volume 13 november 3, 2007 - columbia business · pdf fileprofile on page 5. november 3, 2007...

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Columbia, MO

Volume 13Issue 33

November 3, 2007

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9Proposition 1Schuster, Wolverton weigh in on county sales tax issue.

East Columbia ConnectorMoDOT proposes four options, neighborhoods in dispute.22

42Low-car LifeTwo-wheeled commuter vents through blog.

Flat Branch: Creek of dreams

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(continued on 9)

SPECIAL SECTION

Carfax VP Gary Lee

Executive Gift GuideSee Page 37

CBT Staff Report

Can it be profitable to run a nonprofit? According to IRS documents it can. Some mid-Missourians heading such oper-ations earn six-figure salaries.

Most of the highest-paid executives at Columbia-based nonprofit operations are from the health care industry. Primaris CEO Richard Royer tops the list, with an annual salary higher than $200,000, while half of the top 20 are direc-tors of statewide or national associations, a Columbia Business Times analysis shows.

The findings reflect national trends. A 2007 salary survey by Board and Administrator magazine found that trade associa-tions, multiple-service agencies and hospital/health agencies

paid the highest average salaries. The Board and Administrator survey found that experience and budget size also affected pay.

Primaris, Missouri’s federally designated health care quality-improvement organization, has an annual revenue of $8 million, and its chief operating officer, Donald Glazer, is eighth on our list of top-paid local nonprofit directors, earning a salary and benefits of $147,000. Two executives at the Family Health Center of Boone County also earn six-figure salaries.

“Salaries in health care are high all across the country,” said Elizabeth Holden, CEO of the business consulting firm PrimePoint. “They have to remain competitive with for-profit health care.”

Who are Columbia’s highest-paid nonprofit organization administrators?

(continued on Page 12)

The Flat Branch area downtown has been the source of both inspiration and near-despera-tion. It was the city’s first commercial area and its first light industrial area. It also was a blighted area subjected to urban renewal, and an area where grand development proj-ects were shot down. In the first part of a two-part series, Ray Beck looks at the history of Flat Branch.

The transfor-mation of the Flat Branch area of downtown into a park is nearly com-plete, ameliorating the deterioration along the creek that had long been a source of concern for the city.

Historically, many cities have been organized along waterways. While it is certainly no Missouri River, Flat Branch Creek is where our city took root, and it was an important factor in locating the county seat in Columbia in 1821.

While it may be a strange concept to today’s Columbians, who have known it as an ugly drainage ditch, the creek was a boon to the residents who abandoned the nearby town of Smithton, a half-mile to the west, to obtain potable water from a well in the Flat Branch bottoms. The creek also served as a boundary for horse races on Broadway, which an early ordi-nance only allowed on Saturdays.

Beck

Home-grown data center sets record pace

Profile on Page 5.

� November 3, 2007 | CBT

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Kelly Murray | Marketing Representative

IN THIS ISSuE

36Smart PhonesThe hottest cell phones on your holiday shopping list.

29Succession PlanningCarl Medley on seeing the big picture.

15People You Should KnowBrett Burri, Providence Bank

People on the Move 4

Voices 8–9

People You Should Know 15

Entertainment Calendar 43

BuSINESS INDEx

CORRECtIONS

Cbt CaLENDaR OF EVENTS

Peter Riney, who runs the Critter Control franchise profiled in the Oct. 20 CBT, came into our offices this week to point out an error in the cutline of the photo on Page 12. We wrote that Riney was expecting a mole or a badger, and instead caught an opossum that had taken over the hole. Riney said he told our photographer he was expecting a groundhog, and added that people reading the cutline who knew a lot about wildlife “would think I didn’t know what I was doing.”

The Economic Index in the last issue also had a number of mistakes. The final seven categories on 0 had extra-neous dollar signs on numerical entries and the value of building permits increased but was accompanied by a down-ward arrow.

And this for readers who may have been surprised that Boone County National Bank was listed as having only $811,791 in deposits and the other banks also had deposits in the thousands: make that millions. The description box should have noted that the figures for all of the banks were rounded off to the thousands, so three zeros were dropped off. And in the business profile, Tiger Pawn’s main competitor should have been listed as Family Pawn.

As long as we’re on the subject, the Retail Centers map in the Sept. 22 CBT should have listed Melissa King as the prop-erty manager for all of The Kroenke Group’s developments. The location of Fairview Marketplace should have been the intersection of Broadway and Fairview and Broadway Business Park is now called Broadfield Center.

Alternative Community Training .................. 12AngelouEconomics........................................ 7AT&T ..................................................... 36–37Autocheck ................................................... 10Boulder Springs ........................................... 41Cakes With the Personal Touch .................. 33Carfax ............................................................ 5CCG ............................................................. 29Columbia Welding ....................................... 27Edible Arrangements 38-39First National Bank ...................................... 31First Tier Realty.............................................. 4Greenway Massage ............................... 38–39Hawthorn Bank .............................................. 4Hoss’s Market & Rotisserie ................... 38–39Joe Machens Toyota-Scion ..................... 4, 10Katy Station ........................................... 19–21KOMU ............................................................ 4LCRA ........................................................... 19Lindsey Rentals ........................................... 33Micro Nano Systems and Microtechnology .................................... 17–18Missouri Contemporary Ballet ..................... 43Missouri Department of Transportation ....... 24Missouri Wedding Connection .................... 33Ninth Street Video ....................................... 31Office Depot ................................................ 20Orr Street Studios ........................................ 43Overshiner Remodeling and Renovation ..... 42Pate-Jones Construction ............................ 41Pen Point Paperie .................................. 38–39Pilates of Columbia ............................... 38–39Primaris ....................................................... 12Prime Point .................................................. 12Professional Contractors & Engineers ........... 4Providence Bank ......................................... 15Quinton’s ..................................................... 31Ragtag Cinemacafe ..................................... 31REDI .............................................................. 5RE/MAX Boone Realty ................................ 41Smithton Crossing ....................................... 41Spicewine Ironworks ............................. 27–28United Way .................................................. 12University Concert Series ............................ 40U.S. Rents It ................................................ 33Uprise Bakery .............................................. 31Verizon ................................................... 36–37Visionworks Marketing & Communications ..................................... 4, 26Voluntary Action Center ............................... 12

Writers in this issue: Sarah Kohnle, Jim Muench, Sean Spence, bondi Wood

Columnists in this issue: Al Germond, Mike Martin, Carl Medley, Leigh Nutter, Jonathan Sessions, Larry Schuster, Lili Vianello, Rob Wolverton

