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Midlands

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Harness technology to overcome capacity constraints, attract business year-round – Page 6

Smart-enabled apartment community delivers plug and play app to renters

Continued on page 39.

Ashley Abel, property manager with Cushman & Wakefield/Lund Co., for 1415 @ The Yard, demonstrates IOTAS’ property app during the grand opening event for the complex.

General Manager/Treasurer Nicole Jesse … A heaping of “new” — from food truck to website and menu updates — blends with focus on service, Neapolitan-style pizza and pasta.

President Nancy Pridal … Leveraging tech investments for variety of projects.

by Michelle LeachLa Casa Pizzaria is evolving

with offerings on wheels — its food truck — and via technologies such as online ordering, while staying focused on customer service from the family that has been dishing out its Neapolitan-style pizza for almost 75 years.

“Technology plays a part,” said General Manager/Treasurer Nicole

Jesse. “Being a family restaurant, our staff lives for interaction.”

She indicated there is a bal-ancing act for the third-genera-tion, family-owned and operated restaurant, which is still located at 4432 Leavenworth St. in Omaha — the same location that reportedly caught on so well that Founder Joe Patane and his family “ran out of

by Richard D. BrownDrone and innovative scanning

technology is giving Omaha-based Lamp Rynearson, a 58-year-old civil engineering, landscape archi-tecture, construction administration and surveying firm, a competitive advantage as it completes a wide range of private and public sector projects.

Nancy Pridal, a professional en-gineer and 20-year Lamp Rynear-son employee who was promoted to president of the firm in August, stresses that leading with the use of the latest technology has enabled the employee-owned company to increase its revenues by more than 100 percent over the past 10 years while the employee count has in-creased by 45 percent.

“With the investment we’ve made, we want to be viable in the future with the technology pro-vided,” Pridal said. “For example, we can scan a mound and get the typographic data and in scanning stockpiles we can get quantities.”

The purchase of a second drone

by Becky McCarvilleAt the recent grand opening of

1415 @ The Yard apartment com-plex at 14th and Cuming streets, property manager Ashley Abel with Cushman & Wakefield/Lund Co., logged onto the property dashboard to launch the smart apartment app designed by Portland-based IOTAS (Internet of Things As a Service), demonstrating the ease at which a new tenant can control and integrate automated technology to fit their

lifestyle. The platform also provides data

to property managers so they can monitor and control energy usage, rent units faster through automation, streamline labor costs and add value to properties.

“It helps run the property more efficiently,” Abel said, adding that she can control vacant units’ light-ing, heating and air conditioning, monitor maintenance issues as well

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS $2.00 VOL. 43 NO. 42

OCTOBER 20, 2017

THIS WEEK'S ISSUE: Lamp Rynearson competes with innovative technology

Continued on page 12.(Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)

• OCTOBER 20, 2017 • Midlands Business Journal

Business & IndustrialParks/LeasingA section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

October 20, 2017

No slowdown in demand as availability presents ongoing challenges in Omahaby Michelle Leach More buildings may be coming out of the ground, but demand remains brisk. “Demand for commercial real estate loans is very strong,” said Stephanie Moline, executive vice president of Enterprise Lend-ing with First National Bank. “Commercial and industrial loan demand is growing, but at a much slower pace.”She said some of the capital investment in late 2016 is being absorbed. “It would appear the anticipated revenue is lagging the capital expenditures,” Moline said. Growth of C&I loans, she said, remains about the same as a year ago. “Agribusiness loans are up year over year and commercial real estate is up year over year,” she said. Generally, businesses are optimistic about potential tax reform.“This would cause some monies to be repatriated and improving working capital and money that can be used for acquisitions or additional investment in equipment and/or people,” she said. “There continues to be more entrants into the local market; both from loan production offices and FinTechs.”Moline is encouraged by new market entrants as: “People believe this is a vibrant

economy with upside potential.”NAI NP Dodge Associate Kyle Pelster described the leasing market as “very tight.”“At any given time, there are around 100 properties, give or take, listed/available in the Omaha/Council Bluffs market,” he said. “Having said that, finding the cor-rect square footage, location, rental rates and building layout can be very difficult.”He referred to more construction in the last year — with more owner/user buildings but some spec buildings as well.“The new Facebook project will add new infrastructure along the Highway 50 corridor,” Pelster said. “This will break way for new projects and industrial parks in that area.”He said Thrasher and Freightliner have created large new buildings for themselves, leaving vacancies in their previous locations. “Brook Valley continues to be the leader in new industrial construction projects,” Pelster said. “The R&R Commerce Park is

also being constructed at Highway Crossing.”Opportunities are available for tenants and landlords leasing to them.

