Volume 16Issue 2

August 22, 2009

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14Power Lunch: Sports and BusinessSports industry administrators advocate teamwork to build indoor facilities.

Range Line WideningA CBT center spread takes a bird's eye view of expanded northern artery. 18

24Stephen B. SmithColleagues praise the late accounting executive for his courtroom prowess.

See Page 16

SPECIAL SECTION

Accounting andBusiness Consulting

Bob LeMone

By Mina Mineva

For a young company growing at hyper-speed, Pure Marketing and Media had an inauspicious start.

About 18 months ago, Brent Beshore and Erik LaPaglia were meeting for lattes at the Coffee Zone to exchange business advice. Beshore was taking a break from graduate studies and running a new company, Event Solutions, that orchestrates events, while LaPaglia was working as a regional marketing agent for Mediacom’s advertising and sales division, OnMedia.

Some of Event Solutions’ clients had asked Beshore if he would like to also act as their marketing and advertising agency. Beshore had been declining such offers, but then he received a proposal from a big client that he could not pass up. Beshore wondered what to do next. LaPaglia advised him to buy into an existing marketing and advertising agency.

LaPaglia then asked Beshore for advice. OnMedia had offered him a promotion at the same time that a start-up

media outlet offered him the position of president, he told Beshore.

As they discussed their dilemmas, LaPaglia made an off-hand remark: Maybe they should start a company together.

“We both laughed it off at first,” LaPaglia said. “In about two weeks, we realized that not only could we start some-thing together, but that it made a lot of sense. There was an opportunity in the market place, so we pulled the trigger.”

Today, the company that was conceived over coffee has about 50 clients, projected annual revenue of more than $3 million, two subsidiary companies and 26 employees.

Beshore, 26, is the chief executive officer and co-owner. Beshore grew up in Joplin, and his father, Lance Beshore,

rose up the ranks at Leggett and Platt, a Fortune 500 com-pany of which he’s now vice president.

Beshore graduated from Washington and Lee University in Virginia in 2005, and then enrolled at the University of Missouri to pursue a joint master’s degree in business administration and law.

MADMENOf Mid-Missouri

New communications company expands,integrates vertically

(continued on Page 7)

Brent Beshore, center, poses for a staff picture with Arable Entertainment, the creative division of Pure Media and Marketing. From left, Kim Sherman, Drew Hall, David Anderson, Josh Johnson, Brent Beshore, Mark Swanson, Eric Mousel and Michael Wilson.

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AccountingCycle ......................................... 25Ashland Industrial Park................................ 23Ashley Furniture ........................................... 29Boone County National Bank ...................... 36Carpet One .................................................... 7City of Columbia - Red Light Cameras ....... 34City of Columbia - Water & Light Department ........................... 17City of Columbia Solid Waste Division .......... 6Columbia College ........................................ 30Delta Systems Group .................................. 32Family Counseling Center ........................... 21Get About Columbia .................................... 26Guard-A-Kid ................................................ 24Hawthorn Bank .............................................. 3Landmark Bank ............................................. 2Marberry & Company P.C., CPA's ............... 26Personalized Computers ............................. 12ResCare HomeCare....................................... 6Sandler Training ........................................... 16Shelter Insurance - Mike Hatchett & Mike Messer ............................................... 8Socket Internet ............................................ 31Tech 2 .......................................................... 27The Callaway Bank ...................................... 15The Insurance Group ..................................... 4Tiger Hotel - Events & Catering ................... 24Titan Awards sponsored by UMB ............... 33Towner Communications Systems .............. 23Visionworks ..................................... 23, 24, 25Waddell & Reed ........................................... 20West Bend Mutual Insurance ........................ 5White Dog Promotions ................................ 22Wilkerson & Reynolds Wealth Management . 9William Woods University ........................ 7, 28 Willie Smith's Magic Services ..................... 25

Super's ViewSuperintendent says schools have important economic development role

County ViewPlanning and building director calls department merger a win-win proposition

Americlean Dry Cleaners ........................ 18,19Arable Entertainment .................................. 7,8Battenfeld Technologies ................................ 4Bluebird Media LLC ....................................... 5Boone County National Bank ................. 18,19Bucket Media ................................................ 4Bukaty Companies ...................................... 13Casey's ................................................... 18,19Central Bank of Missouri ........................ 18,19Clayton Homes of Columbia .................. 18,19Coffee Zone ................................................... 1Columbia College .............................. 14,15,16Columbia Convention & Visitors Bureau ............................... 14,15,16Columbia Orthopedic Group ............. 14,15,16Commerce Bank ..................................... 18,19Event Solutions........................................... 1,7Gerke & Associates ................................ 26,27Hanft Family Chiropractic ....................... 18,19Image Technologies ....................................... 5Imo's Pizza ............................................. 18,19Insight ......................................................... 7,8Jason's Frozen Custard Factory ............ 18,19Landmark Bank ...................................... 18,19Lehman Construction Co. ..................... 18,19Machens Automotive Group ......................... 4Merchants and Farmers Bank ................ 18,19Mid-Missouri Mobile Homes .................. 18,19Midwest CompuTech..................................... 4Missouri Credit Union .................................... 4Moser's Discount Foods ........................ 18,19Movie Gallery ......................................... 18,19Peppers Night Club ................................ 18,19Pure Marketing and Media ................ 1,4,7,8,9Rainbow House ............................................. 4Range Line Liquor & C Store .................. 18,19Rangeline Car Wash ............................... 18,19Sonic ...................................................... 18,19Sun & Sea Tanning ................................. 18,19Target Masters ........................................ 18,19Team Work Rehabilitation, Inc. ............... 18,19The Answer Salon & Tanning .................. 18,19The Callaway Bank ............................ 14,15,16TimeLine Recruiting ....................................... 4TP's Bar & Grill ....................................... 18,19Waddell & Reed, Inc. ................................... 20William Woods University ........................... 7,8Williams-Keepers, LLC ........................... 24,25Woodhaven.................................................... 4

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The Columbia Business Times is published every other Saturday by The Business Times Co. 2001 Corporate Place, Suite 100, Columbia, Mo 65202. (573) 499-1830.

Copyright The Business Times Co., 2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Third-class postage paid at Columbia, Mo. The annual subscription rate is $39.95 for 26 issues.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT:The Columbia Business Times strives to be Columbia’s leading source for timely and comprehensive news coverage of the local business community. This publication is dedicated to being the most relevant and useful vehicle for the exchange of information and ideas among Columbia’s business professionals.

Writers in this issue: Mina Meneva, Joanna Schneider, Robert ThomasColumnists in this issue: Cathy Atkins, Al Germond, Mike Martin, Bill Watkins, Jonathan Sessions

Chris Harrison | General Manager | Ext.1010David Reed | Group Editor | Ext.1013Alisha Moreland | Art DirectorSarah Handelman | Graphic DesignerBetsy Bell | Creative Marketing DirectorJennifer Kettler | Photo Editor | 573-529-1789Cindy Sheridan | Operations ManagerBecky Beul | Marketing RepresentativeJoe Schmitter | Marketing Representative

(573) 499-1830 | (573) 499-1831 faxeditor@businesstimescompany.com

August and September 2009

CBT CALENDAR Of EVENTS

24Building Construction Codes Commission Meeting4:30 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City BuildingFor more information, call the city at 874-7222 or -7208.

City Council Budget Work SessionAbout 6:15 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City BuildingThe work session will begin after a 6 p.m. closed session to discuss TIF agreements. Copies of the proposed budget are available at local libraries and in the City Hall lobby. For more information, call the city at 874-7222 or -7208.

25Columbia Vision Commission Meeting4 to 6 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City BuildingFor more information, call the city at 874-7222 or -7208.

Environment and Energy Commission Meeting7 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City BuildingFor more information, call the city at 874-7222 or -7208.

26City Council Budget Work Session6 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building

Women’s Network Business Leaders forumNoon to 1 p.m. at the Walton BuildingByron Hill, president and CEO of ABC Labs Inc., will lead a round-table discussion of the current state of

the local economy. For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 874-1132.

27Emerging Professionals In Columbia (EPIC) Mixer6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bass Pro ShopsOutdoor or casual dress is expected at the EPIC group’s end-of-summer mixer at the store. The cost is $5; contact Emily Poore at 817-9115 or epoore@columbiamochamber.com for more information.

CATSO Coordinating Committee Meeting2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building

Planning and Zoning Commission Work Session5 to 7 p.m. Planning Conference Room, Daniel Boone City BuildingFor more information, call the city planning depart-ment at 874-7239.

City Council Budget Work Session6 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building

1fastTrac - New Venture6 to 9 p.m., Osher Lifelong Learning Center Training Room 1, Room 129, 3215B Lemone Industrial Blvd.This first of eight class sessions is designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs develop business plans and determine whether business ideas have a market, can make a profit and can provide necessary income. The fee is $259. Contact the University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for more informa-tion, 882-7096.

(continued on Page 5)

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PEOPLEMOVEON THE

Presented By:

HiringsRachel Talbott has joined Rainbow House as development

director. Talbott comes to Rainbow House from the American Red Cross as the donor recruiter for Boone County. She also worked as a community resource developer for the Central Missouri Food Bank.

TimeLine Recruiting, a health care recruiting firm, hired Morgan forderhase and Ben Hallemeier as marketers. Before joining TimeLine Recruiting, Forderhase worked in sales at the Columbia Business Times, and Hallemeir worked at Covidien in St. Louis.

Jay Kersting joined Midwest CompuTech as its office manager in Jefferson City. Kersting returned to the information technology industry after an 11-year hiatus when he served as an on-air radio personality in Knoxville, Tenn., and Jefferson City. He previously worked as an account manager for CompUSA.

DeparturesRandy Wright has resigned as vice president and general manager

of ABC 17, FOX 22, KZOU and ABC17 Stormtrack 24/7 television, operations owned by JW Broadcasting. Wright said in a news release that he is leaving the television stations to focus on a radio company he founded in 2006 at the Lake of Ozarks, 101.9 The Wave. Wright joined KMIZ in 1996 as the operations manager and chief weather-caster for KMIZ and Fox 11. In 2003, he was named vice president and general manager.

PromotionsShelter Insurance has promoted Ramesh Chandrani to an analyst

in the information services department. Chandrani joined Shelter’s staff in August 2007. He received a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering from Madras University in India.

Kristi Turner was promoted to shelter director and clinical coor-dinator for Rainbow House. For the past three years, she has been working as clinical coordinator at the Child Advocacy Center.

AppointmentsRainbow House announced its officers for the 2009-10 board of

directors: Keri Tipton of Bucket Media, president; Erica Pefferman of Pure Marketing and Media, first vice president; Suzanne flanegin of the University of Missouri Office of Gift Planning & Endowments, second vice president; Jocelyn Tipton of Bucket Media, secretary; Christine Staelens of Battenfeld Technologies, treasurer; and Darryl Boddie of State Farm, past president.

University of Missouri Children’s Hospital has named its advisory board members: Whit Babcock, assistant director of MU athletics; Susan Gray, founder of Isabel’s Country Mustard; Mary Jo Henry, director of marketing for Machens Automotive Group; Carla Leible, general manager of Zimmer Radio; Steve Maloney, district manager of Walmart; Margaret McDermott, senior vice president of mar-keting for the Missouri Credit Union; Joe Moseley, vice president of

Shelter Insurance; Doris Ross, community volunteer; and Jon Van Ness, president and chief executive officer of KRCG-TV.

AwardsThe Boy Scouts of America awarded Edward H. Blaine with the

Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. The recognition is granted to Eagle Scouts who after 25 years have distinguished themselves in their life work and have shared their talents with their communities on a vol-untary basis. Blaine is a professor of pharmacology and physiology at the University of Missouri. He joined the MU faculty in 1992, has published more than 100 scientific articles and holds four patents. Blaine also played professional football with the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles.

Columbia Insurance Group received the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents’ Top Partner Award for the second time. MAIA presents the award to the Missouri insurance company that has demonstrated the greatest support and commitment to the American agency system and its independent insurance agent partners.

During a convention in Dallas, the Missouri Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi received the Excellence in House Corporation Service Award, given every other year to just one of the 134 chapters in the nation. House Corporation members of the Pi Beta Phi chapter, estab-lished in 1899, are: Denise Key Kussman, president; Alison Tharp Martin, treasurer; Sally Powers Moore, secretary; Angie Quinley Bailey, Rebecca Rowe Carroll, Patty fuhrman, Tracie Smith Larkin, Cheryl Bartlett Stephens, Lorie Sells Towe and Jana Dethlefsen Thompson.

Chris Swenson, general manager of the Red Lobster, has been pre-sented with Darden Restaurants’ Diamond Club Award. The annual award is given to general managers who demonstrate respect, integ-rity, genuine caring, hospitality and teamwork while also achieving top financial performance in the company’s previous fiscal year. This is the second time Swenson has received this recognition.

Randy Smith is the first Donald W. Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism. Smith, who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the MU School of Journalism in 1974, is a 30-year veteran of The Kansas City Star. He started as a copy editor, rising to the positions of business editor and deputy managing editor, and, most recently, to director of strategic development.

Certifications Jaime freidrichs, director of development for Woodhaven,

was named a certified fund raising executive by CFRE International. Candidates needed to meet a series of CFRE standards including tenure in the profession, education, demonstrated fund-raising achievement and a service commitment to not-for-profit orga-nizations. They also needed to pass a written examination.

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ECOnOMIC INDEx

September 2009

CBT CALENDAR Of EVENTS ... continued from Page 3

2Exploring Entrepreneurship Start-up Class5:30 to 7 p.m., 222 Engineering Building West, MU College of Engineering This Missouri Business Development Program class is for those interested in starting a business. It costs $20, and registration is required. Contact Virginia Wilson for more information at 882-9952, WilsonV@missouri.edu.

Women’s Network Mixer5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Sophia’sThe event costs $5. For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 874-1132.

3Planning and Zoning Commission Work Session5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Planning Conference Room, Daniel Boone City BuildingFor more information, call the city planning department at 874-7239.

Columbia’s unemployment rate in June rose to 6.9 percent, up from 5.7 percent in May and well above the 4.6 percent jobless rate in June 2008. The number of local workers who were unemployed in June was 6,307, compared with 4,378 in June 2008.

The latest monthly measurement of sales tax receipts in Columbia also indicated the local economy continues to struggle. Through May, sales taxes collected from all businesses in Columbia were down 4.3 percent compared with the same month last year. Year-to-date collections were down 3 percent, or $383,000.

There was, however, some good news in the CBT’s monthly look at local economic indicators (see Page 6). Housing sales in Boone County in July were higher than the same month in 2008, the value of residential building permits rose in July while the number of foreclosures decreased.