5 Confident Negotiation: Win-Win Strategies that Work5:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at the Walton Building, 300 S. Providence Road Week 6 of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network Leadership Series helps women enhance negotiating skills, avoid negotiating pitfalls and achieve win-win solutions. The panel includes Jan Grossmann, executive director of Boone Hospital Foundation; Paula Hertwig-Hopkins, assistant city manager for the City of Columbia; Teresa Maledy, president of Commerce Bank; and Nancy Allison, a Shelter Insurance agent. Dinner is served at 5:15 p.m. $15-$25; 874-1132

1� The Art of Consensus Building5:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at the Walton Building, 300 S. Providence Road Week 7 of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network Leadership Series explores what businesswomen need to build consensus “besides the stamina of a tri-athlete, a steel fist firmly planted in your velvet glove, a land-mine detector and your best poker face.” Presenters include Ann Covington, a partner at Bryan Cave, LLP; Vicki Russell, associate publisher of the Columbia Daily Tribune; and Linda Arnold, senior vice president-human resources with The Landrum Company. Dinner is served at 5:15 p.m. $15-$25; 874-1132

6 SBIR/STTR Proposal Writing Workshop8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Reynolds Alumni Center, University of Missouri-ColumbiaGain an extra edge to make your firm’s proposal as competitive as possible in the selection process. Topics include: program background, qualifications and requirements; agency selection criteria; key proposal components; pre-proposal analysis and preparation, quality control and electronic submissions. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Registration is required. 882-7096

13 The Basics of Writing a Business Plan1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Osher Lifelong Learning Center, 3215B LeMone Blvd.Designed for business owners and entrepreneurs, this course gives participants tips on meeting the key required elements of a basic plan, such as including essential data, developing a clear writing style and making the plan professional in appearance. $39; 882-7096

November �007

9 Basic Quickbooks for Small Business9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Osher Lifelong Learning Center, 3215B LeMone Blvd. In this session, small-business owners and managers learn to track cash flow, set up customers and vendors, track accounts payable and receivable, reconcile accounts, create reports and set up budgets using Quickbooks software. Lunch is included. $109; 882-7096

14 REDI Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. at the Walton Building, 300 South Providence RoadMembers of Columbia’s Regional Economic Development Inc. board of directors meet in the Walton Building’s board room to discuss strategies for building Columbia’s economy. 442-8303, ext. 322; [email protected]

Experience Columbia 20071 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Thomas G. Walton Building, 300 S. Providence Road Designed to familiarize Chamber of Commerce members with local commercial development, growth in the community and future projects affecting the city, Experience Columbia begins with a brief program, followed by a two-hour community tour and a reception. $20-$40; 817-9113.

7 Job Point Business Fair9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Missouri Career Center, 1500 Vandiver DriveThe Job Point Business Advisory Council sponsors the business fair, which includes seminars, tips for successful employment, and opportunities for job seekers to meet potential employers. 777-1500

CBT | November 3, 2007 3

LETTERS tO thE EDITOR

I was amazed when I read through the latest issue of the Columbia Business Times. I use the articles for discussion in the business classes I teach, and the article on one of the local pawn shops really surprised me. Instead of printing it as a busi-ness profile, it should be used an example on why there should be state and federal laws to protect the consumers from such high interest rates.

Your article stated that the annualized credit rate for a loan from them was 243 percent. It also says that one individual has been trying to pay off a $40 loan for seven years. Does this sound reputable? If banks charged this type of interest, you would be exposing them as robber barons. The term loan-sharking comes to mind when I read of these exorbitant interest rates. Justifying them in the article by saying they perform a service for those who can’t get regular loans is lousy justification.

Instead of glorifying them in your business profile as a necessity for some, you should be calling for state control of pawn shops in the way they act as a bank (giving a loan with collateral). Pay day loan establishments as well as pawn shops should be limited on the interest they charge (just as banks are controlled by usury laws). Both pawn shops and pay day loan establishments are acting as banks and should be monitored and controlled like banks.

It is time our state legislators took action to protect the consumer and stop these practices.

— Raymond L. Ruetsch

The article in your Oct. 6 issue entitled Ethanol’s Impact was excellent and more complete than others usually seen. No matter how expansive, a single article can rarely cover all the bases, and the ethanol article did, in my opinion, fall short in a few respects. But, before going further, let me say that I harbor no grudge for ethanol producers and corn growers. Corn ethanol is a good oxygenate for gaso-line and was available when we desperately needed a replacement for MTBE. As a significant substitute for gasoline or a solution to our oil import problem—it’s a loser!

I wouldn’t go as far as David Pimental does in the “energy-in, energy-out” debate, but I do suggest that the energy balance in favor of corn ethanol is marginal at best and much of the “energy in” comes from imported oil and other fossil fuel sources. It does little or nothing to reduce our dependency on imported oil.

A more cogent point is that if corn production were increased by 20 percent to about 17 billion bushels per year and every kernel converted to ethanol, we’d end up with about 36 billion gallons of gasoline equivalent, or about 25 percent of the 145 billion gallons we consume every year. (Generous figures, by the way.) We’d also end up with extinct swine and poultry industries—starved for … carbohydrates.

Ethanol’s impact has been excessive. The most serious complaint against corn ethanol enthusiasts is that they’ve been too successful in laying a smokescreen that prevents us from seeing clearly the need for and potential of other viable sources of possible fuels. We need an acceptable gasoline oxygenate and if a subsidy is neces-sary to get ethanol up and running, then so be it. If a subsidy is needed to help corn growers sustain an essential segment of the food and feed industry—then so be it. Let’s just tell it like it is and move on, but let’s end the nonsense. Let’s stop phony claims that corn ethanol is a viable part of the solution to our oil import problem. It’s not!

— Leland J. Jack Ryan Jefferson City

Tiger PawnEthanol Impact

Send your letters to the editor by e-mail to: [email protected] or by mail to: Editor, �001 Corporate Place, Suite 100, Columbia, Mo 65�0�.

4 November 3, 2007 | CBT PEOPLE ON thE MOVE

Darr

Hoey

HiringsGreg Renoe has joined the staff of the full-service adver-

tising and public relations firm Visionworks Marketing & Communications as a business development specialist. Renoe has 21 years of experience in broadcast sales, advertising and marketing. He previously served as a district account man-ager at Cumulus Broadcasting, a senior marketing consultant at Premier Marketing Group and an account executive at Saga Communications.

New Realtor Chelsie Darr has joined Weichert Realtors-First Tier as an agent specializing in residential sales. Darr serves clients in Boone County, with emphasis on Columbia. She is a member of the Columbia Board of Realtors, the Missouri Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.

PromotionsSteve Hunt has been named the new manager of envi-

ronmental services for the City of Columbia in the Public Works Department. In his new position, Hunt is respon-sible for engineering tasks involving environmental issues, including the city’s new sewer master plan and storm water management and water quality manual. He will coordinate engineering designs, plans and specifications for the con-struction of Columbia’s storm water, sanitary sewer and solid waste projects. He also will be responsible for ensuring the city’s compliance with Environmental Protection Agency and Missouri Department of Natural Resources regulations. Hunt previously served as the city’s civil engineer for sewer utility for eight years.

