don’t want to hear. Just as importantly, it’s our job to help clients remain patient and focused on their goals, and leave the worrying about their investments to us.

What is the process you take each customer through?

Initially with a new client, we take a relaxed, conversational approach. Most of my time is spent listening to the client and identifying their needs and what’s important to them. Every client’s goals are different, so what we do for each client is different throughout the process. Our approach is definitely not one size fits all. One thing we always do for each investment client is walk them through 12 questions to identify their comfort level, time horizon, and risk tolerance. We make sure new clients know how to read their investment statements and understand what they’ve invested in. For meetings with existing clients, we do thorough account performance reviews and go over any changes that have been made in their investment portfolios, making sure they understand why the changes were made. We also make sure each time we meet, we identify any life changes and update beneficiaries on clients’ accounts.

Describe your practice’s investment philosophy: Our strategy has devoted itself to the belief that clients come first. We have designed our business model to serve the needs and goals of our clients. This stands for professionalism, devotion to excellence, and trust.

Our clients receive investment products that are free from conflicts, including investment banking conflicts. Every client’s needs and goals are different, so each client’s investment portfolio is custom designed. We bring institutional and alternative opportunities (such as real estate offerings, long/short managers, oil and gas offerings, private equity, managed futures) to individual investors and mix traditional asset classes, such as stocks and bonds, in the development of our clients’ portfolios. It’s very important to have a well-thought-out allocation and to spread risk. I am a believer in active tactical management, so clients see ongoing changes in their portfolios based on current market and economic conditions. We are predominantly a fee- based firm, so we have aligned our interest with our clients. This way, our feet are continuously held to the fire to perform.

11725 Arbor St, Ste 115 Omaha, NE 68144 402-933-3371 www.revolutionadvisor.com

Securities, Advisory Services and Financial Planning Offered Through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC Fall 2010 B2B Omaha 25

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE’S

wealthmanagement

WINNERS

The Slatterys & Hruby Group of Merrill Lynch

What is your philosophy on what it means to be a financial advisory practice?

The Slatterys & Hruby Group provides wealth management services to affluent families and trusts. We help clients articulate their goals, then guide them with appropriate strategies for investments, lending, wealth transfer, and philanthropy with particular emphasis on tax minimization and wealth preservation. By formally reviewing and understanding a client’s total assets and liabilities, we are able to develop customized solutions to address their unique needs and challenges. For clients, we seek to have a profound impact on both their financial and personal lives. Our ultimate responsibility is to help clients achieve their aspirations for themselves, future generations, and their communities. Within that effort, we provide the personal attention and high level of service that significant wealth warrants.

What is the process you take each customer through?

We use a comprehensive, values-based financial planning process. Our process starts with our initial discovery meeting, where we take the time to learn about the prospective client, their values, interests, past experience and goals.

Extensive analysis is done by our staff Certified finanCial Planner™ practitioner to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the current situation. From there we develop investment and advanced planning strategies specific to their goals and needs. Once a client, we meet on a quarterly basis to not only review investment performance, but also to review advanced planning topics that are pertinent to their situation. The analysis that was done initially is updated on at least an annual basis or as life changes warrant.

L -R: Timothy Slattery, Jr., Peggy Fehncke, Stephen Hruby, CIMA®, Kandis Schissel, CFP®, Daniel Slattery

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE’S

wealthmanagement

WINNERS

1044 N. 115th Street Omaha, NE 68154 402-496-5152 www.totalmerrill.com

Craig D. Korkow, CFP® CRPC® of Merrill Lynch

What is your philosophy on what it means to be a financial advisory practice: Our guiding principle and mission is over 95 years old—“client first”—as stated by Charles E. Merrill himself.

The foundation of which begins by listening. Only then can we garner the necessary understanding to help the individual or organizational client successfully identify the respective financial goal. We can then work to develop the potential solutions with our vast access to resources for goal accomplishment.

Describe your practice’s investment philosophy: Flexible, customized, and focused on risk management. The cornerstone of our risk reduction methodology begins by utilizing time tested asset allocation strategies in combination with modern day investment correlation theorem. We must first work with our clients to accurately identify and differentiate between personal risk, market risk and aspirational risk buckets of money. We can then tailor the appropriate strategy for each bucket of money by utilizing our industry leading open architecture capabilities.