From the state perspective, the labor market conditions leveled off in July. (The calculation of the local jobless rates are a month behind the state calculation). Missouri’s unemployment rate remained at 9.3 percent, with approximately 278,000 workers unemployed, according to the Department of Economic Development.

Missouri payroll employment data showed gains in durable goods manufacturing, health care and social assistance, but local government and construction showed losses.

The increase in manufacturing reflects an unusual summer production increase in the auto industry while the decrease in local government employment is related to local schools shutting down for the summer.

Carol Van Gorp, executive director of the Boone County Board of Realtors, said the increase in home sales, and a slight decrease in the median price, might be due to the $8,000 stimulus money provided to first-time homebuyers.

Agents sold 230 single-family homes in July, compared with 205 in July 2008, a 12.2 percent increase.

For all home types, the median price was $150,000 in July of this year and $152,200 in July 2008. Van Gorp attributed the decrease to a higher number of new owners buying homes on the lower end of the market.

The problem of a housing oversupply also seems to be ending. There were only 161 active listings for newly built homes at the end of July, while one year ago there were 375 on the market, Van Gorp said in a news release. v

Unemployment rate jumps to nearly 7%

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ECOnOMIC InDEx

RECEIPTS 1% Sales Tax Receipts May 2009: $1,542,297May 2008: $1,611,459Change (#): -$69,162Change (%): -4.29% 1% Sales Tax Receipts Fiscal Year-to-Date 2009: $12,743,290Fiscal Year-to-Date 2008: $13,126,223Change (#): -$382,933Change (%): -2.9%

LABOR Columbia Labor force June 2009: 91,072June 2008: 93,106Change (#): -2,034Change (%): -2.2%

Missouri Labor force June 2009: 3,052,784June 2008: 3,067,710Change (#): -14,926Change (%): -0.5% Columbia Unemployment June 2009: 6,307June 2008: 4,378Change (#): 1,929Change (%): 44.1% Missouri Unemployment June 2009: 290,270June 2008: 186,730Change (#): 103,540Change (%): 55.4% Columbia Unemployment Rate June 2009: 6.9%June 2008: 4.7%Change (#): 2.2%

Missouri Unemployment Rate June 2009: 9.5%June 2008: 6.1%Change (#): 3.4% CONSTRUCTION AND HOUSING Building Permits – Residential July 2009: 86July 2008: 88Change (#): -2Change (%): -2.3% Value of Building Permits – Residential July 2009: $5,938,553July 2008: $5,656,368Change (#): $282,185Change (%): 5.0%

Building Permits – Detached Single family Homes July 2009: 37July 2008: 27Change (#): 10Change (%): 37.0%

Value of Building Permits – Detached Single family Homes July 2009: $5,392,050July 2008: $4,444,000Change (#): $948,050Change (%): 21.3%

Building Permits – Residential Additions/Alterations July 2009: 49July 2008: 59Change (#): -10Change (%): -16.9%

Value of Building Permits – Residential Additions/Alterations July 2009: $546,503July 2008: $622,368Change (#): -$75,865Change (%): -12.2% Building Permits – Commercial July 2009: 21July 2008: 35Change (#): -14Change (%): -40.0% Value of Building Permits – Commercial July 2009: $63,086,027*July 2008: $8,741,829Change (#): $54,344,198Change (%): 621.7%*includes a permit worth $59 million for public works and utilities

Building Permits – Commercial Additions/Alterations July 2009: 19July 2008: 28Change (#): -9Change (%): -32.1%

Value of Building Permits – Commercial Additions/Alterations July 2009: $3,214,027July 2008: $1,863,979Change (#): $1,350,048Change (%): 72.4%

Units Sold in Boone County – Detached Single family Homes July 2009: 230July 2008: 205Change (#): 25Change (%): 12.2%

Volume of Sales in Boone County – Detached Single family Homes July 2009: $40,525,826July 2008: $36,731,788Change (#): $3,794,038Change (%): 10.3%

Median Price of Home Sales in Boone County July 2009: $150,000July 2008: $152,200Change (#): -$2,200Change (%): -1.4%

foreclosures in Boone County July 2009: 36July 2008: 25(July 2007: 35)Change (#): -10Change (%): xx%

COLUMBIA REGIONAL AIRPORTPassengers on Arriving PlanesJuly 2009: 2,147July 2008: 0Change (#): 2,147

Passengers on Departing PlanesJuly 2009: 2,200July 2008: 0Change (#): 2,200

UTILITIES Water Customers July 2009: 44,809July 2008: 44,428Change (#): 381Change (%): 0.9%

Electric Customers July 2009: 45,293July 2008: 45,010Change (#): 283Change (%): 0.6%

Sewer Customers – Residential July 2009: 40,349July 2008: 39,861Change (#): 488Change (%): 1.2%

Sewer Customers – Commercial July 2009: 3,550July 2008: 3,535Change (#): 15Change (%): 0.4%

Contributors include: Laura Peveler, Karen Johnson, Linda Rootes, Sarah Talbert and Carol Van Gorp

Compiled by David Walle

COLUMBIA’S ECONOMIC INDICATORS

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BuSInESS PROfILE | PuRE MARkETInG AnD MEDIA

He put his studies on hold in 2007 to start Event Solutions with a classmate’s wife, Haley Atkins. (Beshore’s wife, Erica, is still working on her doctoral degree in molecular microbiology and immunology at MU.)

In February 2008, he and LaPaglia launched Pure Marketing and Media.

Beshore said they wanted to set the company apart from other advertising, marketing and media agencies in Columbia by vertically integrating an audio and video production company, Arable Entertainment, and

a research company, Insight. Projects could be com-pleted within the company, from the brainstorming to the production.

In three to four months, Beshore and LaPaglia plan to launch a third subsidiary company, Verity Interactive. The company will offer bundled Internet services.

The downside of such swift growth? Running out of office space. Pure recently moved its headquarters from the Village of Cherry Hill to West Broadway. Already, the new office is too small to accommodate all

of the employees, and the search for larger office space is on again.

When clients choose to work with Pure, they also get to use the services of the subsidiary companies.

For example, William Woods University asked Pure’s staff to put together a 30-second commercial for its adult education programs. The Pure team started by analyzing the research and studies on the subject of adult education.

Then the team created a branding and commu-nications plan based on the research findings. For

New communications company expands rapidly(continued from Page 1)

Brent Beshore, center, leads a meeting in reviewing newly designed packaging for beef jerky. Mark Swanson, right, goes over artwork with Senior Art Director Frank Corridori.

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the William Woods commercial, the Pure staff decided to focus on the concept of how working adults lack the time to attend school.

“We take the creative challenge and come together as a team to brainstorm how to create a piece of communication that is compelling and breaks through the clutter,” said Mark Swanson, Pure’s chief creative officer.

Once the staff agreed on several ideas for the TV spot, they wrote the scripts, designed the storyboards with key frames and presented the proposals to the client.

The proposed commercial opened with a woman shopping in a grocery store. Then the scene froze, and the announcer asked what would happen if there was more time to do things, such as going back to college to receive a degree. The announcer then talked about all of the opportunities available for adults at William Woods. The commercial ended with the woman sitting in a classroom as time unfroze.

“We played on the idea of, ‘What if you did have enough time to learn, enrich your life and return to college?’” Swanson said. “We worked on making this vision a reality.”

After the client chose the script and story-board, the commercial needed to be produced.

The Pure creative team worked with Arable Entertainment staff to execute its vision for the TV spot. Currently, they are scouting for a loca-tion actors. Once the commercial airs, Pure plans to analyze audience reaction and gauge the suc-cess of the advertisement.

“Learning from our results is essential,” Swanson said. “By analyzing and measuring the customer’s reaction to a brand, it enables us to fine-tune our approach for the future.”

Although this William Woods University example is a local project, Pure is focusing mostly on the national market. About 80 percent of the company’s clients are regional and national, Beshore said. Citing many clients’ need for confi-dentiality, he declined to name clients.

“We started looking at the work we were pro-ducing and the work that national agencies were producing,” Beshore said. “We sat back and said, ‘Hmm. I wonder if we can make it to the national scene. I wonder if we would get any nibbles.’”

From the beginning, Beshore and LaPaglia envisioned becoming a national agency, but they thought it would take at least five years.

“If you hire amazing people telling the story and amazing people who are creative, you’ve got

a shot,” Beshore said. “That’s what we did. We upped our leverage, made a concerted effort and we pushed. Now we are getting results.”

Since the end of June, the company has pitched its services to three Fortune 500 companies and finished producing its first feature-length film, “10 Hours a Week,” as well as a music video for the White Rabbits, a band that formed locally, now is based in NewYork and has recorded two albums.

The video, which was filmed by Arable Entertainment, Pure’s film subsidiary, drew attention to the single, which led to an appear-ance on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” a stint as iTunes video of the week and a sound-track for Ralph Lauren’s fall collection, according to an Arable news release.

“The doors that we get in, it’s not like you can just call these people up,” Beshore said. “On a national level, you have to have the contact, you have to have the in and the show-stopping work. We have all of that, and that’s why we get in the door.”

BuSInESS PROfILE | PuRE MARkETInG AnD MEDIA

David Anderson on the set of the feature film, "10 Hours a Week," written and directed by Josh Slates, produced by Arable Entertainment.

Pure Marketing and Media Chief Creative Officer Mark Swanson, second from right, leads a fun brainstorming session with his creative team under the table.

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For example, one of Pure’s employees had a high-level contact at one of the Fortune 500 companies. By introducing the company and its work, the staff member was able to arrange a meeting with the organization.

When dealing with clients based outside of Columbia, Beshore and his staff let the cli-ents specify what would be the best form of communication.

“We leave it up to them,” Beshore said. “Some like to use AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), e-mail or LinkedIn, while others prefer face-to-face interaction. Then we would fly there.”

Some clients have inquired if Pure will be opening satel-lite offices in other cities

and states. Beshore has been thinking about expanding the company’s presence to Kansas City and St. Louis and is in discussions about doing just that.

The company also expects to hire even more staff and has implemented a new internal process.

“The process is the biggest challenge, and it took a long time to refine it,” Beshore said. “A couple of weeks ago I saw a project that I didn’t

even know we were working on. But, the structure worked because the project went through all of the needed steps. It was finished, and the clients loved it.” v

BuSInESS PROfILE | PuRE MARkETInG AnD MEDIA

Pure Marketing and Media1207 W. Broadway, Suite B

Columbia, MO 65203573 445-0678

www.whygopure.com

Eric Mousel and Kim Sherman adjust the camera on the set of the feature film, "10 Hours a Week," shot locally inside Shakespeare's Pizza.

David Anderson, chief production officer reviews footage of the White Rabbit music video that Pure Marketing and Media produced.

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Boone County Planning and Building Director

VOICES

It began with a call from David Lile, host of the Morning Show on News Talk 1400. A listener wanted to know when KFRU's daily "Quickie Quiz" feature first aired, and Lile asked me if I could come up with the date.

The answer came after rolling through micro-film copies of both Columbia daily newspapers in the superb newspaper library at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia. The mission was successful, but it also sprung a trap.

Gathering history can become a dangerous addiction. Journeying through newspaper files more than a half-century old brought forth an overloading amount of detail about local people, places, events and simply life here-abouts in general. One headline sprayed across eight columns of the Tribune's front page on the afternoon of January 4, 1956, underscoring the ebullient feeling people in general felt about Columbia both at the time and for the years to come.

The story under the headline, "Columbia Population is Nearing 50,000," was based on information gleaned from surveyors canvassing the city for listings in the R.L. Polk Company's annual city directory. But oh how overly opti-mistic they were.

They began with an estimate of 45,000 inhab-itants and then added another two thousand or so they expected to add if more than 2,000 acres of territory was annexed to the city in a special election a few weeks later, which in fact did occur.

With Columbia's 1950 population just over the 31,000 mark according to the official federal census, the folks from Polk were really going out on a limb. There it was on the Tribune's front page for future generations to read on microfilm. An estimate gone wild, because the official census figure for 1960 was only 36,650.

A few weeks ago, the Tribune's 100,000 popu-lation headline used a typeface significantly less bold and was spread over only two columns of a significantly narrower front page. We have been assured much more accurate information buttresses the boldness of Columbia's passage into the six-figure realm.

Journalism was practiced so much differ-ently half a century ago. These days, regretfully, in my opinion, journalism has diminished. Healthy competition back then between both afternoon dailies (the Missourian became a morning paper in 1968) wonderfully chronicled the events of this growing city in a way that I'm afraid will never return.

Both dailies' front pages overflowed with a dozen or more individual news items. There were stories about courthouse activities, including the daily traffic court, police and fire news from reporters on the "fires and wrecks" beat. There was a "society" page that included photos of area children, a weekly page devoted to homebuilding and a "home of the week." Dozens of smaller local — some would say "filler" — pieces rounding out each day's chron-icle, giving me a sense of what life in Columbia was like at the time.

Perhaps the whining about its diminishment within the Fourth Estate could be reversed if the press returned to its simple, basic raison d'être. Let's bulletin a headlong plunge into super-serving the community. An amazing concept: a return to the traditional core values and practice of journalism. This means news items without the reporter's personal bias or opinion and editorials on pages traditionally reserved for that purpose.

My recent exercise became addictive in a thousand-and-one ways as I turned page after page of the Missourian and Tribune on microfilm.

Nailing the première of "Quickie Quiz" to 7:50 on the morning of Monday January 9, 1956, I quickly became enmeshed in what was really going on 53 years ago.

News items nationally included President Eisenhower's recovery from his heart attack the previous September and whether or not he'd go for a second term. Actress Grace Kelly was engaged to Monaco's Prince Rainier, and the nuptuals were planned for the following June. Trains wrecked, planes crashed and workers went on strike. And then there were human interest pieces from all over.

Growth dominated the local news, and life here seemed to be much harder than it is today. There were too many vehicle crashes with more people injured and killed per capita than today. Pictures of wrecked cars appeared every third or fourth day. Talk about beefing up the police department mingled with daily accounts of speed enforcement using the department's new radar "van" directed me to the daily police court report with fines pegged at a dollar for each mile per hour exceeded over the posted limit and an occasional citizen's challenge to the whole procedure.

As for "Quickie Quiz that Tricky Quiz," KFRU's 53-year-old program is still with us, though it is aired at a slightly later time weekday mornings.