“We are finally seeing an increase in new spec industrial space on the market again after a slowdown in new spec projects in the past,” he said. “The increases in term length, rental rates and operating expenses continue to steadily rise. “The rest of the market seems to be catch-ing up with the rental rates we are seeing out of the new construction projects.”OMNE Partners EVP Matt Edney said Class A industrial availability remains “really hard to find.”“And that type of product is moving pretty quick,” he said.

Edney indicated this is driving projects, such as the aforementioned R&R.These challenges aren’t limited to Class A; Edney recalled how the Kellogg building at 10203 Crown Point Ave. near Fort and Blair High Road had “multiple offers in a couple of weeks.” “There isn’t much of that type of product out there, either,” he said.He also spoke to demand for certain fea-tures, such as greater clear heights and larger dock doors — driven by requirements as companies such as Amazon are growing and using third-party providers.“We’re also seeing a lot of interest from investors that are looking to invest in industrial properties,” he said. “A lot of that interest is coming from outside of the Midwest.”Edney referred to cap rates and one’s ROI as lower on the coasts, making Omaha attractive as a secondary or tertiary market to Chicago, New York or Denver.Regarding “behind-the-scenes” indus-Continued on page 30.

Moline Edney Pelster

28

Business & Industrial Park/Leasing

— inside

La Casa Pizzaria dishes out more options to customers from online orders to food truck

Continued on page 18.

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Employe

e

Benefi

ts

Locally owned Aksarben Cinema serves large demographic with amenities. – Page 2

Nebraskan Michael Forsberg focuses lens on Great Plains conservation. – Page 34

Persistence paves way for The Union for Contemporary Art’s community impact. – Page 3

Bison makes gains as new gyms builtamid popularity of sports like pickleball

Continued on page 10.

President Nick Cusick … Equipment manufacturer builds upon 30-plus years of innovation with safety features in volleyball, soccer; tennis court renovations to accommodate rising interest in sports like pickleball.

Founder/Managing Creative Director Clint! Runge with Head of Communications Amy Filipi … Brand communications firm flourishes with focus on youth culture.

From left, Senior VP of Sales Jim Mancuso and President William Peter … The printing company has reached its centennial year with investments in new tech.

by Michelle LeachArchrival’s renovated Lincoln

headquarters at 720 O St. speaks to the unique mix of a mature firm — 20 years old and counting — and ener-getic startup spirit that has resulted in campaigns with Redbull, Adidas, Motorola, and expansion with sister offices and teams in Portland, Ore-gon, and Los Angeles.

“We’ve been here for over 10 years, and wanted to rethink the entire

space as one space,” said Clint! Run-ge, founder and managing creative director. “We wanted our space to be a little further along the business chain … and at one point that was an ‘aspirational’ space, it became us and we outgrew it. It’s more mature of a business than the space felt like.”

The Haymarket space breathes Archrival’s niche in youth culture-

by Richard D. BrownInterstate Printing Co., an Oma-

ha-based firm founded by a German immigrant with a special interest in publishing ethnic newspapers, has used its family-ownership as an anchor, placed strong emphasis on equipment upgrades, and maintained a comprehensive list of services that has enabled it to grow with the needs of its commercial printing clients, which are located throughout much of the country.

“For our 100 years we have main-tained a low-key approach, which has enabled us to attract business clients with jobs that we can do a good job on,” said William F. Peter, a third generation family member who be-came president five years ago.

“With each job we want to be able to say, ‘This came from us’ and that both our client and their customers will be pleased with the results,” he continued.

Peter, who formerly practiced law full-time before succeeding his uncle Eugene Peter who retired from the business at age 88 five years ago,

by Michelle Leach Depending on where one looks

across Bison’s divisions and prod-uct lines, the Lincoln-based manu-facturer’s growth is up at least 5 to 10 percent to 30 percent following or amid dealer base and ownership transitions, and a business unit redesign.

“Bison overall, its own product line, had an incredible year prior and this last year was flat com-

pared to that,” said President Nick Cusick, who indicated its focus was on other areas. “Even without a lot of direct marketing emphasis, our site furnishing business, BRP, was up 5 to 10 percent.”

Falling under custom indus-trial job shop manufacturer IM-SCORP’s holding company um-brella, wholly-owned subsidiary Bison is joined by SNA Sports

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS $2.00 VOL. 43 NO. 47

NOVEMBER 24, 2017

THIS WEEK'S ISSUE: Technology upgrades keep Interstate Printing competitive

Continued on page 8.(Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)