Define the added value of your services in relationship to your fees: Our value-add is in providing a holistic approach to financial planning. Leaving nothing uncovered. To truly become a family or organizational adjunct chief financial officer, it requires the specialist resources of which our firm has access, and the knowledge of how to put those resources to work. It is exemplified in our industry leading and unwavering commitment to continuing education and training.

26 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

1044 N. 115th Street, Suite 500 Omaha, NE 68154 800-937-0892 http://fa.ml.com/korkow_group

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Ethen Bagley Group of Merrill Lynch

What is your philosophy on what it means to be a financial advisory practice?

Our team’s focus is to help simplify our clients’ lives in an increasingly complex world. We offer wisdom, as well as information, so that our clients can make informed decisions regarding their financial affairs. We consider it a privilege to serve as trusted advisors and to provide quality, unbiased information, and assistance.

What is the process you take each customer through?

Each prospective client is taken through a series of meetings. The first is a discovery meeting where we gather information and gain an understanding of their goals, timeframes, and risk tolerance. This is followed up by an Investment Proposal/Financial Plan meeting. When the client indicates they are ready to proceed, we schedule a mutual commitment meeting where we complete all paperwork and agree to each party’s roles and responsibilities. Once accounts have transferred in, we follow-up with an on-boarding meeting where we explain how to read the statements, log in to the online account access, and help them organize all of their financial affairs. Finally, we schedule the periodic face-to-face account/plan review, which for most clients is semiannually. In between meetings, clients can expect monthly calls, monthly newsletters, and periodic client educational events throughout the year.

Michael J. Bagley, CFP®

Stephen C. Ethen, CFP®

1044 N. 115th Street Omaha, NE 68154 402-496-5111 www.fa.ml.com/ethen_bagley_group

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ALIR Group of Merrill Lynch

What is your philosophy on what it means to be a financial advisory practice?

Our mission is to help our clients (both institutions and families) articulate their financial goals/ dreams and customize solutions to help them achieve the same. We endeavor to keep our clients focused on their goals while providing independent advice and counsel on how to achieve them.

What is the process you take each customer through?

Our process begins with an interview to ensure that we have a complete understanding of the client’s balance sheet, income statement, distribution needs, tax considerations, and financial goals; and that the client understands our philosophy and the manner in which we work. Once engaged, we provide a sophisticated probability-based analysis to determine a range of outcomes and the likelihood of success. We then implement strategic solutions to help clients secure their retirement, fund college educations, implement tax reduction strategies, protect families and businesses, and fulfill philanthropic interests.

Define the added value of your services in relationship to your fees: The cost for proper advice and long-term financial success is negligible compared to the exorbitant cost of not having a plan and running out of time or money. With more than 110 years of combined experience—with a variety of educational backgrounds that include finance, economics, and law—our team has the requisite knowledge and experience to create holistic solutions.

Front L-R James Ambrose, Hilda Kreulen, Kathleen Lighthart, Melina Petersen, Shelley Welton, Howard Irish Back: Michael Lighthart, Matt Rehberg, CFP®, James Ambrose, II, CFP®

1044 N. 115th Street Omaha, NE 68154 402-496-5145 www.totalmerrill.com Fall 2010 B2B Omaha 27

T H E K N O W - I T - A L L I S N O T AVA I L A B L E F O R C O M M E N T.

“Yes We Can” The hope of having it all

I

n the Bible, Genesis offers a conundrum which illustrates well the two camps of thought in America today: Whether or not to be protected and cared for, in exchange for limitations on liberty. Man chose to eat of the forbidden fruit, thus commencing a life of free will—free will that offered hunger, pain, suffering, and yet all the wonders which self-determination has resulted in. A worthwhile exchange?

I contend that this comparison is similar to the wild animals residing in the best zoos of the world. They have lost their freedom in exchange for health care, relative comfort, food, shelter and safety from being eaten by predators. Further, I contend that many would gladly give back their collective “eating of the forbidden fruit” so as to return to the Garden of Eden. Or, at least that form of a Garden of Eden which man is capable of creating in the dream of Utopia.

The trend toward reliance on the American federal government, as opposed to self-reliance, appears to be increasing. Look around you, how many do you know who would trade the uncertainty life offers for the assured comfort of the zoo? To 28 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

trade individual liberty for the equality of conditions which government promises.