It’s so hopelessly out of date and style with whatever modern radio is supposed to be, and let's hope that it never goes away. "Quickie Quiz" is a Columbia icon that had become such a temporal marker that when it was foolishly removed decades ago from its longtime home at 7:55 a.m., the area was thrown into a panic because altering this morning waypost was akin to some outsider meddling with one's alarm clock. v

Al Germond

Al Germond is the host of the "Sunday

Morning Roundtable" every Sunday at 8:15

a.m. on kFRu. He can be reached at al@

columbiabusinesstimes.com

from the Roundtable

Digging into the origin of KFRU’s ‘Quicky Quiz’ anything but quick

Some things just go together: Cake and ice cream. Pancakes and syrup. Cheese and crackers. The person that first put bacon, let-tuce and tomato together on bread had the right idea. Maybe not as tasty, but still a good idea, is Boone County combining the Planning and Building Inspection Department with the Design and Construction Department.

These two departments have a lot of impact on how Boone County looks and how it will look in the future. Since their creation, these departments have been separate. Planning and Building Inspection has been under the direc-tion of the County Commission. The Design and Construction Department has also been under the County Commission, but has been a division of the Public Works Department.

The recent departure of the Public Works director has provided an opportunity for the County Commission to review how these two departments work, both separately and together, and how they can be reformed to better work for the public. Timed in conjunction with the proposed remodeling of the Roger B. Wilson County Government Center, which will provide adequate office space for a combined department, the merger gives the commission

an opportunity to improve customer service to the citizens of Boone County.

The Planning and Building Inspection Department is responsible for implementing the land use and development regulations in the unincorporated parts of the county. The staff works with property owners, engineers, sur-veyors and realtors. The department maintains working relationships with all of the munici-palities and utility providers. Generally, the Planning and Building Inspection Department is the first stop a developer makes when con-templating a residential or commercial land development in the county.

In a related fashion, the Design and Construction staff reviews site development plans, road construction plans and storm-water plans. They work with engineers and surveyors to make sure that all county require-ments are met.

The Planning and Building Inspection Department also provides building inspection services for all new construction in the unin-corporated parts of the county. The building inspectors inspect everything from pole barns to factories. Construction inspectors in the Design and Construction Department approve

driveway locations, sidewalks, stormwater improvements and inspect road construction projects for compliance with design and con-struction standards.

As regulatory agencies, these two depart-ments depend upon each other to make certain that minimum design standards are being met. For example, a subdivision design can have an impact on the existing county roads. Currently, the subdivision design is reviewed by the Planning and Building Inspection Department staff, whereas managing the existing street system comes under the purview of the Design and Construction staff. Reviewing the design of internal subdivision streets and how they con-nect to existing streets impacts traffic and emer-gency response. The best time to coordinate this is during the design review process, before a developer has begun construction. As the pop-ular saying goes, this is a "no-brainer." Having adequate staff to review designs is important. Giving the staff the flexibility to interact on an informal basis as part of the same department will reduce response time and institutional bar-riers that developers may have experienced in the past, as well as ensure that the development in the County is the best it can be.

County View

Merging county departments a win-win situation

Stan Shawver

(continued on Page 12)

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VOICES

Citizen Journalist

Dr. Solomon's Wisdom: Helping patients by dumping insurers

County View

Merging county departments a win-win situation Guest Column

Public school system affects local economic development

Six years ago, Columbia physicians George and Hana Solomon decided to cancel all their contracts with health insurers to rescue their practice and patients from a broken system, a revealing story in the context of the health reform debate.

"We were going too fast and not giving our patients what they needed," George Solomon told me. "We may have spent as little as 10 min-utes with someone who needed an hour."

Although Dr. Hana moved full time to a Columbia-based venture, Nasopure, Dr. George has continued practicing family medicine, a life-long passion that today has him "ecstatic that he can spend real, quality time with his patients," Hana Solomon told me.

Insurance imbroglio"Medicine isn't just about pills — it's about

skills," George Solomon explained. "It's about taking the time to teach patients the skills they need to get well. It's also very much about taking the time to listen and to hear."

When they took insurance, George and Hana Solomon employed four secretaries to handle bills, phone calls, statements, letters, late notices, forms and "repeated explanations to insur-ance companies for services denied payment," George Solomon said. Without insurance, they employ one secretary, part-time.

"Doctors spend about half of what insurance companies pay them to cover overhead insur-ance companies create," said Judith Lave, former director of the Office of Research in the Health Care Financing Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The upshot is a system that does little to promote the efficient delivery of quality health care, Lave said. Nonetheless, she believes few physicians are likely to ditch insurance.

Simple care"Many simply can't afford to stop taking

insurance," George Solomon said.Nonetheless, it is happening, and private

health plan Simple Care is taking advantage of the growing trend.

A program of the American Association of Patients and Providers, Simple Care is just that — simple, president Dr. Vern Cherewatenko told me. Patients purchase a high-deductible medical policy for catastrophic expenses, save 68 percent on insurance premiums and use Simple Care for routine medical expenses.

"Only 30 cents on every health-care-pre-mium dollar goes to patient treatment, with the remaining 70 cents consumed by insurance company overhead and profit," Cherewatenko said, quoting a Harvard University/Kaiser Foundation study. "This is in a society where only about 5 percent of the population requires more than $2,000 of medical care a year, but where health insurance premiums routinely rise at a rate eight times faster than inflation."

Figuring a family of four saves about $5,000 per year with Simple Care and catastrophic cov-erage, Cherewatenko says that health insurance ought to be as simple as car insurance: "Drivers pay for routine maintenance — gas, oil, tune-ups — and insurance pays if there is a major accident."

Solomon soloDoctors who leave insurance behind "are

charging half of what they would under an insurance contract, but coming out about the same," said Kathryn Stewart, care management director at Chicago's Mt. Sinai Hospital. "They have much less overhead and other costly headaches."

Shortly after Solomon left the system, for instance, he had no more past-due insurance bills, while insurance firms owed another physi-cian more than $150,000, he said.

That's just bad business, says cardiologist Dr. Jacque Sokolov, a former member of the White House Health Project. "Physicians are trained to manage patient care, not business care, so some of the basic rules of business are lost," Sokolov said.

Notoriously inefficient, insurance companies enable — and even force — bad business habits on their physician providers. Now outside the insurance umbrella, George Solomon has implemented some basic business rules he was formerly encouraged to avoid.

Rule One: "If you're spending more than you earn, you cut expenses," Solomon said. "I also think it's unethical to charge different rates for identical services, something we had to do with our insurance contracts. The uninsured person gets hit with a larger bill for exactly the same treatment an insured person receives."

Also compromised in the rush to keep insur-ance companies happy are medical ethics, Solomon said. For the Catholic doctor from Lebanon, who met his Jewish wife Hana on their first day of medical school at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the Prayer of Maimonides — the 12th-century Jewish physician and phi-losopher who wrote about medical ethics — has particular meaning to today's health insurance issues.

Do not allow thirst for profit, ambition for renown and admiration, to interfere with my profession, Maimonides prays. May no strange thoughts — about bills or insurance contracts, for instance — divert my attention at the bed-side for the sick.

"We're not at our patient's bedside for us," George Solomon said. "We're at their bedside for them." v

Martin, a Columbia resident and science

journalist, can be reached at Mike.

martin@weeklyscientist.com

Superintendent, Columbia Public

Schools

Mike Martin

Chris Belcher

The Jeffersonian ideal of public education as one of the pillars of democracy is as true today as in Jefferson’s time. The intellect, character and creativity of the workforce shape the ability to compete both nationally and internation-ally. The impact of public schools on the local economy in Columbia is undeniable.

Columbia is fortunate to have a population that understands the value of education as a pathway to personal success and community vitality. Columbia Public Schools is very aware of the important role we play in the area.

The district has a mission and ethical obli-gation to provide a high-quality education to all children. Our success is inextricably entwined with that of the community. Indeed, the reputation of CPS sustains and adds to the value of homes, attracts relocating families and stabilizes the population that patronizes retail and professional services, while our stu-dents and activities contribute to the life of the community.

Current facility planning calls for the addi-tion of a third comprehensive high school to Columbia. Voters approved the first round of funding in 2008. The board will likely approve

an April 2010 bond issue request to provide funding to complete the high school, add gym-nasium space to Hickman and Rock Bridge high schools and complete air conditioning upgrades to those buildings in need.

The proposed bond issue will increase opportunities for students and increase eco-nomic activity for the community. Freshmen will attend the high schools, and the middle and junior-high-level buildings will be recon-figured to serve students in grades six through eight. Less crowded campuses, fewer mobile units and more opportunities for extracur-ricular involvement are a few of the benefits that await our students and families.

The construction of the high school and other facility upgrades will produce more than $140 million in activity. The 30-month project will pro-vide opportunities for local businesses to bid on projects. Workers will use frequent restaurants, gas stations and other businesses. In addition, the new school will likely encourage adjacent development in the expanding northern sector.

The vitality and sustainability of a commu-nity does not occur in a vacuum. Residents, business owners, public organizations and

government must work in concert. This requires the vigilance of constant, structured dialogue with various groups, as well as trans-parent and open public debate. It also requires an informed electorate; ultimately, the voters choose the direction of the schools, the city and funding.

I have been a resident of Columbia since late June. My family and I love it here. Rarely can a city brag of such diversity. Higher education gives easy access to intellectual growth and career advancement. Fine food, the fine arts and a multitude of sporting events make each week full of tough choices. The beautiful parks, trails, lakes and rivers make communing with nature a few simple steps from your front door. Finally, the community of faith is prevalent in all aspects of the lives of our citizens.

Columbia has a bright economic future. The full realization of this future is dependent upon an educated and innovative work force. Columbia Public Schools plans to work hand in hand with community leaders, businesses, other educational entities and our constituents to provide the quality 21st century education our students will need. v

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VOICESGuest Column

Recovery funding benefits Mid-Missouri

u.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-4th. The district

extends from Jefferson City through Moniteau

County to the state’s western border

Ike Skelton

Although there have been no institutional attempts by Planning and Building to thwart a development, there have been times when hazy understanding of how all the regulations fit together may have resulted in a delay in pro-cessing a particular proposal. With the merger of the two departments, processing cycle time will improve. It will be much easier for a staffer to walk across the room to get an answer than play phone-tag, send an e-mail or leave a mes-sage. Face-to-face discussion and brainstorming options will solve issues quickly and should resolve any conflicts between regulations that may have caused problems for developers in the past. This is not to say that there won’t still be problems – no system works perfectly every time, all the time – but we anticipate constant improvement as the staff begins to work together as one team.

Merging the two departments will be a benefit to the general public. There are many times when customers walk in the door of Planning and Building Inspection downtown and have questions about the development process, or about a specific piece of property. They have questions about how to subdivide their property, the location of utilities, building construction standards, wastewater require-ments, driveway requirements, erosion control

requirements or stormwater standards. Some questions are very easy to answer, but as often happens in life, one question leads to another. The answer to a building inspection question may lead to a stormwater disposal problem. Under the current arrangement, this means that a customer (read: taxpayer) must call or visit another office, and that other office is 7 miles away. And who doesn’t hate hearing that they are being passed off, rather than getting their simple question answered?

Once the two departments are merged, it will be a simple matter for a planner, an engi-neer and a stormwater specialist to informally meet with anyone who has general questions. It will also be easier to schedule more formal meetings involving developers and their design professionals. Merging the two departments will concentrate many years of experience into one common area. This will result in increased efficiency and improved responsiveness to the needs of the citizens of Boone County.

Where two separate departments once existed, separated as they were by considerable distance, one new department emerges. Creation of the Boone County Resource Management Department will be a win-win proposition for all of the citizens of Boone County. v

Voices...Cont. from Page 10

Over two years ago, America was on the brink of an unusually severe economic downturn. In the months that followed, the effects of the subprime housing crisis, which left many families across the country in foreclosure, were trickling in to other areas of our nation’s vast economy at an alarming rate. The economy was losing, on average, 700,000 jobs a month. And at the same time, consumer con-fidence and spending were falling; costs associated

with food, health care and college were rising; and banks were clamping down on lending.

In light of the economic crisis, Congress and the president had an obligation to enact policies that would get our economy moving again, and we have worked to do that since the beginning of the recession. Inaction on our part would have made the situation far more dire for farmers, small-business owners, and families, and would have undercut America’s military and national security, making it far more dif-ficult to properly address international chal-lenges. The largest economic recovery effort occurred when Congress approved H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, on Feb.13. On Feb. 17, President Obama signed the bill into law. The Recovery Act is a com-prehensive stimulus plan that includes both tax cuts and spending stimulus, and is designed to reduce the length and severity of the recession, as well as its impact on the American people and our national security.

In just over six months, the Recovery Act, along with our other economic initiatives, has

worked to stabilize economic conditions and help those harmed by the economic crisis. According to recent testimony delivered by the Federal Reserve Chairman, Benjamin Bernanke, the unemployment rate would likely be higher if the Recovery Act had not been enacted. By June, the economy was losing one-third fewer jobs than it was at the start of the 2009. And much of the financial strain facing states and local gov-ernments has been cushioned by Recovery Act money, which has allowed local leaders to avoid laying off teachers, prison guards, police officers and firefighters.

I am pleased that rural communities throughout the Fourth District have benefitted from the Recovery Act. In the six months since the bill was signed into law, the Fourth District has secured over $213 million in Recovery Act funding. It is putting 36 youths to work in Johnson County; renovating recreation facilities at Pomme de Terre Lake; paving three roads in Vernon County; and funding a new police vehicle for the Richland Police Department. Funds are being used to expand community health centers and military facilities, and to upgrade roads and bridges throughout the Fourth District. This work creates jobs and generates revenue for families and businesses. A complete list of Recovery Act projects secured in the Fourth District is available online by visiting www.house.gov/skelton/ or by visiting www.recovery.gov.

Although there is still significant work to be done to restore our economy and bring relief to American families, economic experts agree that we are beginning to see glimmers of hope and that the Recovery Act is working as designed and on track to meet its goals. Our economic problems are years in the making and will not be solved overnight. But we are certainly moving in the right direction. v

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PEOPLE YOu SHOULD KNOW

Matt H. BeckettAccount Executive/Partner, Bukaty Companies – Beckett & Taylor

JOB DESCRIPTION: Provide consultation and brokerage services to businesses and individuals with regard to their commercial and personal insurance programs.

AGE: 35 YEARS LIVED IN COLUMBIA: 27 ORIGINAL HOMETOWN: Columbia, Mo.