Midlands Business Journal • NOVEMBER 24, 2017 •November 24, 2017

Sandhills Publishing Cyber Center Rendering(Courtesy of Sinclair Hille) Mixed use building rendering(Courtesy of Studio 951)Boys Town Clinic(Courtesy of Calvin L. Hinz Architects)5055 Building at Bryan Health’s East Campus(Courtesy of Davis Design)Unique Midlands features, robust economy result in multi-sector opportunitiesby Michelle LeachPrivate giving and an economy that isn’t any one industry may be Midlands “main-stays,” but the level of cross-sector activity and the sheer need for talent to meet demand for services are newer-emerging phenomenon for area firms. “The architecture, engineering and construction industry is very strong in the Greater Omaha region at the moment,” said BCDM Principal and Director John Sulli-van, who also isolated Sarpy County’s high-growth. Further, Sullivan notes strength “near-ly across the board” — from office and institutional to private sectors such as reli-gious projects which, he said, is “unusual” and “won’t last forever.”“The economic development and growth of the metro-area has been steady and strong, and the diversification of the area economy — both of those factors add up to good things happening in the metro, and that’s not necessarily true across the state, especially if you’re in an ag area and go into central or western Nebraska … and some of the com-modities-driven areas,” he said. He also referenced the many pockets of growth, from newer areas such as Blackstone to Aksarben Village, at the stage where exten-sion of that development is occurring. Some of the projects featured here in this section reflect another prominent trend mentioned

by Sullivan: “One of the things that’s unique about Omaha is there is strong philanthropic and private support for key projects.”AO’s Managing Principal Randall J. Palandri has seen the uptick in growth that became noticeable around two years ago re-main steady in more recent months, which he attributes particularly to infill-type projects. “There is a lot more emphasis on redevel-opment,” he said. “What really drove it was, there was a pent-up demand for market-rate apartments and in more walkable-type of

environments, and a shift in what people expect.”Palandri speaks to trying to attract millen-nials and a lifestyle shift, whereby the more urban centers are in demand from a housing perspective and offices that speak to this generation are in-demand from a workplace perspective. He also speaks, not necessarily to “vintage” or “traditional” construction materials but to, perhaps, more “traditional” neighborhood- and community-building, with areas such as Benson, Blackstone and

Dundee harkening back to communities with-in communities that sprung up on streetcar or bus lines. He also speaks to a “balance in terms of lifestyle and the built environment”; consider the movement from cubicles to open spaces and now “hybrids,” which combine smaller conference rooms and areas where employ-ees can still have that sense of community but also privacy as needed. “We’re moving to that direction, not because it’s the trend but because it’s the right thing,” he said. The architecture and engineering side of the construction in-dustry was described as “robust,” into the final quarter by Davis Design Senior Associate and Senior Architect Greg Smith.“Several projects designed recently are still in hopes of breaking ground this fall and many of the large Downtown Lincoln proj-ects are gaining inertia,” he said. “The interior remodel market is also strong and this will keep contractors busy during winter months.”Many large-scale projects, such as the Telegraph District’s Marilyn Moore Middle School/YMCA, Hudl, and Nelnet, have come to form; however, Smith said there still re-mains work in the build-outs. He referenced work at Bryan Health’s East Campus, the new LES Operations Center, and projects for Eustis Autobody at 98th Street and Highway

Palandri Smith

Continued on next page.

John Sullivan, principal and director at BCDM Architects.

27

Architecture — inside

Archrival updates 10-year-old Haymarket space, establishes Los Angeles presence

Continued on page 10.

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Women in

Business

Green Arrow Junk Co. aims to reduce household, landfill clutter. – Page 2

Women’s representation in leadership: Ripples adding up to a sea change? – Page 4

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Brent A. FrahmVice President,

Residential Construction

Lending

First Westroads Bank

Frahm comes to First Westroads Bank with over 30 years of experience in all facets of banking including

residential construction, small business banking,

and mortgage banking. His responsibilities

will include working directly with builders and

customers to assist them with their construction

needs. Frahm’s education includes a bachelor’s

degree in business administration specializing

Nebraska at Omaha.

Brad Yoder, CPAShareholder, tax and

advisory

DeBoer & Associates,

PC

Yoder brings 20 years of experience in the

and tax advisory services. He has spent

this time in the Omaha area, where he will

continue to provide tailored accounting and

Mark CanneyDesign Manager

Ochsner Hare & Hare,

the Olsson Studio

Mark Canney joined

the Olsson Studio, as design manager. Canney has over 20 years of landscape

experience, most recently with Lincoln

park and recreation master planning,

urban streetscapes, public gardens and

residential design. He collaborates with

public and private sectors to develop,

create and implement functional,

sustainable and meaningful designs.

BANKING Hired

ACCOUNTING

Hired

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Hired Matt HillestadRegional Manager,

Omaha-Council Bluffs

Veridian Credit Union

Hillestad, a resident of Omaha, was the large branch manager at First National Bank of Omaha. He has 21

Hillestad has a degree in business with a concentration

Nebraska at Omaha.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Hired

tax solutions for small and medium sized

organizations in a wide variety of industries.