A study of Canadians and their feelings about their national health care system offers an interesting insight. The quality of their health care system didn’t matter as much as that everyone was treated equally.

Someone told me a long time ago that where there is a floor, there will always be a ceiling. The point being that where we rely on government to provide an equal result, there will, by necessity, be an equal limit on achievement.

The idea of individual rights and achievement is what appeals to me about America. I am shaken by the notion of collective rights, or group rights, which offers both the floor and ceiling of equality of result. I choose the opportunity to succeed, and fail, offered by liberty, over the surrender of individual liberty for life in a “zoo.” The very best zoos may not have bars, and really nice environments for the animals kept there, but cages they are.

History has offered us quite a number of examples where secular Utopias have taken the idea of group rights. Where the desire to create equality manifested itself in a far more draconian notion of group rights and group guilt. The 20th century brought us European and Asian secular Utopian movements that left over 100 million dead in Europe and over 70 million dead in Asia.

How did this happen when the ideals were so lofty? Because the notion of collective rights quickly transforms into collective guilt. Swords do indeed cut both ways.

America isn’t without guilt in this

arena. Slavery, the treatment of Native Americans, the FDR Internment Camps, The Progressive creation of eugenics (which Third Reich fully implemented), etc…

Remember that thing earlier about free will?

Countries, just like individuals, make mistakes, lots of them. However, on balance, America does a multitude of good as compared to its mistakes.

By now, my point should be clear. We are imperfect individuals, living in an imperfect world. The desire for Utopia has manifested itself in some ways that have led to the deaths of too many millions, at the hands of well-meaning idealists. While the religious Utopian experiments have been unsuccessful at gaining traction, the secular Utopian movements quickly transformed into killing machines in order to gain acceptance (I.E.: submission).

So, I ask you: Comfy cage with health care, food, shelter, the same as everyone but the elite? Or, the freedom to succeed and fail in the pursuit of your individual dreams?

You can’t have both. That would be the Utopia we can only have in dreams.

Déjà vu – The New - New Deal: There are certain assumptions the “inside the beltway” types in Washington, D.C., have now during the recession, which mirror the federal government expansion during the Great Depression: 1. There is no limit to the good which government could do, if only it had enough power.

2. Government officials are selfless, wellmeaning and caring individuals who

serve the public interest, as opposed to the self-interested private individual whose greed leads to sweat shops and economic calamity.

3. The potential good that may come from well-intended government spending outweighs any concern for the harm resulting from taxation or debt necessary to support that spending.

4. You may not like what we (Congress) are doing, but we know better than you. We are doing this for your own good.

Today, we have a Congress that has passed bills of over 2,000 pages, which seem to magically appear just prior to being enacted.

Bills which “you will have to pass to see what it provides.” Congress members who merely get a reprimand, when you and I would serve prison terms for similar offenses. Other Congress members and Executive Branch officials who offer lame excuses as to why they didn’t pay their income tax obligations in full. Then they get a soft slap on the hand, while we all know what tortures the IRS would inflict on us for the same offenses.

The American taxpayer is being held hostage to the insatiable demands of a government that claims to know what’s best for us.

Congress is piling on debts that generations of Americans will suffer under. America can’t have it all.

Comfortable caged, or free? Predetermined equality of result, or the success and failure of persuing your dreams? Collective equality of result or individual liberty? America is at a crossroads. There is no free lunch.

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Fall 2010 B2B Omaha 29

Story by All Makes Office Equipment

office furniture

Omaha’s picture framer for 25 years!

3 Tips to Choosing the Right Office Chair Many of us spend more hours in our office chair than all the other chairs and sofas in our life combined. Studies have linked the comfort of a workplace directly to the efficiency levels of employees and employee turnover.

Chairs are the most personal piece of office furniture – and the most complex – because they must adapt to all kinds of people and many types of work. The following tips will help you select the best office seating: Tip #1. Employees who sit six to eight hours a day performing multiple tasks should have high-performance chairs with ergonomic controls that let the user adjust the chair to suit his or her body size and work style.

Tip #2. People who use computers should have adjustable armrests to maintain a comfortable position at the keyboard. The chair’s tilt feature should allow users to look at the computer screen at a comfortable angle no matter how much they lean forward or back.