EDUCATION: 1988-1992 Rock Bridge High School; 1992-1996 University of Missouri (B.A. in Political Science)

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Salvation Army volunteer (hosted a “Santa” coat drive); recently became involved with the local Ronald McDonald house and its building committee; advisory board member of the local chapter of Phi Delta Theta. A future goal is to get involved with local government boards and/or commissions.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: I graduated from MU in 1996 and went into the service for 9 years, spending most of that time in aviation. This took us all over the country to places such as Quantico, Va.; Pensacola, Fl.; Miramar, Ca.; and Kansas City, Mo. I left the service as a field grade officer and although I still must render salutes to my Uncle Wilson Beckett, who left the Navy as a Commander, I am proud to say I am still able to “pull rank” on my brothers, dad and grandfathers, who all served. After leaving the service, my family

and I relocated back to Columbia to spend more time at home in the town we love. In 2007, my business partner, Jake Taylor, and I began working on opening our own independent insurance agency. In March, 2008, we opened the doors and now specialize in commercial lines

of insurance, personal insurance and employee benefits.

A COLUMBIA BUSINESSPERSON I ADMIRE AND WHY: Aside from my father, Bruce, whom I’ve always looked up to, there are several: Cubby Taylor, Tyson Nichols, Bill Shifflett, Bob Pugh, Wally Bley, Chris Widmer and Terry Dally are a few I’ve been lucky

enough to call friends. I have been fortunate to have gotten to know these men over the years and have a great respect for what I perceive to be a lifestyle of “work to live” and not “live to work." I admire their integrity, good

business sense and eager desire to help their fellow human beings.

WHY I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT MY JOB: I truly enjoy trying to help people. When you work with a client and have a relationship where you really feel like you are helping solve problems for their business and helping them make sound business decisions…that’s the rewarding part about this job.

IF I WEREN’T DOING THIS FOR A LIVING, I WOULD: …Probably be back in the cockpit. I really enjoyed those years.

BIGGEST CAREER OBSTACLE I’VE OVERCOME AND HOW: Starting over in a career after all those years in the U.S. Marine Corps. During those years we weren’t too “in tune” with the business communities of places we lived or what was going on back home. Coming back to Columbia and starting over was a challenge. I’d run into a lot of my folks from growing up and kind of felt like a “Rip Van Winkle."

A FAVORITE RECENT PROJECT: When I’m not helping people with insurance, you might find me wearing a tool belt. I recently “finished” my basement and did all the work on it

except the drywall. Though I don’t know if I would actually call it my favorite recent project, it is my favorite to have completed. A close second would be Chris Widmer and my 300-mile bike trip across Missouri for the MU/Illinois football game.

WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROFESSION: Not every insurance professional is a Ned Ryerson, from the movie Groundhog Day — "Bing."

WHAT I DO FOR FUN: Relaxing by the fire with a glass of merlot and a nice, thick commercial insurance policy...Ummm, not exactly! Actually, I really enjoy working on

my house and watching my kids play baseball, basketball and football, and the semi-annual dance recital at Columbia Performing Arts Council. I am a pushover for MU

sports; like to run and work out; ride the “Hillbilly Delux” down the Perche Creek with my brothers; the Taylor boys; and J.D. and Spencer. I also like to travel and take my wife

out on the occasional “date night."

FAMILY: My wife is Suzanne. We met at MU and will have been married 12 years in October. We have three perfect children (perfect when they are sleeping!). They are Jack (10), Nick (9) and Anna

(5), and they all look like mom. Thank goodness.

FAVORITE PLACE IN COLUMBIA: Perche Creek/Missouri River for a Saturday afternoon boat ride. Faurot Field watching an MU/Nebraska game is right up there as well.

ACCOMPLISHMENT I’M MOST PROUD OF: Aside from being a dad and having a great family, I’m probably most proud of the great experiences I’ve had so far in my life. I feel like I’ve been able to see and do a lot of neat things…flying over Pearl Harbor at 100 feet, vacationing (so to speak) in the Kuwaiti Desert, backpacking across Europe, humanitarian work in Indonesia, walking the beaches of Iwo Jima, taking the Commandant of the Marine Corps for a ride in the helicopter and physically building a house. Along the way, I’ve met some great people. All of the experiences have really helped to put things into perspective and enabled me to have an appreciation for the things that are really important in life, along with a clear distinction from those that are not.

MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT: I proposed to my wife, Suzanne, on a rotten log in Rock Bridge State Park. Also, my great, great, great, great, great grandfather was Ira P. Nash, a frontiersman and pioneer in Boone County. He founded Nashville, Mo., was arrested for inciting a duel with William Jewell and helped Lewis and Clark on their journey down the mighty Missouri River.

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POWER LUNCH | SPORTS & BuSInESS

By David Reed

It’s more than fun and games, all the sporting events that take place in ball fields, courts and pools around town.

The Show-Me State Games that ended Aug. 2 drew 25,750 participants and had an estimated economic impact of more than $13 million. Over the long run, the estimated economic impact of the Olympic-style games during its 25 years in Columbia is roughly $250 million.

The Special Olympics Outdoor Championships on Aug. 7 drew about 700 participants, while thousands of participants, fans and family members came to Columbia for the state high school wrestling tournament, the Missouri State Pro Golfers Tournament, the senior Little League’s regional tournament, the Missouri Grand Prix swimming event and the NAIA National Volleyball Championships. And the paid attendance at the state basketball tour-nament games on two consecutive weekends? Fifty-thousand plus.

Then there are a multitude of smaller events that also attract participants who stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and shop in stores, such as the Team Horse Roping Championships, the Teen Master Bowling Tournament and various long-distance running races.

During a forum on Sporting Events and the Local Economy, Ken Ash, director of the Show-Me State Games, asked, “Are sports a viable way of generating money throughout the community? You bet, and I don’t think they should be forgotten at any point in time.”

While Columbia is hosting the biggest state games in the country, some other communities have seen sporting events eliminated because of budget cuts stemming from the faltering economy. The Empire State Games in New

York was established in 1978 as the nation’s first Olympic-style statewide event, but it was cancelled this year after the $2.7 million state appropriation was cut.

And beyond the battles among amateur athletes and the efforts to find funding, the com-petition from cities coveting Columbia’s games is intensifying, participants in the lunch forum said.

“There are several communities within the state of Missouri that would love to have our state games,” said Julie Ausmus, manager of the Tourism Development Program at the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau.

St. Charles and St. Louis tried to persuade the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) this year to let them host the state wrestling and basketball tournaments, while logistical conflicts have caused Columbia to lose some events such as the state baseball and soft-ball tournaments.

“We are centrally located, so it makes sense for people to come to the center of the state to participate,” said Kerwin Urhahn, MSHSAA’s executive director.

The organization’s rules require competitive bidding for every event. “People will ask, ‘Why are you having MU host?’ I tell them, ‘Well it’s the best price, the best facilities and they have bent over backward to make it work for us,” Urhahn said. “So whenever some community comes and asks ‘Why aren’t you hosting it here?’ they have a lot to step over and accomplish to get us to (move) a state championship.”

Columbia is blessed with MU’s two adjacent basketball arenas and the sprawling Cosmo Park. And on May 11, the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department dedicated Atkins Memorial Park, where two new baseball fields

Team effort called for to expand sports economy

PRESENTERS:• Ken Ash, executive director, Show-Me State Games• Julie Ausmus, manager, Tourism Development Program, Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau

PARTICIPANTS: • Beau Baehman, marketing and public relations director, Columbia Orthopedic Group• Bob Burchard, director of athletics, Columbia College• Skip Elkin, Boone County commissioner • Chris Gervino, sports anchor, KOMU-TV• Tim Jamieson, head baseball coach, MU athletics• Emily Lorenz, director of communications, Show-Me State Games• Phil Porter, president, Daniel Boone Little League• Tim Rooney, director of budget, MU• Jeff Shoultz, general manager, Mizzou Sports Properties, Learfield Sports• Kerwin Urhahn, executive director, MSHSAAfrom The Callaway Bank• Craig Brumfield, development officer• Bob Fisher, vice president, commercial lender• Gary Meyerpeter, president• Neal Wilkinson, mortgage lender

POWER LUNCH PARTICIPANTS

CBT’S PoWeR LUNCH SPoNSoReD By

Left: Ken Ash, director of the Show-Me-State Games, and Julie Ausmus of the CVB gave presentations at the Power Lunch on Sports & Business. Above: Tim Rooney (left) and Mike HoodOpposite Page, left to right: Bob Burchard, Joe Schmitter, Beau Baehman, Craig Brumfield, Tim Jamieson

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POWER LUNCH | SPORTS & BuSInESS

marked the completion of Phase One of the park master plan.

On Sept. 15 and 23, the department will host public meetings for the new southeast regional park and present a revised master plan.

Urhahn and others attending the CBT Power Lunch argued that Columbia could attract more sporting events if it had more indoor facilities.

Bob Burchard, the athletic director and bas-ketball coach at Columbia College, said, “I’ve been saying this for probably 20 of my 22 years in Columbia: the desire and need for an indoor ‘Cosmo Park’ is huge.”

A few forum participants argued that the city and county should consider raising the park tax

to raise funds for indoor courts and perhaps a pool and an ice rink. But there was general agreement that a coordinated effort is needed to rally support behind building projects.

“The two things that are most important to the games are corporate sponsors and volun-teers,” Ash said. “Without either one of them we could not exist. But right behind that are facilities. Columbia is blessed with a lot of good facilities. How could we enhance the sports economy? What we need is a multipurpose building, mainly for basketball. We have a lot of parks. We have a lot of trails. It’s time to build some indoor facilities.”

(continued on Page 23)

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To Win the Game, you’ve Got to use the right tools

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How’s the Game going for you? What Tools are you using?Check out Sandler Training Tools – www.savant.sandler.com / Catherine Atkins – (573) 445-7694

Sander Training (with S design) service marks of Sandler Systems, Inc. © 2009 Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved

2009 CBT Entrepreneur of the Year:

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POWER LUNCH | SPORTS & BuSInESS

NAIA National Volleyball Championships (Columbia College)

Mssouri Lions Eye Research Foundation (Race for Sight Triathalon)

Columbia swim club (Winter Invitational, Central Region VIII Tournament)

Special Olympics (Summer Games, Outdoor Classic)

MU rec center (Missouri Grand Prix)

Carrera Soccer Club (Just for Girls Tournament)

Missouri Basketball Coaches Assocation (Missouri Challenge, Norm Stewart Classic, basketball clinic)

Killer "B" Promotions (Teen Masters Bowling Tournament)

Central District Little League (Senior League Regional Tournament)

Rope the Ozarks (Team Horse Roping Championships)

Missouri Professional Golfers Association

Show-Me State Games (Midwest Lacrosse Tournament, State Games of Mid-America, six fundraising events)

$25,000 $18,750

$7500

$3000

$3000

$3000

$13,000

$5000

$15,000

$15,000

$15,000 $15,000

$2,500

$23,058

$10,000

$10,000

$10,000

$24,500

$14,000

$10,000

$48,520 $60,774$54,707

$92,020 $137,524 $106,558$92,708

2006 2007 2008 2009

$7500

$7500

$7500

TOTAL

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT fUND HISTORY CVB using tax revenue to attract sporting events In 2006, the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau began

allocating part of the city’s 4 percent lodging tax revenue to subsidize sporting events that were expected to bring a significant number of hotel guests to Columbia.

The Tourism Development Program was set up in 2001, using one quarter of the total lodging tax, but Manager Julie Ausmus said the original guidelines did not allow the tax revenue to be used for “what sporting events really need,” such as trophies and medals, site fees and payments to umpires and officials.

So the CVB separated the program into three funds: sporting events, attraction development and festivals and events.

Our goal is to get people to come and stay in our hotels,” Ausmus said during a CBT lunch forum on Sporting Events and the Local Economy.

A 12-member advisory board appointed by the City Council meets once a month and recommends events to receive allocations from the sporting events fund. Events can be funded for up to three years, and the events must grow over time to maintain funding.

“For sporting events, you see an economic impact right away,” Ausmus said. One of her favorite events, she said, was the Little League baseball tournament for players 16 to 18 years old. The CVB estimated that participants and spectators would book 700 to 800 hotel “room nights” during the event held during 10 days in August.

The CVB also has also helped raise funds and obtain grants for events held in Columbia.

“CVB-sponsored fundraisers are responsible in a lot of ways for us being here,” said ken Ash, the Show-Me State Games executive director. (The Olympic-style event marked its 25th anniversary this year.) “Without that money, we would not have been able to sustain those activities or even start them.” v

17 August 22, 2009 C

olumbia B

usiness Times | C

olumbiaB

usinessTimes.com

By Jason Rosenbaum

A statewide bicycle race hardly seems a likely catalyst for a titanic political struggle. But that’s what happened when Gov. Jay Nixon attempted to cut funding for the Tour of Missouri this year.

Created in 2007, the Tour of Missouri pits some of the world’s most famous bicyclists against each other as they transverse across the Show Me State. The event was conceived as a way to showcase Missouri to the international audience that enjoys competitive bike racing, which in turn could boost tourism to the state.

While some money for the event comes from private sponsors, other funding comes from the state. Nixon’s administration has sought over the past year to reduce spending in the wake of a tough budgetary situation.

Austerity, Nixon said, was the reason for freezing $1.5 million in state funds that had been allocated to the race. It was a move that race organizers said would have forced a can-cellation of this year’s event, which is slated to begin in September.

But there’s more going on behind the battle over the race funding.

The event is a pet project of sorts of Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a Republican statewide office holder who is widely seen as a potential chal-lenger to Nixon in 2012. One of Kinder’s duties as lieutenant governor is overseeing the state’s tourism commission.

Several people within Kinder’s political circle are involved in the operation of the race. Jerry Dowell, who serves as Kinder’s deputy lieutenant governor, is the executive director of Tour of Missouri Inc. That’s the non-profit cor-poration that assists in running the event.

While Kinder has promoted the Tour of Missouri as a way to boost tourism and spur economic growth, some Democrats have criticized using state funds to shore up the event’s budget. Sam Page – a Democrat from Creve Coeur who ran against Kinder in last year’s lieutenant gov-ernor contest – released an advertisement last year bashing Kinder for “using state job creation money to sponsor his bicycle race that lost millions of tax-payer dollars.”

Kinder has responded to such criticism by pointing to a state-sponsored study that showed the race spurred a roughly $30 million boost in the state’s economy. In a letter posted on the event’s Web site, Kinder said cancelling the event would have devastating consequences.

“We are very close to putting the final touches on the race this year,” Kinder wrote. “Our spon-

sors have invested, and we are on track with our fundraising goals. Teams from across the world, the same teams now racing in the Tour de France, have been invited to our state, and communities across Missouri are making great preparations for the race.”

After roughly a week of uncertainty, Nixon decided to release the funds. In a statement, Nixon said he made the decision to release the money after he received assurances that Tour of Missouri Inc. had agreed to turn over pertinent documents about how the event’s money is spent.