HonorsKOMU recently won three Emmy awards, including one

for Best Evening Newscast in a Small Market, from the Mid-America Chapter of the National Television Arts and Sciences. KOMU was nominated for six awards this year and won the

largest number of awards in a single year since going on the air in December 1953.Anchor Sarah Hill won her third and fourth Emmys for her special series, “Mercy in Motion,” and videographer Scott Schaefer won his first two Emmys for the same series. Hill and Schaeffer traveled to Vietnam to follow a group of volunteers who donated time and supplies to provide Personal Energy Transportation devices to low-income people who have disabilities. The series was turned into a half-hour special, which also won an Emmy. Executive producer Holly Edgell and student producer Thad Kemlage won a Small Market Evening Newscast Emmy for KOMU’s coverage of the terror threat on the University of Missouri-Rolla campus last February.

Tina Hoey, vice president-residential loans at Hawthorn Bank, recently received the Showcase Service Award at the 2007 Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce Business Conference and Showcase. The award recognizes a showcase exhibitor employee for efforts in providing exceptional cus-tomer service.

Joe Machens Toyota-Scion sales representative Bob Pollock recently attended Joe Verde’s three-day seminar on automo-tive sales and customer service in Chicago, Ill. Verde is widely regarded as the top car sales trainer in the country. Pollock has sold cars for more than two years and has worked with Machens Toyota since June 1, 2007.

Area contractors recently were honored for construction workplace safety at the first-ever Builders’ Association Safety Excellence Awards Program in Kansas City. First place in the general contractor division, 700,001-1 million work hours, went to Kevin Beal project manager, and John Sutherland, manager–Missouri office, of River City Construction in Ashland. Matt Robe, chief financial officer, and Craig Simon, president/CEO, of Professional Contractors & Engineers, Inc. of Columbia, won the first place award in the general con-tractor division for under 100,000 work hours. Phil Shoemaker presented the award.

Pollock

Hunt

Robe, Shoemaker, Simon


buSINESS PROFILE | CARfAx

By Bondi Wood

The Carfax data center off Lemone Industrial Boulevard in east Columbia has 120 workers taking care of a swiftly growing online database of more than 5 billion records. And it’s just the type of business the city wants to recruit.

Columbia’s Regional Economic Development Inc., or REDI, recently paid Angelou Economics to conduct a site-selection analysis that evaluated the city’s viability for hosting data centers such as the one Carfax uses. After examining the area’s relative cost of power, labor availability, disaster risk and land cost, Angelou concluded in an October report that Columbia has what it takes to recruit data centers and that the city should target that industry.

Of course, the city didn’t have to recruit Carfax. The company was founded here 21 years ago, though it moved its administrative headquarters to northern Virginia in 1993.

With help from a patented database pro-gram developed by Ewin Barnett III, Carfax uses the 17-character vehicle identification number, or VIN, located on dashboards and in title documents, to generate a detailed history report on any used car or light truck. Reports cover accident history, flood damage, odom-eter readings, ownership and lien activity for use by consumers, automobile dealerships, auto auctions, licensing bureaus and vehicle inspection stations.

The company that began with 10,000 vehicle data records and 14 auto dealer customers has mushroomed to include more than 2 billion data records and a Web site that boasts more than 50 million hits annually.

A newer, larger data center opened in Columbia in 2003 to accommodate the pro-

cessing of Carfax’s 2 billion data records, and a second expansion project was completed ear-lier this year. “I came to Columbia five-and-a-half years ago, and we had 45 employees. We doubled that figure in four years,” said Gary Lee, vice president of the 23,000-square-foot Columbia data center. “Today, we have 120 employees” locally and an additional 230 workers nationwide.

Lee describes Columbia Carfax as a nation-ally recognized, high-tech employer based in a progressive community—a community to which the company is committed.

“I don’t want to be one man up on a soap box here about outsourcing to other countries,

Carfax, Columbia’s home-grown data center

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At Carfax more than 75 computer programers work in an open office environment known as “extreme programming.” The environment allows workers to be more productive and produce higher quality software by working together.

Since Carfax originated in 1986 it has compiled more than 5 billion records. Fun record plaques commemorate the 4 and 5 billionth vehicle identification numbers.


6 November 3, 2007 | CBT

[but] what we do here couldn’t be done elsewhere,” he said. “The way we program is called ‘extreme programming.’ It’s very high quality, very rapid and more cost effective that outsourcing overseas. We are all very blessed to live in a community like Columbia, Mo., and work for a nationally recognized company like Carfax.” Lee said he works with the University of Missouri, REDI and other entities to recruit and retain good employees.

“Five years ago, almost all of our employees were local. Today, about half of our employees are local, a quarter are from within Missouri, and a quarter were recruited nationally,” he said.

To enhance hiring efforts, Lee is working with sci-ence and technology organizations and career fairs. “Not enough students are getting into engineering and computer science to meet the demands,” Lee says.

According to Carfax Communications Director Larry Gamache, all the data generated by Carfax is housed in Columbia. “We have two data farms in Columbia, Mo.,” he said. In addition to the facility at Concord Business Park, Lee said, the company oper-ates a second Columbia facility that does not house employees.

For operational and security reasons, Carfax maintains two separate data banks. “We are set up to withstand any emergency, from a backhoe acciden-tally clipping a cable to an F-5 tornado,” Lee said. “We have generators, back-up batteries, security


Carfax ... continued from Page 5

Carfax leaders say they’re determined to keep programming jobs in Columbia and avoid outsourcing to workers overseas. The company employs 120 workers locally and 230 more throughout the United States.




AngelouEconomics conducted a reverse site selection analysis to help determine the Columbia area’s suitability for a data center, a type of high-tech business that grew 62 percent last year.

The consulting company examined the area’s relative cost of power, labor availability, disaster risk and land cost. In its report released last month, the company concluded that Columbia has what it takes to recruit data centers and should adopt them as a target industry.

To assess Columbia’s competitiveness for data centers, Angelou compared the region to four cities where data cen-ters were located recently: Quincy, Wash., Lenoir, N.C., Pryor, Okla., and Goose Creek, S.C. v

Data center analysis and evaluation

Columbia electric rates are competitive nationally with those of major data center locations, making annual power costs to operate data centers competitive too.


Columbia’s proportion of employees in various computer-related occupations is signigicantly higher than that of the nation as a whole.


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

Graham bound to beat the rap, but still should admit misdeedSenator Chuck Graham still has time to take

the honorable action and admit that he had too much to drink when he ended up in the hands of the law a fortnight ago. But allow me to predict that Graham will emerge unscathed and politically triumphant when all the votes are counted.