In addition, he has experience working

with individuals, trusts and estates, assisting each client with their unique needs. Yoder received both

of Nebraska at Omaha. Founded in 1989,

individuals and a broad range of businesses

throughout Omaha and the greater Midwest.

expertise in areas ranging from tax planning

and preparation services, management and

accounting services, auditing, preparation

highest of accounting practice standards,

receiving the highest professional rating

possible from outside peer reviews. It’s a

member of the American Institute of CPAs

and the Nebraska Society of CPAs.

22

23Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 13, 2019 •

Patrick McNamaraAttorneyGoosmann Law FirmAttorney Patrick McNamara has joined the Goosmann Law Firm at their Omaha, Nebraska location. McNamara has 10 years of experience and his areas of practice include business advising,

contracts, estate planning, employment, and commercial/breach of contract litigation. He is licensed in Nebraska. Learn more at www.GoosmannLaw.com or call (855) 843-4531.

Kevin FaltinVice President, Chief Financial Officer, TreasurerAssurity Life Insur-ance CompanyAssurity Life Insurance Company has named Kevin Faltin vice

He succeeds the retiring Marv Ehly. An Assurity employee since 2005, Faltin holds experience, most recently as senior director and controller. A graduate of Doane University, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business with an

Brad HoveDirectorBland & AssociatesBrad Hove was promoted to Director at Bland in June 2019. He joined Bland in 2017 as a Manager in the Government Consulting department and previously worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1999 and a master’s degree in social work in 2002 from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Coutney TeeterSenior Consultant I, Government ConsutingBland & AssociatesCourtney Teeter joined Bland in 2017 and was

promoted to Senior Consultant I in the Government Consulting department in June 2019. The Mason City, Iowa native earned a bachelor’s of science degree in University in 2017.

Chris PurdyTeam Lead II, Government ConsultingBland & AssocitesChris Purdy was recently promoted to Team Lead II in Government Consulting Department at Bland. Prior to joining Bland in 2017, he spent 9 years at

Advantage documentation auditing and processing. Purdy has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

INSURANCE Named

ACCOUNTING Promoted

ACCOUNTING Promoted

ACCOUNTING Promoted

In the SpotlightPaid Content

Abby HargissBusiness Analyst IIBland & AssociatesAbby Hargiss was recently promoted to Business Analyst II in the Governmental Consulting

department at Bland. Hargiss joined the company in 2017 as an Administrative Assistant and is currently attending Bellevue University earning a degree in human resources. Prior to joining Bland, she worked for Lutheran Family Services, Mosaic, and P.J. Morgan Real Estate.

Austin JohnsonSenior Consultant IBland & AssociatesAustin Johnson was promoted to Senior Consultant I in the Government Consulting

department at Bland in September 2019. Prior to joining Bland in 2017, Johnson was a technical recruiter, identifying potential candidates for IT-related positions. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2014.

Alan B. KennedyChief Operating OfficerLueder ConstructionLueder Construction has announced that Alan B. Kennedy has been named Chief

Kennedy comes to Lueder with 26 years of experience management, construction management, client and supplier relationships, team leadership and personnel development. “We look forward to putting Alan’s considerable experience to work moving Lueder Construction into the future,” said president Greg Key. “We got to know Alan as a client and realized a symbiosis in how we think about bringing projects to life with quality and care.” Kennedy is a graduate of the American Contractors Insurance Group University Executive Track,

Leadership Omaha and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He has served on the Boy Scouts of America Board of Trustees, the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Engineering Industry Advisory Council, is an OCI Union Pension Trustee, Teammates Mentor Volunteer and outgoing board chair of the Sarpy County Chamber. At Lueder, Kennedy’s leadership responsibilities will include a focus on the company’s core values, mission and vision. He will also be responsible for the development, design, operation and improvement of the systems and people that create and

effective and that the proper management of resources, service to customers, and routine analysis of systems and procedures is occurring. “Lueder is a company I’ve respected and admired for years in the Omaha marketplace,” said Kennedy. “The opportunity to serve as COO is a pinnacle in my career.”

Abby FargoDirectorBland & AssociatesAbby Fargo, PMP, was promoted to Director at Bland in June 2019. She joined Bland in 2017 as Project Manager for Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Audits. An Omaha native, Fargo earned a bachelor’s of science degree in sociology from Kansas State University. She was a Colorado Medicaid fiscal agent before returning to Omaha in 2012. In 2015, she earned her Project Manager Professional certification.

Adam SteffenManager, Governmental ConsultingBland & AssociatesAdam Steffen joined Bland in 2017 as a contractor and became a Manager in the Governmental Consulting department in 2019. Prior to joining Bland, Adam worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Buena Vista University in 1999 and his MBA from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2006.

ACCOUNTING Promoted

ACCOUNTING Promoted

CONSTRUCTION Named

ACCOUNTING Promoted

ACCOUNTING Promoted

LEGAL SERVICES Joined

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