“Even as my administration continues to tighten its belt, I believe that the 2009 Tour of Missouri should go forward,” Nixon said in his prepared statement. “The race will go on this year, and Missourians deserve to know that state funds for the event are used transparently and accountably. They should know precisely how money for the Tour of Missouri is being spent, and that the event is being run in a way that minimizes the cost to taxpayers.”

In a July conference call with reporters, Kinder said he was “very grateful” at what he called “the extraordinary outpouring of support” for the race to continue. He said this year’s event would prove to doubters why the race should continue into the future.

“We have always operated above the board,” Kinder said. “We have always been transparent — completely transparent — with the state, with cities, with local organizing committees and with the media. This will continue.”

“The only reason we’ve had the success that we’ve had is due to the thousands of you who called and e-mailed Gov. Nixon,” Kinder added.

This year’s event, which is scheduled from September 7 to 13, will roll through St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, Farmington, Rolla, St. James, Jefferson City, Sedalia, Chillicothe, St. Joseph and Kansas City.

Columbia — a city known for having a surplus of bicycle enthusiasts — hosted a stop for the inau-gural race in 2007. The city was not a host city for the 2008 version of the event.

The city applied to be a part of this year’s race, but it was ultimately not selected. Last year’s race had a state-wide economic

impact of $29.8 million, of which $15.6 million was spent by out-of-state tourists.

Columbia’s Convention and Visitors Bureau officials proposed for the tour to start mid-week, so the race would not interfere with MU football weekend games. The Tour of Missouri could not accommodate these needs. v

Tour of Missouri survives political skirmish, skips CoMo

Austerity, Nixon said, was

the reason for freezing

state funds that had been

allocated to the race.

It was a move that race

organizers said would

have forced a cancellation

of this year’s event.

Look

ing

sout

hbou

nd a

t the

inte

rsec

tion

of S

mile

y La

ne a

nd R

ange

Lin

e St

reet

.

The c

onstruction

projec

t to e

xpan

d Ra

nge

Line

Stre

et from two

to

four

lane

s no

rth o

f Interstate I-

70 starte

d in A

pril 20

08, w

ill cos

t ab

out $1

4 million an

d will be

finishe

d by

the

end

of the ye

ar, a

ccording

to

Charles

Sulliva

n, a

Misso

uri De

partm

ent of T

rans

porta

tion

reside

nt e

nginee

r. Th

e city an

d MoD

oT plan

ned

and

orga

nize

d the

wide

ning

projec

t to

acco

mmod

ate

the

grow

th o

f reside

ntial ho

using

and

commercial d

evelop

men

t in the

north c

entra

l region

, Su

lliva

n sa

id.

The

state

hired

the

Lehm

an C

onstruction

Co. (bas

ed in

California, M

o.)

to rec

onstruct the

two

-lane

state roa

d into a

fou

r-lane

roa

d, w

ith a

med

ian

extend

ing

from B

ig B

ear Bo

ulev

ard

to R

oute V

V.

The

contractors

are

also

working

on

installin

g stop

lights

at B

lue

Ridg

e Ro

ad, Sm

iley

Lane

, Ra

in F

ores

t Pa

rkwa

y an

d Brow

n Sc

hool R

oad. B

ike

lane

s will

be a

dded

to

both s

ides

of Ra

nge

Line

Stre

et, an

d a

pede

stria

n wa

lkwa

y will be

built

on the

eas

t side

of the

road

betwe

en B

usines

s Lo

op 7

0 an

d Big

Bear B

ouleva

rd. A

shorter side

walk w

ill b

e co

nstru

cted

on

the

west s

ide

of

the

street.

North

of Blue

Ridge

Roa

d, R

ange

Line Street bec

omes

Misso

uri H

ighw

ay 763

on

the

city

’s offic

ial map

.As

the

con

tractors

complete

parts

of the

road

, they

ope

n up

more

lane

s to e

ase

the

traffic, S

ullivan

said.

N

No

rth

of

Sm

iley

Lane

: A n

ew

Mos

er’s

Dis

coun

t Fo

ods,

Mid

-M

isso

uri M

obile

Hom

es, C

omm

erce

B

ank,

Pep

per

s N

ight

Clu

b, C

layt

on

Hom

es o

f Col

umb

ia a

nd B

oone

C

ount

y N

atio

nal B

ank,

see

n b

elow

.

Alth

ough

a g

roce

ry s

tore

is in

tere

sted

in

pur

chas

ing

the

Ram

par

t In

vest

men

t p

lot

on t

he

sout

hwes

t co

rner

of B

lue

Rid

ge R

oad

and

Ran

ge

Line

Str

eet,

a d

eal h

as n

ot b

een

sign

ed y

et,

dev

elop

er D

avid

Atk

ins

said

.

If th

e la

nd p

urch

ase

is c

omp

lete

d, t

hen

the

cons

truc

tion

will

beg

in in

the

sp

ring

of 2

010,

he

said

. The

gro

cery

sto

re c

ould

be

a p

art

of t

he

140,

000-

squa

re-f

oot

shop

pin

g ce

nter

tha

t is

b

eing

dev

elop

ed. O

ne s

tore

has

pur

chas

ed a

plo

t in

the

dev

elop

men

t ar

ea,

Atk

ins

said

he

coul

d n

ot

dis

clos

e th

e na

me

of t

he c

omp

any.

Smil

ey l

an

e

n HigHway 763

Ken

neS

aw

rid

ge

rd

Safa

ri d

r range line St

big

bea

r b

lvd

din

wid

die

cir

am

eric

an

pK

wy

26. Ta

co B

ell

27

. All LL

C 28

. Am

erican

Plaza

LLC

29. Merch

ants a

nd F

armers Ba

nk30

. Wes

tern

Oil

Inc.

31. Ph

illips 66

Petro

mart

32. La

ndmark

Bank

33. So

nic

34. B

C Inve

stmen

ts o

f Co

lumbia

LLC

35. Ty

ser Mad

onna

L E

tal.

36. Rich

ard

Ericks

on R

evoc

able L

iving

Trus

t37

. MFA

Petro

leum

Com

pany

Tire

38. Walgree

n Co

mpa

ny39

. He

nry

Semon

Rev

ocab

le T

rust

40. N

& D

Inc

.41

. On

Point Co

nstruc

tion

LLC

et a

l42

. Lu

cille

Eiffert Tr

ust

43. Fo

rmerly P

rocy

cle, h

eld

by B

CNB

44. Ca

sey’s

45. Ce

ntral Ba

nk o

f Misso

uri

126

2 3

4 5

6

7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15

1716 18

19

20

21

22

23

24 25

27 28

29 30

31 32

33

34

35 36

37 38

39

40

41

42 43

44

Mot

oris

ts tr

avel

nor

thbo

und

tow

ards

Rai

nfor

est P

arkw

ay

on a

two-

lane

sec

tion

of R

ange

Lin

e St

reet

.

Cons

truc

tion

wor

kers

hau

l and

mov

e di

rt to

mak

e w

ay fo

r the

new

dev

elop

men

t at

the

corn

er o

f Blu

e Ri

dge

and

Rang

e Li

ne S

tree

ts.

A co

nstr

uctio

n w

orke

r pa

ints

the

road

str

ips

on th

e no

rthb

ound

lane

of

Ran

ge L

ine

Stre

et

at th

e Bl

ue R

idge

Roa

d in

ters

ectio

n.

rain

fo

reSt

pa

rKw

ay

photos by jennifer kettler

1. McD

onald’s

2. T

arge

t Mas

ters

3. R

ange

line

Car Was

h 4. D

rummon

d Inve

stmen

ts

5. M

ovie G

allery

6. J

ason

’s Froz

en C

ustard

Fac

tory

7. J

immy

John

’s Go

urmet S

andw

ich

Shop

8. M

ike

McG

lasson

State F

arm Ins

uran

ce9. A

mericlean

Dry C

lean

ers

10. TP

’s B

ar &

Grill

11. H

& R

Block

12. Sh

elter Insu

ranc

e

13. Ha

nft Fa

mily

Chiro

prac

tic14

. Te

am W

ork

Reha

bilitation

Inc.

15. Su

n & S

ea T

anning

16. Im

o’s Pizza

17. Ra

nge

Line

Liquo

r & C

Store

18. He

rigon

Steve

Con

stru

ction

Inc.

19. Ja

ck a

nd D

oris O

verton

20. Ka

ron

L. R

owe

21. Th

e An

swer S

alon

& T

anning

22. Ra

mpa

rt Inv

estm

ent LL

C 23

. Alfy C

orp.

24

. He

rtz Eq

uipm

ent Re

ntal C

orp.

25. Stor

age

Trus

t Prop

ertie

s 20

07 A

eria

l Map

pro

vid

ed

by

Boo

ne C

ount

y

Range

Line expan

sion:

Range

Line expan

sion:

Pavin

g the

way

for nort

hern gro

wth

9

blu

e r

idg

e r

d

45

Look

ing

sout

hbou

nd a

t the

inte

rsec

tion

of S

mile

y La

ne a

nd R

ange

Lin

e St

reet

.

The c

onstruction

projec

t to e

xpan

d Ra

nge

Line

Stre

et from two

to

four

lane

s no

rth o

f Interstate I-

70 starte

d in A

pril 20

08, w

ill cos

t ab

out $1

4 million an

d will be

finishe

d by

the

end

of the ye

ar, a

ccording

to

Charles

Sulliva

n, a

Misso

uri De

partm

ent of T

rans

porta

tion

reside

nt e

nginee

r. Th

e city an

d MoD

oT plan

ned

and

orga

nize

d the

wide

ning

projec

t to

acco

mmod

ate

the

grow

th o

f reside

ntial ho

using

and

commercial d

evelop

men

t in the

north c

entra

l region

, Su

lliva

n sa

id.

The

state

hired

the

Lehm

an C

onstruction

Co. (bas

ed in

California, M

o.)

to rec

onstruct the

two

-lane

state roa

d into a

fou

r-lane

roa

d, w

ith a

med

ian

extend

ing

from B

ig B

ear Bo

ulev

ard

to R

oute V

V.

The

contractors

are

also

working

on

installin

g stop

lights

at B

lue

Ridg

e Ro

ad, Sm

iley

Lane

, Ra

in F

ores

t Pa

rkwa

y an

d Brow

n Sc

hool R

oad. B

ike

lane

s will

be a

dded

to

both s

ides

of Ra

nge

Line

Stre

et, an

d a

pede

stria

n wa

lkwa

y will be

built

on the

eas

t side

of the

road

betwe

en B

usines

s Lo

op 7

0 an

d Big

Bear B

ouleva

rd. A

shorter side

walk w

ill b

e co

nstru

cted

on

the

west s

ide

of

the

street.

North

of Blue

Ridge

Roa

d, R

ange

Line Street bec

omes

Misso

uri H

ighw

ay 763

on

the

city

’s offic

ial map

.As

the

con

tractors

complete

parts

of the

road

, they

ope

n up

more

lane

s to e

ase

the

traffic, S

ullivan

said.

N

No

rth

of

Sm

iley

Lane

: A n

ew

Mos

er’s

Dis

coun

t Fo

ods,

Mid

-M

isso

uri M

obile

Hom

es, C

omm

erce

B

ank,

Pep

per

s N

ight

Clu

b, C

layt

on

Hom

es o

f Col

umb

ia a

nd B

oone

C

ount

y N

atio

nal B

ank,

see

n b

elow

.

Alth

ough

a g

roce

ry s

tore

is in

tere

sted

in

pur

chas

ing

the

Ram

par

t In

vest

men

t p

lot

on t

he

sout

hwes

t co

rner

of B

lue

Rid

ge R

oad

and

Ran

ge

Line

Str

eet,

a d

eal h

as n

ot b

een

sign

ed y

et,

dev

elop

er D

avid

Atk

ins

said

.

If th

e la

nd p

urch

ase

is c

omp

lete

d, t

hen

the

cons

truc

tion

will

beg

in in

the

sp

ring

of 2

010,

he

said

. The

gro

cery

sto

re c

ould

be

a p

art

of t

he

140,

000-

squa

re-f

oot

shop

pin

g ce

nter

tha

t is

b

eing

dev

elop

ed. O

ne s

tore

has

pur

chas

ed a

plo

t in

the

dev

elop

men

t ar

ea,

Atk

ins

said

he

coul

d n

ot

dis

clos

e th

e na

me

of t

he c

omp

any.

Smil

ey l

an

e

n HigHway 763

Ken

neS

aw

rid

ge

rd

Safa

ri d

r range line St

big

bea

r b

lvd

din

wid

die

cir

am

eric

an

pK

wy

26. Ta

co B

ell

27

. All LL

C 28

. Am

erican

Plaza

LLC

29. Merch

ants a

nd F

armers Ba

nk30

. Wes

tern

Oil

Inc.

31. Ph

illips 66

Petro

mart

32. La

ndmark

Bank

33. So

nic

34. B

C Inve

stmen

ts o

f Co

lumbia

LLC

35. Ty

ser Mad

onna

L E

tal.

36. Rich

ard

Ericks

on R

evoc

able L

iving

Trus

t37

. MFA

Petro

leum

Com

pany

Tire

38. Walgree

n Co

mpa

ny39

. He

nry

Semon

Rev

ocab

le T

rust

40. N

& D

Inc

.41

. On

Point Co

nstruc

tion

LLC

et a

l42

. Lu

cille

Eiffert Tr

ust

43. Fo

rmerly P

rocy

cle, h

eld

by B

CNB

44. Ca

sey’s

45. Ce

ntral Ba

nk o

f Misso

uri

126

2 3

4 5

6

7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15

1716 18

19

20

21

22

23

24 25

27 28

29 30

31 32

33

34

35 36

37 38

39

40

41

42 43

44

Mot

oris

ts tr

avel

nor

thbo

und

tow

ards

Rai

nfor

est P

arkw

ay

on a

two-

lane

sec

tion

of R

ange

Lin

e St

reet

.

Cons

truc

tion

wor

kers

hau

l and

mov

e di

rt to

mak

e w

ay fo

r the

new

dev

elop

men

t at

the

corn

er o

f Blu

e Ri

dge

and

Rang

e Li

ne S

tree

ts.