The Democrat from the 19th District will beat this one because, well, that’s the way the system seems to work.

With prima facie evidence that this elected official was drunker than a skunk that evening, the case will boil down to a legal proceeding that might be captioned City of Columbia v. Curators of the University of Missouri – of the other way around, whoever fires the first shot.

A court will dismiss the case on a techni-cality when a judge rules that evidence taken from University Hospital (a jar of urine and a blood sample) is inadmissible.

Graham has not been a bad representative, but simply promising to stop drinking is not good enough.

The immoderate consumption of alcohol is a problem societies have tangled with since Creation. There’s the recent imbroglio where the Columbia City Council pranced around whether or not to allow the sale and consump-tion of intoxicating substances on city property. Then there’s the ongoing march of arrests

and case dispositions reported each week that range from the illegal purchase of as little as single can of beer by or in some cases in behalf of a minor to the recent arrest of a prominent state senator who forfeited his ability to control his own vehicle because he’d had too much to drink.

While threats to personal safety and life have been rather stunningly ameliorated in recent years, the dangers posed by the intem-perate consumption of alcohol will seemingly be with us forever. Our only defense may be to somehow minimize the number of occasions where we tangle with people who are out of control because they drink too much.

Largely unnoticed has been the inconve-nience Chuck Graham’s irresponsibly stupid behavior that evening brought on two other drivers who coincidentally happened to be aligned with him at the wrong place at the wrong time on a street in south Columbia. Here was a three vehicle accident that brought in a cascade of other participants making for an impossibly long list of individuals, agencies and institutions I couldn’t fairly account for here only to salute them all and say that I’m glad they are around and on the job.

Driving under the influence heads my list of personal annoyances and behaviors that need to but realistically won’t ever go away.

A steady, maybe increasing percentage of the population continues to drive under the influ-ence of alcohol and various other controlled substances. This guarantees employment ad infinitum to a cornucopia of individuals and institutions that are perpetually forced to wrestle with the problem.

While many business people are still con-flicted about their 19th District Senator in light of the recent controversial denial of MOHELA grants to MU, Graham remains one of the University of Missouri’s staunchest advocates at a time—as I have already noted—when beloved Old Mizzou navigates shark-infested waters in a state where funding higher educa-tion has lost its priority.

State Sen. Graham would have redeemed himself in my eyes if he had just come out and admitted what we all have pretty much figured out. Falling on the sword of telling the truth might have injured Graham temporarily, but for me he’d have come out a winner without dragging us through all this revisionist bun-combe about going on the wagon, whatever that means.

Graham has the opportunity to redeem him-self if he turns the problem of people driving under the influence into his own personal crusade, but first he needs to admit he was just plain plumb drunk that evening

Everyone can do it. It can make a huge dif-ference to other people and can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a person’s life. It doesn’t cost a cent but requires you to share your most valuable resource: your time. What am I referring to? Volunteering. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best: “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”

The City of Columbia created the Office of Volunteer Services in 1996 to strengthen the role that citizens can play in local government. Columbia is one of few cities across the country that has an office with the sole purpose of helping volunteers work to meet needs identi-fied in city departments.

In the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, volun-teers shared more than 38,500 hours of service. Using the national value of $18.77 per hour of volunteer time (as reported by Independent Sector), the value of all those hours is more than $723,000. In addition, volunteers in the community visioning process logged nearly 7,200 hours. And members of the City Council and the city’s many boards and commissions gave more than 5,700 hours, not including time outside of meetings.

The impact of volunteers on the commu-nity goes beyond counting hours or dollars. Volunteers make local government more efficient, provide services and programs that would not be possible with staff alone and

enable residents to have a stake in local activi-ties. The volunteer experience provides per-sonal benefits including education, new friend-ships and an increased feeling of self-worth.

Volunteers help the local government serve citizens in many ways. They plant trees in city parks; patrol trails, parks and streets; assist with special events and festivals; greet visitors to our city; and are prepared to assist in the event of an emergency. There are dozens of opportuni-ties for all ages, interests and schedules.

An important role for volunteers comes when disaster strikes. Last May, more than 600 volunteers filled sandbags at Rocheport and Hartsburg as the Missouri River threat-ened homes and businesses. The response of residents throughout Boone County was outstanding and demonstrated our caring and can-do spirit.

The Office of Volunteer Services plays a role in organizing volunteers for disasters throughout the county, beyond the city limits, as part of the county’s Emergency Management Plan. We are currently working with the Columbia/Boone County Health Department to fine-tune the plan for the hundreds of volunteers needed in the event of pandemic flu.

The volunteer experience can help busi-nesses. Group activities are good ways for employees to join together outside the office and invite interaction in a different setting. Picking

up trash during Cleanup Columbia, scheduled for April 12, 2008, or working together on an event such as Tiger Night of Fun or the Heritage Festival can be a good opportunity for a group to get involved in the community.

Volunteering provides a great opportunity for personal development. People who are new to Columbia may find volunteering is a great way to learn more about their new community. TreeKeepers, the Columbia Aquatic Restoration Project (C.A.R.P.) and the Citizens Police Academy provide training to citizens who can then volunteer in parks or assist the Columbia Police Department. All of these programs will have sessions starting again in early 2008.

Volunteering can even provide recognition for a business or organization. There are 80 Adopt-A-Spot beautification flower beds and dozens of Adopt-A-Spot litter control areas throughout the city. Each project includes a sign that acknowledges the adopter. This is a great way to get your business name out to hundreds of folks who pass by each day.

Finding out more about volunteer oppor-tunities with the City of Columbia is easy. The Office of Volunteer Services can be reached at 874-7499, and more information can be found online at www.GoColumbiaMo.com/Volunteer. Consider volunteer service to keep this community great!

Leigh Nutter

Leigh Nutter is the volunteer services

coordinator for the City of Columbia

Guest Columnist

Volunteering: good for city government, good for business


Rob Wolverton

Rob Wolverton is president of R. Anthony

Development Group and a board member

of Central Missouri Development Council

and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Guest Editorial

Vote ‘yes’ for roads, ‘yes’ for Proposition 1 on TuesdayOn Tuesday, the good citizens of Boone

County have the ability to generate the funds necessary to maintain our roadways for the next 10 years. Further, the good citizens of Boone County have the opportunity to raise these funds at no additional cost to what is already being spent. By voting “Yes” on Proposition 1, the good citizens of Boone County can ensure that we have a solid, well-maintained road system. This is good for everyone.

Proposition 1 is a half-cent sales tax that is collected and used to maintain and improve our roadways in Boone County. The following are some of the proposition’s benefits:

1) The sales tax has generated $110 million in revenue to Boone County since 1999. All of these funds are used to maintain and improve our roadways.

2) Proposition 1 also contains a rollback of property tax. This rollback has resulted in approximately $46 million in tax savings to Boone County property owners since 1999.