Tip #3. Don’t lose sight of the image you are unwittingly projecting to visitors to your business. While executives may not need all the performance features as they spend less time sitting down, they may require leather, wood or more high-tech materials to project a strong, professional image.

Remember, a quality chair should always have a lifetime warranty on the frame and mechanical parts and a 5-10 year warranty on fabric. Stop by All Makes at 25th & Farnam to see the latest in office seating. The All Makes’ team is trained to help you make design and furniture purchases that fit your office atmosphere, your work style and your budget.

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Justin Kohll Kohll’s Pharmacy

Contemporary lighting, fixtures and furniture are featured throughout the new Kohll’s Pharmacy & Homecare store at 114th & West Dodge Road. Pops of color and abstract paintings lend a friendly, more personal feel to the commercial space.

F

rom his fashionable, fitted trousers to his trim figure and hip, tousled haircut, Omaha business owner Justin Kohll exudes a stylish, modern look that sends a message that he cares about his appearance.

Knowing there are countless others like him who care about looking and feeling their best, the vice president and co-owner of Kohll’s Pharmacy & Homecare is focused on helping customers achieve their own health, fitness and beauty goals.

Over the past six decades, customers have come to the locally owned and operated pharmacy to fill prescriptions, receive vaccinations, purchase medication and supplies. These days, though, it’s not uncommon for people to step through the doors of the company’s newest location seeking Botox instead of Band-Aids.

Spend just a few minutes inside the Kohll’s store near 114th and West Dodge Road and it’s hard not to notice the swank, contemporary look that includes modern light fixtures, plush chairs, and splashes of bold, colorful artwork. In the background, a mix of new and classic tunes plays over the sound system.

Kohll says the idea was to create a warm, relaxing environment in which customers feel comfortable staying and talking with employees if they want and not in a hurry to leave.

The spacious 8,000-square-foot facility opened earlier this year in the Miracle Hills shopping center. It houses a new Preventative Medical Clinic, which has proven popular with existing customers and attracted new clients.

“The clinic is about a fourth of our business now,” Kohll says. “It’s been a good little niche for us.”

Weight-loss programs, nutritional counseling, facial peels, Botox and other skin care treatments are 32 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

just a few of the services the family business has introduced to meet the changing needs of customers, set itself apart from national chains and give its image an update.

Staffed by nurse practitioners and other health-care workers, the clinic offers a variety of aesthetic services and non-surgical procedures for people seeking to curb the signs of aging. Kohll says one of the clinic’s advantages is the amount of time patients get to spend with the staff.

“Instead of it being a 10, 15-minute office visit, we spend an hour with the patient, or a half hour. We get to know you a little better. You get all of your questions answered.

We try to give more of a Ritz-Carlton type service here.”

Housed inside the new location, his office reflects the contemporary design of the rest of the space. Exposed ductwork in the ceiling creates an open, airy feel, bringing both height and visual interest to his sleek, modern workspace. One wall features a large abstract painting by former Bemis Center for

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run by their dad, Marvin. The company has grown to include eight locations in Omaha and Boulder, Colo. A clinic in Aspen is slated to open in September.

The anti-aging treatments and services offered at the new clinic are a result of the hormone-replacement therapy work Kohll’s started in 1995. The company has a number of divisions, including Essential Compounding Pharmacy, which provides patients with custom specialized medications.

While much has changed since the first Kohll’s location opened, the company remains committed to offering quality products, innovative services and exceptional customer service. In coming years, Kohll envisions continued diversification and growth.

“I hope we continue going into new areas or take what we have and make it better,” he says. “In pharmacy you can do a lot of things.

You can spin your wheels or you can find things where you can survive and have a good business.”

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Contemporary Arts resident Terry Rosenberg of New York. Cozy orange couches provide a pop of color, while photos of his son rocking out on drums lend a personal touch.

Outside the office, Kohll, 49, enjoys working out, spending time with friends, traveling, fine dining and hanging out with his son, 15.

A large part of the company’s makeover is due to Kohll’s commitment to growing the family business, introducing new services, improving customers’ quality of life and staying innovative. In 2009, he received the Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award by the Nebraska Pharmacist Association. The award recognizes a pharmacist who has demonstrated innovative pharmacy practice resulting in improved patient care.