A co

nstr

uctio

n w

orke

r pa

ints

the

road

str

ips

on th

e no

rthb

ound

lane

of

Ran

ge L

ine

Stre

et

at th

e Bl

ue R

idge

Roa

d in

ters

ectio

n.

rain

fo

reSt

pa

rKw

ay

photos by jennifer kettler

1. McD

onald’s

2. T

arge

t Mas

ters

3. R

ange

line

Car Was

h 4. D

rummon

d Inve

stmen

ts

5. M

ovie G

allery

6. J

ason

’s Froz

en C

ustard

Fac

tory

7. J

immy

John

’s Go

urmet S

andw

ich

Shop

8. M

ike

McG

lasson

State F

arm Ins

uran

ce9. A

mericlean

Dry C

lean

ers

10. TP

’s B

ar &

Grill

11. H

& R

Block

12. Sh

elter Insu

ranc

e

13. Ha

nft Fa

mily

Chiro

prac

tic14

. Te

am W

ork

Reha

bilitation

Inc.

15. Su

n & S

ea T

anning

16. Im

o’s Pizza

17. Ra

nge

Line

Liquo

r & C

Store

18. He

rigon

Steve

Con

stru

ction

Inc.

19. Ja

ck a

nd D

oris O

verton

20. Ka

ron

L. R

owe

21. Th

e An

swer S

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Financial planner hooked on fishing industryBy Robert E. Thomas

For Jared Reynolds, you could say fishing is in his blood. The year he was born, his parents, Walt and Emily Reynolds, built the first marina on Truman Lake. Walt was a professional bass angler who fished the national B.A.S.S. tourna-ment trail.

Jared, now 30, has parlayed that upbringing into a niche career as an independently certified financial planner to the fishing in-dustry, he and his partner Carroll Wilkerson founded Wilkerson & Reynolds Wealth Management and aer licensed by Waddell & Reed Inc. at 200 East Southampton Drive.

“You could say I was born into the fishing world,” he said. He is the only financial adviser he knows of who specializes in serving the fishing industry.

“In the early days of the fishing industry, there wasn’t much mon-ey there. You had guys literally living out of their cars. Now it is fol-lowing the lines of NASCAR, with sponsorships and corporations,” he said.

Money is flowing into the industry, and with that comes a need for personal wealth management and tax considerations, he said.

His clients include the bass fishing industry pioneers and icons such as Roland Martin and Jimmy Houston, who both have national television fishing shows and several sources of income, including their own product lines and product endorsements.

“The bigger names such as Martin and Houston are so busy that they do 180 to 200 personal appearances a year, film their TV shows and are on the road non-stop,” he said. “The tournament trail also is so competitive that it requires the focus of participants. It’s a great value to them to pick up the phone, and I know abso-lutely everything that is going on in their financial world.”

It takes a great deal of money to fish professionally, he said. “There are a lot of successful business owners who fish in bass tournaments, and

these are our bread and butter clients. Our two specialties here are custom design of qualified retirement plans and personal wealth management for those in the fishing industry,” he said.

Last year was devastating for the fishing industry, especially for boat sales. When the credit markets froze, the boat market seized up.

Many companies withdrew sponsorships, he said.This year has seen a turnaround. “Everybody who is not dealing with the boat-

ing industry is going gangbusters,” he said.Higher unemployment is something that adds to the comeback of the fishing

industry, he said. “Unemployed people have time on their hands, and, even on an unemployment check, if you have most of the gear, you are going to go fishing, maybe buy a new lure or a new rod,” he said.

Manufacturers have dropped making top line gear and are concentrating on mid-priced products, he said.

Jared says he fishes when he gets the chance. “Fishing is my golf,” he said. He is licensed to practice in 16 states, and many client appointments are conducted while fishing. “Once you are out in a boat fishing, there’s nothing else to do but converse,” he said. “Fishing is a passion for prospecting.”

His mother and brother manage the Osage Bluff Marina. Reynolds, a 2002 MU graduate, is married to Nikki Reynolds (2009 CBT Young Entrepreneur of the Year). v

Fishing professionals Bill Dance (far left), Jimmy Houston (center) and Roland Martin (far right) pose at a trade show with Reynolds (second from right) and his partner Carroll Wilkerson.

Reynolds

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By Jason Rosenbaum

As federal lawmakers went home for their annual recess, debate was still raging over legislation that would alter the nation’s health care system.

While there are many plans floating around in Congress, the dominant one envi-sions the creation of a government-run entity that would provide health insurance. One idea of the so-called “public plan” is to cover individuals who cannot afford health insurance or have been denied coverage due to a “pre-existing” condition.

While most Democrats — including President Barack Obama — have backed the public plan, the plan is drawing flack from Republicans and some right-leaning Democrats.

Among other things, opponents are worried about the cost of the plan. Some have also questioned whether private insurance companies can compete fairly against a government-run entity that doesn’t have to be profitable.

Elected federal representatives from Missouri have expressed differing views on the health care debate. In a telephone conference conducted in late July, Sen. Claire McCaskill said there is political will to remake the health care system.

“I think the hardest thing about this is that it’s complicated,” McCaskill said in an audio recording posted on her Web site. “We’ve got to focus on costs — costs both for the consumers of health care in this country and costs for our government.”

In her July teleconference, McCaskill said the final bill would end up being a compromise. She was quoted in various news outlets in August stating that she wanted a health care plan that wouldn’t further bloat the federal deficit.

“Everybody’s going to have to give up something,” McCaskill said in July. “But I am still optimistic that we will get health care reform by the end of the year.”

In a statement, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., said that he is opposed to a public plan for health care.

“I support reform that lowers health care costs, increases access and improves quality,” Bond said in a statement. “But I oppose the Democrats’ proposal for a government takeover of health care that would drive health care costs even higher for families, force millions of Americas off their current health care plan, ration care, restrict access to the latest cures and treatments, and put health care decisions in the hands of government bureaucrats rather than doctors and patients.”

According to PolitiFact.com, a fact-checking Web site of the St. Petersburg Times, millions of Americans will not be forced off their current health care plan if they wish to keep it. Eventually, though, employers may be able to shop the private plan they subsidize for their employees against a federal plan — but it’s not clear how this process might work.

Bond’s statement went on to say that he supports expanding community health centers, pointing eligible people to programs such as Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and providing tax benefits to individuals who purchase their own health insurance.

U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, sent out a news release in July stating that “government control of health care is unacceptable.” He said in a state-ment that he would oppose any effort “that rations care or leaves life-and-death decisions up to government bureaucrats because of my belief in the absolute right of patients to make medical decisions with their doctors.”

“In order to lower our health care costs, we must eliminate waste and fraud, crack down on abusive lawsuits that force doctors to practice defensive medi-cine or go out of business, and better utilize health care information technology,” Luetkemeyer added in a statement. “I believe we can make it easier to transfer health benefits from one job to the next. We should also consider requiring health insurers to cover pre-existing conditions and utilize tax credits to ensure that hard-working folks have access to affordable health care.” v

Federal lawmakers embroiled in health care debate

McCaskill Luetkemeyer Bond

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By Jason Rosenbaum

Several Missouri-based interest groups are expressing concern about numerous aspects of potential federal health care legislation.

Brent Butler, the government affairs director for the Jefferson City-based Missouri Insurance Coalition, said insurance companies that are part of his organization are worriedly watching the events in Washington, D.C.

Those entities are particularly concerned, he said, about a proposal that would set up a gov-ernment-run entity to provide health insurance. The so-called “public option” or “public plan” has been a point for controversy for supporters and detractors of congressio-nal health care plans.

“The debate about the public plan is very concern-ing to our members like Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas City and Anthem/Blue Cross,” Butler said. “That would basically undercut the private market because [the public plan] would be using taxpayer dollars to subsidize kind of a Medicare system. And the public system would become a Medicare system where they underpay the doctors and basically be able to unfairly compete with the private market.”

Dave Dillon, a spokesman for the Missouri Hospital Association, said reimburs-ing medical care is a big is-sue for the state’s hospital facilities. Dillon said his organization is concerned that a public plan would link up with Medicare reimbursements, which he said in a lot of cases don’t cover the costs of procedures.

“If there’s a public plan and it becomes prominent in health insurance, then we could have a significant problem with the bottom line,” Dillon said.

The MHA, however, did express a more pos-itive attitude toward increasing the minimum eligibility rate for Medicaid to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. In Missouri, the eligibil-ity rate for the program aimed at covering the

state’s poorest citizens is one of the lowest in the nation.

“We have been historically very supportive of increasing coverage for Medicaid because it was one of the only vehicles you could really work with,” Dillon said. “We’re trying to get more folks in and get a higher threshold for coverage."

That proposal has raised alarm bells from some the nation’s governors. Since Medicaid is partially paid for by the states, some chief ex-ecutives say the eligibility boost amounts to an unfunded mandate.

“So [the federal proposal] is pretty much in line with the history of where we’ve been,”

Dillon added. “The only problem with saying that’s what we support is that these bills are still changing.”

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce stated on its Web site that the “prescrip-tion offered by congressio-nal leaders would do more damage than good.”

“The congressional plan would impose penalties on employers who fail to provide health insurance for their workers and on individuals who refuse to buy it. It would require in-surance companies to offer coverage, without excep-tions or higher premiums in cases of pre-existing medi-cal conditions. Financing for government-run insur-ance would come from a new surtax on families and

small businesses,” the Chamber of Commerce stated. “A government takeover of health care would compete with private insurance, po-tentially impacting coverage for 160 million Americans.”

The statement goes on to say that the cham-ber “encourages the development and usage of health information technology to allow the delivery of health care services to be less costly and more efficient, while also advocating for the expansion of health care consumer education and transparency.” v

Interest groups take stock of health care debate

The MHA, however,

did express a more

positive attitude

toward increasing the

minimum eligibility rate

for Medicaid to 133

percent of the federal

poverty level. In Missouri,

the eligibility rate for

the program aimed

at covering the state’s

poorest citizens is one of

the lowest in the nation.

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powER lunCh | sports & business

power lunch... continued from Page 15

Boone County Commissioner Skip Elkin add-ed, “To compete, we’re going to have to continue to buck up for facilities.”

However, separate efforts to raise enough private and public money to build an indoor basketball complex and an ice rink have failed in recent years.

“If we had one united group out there push-ing for it, we might have different odds of suc-cess,” Hood said. “There are other communities that are building some wonderful facilities, and they are going to be in competition with us.”

Elkin noted that the state General Assembly passed legislation that allows counties to au-thorize a Regional Recreation District that can charge a surtax in a specified area — such as the Boone County Fairgrounds — much like a Transportation Development District.

“The county has the ability to pass a county-wide one-half-cent sales tax,” Elkin added. “But I don’t think we’re there yet.”

The city also could ask voters to approve an increase in the park tax or the lodging tax to build indoor facilities, forum participants said.

Hood said the park system’s master plan in-cludes space in the new southeast regional park for indoor facilities “when the community de-cides that it would be appropriate to build them out there.”

The quarter-cent park sales tax, which was permitted for a five-year period and generates about $12 million per year, is due to expire in March 2011.

“We expect to go back to the voters with some kind of package some time in 2010,” Hood said.

Building a basketball arena with about a dozen courts would cost about $8 million, Ash said, and Hood said including such a construc-tion project with park tax revenue would require a rate increase.

Tim Jamieson, MU’s baseball coach, said that, considering the revenue generated by sporting events, the hotels, restaurants and other busi-nesses that benefit from sports tourism “should be kicking in. If you want to build a facility with-out taxation, there ought to be a sense of obli-gation and appreciation for the things that are done in the city and county.” v

TOP: Gary Meyerpeter and Kerwin UrhahnBOTTOM LEFT: Phil Porter and Neil WilkinsonBOTTOM RIGHT: Jeff Shoultz

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SpECIAl SECTIon | Accounting & business consulting

By Bondi wood

Attorney Jack Cochran first met Stephen B. Smith during a complex family law case in 1998. Unfortunately for Cochran, Smith was the expert wit-ness for Cochran’s opponent in the case. Cochran, an award-winning attorney from Blue Springs, was so impressed with Smith that he retained him for his own firm and used him frequently over the next decade.

On Aug. 1, Smith died of a heart attack while va-cationing in the Colorado mountains. He had been a member - owner of the Williams-Keepers accounting firm in Columbia since 1976.

“How to replace Steve is the million-dollar ques-tion. Due to his incredibly wide area of expertise and his sheer brilliance, replacing him is going to be bor-derline impossible,” Cochran said.

Smith’s expertise was in forensic or litigation ac-counting, which is any accounting that is suitable for use in a court of law. In civil cases, when litigants are suing for monetary compensation or to divide assets, a dollar amount must be placed on the sometimes in-tangible value associated with businesses, potential or lost profits, or wrongful deaths. Smith was particular-ly known for his expertise in business valuation and lost profits, although he frequently assisted lawyers in other areas of litigation accounting.

This specialized area of accounting is not taught at the bachelor’s, or even master’s degree level, but is learned through years of experience and training. Gary Freeman performs work similar to Smith’s for Regier, Carr and Monroe LLP, a firm with offices in Kansas, Oklahoma and Arizona. Freeman, who con-

siders Smith a friend and mentor, describes becoming a litigation accountant as a long journey and passing the CPA exam as only the first step.

“You need basic accounting, auditing and tax skills to get in this area, but to become certified for litigation takes years and years of study,” Freeman said. “It’s a highly specialized sub area of accounting, and there aren’t that many of us across the country that do it.”

But, as Smith’s colleagues attest, it wasn’t just that Smith had mastered the accounting principles; he was also a great witness in the courtroom. “By and large, expert witnesses become very nervous when they are cross-examined. I never once saw an opposing attor-ney get to Steve,” Cochran said.

John Sheehan, member owner of Williams-Keepers, and also a CPA and attorney, said, “Steve was a power-ful advocate for his client and a formidable opponent for his courtroom adversaries. This was his world,

and he demonstrated an extraordinary command of it," said John Sheehan, member-owner of Williams-Keepers, and also a CPA and attorney.

Freeman credits Smith with helping him establish his own career in litigation support in the sub-special-ty area of wrongful death cases. “He would share his resources with me, help me review cases and share his knowledge and experience.”

In all areas of his professional life, Smith was sup-portive of his colleagues. For example, Freeman and Smith were both members of the National Litigation Support Services Association (NLSSA), a national pro-fessional association of CPAs specializing in litigation accounting. Last year, Freeman was asked by NLSSA leadership to lead a break-out session at its 2008 na-tional conference. Freeman was apprehensive, but said Smith overheard the request and offered to be a co-presenter.

“Steve has the ability to analyze a case and quickly understand the issues that would help or hurt you. Him sharing his intellect is a phenomenal resource,” Freeman said. The tense of this quote makes it sound as if it was said before Smith died. If it was, it should probably be attributed as such.

Cochran, who handles the highly charged area of complex family law, calls Smith “the expert’s expert,” adding, “In my 42 years of experience, Steve was the most capable, competent forensic accountant that I have ever seen.”