3) Proposition 1 does not impose a new layer of taxation. Proposition 1 is an extension of a tax that is already in place. Unfortunately, the measure will show on the ballot as a new tax. This is the case because this measure has reached its “sunset” and will automatically expire if not renewed.

4) Funds from Proposition 1 are shared with the individual cities within Boone County. From 1994 to 2006, $23 million in revenue has been shared with the cities within Boone County.

5) A large part of the taxes collected are paid by visitors to Boone County. When we pack Faurot Field on football Saturdays with 70,000 people, many of whom are coming in from outside Boone County, a portion of all the sales taxes paid on food, booze, lodging, gasoline, Mizzou sweatshirts and anti-Jayhawk propa-ganda goes toward maintaining the very road system that is being used. How can this be any better for the citizens of Boone County? People

travel to see Chase Daniel throw touchdown passes and pay for the maintenance of our roads at the same time.

All of this sounds great. But now we must discuss the downside of this measure. When Proposition 1 was initiated, it contained a roll-back of property taxes. As stated before, this rollback has saved Boone County land owners $46 million since 1999. If Proposition 1 is not renewed, the property tax rollback contained within Proposition 1 also is not to be renewed. The message is simple: Maintenance of our road and bridge system costs a certain amount of money every year. It will be paid in one of the following two ways:

1) We can have the funds come from sales tax, which places a portion of the burden on visitors to Boone County, or,

2) The citizens of Boone County can pay for all of the cost through property tax, which places 100 percent of the burden on the citizens of Boone County and none of the burden on vis-itors to the area, who put stress on our system but will pay none of the cost of maintenance.

This seems to be an easy decision. Vote “Yes” on Proposition 1.

Larry Schuster

Larry Schuster is a former city councilman and political observer.

Soap Box

Sales tax for county roadwork better than property tax hikeOn Tuesday, Boone County voters will be

asked to renew a half-cent sales tax for roads. This is a county-wide sales tax paid by all per-sons who purchase goods in Boone County. This tax will sunset. It must be re-approved in order for the tax to continue to be collected.

We have been warned that failure to pass the ballot measure would cause the voluntary roll-back of property taxes to be reinstated beyond previous levels, in order to maintain current funding. Higher property taxes have always been a “boogey man” we Boone Countians disdain. Several among us are holders of real estate. Property taxes are not easily absorbed as a normal cost of doing business.

The current saturation of the residential rental market has caused a depression of some rental rates and an increase in vacancy rates. A sales tax does not exacerbate this condition. Property tax on the other hand does.

Higher property taxes inordinately affect home owners at the lower end of the spectrum. An increase in the property tax rate for a $45,000 home has a much more significant impact on affordability than the same rate increase for the owner of a $250,000 home. We struggle in Columbia with housing affordability as the cost of home ownership is driven steadily up by the desire for high-end amenities, increasing infra-structure costs and government regulation. The lack of affordable housing and a shortage of quality employment opportunities have been identified as key indicators that our local economy is not the recession-proof economy it’s often touted to be.

As such, the renewal of the current county-wide sales tax can be characterized as an eco-nomic development tool.

Each community in the county contributes to the success of commerce in the business heart of the county here in Columbia. The huge bulk of the tax will be collected in Columbia, yet it is only fair that the work of all Boone County citizens be recognized and that road taxes col-lected on their purchases be spent in their home communities and about the county.

Of major concern, however, is the back-ground chatter in regard to a proposal to raise

the county sales tax for roads another one-half cent. In my opinion, this move would cross the threshold from economic development to a subsidy by municipal citizens for rural homeowners.

Boone County is no longer a rural county. True, many acres of land are still in traditional agriculture production. The agricultural use of this land, however, does not create the cur-rent demand for paved rural roads. Residential development does. Paved roads are the lim-iting factor to rural residential development. City types do not like gravel roads. Gravel roads slow them down, create dust and are just a pain in the posterior. Independent city folks long for the elbow room of larger lots and the freedom from municipal regulation. The cur-rent half-cent sales tax the county is asking to be renewed enables these folks to realize their dream of escaping ordinary city life.

A complete and adequate rural road system once was viewed as an important investment by all in the support of farm-to-market trans-portation routes. The current system is wholly adequate for that purpose. Cities exist so people who live in close proximity may utilize economies of scale to most affordably provide fundamental services of electricity, water, sewer, streets and emergency services. Longer streets per home in rural subdivisions should be paid for by those homeowners—not by the general public.

Support the current proposal to renew the county-wide sales tax for roads, but be alert in regard to any increase.

By voting “Yes” on Proposition 1, the good citizens of Boone

County can ensure that we have a solid, well-maintained road system. This is good for

everyone.

The lack of affordable housing and a shortage of quality

employment opportunities have been identified as key

indicators that our local economy is not the recession-

proof economy it’s often touted to be.

As such, the renewal of the current county-wide sales tax

can be characterized as an economic development tool.


systems, two different routing systems—all to keep us up and running.”

The general sales manager for University Chrysler Jeep Subaru, Mark Hodges, said Carfax has changed drastically during his 15 years in the business. “It didn’t used to be Internet-based,” he said. “It’s very user-friendly now.”

According to Hodges, the car-buying public is much more aware of Carfax. “Customers are asking for a Carfax report more and more now.” Hodges said that University Chrysler uses Carfax primarily to check for prior accidents on a vehicle they are con-

sidering purchasing. University Chrysler also uses Carfax when they purchase cars through on-line auto auctions.

Although Carfax was the first company to offer vehicle history reports, others since have entered the marketplace. Rusty Drewing, used car manager for Joe Machens Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, said his dealer-ship currently uses AutoCheck.

“Carfax is No. 1 in the industry, and AutoCheck is No. 2,” Drewing said. “Because of our volume and number of dealerships, it was a cost issue. AutoCheck charges us a flat fee.”

Regardless of which service a company uses, Drewing said, consumers should get an automobile history report prior to purchasing a used car. “I run a check on every single vehicle I purchase. It helps us get a higher quality product. If I find that a car had a prior accident, I do not purchase it,” Drewing said.

While consumers typically pay a $25 fee to access Carfax’s vehicle history reports, Gamache said con-sumers can often avoid that fee by working through autotrader.com or other Internet auto malls. He also recommends that car buyers ask car sellers to supply the history report.v



Every hour and a half programmers take a break from their intense work to rejuvenate themselves. The company provides table tennis, disc golf, a basketball court and even a walking trail for employees to use. Gary Lee reports that the extreme programming environment creates a camaraderie well suited for work and play.




33.5% of Boone County’s population is in the critical �5–44-year-old demographic valued by high tech companies, far exceeding benchmarks.

Housing values indicate the pressures on a given real estate market, and are thus a good proxy for land prices.

a data center requires a consistent power supply, and disaster risk is a major location factor.