A registered pharmacist, he earned his pharmacy degree from Creighton University and has worked at Kohll’s for 25 years. His brother, David, is a pharmacist and serves as company president. The business was founded by their grandparents in 1948 and later

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402.934.5466 • 1.866.762.6885 Fall 2010 B2B Omaha 33

STORY BY BAILEY HEMPHILL

PHOTO BY MINORWHITESTUDIOS.COM

Doug Clark’s Clean “Green” Machine

The Honda Civic GX is embraced by MUD as a symbol of their mission to “Live Green. Think Blue.”

D

oug Clark’s first car was a 1963 Galaxy 500 4-door 289 Automatic that his high-school friends nicknamed “The Tank.” But these days, the Omahan is driving a vehicle that’s definitely more brains and less brawn.

As the vice president of marketing for the Metropolitan Utilities District (MUD), Clark knows all about clean-burning, environmentally friendly natural gas. Because of his position, he wanted to find a car that could demonstrate the economic benefits and energy-independent advantages that natural gas has to offer drivers in our country. That’s why he chose the smart, forward-thinking, natural gaspowered Honda Civic GX. Voted the “Cleanest Internal Combustion Engine” in the world seven years in a row, the Honda Civic GX has a 25 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (greenhouse gases), 90 to 97 percent reduction in carbon monoxide, 50 to 75 percent reduction in non-methane hydrocarbons, and a 35 to 60 percent reduction in nitrous oxide over gasoline. Not only is the natural gas Honda a more environmentally friendly car, but it also gets the same miles per gallon as a car running on standard gasoline: 24 city, 36 highway.

Clark says his friends haven’t declared a nickname for his natural gas-powered car yet; or at least “not [one] that anyone has the courage enough to tell me.”

34 B2B Omaha Fall 2010

STORY BY NIZ PROSKOCIL

Foursquare Pays Dividends

Game-like marketing trend boosts biz sales, customer discounts

K

arissa Armstrong loves a good deal. Buy one, get one? Sounds good to her.

Ten percent off? Sure, why not. Free size upgrade? Well, if you insist.

She doesn’t have to cut coupons, carry a customer loyalty card on her keychain, comb through ads, or earn a certain number of punches or stamps on a punch card. Armstrong has an array of special offers, deals and discounts at her fingertips via the popular smartphone app Foursquare.

As more and more companies embrace social media to communicate with and attract customers, businesses are discovering the benefits of Foursquare—a location-based social networking service that incorporates gaming elements.

In a nutshell, Foursquare lets people “check in” using their iPhone, Blackberry, Android or

Strength & Hope

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Sick children need more than medicine.

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Fall 2010 B2B Omaha 35

social media

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other smartphone wherever they work, live, eat, shop and play. With each stop at various bars, clubs, coffeehouses, restaurants, retail outlets and other venues, they earn points and unlock badges based on where they’re at and how often they check in.

Check in at a location more than anyone else and become the “mayor.”

Users can let their friends know where they are by checking in at one of the thousands of places Foursquare lists, based on your GPS location. You can see where your friends are hanging out, if they’re nearby, and where they’ve recently checked in. You can leave tips and comments about places you explore around town, and you can score some sweet rewards along the way.

“It’s an incentive to keep going back,” says Armstrong, media director at Bozell, a creative marketing communications company in Omaha. “I think that businesses are really missing out if they’re not using it.”

Businesses use it to highlight special deals and discounts to Foursquare users who check in nearby. In return, companies gain insight about who’s coming in, the time of day people stop in, total number of unique visitors, gender breakdown of customers, and other statistics.

“It’s a great tool for small business owners to not only engage their customers but track everything,” Armstrong says. “They’re able to get real-time analytics.”

National chains Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Starbucks, Pizza Hut and many more offer discounts and freebies to Foursquare users. Several local businesses are using it, too, including the Blue Jay, the Pizza Gourmet Co., eCreamery Ice Cream & Gelato, the Reel Martini Bar and more.

To reward customers for coming in, they might offer a buy one, get one deal the first time you check in, 10 percent off your bill the 10th time you check in, or a free drink every fifth visit. Many establishments offer special discounts to the “mayor.”