Smith got a degree in business administration from the University of Missouri in 1968 and worked for Arthur Anderson accounting firm while still in college. He worked at the firm’s St. Louis office beginning in

Smith remembered for accounting, courtroom prowess

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SpECIAl SECTIon | Accounting & business consulting

his junior year and commuted from Columbia, according to his obituary. He subsequently received the Missouri Gold Medal award for achieving the highest grade among 750 people who took the Certified Public Accountant ex-amination. He joined Williams-Keepers in 1974.

His expertise in taxation led to his be-ing one of two experts invited to testify be-fore the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on changes in the U.S. income tax code, ac-cording to his obituary. Last year, the Missouri Lawyers Weekly pub-lished an article on the effectiveness of his trial skills.

Although Smith’s prowess in the courtroom was recognized nation-ally, his reputation in mid-Missouri was primar-ily that of a caring corporate parent to the com-munity he served. Outside of local accountants, however, most business people in Columbia had a fuzzy idea of what exactly Smith did.

Freeman explained: “When you are a litiga-tion support accountant, your only clients are law firms. It’s a small customer base and highly

specialized, so a lot of people aren’t aware of what you do. My parents don’t even u n d e r s t a n d exactly what it is I do.”

The news of Smith’s s u d d e n death ripped t h r o u g h C o l u m b i a ’ s b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y, but ripples were also felt t h r o u g h o u t the national network of litigation and

forensic accountants. The void left by Smith’s passing extends beyond Columbia’s city limits.

“Two weeks before he died, Steve called me for input. He wanted to talk to someone he could trust. I took it as a huge compliment. I wish now I’d told him that,” Freeman said. v

Stephen and Bea Smith had been married for 23 years.

The Columbia Business Times is mid-Missouri’s leading source of news and information about local business.

$39.95 for 26 issues.

Subscribe today.

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Log on to www.columbiabusinesstimes.com

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SpECIAl SECTIon | Accounting & business consulting

On the national level this summer, sales trends are unfavorable, profits are down, credit is still very tight, businesses are still shedding jobs, and ev-eryone is concerned about future costs for health care and energy. While the climate for small businesses in the Columbia area is bet-ter, many owners and operators seem to be worried and, with little room for error, are looking for good advice.

The CBT asked four business consultants what they’re hearing on the street and from their clients: Jay Edwards, senior area man-ager for the Small Business Administration and staff member of the University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; John Dean, former chairman of Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE; Cathy Atkins, president of Savant Business Development Systems; and Gene Gerke, president of Gerke & Associates.

What are a few of the most prevalent concerns that local business people are ex-pressing this summer?

Edwards: What I’m hearing a great deal about is how to increase customer base. How can I expand my reach? How can I reach new customers, and how can I lure customers away from my competitors? Everyone wants to grab a larger share of the people who are still making pur-

chases. I’m seeing people cut all kinds of deals just to generate business.

Cash flow is always an ongo-ing issue. It is always a struggle to gauge how much to downsize during a downturn, and quite of-ten downsizing requires difficult conversations on the part of the business owner with employees. Generally, businesses don’t down-size enough. These costs usually translate to cash flow and profit-ability problems.

Almost all of my existing cli-ents that I’ve talked to this sum-mer have concerns with cash flow. Sales are down and most busi-nesses even in the good times tend not to monitor cash flow properly. Some have been using credit cards where interest rates have increased tremendously. Other businesses have simply not done a good job of cutting costs and expenses.

Dean: Common concerns are pricing, competition, and profit-ability. Business operators are

chasing fewer customers with fewer discretionary dol-lars to spend. Manufacturers are coping with cheaper imports and are struggling to develop ways to attract

business. Retailers are seeing erratic demand. Banks have withdrawn, and loans are more difficult to get.

There also are concerns about the divisive-ness of Obama administration tactics and the discord in Congress. Could it lead to more economic problems? There are niches of positive trends, such as those businesses dealing with the shooting sports -- guns, ammunition, equipment and services.

Atkins: The answer certainly depends on who you talk to. There are many busi-nesses that are doing quite well. For many other businesses, though, the concerns center on how to grow their revenue at a time where old ways of doing things aren’t working. Certainly, one eye is always on changes nationally regarding issues like health care and taxation.

Gerke: At any time there are businesses that are struggling and business that are thriving. And that is true even in the cur-rent recession. There are, of course, more businesses struggling right now. Their pri-mary concerns are sales declines and cash flow.

During your recent interactions with local business people, did they tend to be

more confident or less confident about the national economy than they were six to 12 months ago? What about the local economy?

CBT Q&A: Taking the Pulse of Business Consultants feel confidence growing, but fragile

Edwards

Dean

Atkins

Gerke

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SpECIAl SECTIon | Accounting & business consulting

Edwards: I’m seeing a bit more optimism than I did a year ago, but not so much that I think people are sensing a turnaround. It’s still very, very tough for our local entrepreneurs. I see a lot of conservatism on the part of business owners, which tells me they are not anticipating a big upswing any time soon.

I feel more optimism in local businesses — meaning that most believe we’ve “turned the corner” economically. However, many are still in a preservation mode and will be until they are more confi-dent in the future. Many are looking forward to the return of the students and the economic impact that brings. Most believe the economy is slowly turning better, but they are being cautious. Locally, I’ve had several new ventures starting.

Dean: Nationally, business people are a bit more confident. The stock market is up and less vola-tile, unemployment is slowing, and the housing market has bottomed out. There is some recent caution about the effectiveness of federal government stimulus and health care proposals. We’re all waiting to see.

Locally, business people are more optimistic. The student population is returning, and higher education seems to be recession proof. Real estate sales are picking up, and people are still shopping the retail stores. The exceptions are restaurants and hotels.

Gerke: In my interactions with business people across the country, they are more confident today than last fall. There is more activity, more positive talk about growing the business instead of "hun-kering down." The confidence is still a bit tenuous, but executives are beginning to find some "joy" in their jobs that has been missing for several months.

Atkins: My experience is that level of confidence is mixed. There are those who are optimistic and continue to push forward. However, that’s certainly not true of everyone. Many have cast a wary eye on Washington regarding decisions that affect their ability to run a profitable business. Columbians are generally more confident about their local economy, believing that the impact lo-cally is more buffered and provides the opportunity for a quicker rebound.

What is an example of general advice you’ve given this year that has tended to prove useful?Edwards: I keep telling folks to not quit marketing. Although the mechanisms and tactics may

change, you have to maintain as much top-of-mind awareness as possible. Otherwise, when things do turn around, you’ll be trying to regain ground, which is always more expensive and more stressful.

Crisis mode is not the time to be building a relationship with your banker. If you are in a tough spot, begin the conversation now — and bring a plan. Outline the corrective actions you are taking, and be willing to talk openly about the issues and how you are addressing them.

Business should always be on top of their financials…not just now. They need to be aware of what’s driving their bottom line, looking for ways to operate more efficiently without cutting quality and customer service, and determining and monitoring cash flow.

Dean: Identify your unique value proposition and communicate it to the target audience with credible, effective words. Document and stick to a marketing plan. Use low-cost PR channels first, before expensive media advertising. Use a rifle-shot approach instead of scatter-gun aim.

Implement "total quality" concepts for internal operations, instead of focusing on knee-jerk cost cutting. Watch inventories, build meaningful relationships with suppliers, train employ-ees holistically, establish goals and measure in bite-size, milestone increments. Avoid lagging re-payment of debt or delaying payment of sales taxes. Don't dig yourself a hole. Negotiate tough with suppliers on payment terms. View and promote your business as a "good bet" long term. For individuals who have lost jobs, or otherwise not seeking employment: avoid starting up a restaurant!

Atkins: First of all, develop a bulletproof mindset that success in this environment is not only possible, but entirely probable. Full commitment changes your perspective. From there, it’s about innovation. Always be looking for new opportunities and changes you can make that will give you an edge. That might come in the form of technology, marketing, product or service offerings, pric-ing mixes, or even staffing. Next, be highly proactive with sales. The money is out there. Instead of waiting for it to come in the door, go get it. I’ve talked to representatives of many companies who have not historically been in direct sales and are now getting out from behind the counter and do-ing client/prospect visits. And finally, shore up your weak links. If you’ve been turning a blind eye to any part of your business, now is the time to change. Weak marketing, lax customer service, lazy bookkeeping, poor employees…whatever it is, fix it.

Gerke: The firms that have done a good job of weathering the current recession are those that were proactive in planning for the downside. For example, they are asking, “What will we do if sales drop 10 percent? Or 20 percent? How do we maintain some profit or minimize losses? This has meant executives had to be prudent and decisive in managing marketing costs, operating costs, margins and cash flow. And, if the firm has a strong balance sheet, they are asking, “Are there any acquisition opportunities?”

Now those same proactive enterprises should start planning for how to capitalize when the econ-omy improves. v

Locally, business people are more optimistic. The student population

is returning, and higher education seems to be recession proof. Real

estate sales are picking up, and people are still shopping the retail

stores. The exceptions are restaurants and hotels.

-John Dean

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Titan Awards 2009Twenty Under Forty Class of 2009The Best and Brightest in Columbia’s business community

The inaugural Titan Awards and the 20 Under 40 awards were presented on Aug. 6 during a cere-mony at Reynolds Alumni Center that was conducted by the Columbia Business Times and sponsored by UMB Bank. More than 200 people attended the banquet, catered by the University Club.

EducatorsThese Titans have demonstrated excellence and provide incomparable benefit to students, faculty

and staff at their institutions.

Gerald Brouder Roxanne Alden accepting a Titan Award for Mike Alden

Jim Ritter

philanthropyThese Titans have established a record of exceptional generosity and demonstrated outstanding

charitable leadership.

Tom Atkins

ABOVE: Chris Harrison and David Reed of the Columbia Business Times present awards to the many attendees of the 2009 Titan Awards.Philanthropy Titans not pictured: Tom and Anne Smith; Al Price, Boone County Community Trust; J.W. Stafford, Stafford Family Trust

Titan Award winners.

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FinanciersThese Titans bridge the gap between entrepreneurial spirit and

financial reality. They each have a keen sense for exceptional busi-ness opportunities and boundless faith in ideas and individuals.

Deal MakerThese Titans are masters in the art of the deal. They make things happen… to the benefit of our

community as a whole. Their success has meant positive progress and development in Columbia.

Craig Van Matre Richard Mendenhall John Ott

Andrew Beverly, Gene Gerke, John Thompson of Centennial Investors Keith McLaughlin, Bank of Missouri

(continued on Page 30)

EmployerThese Titans are exceptional companies with exceptional lead-

ership. They effectively employ and manage people in an orderly, respectful and mutually beneficial manner.

Jerry Taylor, MFA Oil Jason Becking, Miller's Professional Imaging

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20 under Forty ... continued from Page 29

20 Under Forty Class of 2009BOTTOM ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Jason Becking, Sue Yun Fowler, David Nivens, Josh Oxenhandler, David Townsend, Jennifer Perlow, Clay Bethune and Jerry Dowell. TOP ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Alex George, Brent Beshore, Mike Grellner, Benjamin Gakinya, Mike Messer, Todd McCubbin, Michelle Kemp, Jay Alexander, Lindsay Lopez and Jack Miller. Not photographed: Cameron Dunafon, Kate Daly Pitzer and David Tyson Smith.

UMB Community Bank President Tony Mayfield congratulated the award winners and praised the leadership they are providing in the community. Class of 2009

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Customer Service » lili Vianello

The Ogre and the Intern: A Cautionary Tale

I hate interns. At least that’s what I always tell prospec-tive ones when I’m conduct-ing interviews. It’s not that I hate them so much as I don’t like the deficiencies that usu-ally come with them. Interns typically lack basic office skills, and many have not yet found the maturity to handle the obligations of holding a job. Employers, on the other hand, often saddle these stu-dents with administrative busy work that has little to do with the professional experience the young workers were hop-ing to gain. Can you see why just the concept of internships is enough to give people a bad attitude?

That’s why I tell intern pros-pects that I don’t hire interns. I tell them that I hire employees, communicating my intention to treat them like their co-workers and, at the same time, hold them to the standards of our work envi-ronment. Hiring an intern, or a team of them, can be mutually ben-eficial, as long as some guidelines are followed.

what your interns need from you

Trust. You’ve probably heard a horror story or two about in-terns, or even students in gen-eral, but odds are your experience won’t give you nightmares. Give your interns the opportunity to prove that they are responsible, trustworthy and knowledgeable. This doesn’t mean you should give your interns a key to the front door on their first day, but set your expectations high and let them know that you are happy to have them working with you. Give them the opportunity to assist with or even lead some projects that will push them

and offer them a learning experience

Scheduling. Remember that student interns are stu-dents first. Work around their class schedules and be flex-ible when large tests and class projects come up. Your interns shouldn’t be so focused on work that they fail in school. On the other hand, interns who don’t show up to work aren’t helping anyone, especially themselves. Make sure that you communicate scheduling expectations and emphasize the importance of showing up on time.

Leadership. The reason stu-dents pursue internships is to have the opportunity to learn and grow. For many, yours may be their first true work ex-perience, excluding babysitting and lawn mowing. These are their formative years. They will

be watching you, and the others in your business, for cues on how to interact with peers, clients and the work in gen-eral. Help them establish good habits by giving them good direc-tion and staying on your best be-havior yourself.

Appreciation. A little bit of thanks can go a long way. Because interns are usually not around for very long, they often don’t get to see the end results of their hard work. So let your in-terns know how important they are to the team.

Encourage their energy and enthusiasm. You’ll boost mo-rale and productivity, which gives everyone a more positive experience.

what you can gain from your intern

Information. The general idea of an internship is for the

A little bit of

thanks can go

a long way.

Because interns

are usually not

around for very

long, they often

don’t get to see

the end results

of their hard

work. So let your

interns know

how important

they are to the

team.

(continued on Page 32)

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interns to learn about their field of choice from you, the ex-pert. But you’d be surprised at how much you can learn from your intern. These days, young people are on the cutting edge of what’s new. There is also a good chance that students are learning about the latest trends and progressive technologies in their classes. At the very least, they have in-sights into what’s hot and what’s not for a very powerful market segment — their own. Take ad-vantage of their knowledge and fresh perspective by pairing interns with experienced professionals to work on impor-tant and cutting-edge projects.

L o w - C o s t Labor. Even if the intern at your of-fice doesn’t bring any developed skill sets to the game, you still have an extra pair of eyes, hands or feet to help you get stuff done. Interns are bud-get friendly too. C o m p e n s a t i o n ranges from a minimal hourly wage to simply class credit or even just the ex-perience and the chance to bolster a resume. You can help shape their experience by teaching them a good work ethic and showing them the positive results that come with hard work, all while making a minimal financial investment.