Boone County is “at risk” to tornadoes due to its location in the heart of “tornado alley.”

Though southeastern Missouri lies withing the New Madrid seismic zone, Boone County is in an area of low-moderate risk for earthquake hazards.

1� November 3, 2007 | CBT

The second-highest salary on our list goes to the president of A Call to Serve International, an obscure organization that provides health care and other social services to the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Two executives of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals have the third- and fourth-highest annual compensation.

The highest-paid Columbia-based director of an association with a statewide or national mission is R. Dennis McClelland at the Missouri Association of Realtors, who earns $161,000.

The highest-paid directors of local, non-med-ical social service agencies are Mark Hassemer, executive director of Alternative Community Training, who earns $109,000; Don Laird, presi-dent of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce,

who earns $106,257 a year (nearly 11 percent of the chamber’s total annual revenue); and David Franta, executive director of the Missouri Area United Way, who makes $87,000.

Overall, the national average salary for non-profit executives has jumped 8 percent from last year, to $91,041, Board and Administrator reported.

Cindy Mustard, executive director of the Voluntary Action Center, has viewed salary-setting dynamics from both sides. Mustard has

Executive Pay-Nonprofits ... continued from Page 1

HIGHEST PaID ExECuTIVES OF LOCaL NONPROFITS

NPO NMaE NaME TITLE TOTaL COMP aSSETS REVENuE

Alternative Community Training Inc.

Mark Hassemer Exec. Dir. $108786 $1,031,162 $3,934,946

Mission: Provide disabled adult skills training.

Columbia Chamber of Commerce

Don Laird President $106,257 $785,624 $971,906

Mission: Promoting the interests of member businesses.

Columbia Missouri Area United Way

David Franta Exec. Dir. $87,345 $3,710,276 $2,837,750

Mission: Evaluate, prioritize and communicate current and further human service needs and to mobilize the necessary resources to meet those needs.

Boy Scouts of America Doug Callahan Scout Exec. $86,834 $3,559,322 $1,477,931

Mission: Preparing young people to make ethical choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Central Missouri Area Agency on Aging

Jean Leonatti Exec. Dir. $83,411 $1,104,760 $8,019,025

Mission: Provide nutrition, supportive, caregiver, employment and health services in accordance with the Older Americans Act.

Family Counceling Center of Missouri, Inc.

Allen Tacker Exec. Dir. $79,621 $626,875 $3,692,608

Mission: Drug and alcohol counseling.

Central Missouri Community Action Center

Darin Preis Exec. Dir. $79,390 $1,910,772 $11,490,325

Mission: Encourages individuals and family to achieve self-reliance through programs designed to fight poverty.

Mid-Mo Legal Servc. Corp. Ed Berg Exec. Dir. $81,900 $56,013 $657,184*

Mission: Provide free legal services to low income individuals in central Missouri.

Reality House Inc. Dennis Winfrey Exec. Dir. $76,344 $276,611 $859,400

Mission: Rehabilitation program for young men.

Alternative Community Training, Inc.

Don Lafferty Program Dir. $72,412 $1,031,162 $3,934,946

Homebuilders Assoc. of Columbia

Annie Pope Exec. Officer $68,662 $126,998 $232,701

Mission: Promote local builders’ interests.

Alternative Community Training Inc.

Jim Williams Operating Dir. $67,241 $1,031,162 $3,934,946

Job Point Gregory Wingert VP $65,724 $1,904,646 $3,265,461

Mission: Provide job training and placement services for the disabled and disadvantaged.

Job Point Nancy Silver VP $65,724 $1,904,646 $3,265,461

Alternative Community Training, Inc.

Amanda Blumhorst

Finance Dir. $65,163 $1,031,162 $3,934,946

* 2005 Form

Cindy Mustard



HIGHEST PaID ExECuTIVES OF STaTE aND NaTIONaL aSSOCIaTIONS


Mo. Association of Realitors R. Dennis McClelland

Exec. Dir. $161,058 $3,501,541 $3,841,578

Mission: Legal services, lobbying and education on behalf of Missouri Realtors.

Mo. School Boards Assoc. Carter Ward Exec. Dir. $158,146 $276,448 $4,696,821

Mission: Advocate the interests of public education leadership.

Mo. State Teachers Assoc. Kent King Exec. Dir. $139,165 $1,156,643 $6,833,166

Mission: Sponsors workshops and conferences for teachers and financial and legal resources for schools, and publishes magazines for educators.

Thomas Jefferson Institute for Crop Diversification

Robert Myers Exec. Dir. $128,998 $589,247 $847,289*

Mission: Provides education, research and market development programs in support of family farms.

Masonic Home of Mo. Karin Bell Exec. Dir. $105,612 $108,559,367 $7,753,356

Mission: Provides medical and home care for Missouri Masons and their wives and widows, and members of the Eastern Star.

Mo. State Teachers Assoc. Bruce Moe Dep. Exec. Dir.

$102,645 $1,156,643 $6,833,166

Mo. Beef Industry Council Inc.

Steve Taylor Exec. Dir. $92,076 $255,341 $1,426,017

Mission: Promotes of beef consumption.

Oats Inc. Linda Yaeger Exec. Dir. $88,265 $16,153,887 $20,658,112

Mission: Provides personalized transportation for those who would otherwise do without.

Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc.

Brant Houston Exec. Dir. $85,892 $2,851,604 $1,721,366*

Mission: Educates journalists on in-depth, computer literate and investigative reporting.

Mo. State High School Activities Association

Kerwin Urhahn Exec. Dir. $80,454 $7,164,318 $6,427,714

Mission: Supports regulates and promote athletic, music and speech competition for high school students.

* 2005 Form

HIGHEST PaID ExECuTIVES OF MEDICaL NONPROFITS


Primaris Richard Royer CEO $201,677 $8,411,293 $7,596,499

Mission: Healthcare consulting. Missouri’s federally designated healthcare quality improvement organization.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals

Dr. G. Gregory Keller

Chief of Veterinary Services

$176,982 $2,276,302 $1,914,490

Mission: Promote awareness and research for treatments for orthopedic and genetic diseases in animals.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals

Edmund J. Dziuk

COO $172,945 $2,276,302 $1,914,490

Primaris Donald Glozer Chief Operating

Officer

$147,128 $8,411,293 $7,596,499

Family Health Center of Boone County

Sharon Carmignani

Med. Dir. $135,621 $1,281,958 $5,220,800*

Mission: Provide health care to uninsured or underinsured people who don’t have a primary health provider.

Primaris Tim Schultz CFO $112,199 $8,411,293 $7,596,499


Gloria Crull Exec. Dir. $109,372 $1,281,958 $5,220,800*


Darren Stice CFO $92,334 $1,281,958 $5,220,800*


Kay Strom COO $89,041 $1,281,958 $5,220,800*

Boone Hospital Home Care Inc.