Some businesses leverage Foursquare in

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other ways to draw a crowd. Kona Grill restaurants around the country, including the Omaha location, hosted “Swarm Badge” parties in August. A coveted swarm badge is something you can only get when 50 or more Foursquare users check in at the same place at the same time.

This summer, Foursquare hit the 1.7-million user mark and a whopping 100 million check-ins. Armstrong and many of her coworkers at Bozell check in multiple times a day.

“It keeps getting traction,” she says.

“People have that curiosity and want to check it out.”

At eCreamery in Omaha’s Dundee neighborhood, Foursquare users receive a free size upgrade every third time they check in.

Co-owner Becky App says the custom ice cream shop at 50th Street and Underwood Avenue began offering Foursquare specials earlier this summer. The service helps build loyalty among customers, and it’s a great way to drive repeat traffic.

“People have really liked it,” App says. “It attracts customers. We get a lot of people from out of town who use it. It’s a reward for coming back to visit us.”

The Pizza Gourmet Co., which has three locations in the Omaha area, promotes their involvement with Foursquare with a sign on the door. The restaurant has offered a variety of Foursquare deals, including 10 percent off your bill and buy one drink, get one free.

Tyson Sevier, Pizza Gourmet general manager, says Foursquare is one way to help “create a fun little environment” for customers. The business has used Foursquare since spring and found that it’s more economical than spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to advertise on billboards, TV, radio, and in newspapers.

“Social networking allows us to market very inexpensively,” Sevier says. “Every little bit helps right now, especially as a new business.”

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Dear Bev, Is it ever acceptable to talk about another co-worker at work based on the things I learned by viewing their Facebook site or Twitter posts? Is it ethical for me to talk about their political views and affiliations, their list of likes, groups they are a fan of, or after-hours photos of them that may be seen as inappropriate by some? Is this information fair game since the information is online—on Facebook or Twitter—and they shared it willingly with me as their online friend? “Bobbie” Dear Bobbie, Social media creates interesting ethical questions, doesn’t it?

I believe that the crux of your question is really about friendship and the extent to which your online friends deserve the kinds of special considerations you make for your true friends. Let me explain.

You know how to treat true friends. You should be loyal. You should do things that are loving and respectful. When they tell you things in private, you should keep their confidences.

Now suppose a true friend is also a coworker and posts something on Facebook.

It is likely that you already know what their Facebook privacy settings are – whether their site is open to only a few people or if it is public for the world to see. Based on this knowledge, you will share their Facebook information with others or not.

But if you don’t know if your true friend

wants you to talk about their posts at work then what do you do? You ask. Because you care about them, you ask.

Ok, here’s the rub. Facebook uses the term “friend” as a marketing tool – to make sharing information comfortable – like talking to a true friend over a cup of coffee.

So while Facebook “friends” can be true friends, in many cases they are co-workers, acquaintances, people we have met only once at a party, etc.

When Facebook “friends” are not truly friends but acquaintances, to what extent do the rules of friendship apply?

My answer is: not very far. The special friendship considerations of love and loyalty do not apply to your online friends. In this sense your co-worker’s political views, afterhours photos, etc. are fair game.

However (and there is always a big “however” in moral reasoning), though there are no special moral considerations to restrict you from spilling the beans about your co-worker, basic moral rules of respect and decency still apply.

Do you want to be known as an honorable person? If so, a sense of decency should kick in and you will ask your co-worker if you can share their Facebook information.

(Unless, of course, you’re talking about the guy who always takes the best apple cinnamon bagel when you order from Panera’s.

Then it’s a different story entirely.)

Beverly Kracher, Ph.D. Executive Director, Business Ethics Alliance Associate Professor of Business Ethics & Society College of Business Creighton University

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As the world faces uncertainties, our firm stands as a beacon of integrity in the local business community. Independence and ethical accounting practices are important to us.

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1716 N.120th St. • Omaha, NE 68154-1300 (402) 496-7000 • Fax: (402) 496-7100 www.richardsonassoc.com Richardson & Associates, P.C., is a member of CPAConnect – a leading network of local CPA firms dedicated to their communities.

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Cox Communications received the highest numerical score among data service providers serving small/midsize businesses in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Major Provider Business Telecommunications Data Services StudySM. Study based on 5,439 total responses measuring 7 providers and measures opinions of small/midsize businesses. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of businesses surveyed in September and November 2009 and January and March 2010. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.