Employees. Employing in-terns is an easy and fairly pain-less way to scope out potential long-term employees. It is very common for large companies to offer permanent positions

to recent graduates who previ-ously served them as interns. I employ this practice as well, eagerly offering full-time em-ployment to young people who have already proven their worth to me. While I appreci-ate the opportunity to easily re-lease interns who showed more eagerness than substance, it’s

great to have a built-in screening process to iden-tify top-notch candidates.

My seasoned co-workers tell me I need to quit telling my intern prospects that I hate interns. One I employed a short time ago spent five months hiding from me because she was scared. I spent the last month of her tenure trying to prove to her that I wasn’t the ogre I’d set myself up to be, and I’m not completely sure I succeeded. However, she must have gotten something from the experience because when her commitment was done, she sent her sister Elizabeth in to apply. My kinder, gentler approach the second time around proved beneficial. Post-g r a d u a t i o n , Elizabeth is a dy-

namic new full-time addition to my team. And I’m back to interviewing interns. v

Lili Vianello is President of Visionworks Marketing & Communications, a Columbia-based full service advertising, marketing and public relations firm. Contributions to this article were made by Visionworks staff members. Visit them online at www.visionworks.com

Customer Service ... continued from Page 31

These days,

young people

are on the

cutting edge

of what’s new.

There is also a

good chance

that students

are learning

about the latest

trends and

progressive

technologies

in their classes.

At the very

least, they have

insights into

what’s hot and

what’s not for a

very powerful

market segment

– their own.

TITANAWARDS

2009 presented by

20 Under Forty Winners:

Jay Alexander

Jason Becking

Brent Beshore

Clay Bethune

Jerry Dowell

Cameron Dunafon

Benjamin Gakinya

Alex George

Mike Grellner

Michelle Kemp

Todd McCubbin

Mike Messer

Jack Miller

David Nivens

Josh Oxenhandler

Jennifer Perlow

Kate Pitzer

David Tyson Smith

David Townsend

Lindsay Young Lopez

Sue Yun Fowler

Class of 2009

would like to thank our partners:

White Dog PromotionsEvent Solutions

Pure Marketing and MediaThe University ClubKent’s Floral GalleryWise Audio Group

A-1 RentalsKFRUUMB

ThANK YOU TO OUR TABLE SPONSORS:

Commerce Bank

ReMAX Boone Realty

Atkins, Inc.

Parkade Center: Ben Gakinya

Midwest Computech

Shelter Insurance:

Jerry Dowell

Mike Messer

Mizzou Alumni Association

The Bank of Missouri

Trulaske College of Business:

Sue Yun Fowler

Agents National Title

Landmark Bank

Columbia College

TITAN Award Winners

EDUCATORGerald BrouderMike AldenJames R. Ritter

PhILANThROPYTom and Anne SmithThe Atkins FamilyBoone County Community TrustStafford Family Charitable Trust

FINANCIERSCentennial InvestorsKeith McLaughlin

EMPLOYERMFA OilMiller’s Professional Imaging

DEAL MAKERCraig Van MatreRichard MendenhallJohn Ott

34 August 22, 2009 C

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blog.columbiabusinesstimes.com

Blogbusiness

Sponsored by

Scott Wendling

Get daily news, commentary, observations and tips from a team of local insiders with

CBT’s new business blog. Just one more way CBT is providing information to help

you succeed in business.

Construction permits issued between Aug. 1 and Aug. 15.

Bluff Creek Investments3220 Bluff Creek $26,000,000 Commercial alteration nonresidential

Boys and Girls Town of Missouri4312 Bearfield $626,223 New commercial amusement

wThn Inc. 1900 Kingsbridge $500,000New single family detached

Tompkins home5005 Beacon Falls $378,407New single family detached

City of Columbia7171 S. High Point $345,000 New commercial public works

Boys and Girls Town of Missouri4302 Bearfield $313,111Commercial addition nonresidential

Chi Cheung 1404 Hathman $300,030 Commercial addition nonresidential

Fisher homes5000 Bates Creek $200,000 New single family detached

Trittenbach Development llC303 N. Keene $185,000Commercial alteration nonresidential

RKI Custom homes3208 Crabapple $170,000 New single family detached

Robert Conrad Builder Inc. 2609 Chapel Wood $160,000 Residential addition

CDR Construction llC5714 Fallow $140,000 New single family detached

BCI llC5008 Bullhead $135,000New single family detached

Jason Thornhill 5716 Fallow $121,450 New single family detached

Columbia Community Development 303 Oak$120,000 New single family detached

leo’s Construction3203 Elephant $120,000New single family detached

wes Fewell Construction 5706 Fallow$105,000 New single family detached

Boys and Girls Town of Missouri4220 Bearfield $104,370New commercial other nonresidential

Reinhardt Construction Co.503 E. Nifong $100,000Commercial alteration nonresidential

wilcoxson Custom homes llC2606 Spanish Bay $100,000 New single family detached

Coil Construction Inc. 1412 Forum $95,415Commercial alteration nonresidential

Cunningham Construction 3000 Woodbine $94,000Residential addition

construction pERMITS

public RECoRDDeeds of Trust more than $300,000 $2,975,150 HOLIDAY, ALLAN D JR. CENTRAL NATIONAL BANKLT 1739 TIMBER CREEK PLAT NO 5

$1,575,000 FENTON, DAVID & CARYNLANDMARK BANKLT 17 PT FF WELLINGTON GOR-DON'S SUB

$1,575,000 FENTON, DAVID & CARYNLANDMARK BANKLT 39 WOODS MILL PLAT 1

$960,000 JSMD LLCBANKLIBERTYLT 8A SOUTHWEST MANOR PLAT 1-A

$812,158 COLUMBIA TOWNHOME PROPER-TIES LLCBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 1 PT VALLEY VIEW GARDENS PLAT 10

$812,158 COLUMBIA TOWNHOMES LLCBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 1A PRIMROSE TOWN HOMES

$670,000 TARBOX, BYRON BUS & JANNA MLANDMARK BANKLT 7A COUNTRY FARMS SUBDIVI-SION REPLAT OF LT 7

$490,000 DELTA PARK DEVELOPMENTS LLCTHE CALLAWAY BANK LT 27 ROCK QUARRY PUD PLAT 2

$464,000 THOMAS, JONATHAN L & FLORENCE SLANDMARK BANKLT 43 A HARPER'S POINT BLK 2 LOTS 33,43,44

$460,000 SIGMA NU HOUSE CORPORATION OF COLUMBIA MISSOURIU S BANKLT 36 PT FF BOUCHELLE'S ADD

$426,400 27N9TH LLCBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLT 11 PT FF J C CONLEY S SUB

$417,000 TARBOX, BYRON BUS & JANNA MLANDMARK BANKLT 7B COUNTRY FARMS SUBDIVI-SION REPLAT OF LT 7

$412,000 KRAVCHICK, MICHAEL & LINDABANK OF AMERICATHE LT 1415 HIGHLANDS PLAT 14-B

$392,000 ARNOLD, VICTOR JOHN & WAT-SON, DIANE DENISEWELLS FARGO BANKLT 14 STRATFORD CHASE

$389,157 DANUSER, CAROL BLAIR REVO-CABLE TRUST THE CALLAWAY BANK LT 9 ARROWHEAD LAKE ESTATES

$367,000 PHOENIX PROGRAMS INC & SIX-O-SEVEN HOUSE INCCOMMERCE BANKLT 17 PT COLUMBIA

$356,100 KOCHENDORFER, KARL & KATH-LEENBAXTER CREDIT UNIONTHE LT 104 PINES

$354,252 CALLAHAN, KARENBANK OF AMERICALT 36 EASTLAND HILLS ESTATE PLAT 1

$350,000 BRYANT-WIMP, JAY R & STACY ETHE BANK OF MISSOURI LT 186 THORNBROOK PLAT 6$350,000 TILLMAN PARTNERS L PCENTRAL NATIONAL BANKLT 2 PT SCHEULEN ACRES BLK 4

$344,000 EHRHARDT, GLEN R & TINA RTHE CALLAWAY BANK LT 55 LAKE WOODRAIL SUB PLAT 3

$335,500 LIN, SHUZHEN & NI, ZHOUQIANGCAPITAL MORTGAGE INCLT 351 THORNBROOK PLAT NO 10

$328,000 ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE & RELATED DISORDERS ASSOCIATION-MID MISSOURICOMMERCE BANKLT 5C BLUFF CREEK OFFICE PARK PLAT 5-C

$317,550 WYATT, RICHARD STEPHEN & TAMELA LYNNECOMMERCE BANKSTR 13-47-13 //SE AC 10.00

$306,850 MILBACH, MATT & ERICAPROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCI-ATES, LPLT 127 WESTCLIFF PLAT 1

$301,000 HOFFMAN, HARVEY ABANK OF AMERICASTR 26-51-14 S/SE/SW

$300,000 MCHUGH, WILLIAM C & BARBARA M LIVING TRUSTTHE BANK OF MISSOURI LT 11 HUNTERS RIDGE SUB

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In the basement of the Tiger Hotel sits Vault. It’s new, and it’s cool, and when I walked in, I started reminiscing: Memories of San Francisco in the ’90s, when I frequented jazz clubs and sipped scotch, flooded my mind. Others entering here will be transported to an earlier time where Sinatra ruled, the martini was king and a world war had changed everything.

Clubby leather chairs and authen-tic furniture borrowed from the halls of the Tiger Hotel accent the deep-red- and tobacco-colored walls. A piano sits in the middle of the room where sometimes, on a Thursday or Friday, patrons get treated to a performance. The Terrazzo tile floor and the black-and-white prints decorating the walls are a story unto themselves, which I’ll tell you about later.

Aaron Brown, chief bartender, greeted me from behind the bar, wearing his signa-ture bow tie. Tonight he is going to enter-tain a few women friends who want to try three of his best-selling signature cocktails. I was secretly hoping that he had come up with a libation made with wine. Aaron, be-ing the creative genius he is, had already thought of that.

Brown likes to call himself a “bar chef.” He’s been with Vault since its opening in May and prior to that was at Bleu, where he met managing partners Travis Tucker and Tina Patel. Brown was previously the kitch-en manager at Village Wine and Cheese, where he started honing his skills in the culinary field and since transferred them to his cocktail-chemist personae.

When I asked him his thoughts on cocktail trends, he said he felt the art of the cocktail had been lost. Vault gave him an opportunity to bring the cocktail back to life with his unique libations and serve them up to a Columbia crowd always look-ing for something different. Oh, and did I mention something different that stood out? No TVs! Vault doesn’t have one sin-gle sport, newscast or game show blaring on any beautifully painted and trimmed wall. I was thrilled. To me, TVs have no place in a civilized socializing environment. However, Aaron did mention that he would like to see a TV behind the bar running old black-and-white movies with the sound turned off while big band and jazz plays in the background. They used to do this at Village, and he felt his customers really en-joyed this experience.

All the cocktails at Vault are the brain-children of Brown. He mixes simple syrups, ranging from crazy spicy and savory to over-the-top decadent sweet and loves the challenge of coming up with new flavor-ings for his cocktails. Tucker liked all of his concoctions, so the menu was complete.

The first drink he had us try was the aptly named, “Cat on a Hot Gin Roof.” He mixed cilantro and jalapeno simple syrup (pass the chips and guacamole please), sour mix, Herding Cats Chardonnay and Hendricks Gin together with a skewered pepperoncini and served it up. Little flecks of cilan-tro floated in the glass. I have to admit that I was a little scared of this one. The first taste was a pow to the senses. It was pleasantly refreshing with a kick. The hot/sweetness covered up any resemblance of gin, and I’m sure the addition of char-

donnay gave it its smoothness. It was different and perfect with the spicy popcorn they served complimentary to their guests.

While Aaron was preparing our drinks, I got a chance to speak with Tucker about the history of Vault. The space in the Tiger Hotel’s basement had been vacant for some time and was once a Chinese restaurant and the Tiger Dining room. Because it is next door to Bleu, Tucker thought it would be a perfect place for his diners as well as others to go for after-dinner drinks. He won-dered if he would find something great when he pulled back the old carpet, and he did — Terrazzo tiles from the 1920s. He called designer Mary Cheavens to help him with his vision. He wanted the place to have an authentic lounge appeal, so that when people walked in, they went, “Wow, this place looks like it has always been here.” Cheavens went to work creating an understated yet sexy environment. She had the help of Al Germond, one of the partners of the Tiger, who sourced some old pictures of Boone County citizens through the Boone County Historical Society. They also blew up old postcards of people and places around the area, which made for terrific wall art.

As I was staring at the pictures on the wall, Brown brought out the second drink, “The Fancy Pants Champagne Cocktail.” What a girly drink! It is made with vodka, blueberry simple syrup and sour mix, and it’s topped with a few fresh blueberries. I know how this goes — tastes like yummy fruit juice, gives you massive brain damage in the morn-ing. It was smooth and delicious, and don’t forget that the blueberries help fight free radicals. So hey, drink up.

I noticed a jar of nuts sitting on the counter and had to try them. All I can say is when you go to Vault, you must request bowl after bowl of these mag-nificent munchies — cashews and wal-nuts toasted with butter, cayenne pep-per, sugar and fresh, chopped rosemary. Mandy Mooney is the catering chef for the Tiger, and these are her creation. That night we deemed them, “Mandy’s Hot Buttered Nuts.” Run fast, and get yours now!

The last cocktail sampled was the “Giggle Water.” We were all giggling quite a bit by now, so it was perfect tim-ing. “Giggle Water” is made with rasp-berry and vanilla vodka, fresh cinnamon, two dashes of bitters and a splash of both Sprite and Coke topped with rasp-berries and a cinnamon stick. It looked like an “Old Fashioned” but tasted like raspberry cola. It was delicious.

The rest of Brown’s bar menu is just as creative and extensive as the drinks we tried. He also has a fun special called

the “Bonnie and Clyde,” where he offers a draft beer with a shot for only $6. The crowd would start rolling in a little later in the evening, so Brown had a

long night ahead of him. I enjoyed my cocktail tour at Vault, and as I was leaving, I noticed a quote written on one of the menus: ”Vault … where secrets are kept.” The secret is out now. Enjoy your new lounge in downtown Columbia. v

wine & Spirits » Jennifer larmie

Lounging around in downtown Columbia

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ABOVE: Bartender Aaron Brown adds the finishing touch to the Cat on a Hot Gin Roof drink.BELOW: A juicy pepperoncini tops off the Cat on a Hot Gin Roof cocktail at Vault.