Angela Littrell Dir. $91,059 -$308,775 $4,728,635

* 2007 Form


PEOPLE yOu SHOuLD KNOW

PhOTOS by jennifeR keTTleR

Brett BurriPresident of Providence Bank, Columbia

AGE: 45JOB DESCRIPTION: Establishing Providence Bank in the Columbia market, taking it from its beginnings as a loan production office (LPO) to a full-service bank branch. My duties include: overall management of the Columbia market, recruiting a talented staff, developing and implementing our marketing plan, executing our business development strategy, and calling on top prospects to gain market share. I also serve on the bank’s executive loan committee.YEARS LIVED IN COLUMBIA: 8 1/2

ORIGINAL HOMETOWN: St. Joseph, Mo., “where the Pony Express started and Jesse James stopped.”EDUCATION: I received my bachelor’s degree in business management from Missouri Western State University in St.

Joseph. I also completed the following professional education: Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the American Bankers Association’s National Schools of Commercial Lending, Real Estate Finance and Consumer Lending.COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I currently serve on the board of directors of the Columbia Area United Way and on the executive board of directors of the Great Rivers Council of Boy Scouts of America. I served as the Boonslick District chairman for the 2007 Friends of Scouting campaign. I also am a member of the Columbia Area Chamber of Commerce and the Central Missouri Development Council.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: I have nearly 27 years of experience in banking. The last 20 years I have served in an executive capacity, including as president of two other Columbia banks. I moved to Columbia in 1999 to

accept the position of president of Mercantile Bank of Boone County. Prior to that, I had several positions over 21 years with that organization, during which I managed retail banking, residential real estate lending and commercial banking divisions and handled marketing and business development. A COLUMBIA BUSINESSPERSON I ADMIRE: I have had the pleasure of meeting so many admirable businesspeople in Columbia that I find it difficult to single someone out. In our community live some of the most talented,

wise and generous people I have ever met. I have a great admiration for those who have taken an idea or passion and turned that into a viable business. I particularly admire those who have managed to keep balance

in their lives and have kept their priorities in check, which can be difficult when success is attained. I also have tremendous respect for those who remember to give back to the community through their generosity.

WHY I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT MY JOB: I have an incredible opportunity, along with our investors, to build a local banking franchise from the ground up, leveraging the infrastructure of our affiliate in Lincoln County. Most of my

career has been in working for large regional and super-regional banking organizations. They generally establish policies and procedures used in a particular market area and replicate that in all markets. This “one-size-fits-all” approach tends to create an inflexible environment in which customer service, along with employee morale, often suffers. Our owners encourage me to use my experience and creativity in developing and growing our franchise. Providence Bank provides the flexibility of a local community bank with the strong financial resources of a larger organization to handle the financial needs of most any client. I find it very rewarding to be a part of.

IF I WEREN’T DOING THIS FOR A LIVING: I have been in banking for so many years and truly enjoy it. I honestly don’t know what else I would do.BIGGEST CAREER OBSTACLE I’VE OVERCOME: In 1999, I had an opportunity for a bank president’s job, which required me to relocate to Columbia. The opportunity to become the president of a bank had long been a goal of mine. However, the job started in March, and three of my four children were in school, which didn’t end until May. Micheal and I wanted to allow our children to finish out the school year to minimize disruption for them. Micheal stayed behind and managed the household until the end of the school year. I spent two and a half months living in a hotel room, commuting home on the weekends. The support of my family is what made it possible.

A FAVORITE RECENT PROJECT: My current opportunity to establish Providence Bank. More than just a project, I find it to be challenging, exciting and very rewarding to be a part of.

WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROFESSION: The term “bankers’ hours,” a term that I get teased about occasionally, is a myth. The term originates from the era in which my grandfather was a banker, when a bank was generally open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closed during the lunch hour. The hours can be long, but the balance is that we do get to take the day off most holidays.

Banking is a very rewarding profession that offers a variety of opportunities for a person to capitalize on their talents. Whether you have analytical skills, sales and marketing abilities, organizational skills or people skills, there are positions in banking that would provide exciting and challenging opportunities. WHAT I DO FOR FUN: Attend children’s activities and events, play golf and attend Mizzou sporting events.FAMILY: My wife, Micheal Roe, and I have been married for 21 years. We have two sons, Justin, 18, and Spencer, 11, and twin daughters, Kirsten and Kayla, 15.

FAVORITE PLACE IN COLUMBIA: I have many favorite places in Columbia. I enjoy attending my children’s events and activities, Tigers’ games at Mizzou Arena and Faurot Field, and C.C.’s City Broiler.

ACCOMPLISHMENT I’M MOST PROUD OF: Having a family that has been so supportive, which has enabled me to pursue my career opportunities.

MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT: I won a miniature golf tournament when I was in college.v


worked in the nonprofit sector since 1965, and 10 years ago she and other members of the Boys and Girls Club board researched what other local nonprofits were paying their directors before choosing the agency’s first director.

Mustard said she has seen nonprofit administration “become a profession,” a pro-cess evident in the rising salaries of executives. “It used to be people who worked in nonprofit weren’t compensated as much but wanted to make a differ-ence,” she said.

Having helped hire adminis-trators—and having been hired as one herself—Mustard said

that, as is the case with for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations want competent managers who ensure that the agency is run like a good business.

“We’re like a business, but your product is your service that you provide,” she said. For certain types of agencies, retaining a professional who can run the organization smoothly means offering a salary that can compete with the for-profit sector.

When putting together compensation packages, boards should conduct research to see where their organizations fit in the market, recommends Holden, who works with both nonprofit and for-profit compa-nies in Missouri and other states.

“Run comparisons,” Holden said. “Look at organi-zations of your size, number of employees, revenue, in a similar city—similar in terms of size, population and number of nonprofits.” v

Elizabeth Holden

Executive Pay-Nonprofits ... continued from Page 12

The CBT surveyed organizations that were granted nonprofit, tax-exempt status by the IRS after stating their main purpose is to serve a public or private interest. Tax-exempt organizations file a form 990 tax form, a public record that lists the organization’s annual revenue and assets, along with the salaries of executive staff members and other information.

Top, Left to Right: R. Dennis McClelland, Richard Royer and Mark Hassemer.Bottom: Don Laird.


By Sean C. Spence

Nanotechnology may seem like the stuff of science fiction, but in mid-Missouri, the field is quickly becoming recognized as a promising component of the area’s technology-driven eco-nomic development strategy.

“It is an exciting time,” said Jim Thompson, dean of the University of Missouri’s School of Engineering. “It’s like in the 1960s with lasers and integrated circuits. Now we are at the begin-ning point with nanotechnology.”

MU’s race to develop nanotechnology is taking place not only in the School of Engineering but also in medicine, radiology, physics and other fields. Each academic area has its own assets to offer, and the key to MU’s progress seems to lie in their ability to collaborate.

“In nanotechnology, collaboration is the key,” Thompson said. “This is by far the best university in the country in terms of creating a collaborative environment.”

He said part of the reason MU is prioritizing nanotechnology is that, for now, there are fewer competitors and MU is positioned to take a lead-ership role.

“We can’t compete with Silicon Valley, for example, to become a major player in semicon-ductor development,” he said. “But we have a real opportunity in nanotechnology.”

Commercializing nanotechnology advances is a frequent topic of discussion among adminis-trators and scientists in the field.

“It is my hope that we will develop nanotech-nologies that can be commercialized and turned into start-up companies here in Missouri,” Thompson said.

One example can be found, seemingly hidden away, in an off-campus facility on

Columbia’s Business Loop. There Kattesh Katti and Raghuraman Kannan, both on the faculty of MU’s Department of Radiology and Physics, have founded two nanotechnology start-ups, Greennano Company and Nanoparticle Biochem., Inc. Either man has the credentials and experience to go anywhere in the world; both chose the University of Missouri because, they said, it offers the right combination of col-laborative environment, technical facilities and leadership.

“The combination is not available anywhere [else] in the world,” Kannan said.

Kannan and Katti are exploring ways to use nanoparticles—particles measured in terms of one billionth of a meter (it would take 100,000 nanoparticles to span the width of a human hair)—to diagnose and treat diseases such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. Their goal is to develop products that can be manufactured here in Missouri and marketed worldwide.

The two men are not alone at MU, working in an environment that spans several academic departments and representing a fast-growing field. Much of MU’s nanotechnology effort resides at the Center for Micro/Nano Systems and Nanotechnology, run by Shubhra Gangopadhyay, recruited from Texas Tech University in 2003 to start the program. The center housed in the School of Engineering closely collaborates with other departments.

“I was hired to build the center with the goal of bringing visibility to the college,” Gangopadhyay said.

Gangopadhyay said she has built a team of students and faculty who have gone beyond just working as an academic department. “We didn’t want to just talk about it, so we set up a company,” she said. “Part of our goal is to fur-

MU poised to become leader in global nanotechnology

Part of a CBT series about technology-driven economic development.

Fred Hawthorne, a nanotechnology pioneer, joined the University of Missouri last year.


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ther economic development in Missouri. This is important to my students.”

NEMS/MEMS Works, LLC is the MU-originated startup Gangopadhyay formed with other members of the MU commu-nity, including graduate student Steve Apperson. Gangopadhyay says the company is six months away from creating a prototype of its first device, an “advanced drug delivery system” designed to destroy tumors, kidney stones and ulcers and to treat cancer and HIV. She expects her team to be ready to start production a year from now but only if the scientists have the facilities they need.

Gangopadhyay and Apperson said that mid-Missouri lacks the high-tech facilities to produce their device and others. Among other things, for development and production they need “clean-rooms”—rooms that have essentially no dust or particles that would interfere with their work. Today, they have one small, 500-square-foot clean room and another “partially clean” room nowhere near the thousands of square feet they will eventually need. Adding the facilities they need will cost millions of dollars.

“Programs like ours almost always have line-item priority in the state budget,” Gangopadhyay said. “The state has done a lot for us, but we need money to do what we must do.”

Fred Hawthorne, an internationally recognized nanotech-nology pioneer recruited to MU in 2006 from the University of California-Los Angeles, said that the opportunity is too good to pass up. He said that, with the right resources, MU could be the leading nanotechnology center in the world

“I came here because the university has everything I need to do the work I want to do,” he said. “My work is in Boron-neutron capture therapy. I created it and we’ll be the center of that in the world. If you do the numbers on that, it gets into the billions of dollars in a few years. This is a very unique campus. If some of the things we are working on pay off, they will be the basis of new industries.”v

Nanotechnology ... continued from Page 17

International Institute for Nano and Molecular Medicine planned for MU campus.

Shubhra Gangopadhyay runs MU’s Center for Micro/Nano Systems and Nanotechnology.


Coming from the north and northwest, Flat Branch drains a substantial portion of central Columbia and provides the majority of the water to the new Flat Branch Park. As Columbia grew in the 19th century, the Flat Branch area served as the city’s hub for transportation and industry. First the Boonslick Trail led settlers into town, and then the Nebo-Neosho Railroad line, which was built in 1868, brought travelers and freight into the Flat Branch area. Its tracks ran down the middle of the wide Waters Street, which was later named “Fourth Street,” and terminated at the Katy Station south of Broadway.

In 1899, the railroad line became a spur of the MKT railroad, bringing passengers and supplies from McBaine to Columbia. The train brought coal for the university power plant and freight for the city and its residents.

I recall unloading city supplies just south of Broadway on a wide blacktop space in the middle of the street. Fuel was transferred into large storage tanks between Fourth Street and Flat Branch and provided cause years later for a major underground cleanup.

The MKT filed to abandon the spur in 1975, ending passenger service to and from McBaine. All service was later abandoned, and the city purchased the railroad land rights.

We tend to forget how important train transportation was in its heyday. Don Faurot once told me that the Mizzou football team used both railroads that served Columbia. He said he had trouble with boys jumping off the train in St. Charles to visit girls at the all-female Lindenwood College.

The Flat Branch area played a significant role in Columbia’s early development. In addi-tion to privately owned land, the area included land that was owned by the city and university in what we would now call a “mixed use” area with limited housing, commercial and industrial applications.

In the 20th century, Flat Branch began to be looked upon as something of a bother. In 1929,

Councilman J.W. Bernard, a local florist and chairman of the street committee, proposed a successful motion that a concrete bridge be built over Flat Branch at Ash Street at a cost of about $1,500. Later that same year, a list of the top sug-gestions for the future offered at a Chamber of Commerce meeting included two people who suggested putting all of Flat Branch Creek under concrete.

The creek section north of Broadway was encased in a concrete culvert in an urban renewal effort during the 1960s, leaving the section south of Broadway open, which collected spilled con-crete, litter and much junk. On a brighter note, I recall a young child rescued from the open creek south of Broadway during a storm after being washed into the box culvert at the open end to the northeast and traveling for many blocks.

By the 1950s, the area was showing signs of wear. In ensuing decades, new plans to revitalize the Flat Branch area would come and go every few years, but they would run aground over property rights issues and business interests, with public defeats at the ballot box.

In 1958, a survey indicated that 91 percent of Columbians favored the building of a civic center, and soon plans were launched to build an auditorium that could function as a basketball court, convention center and concert hall. Four years later, architect James Darrough was chosen to design the building with a seating capacity of 2,600, but voters defeated the $1.25 million bond issue.

In the early 1960s, the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) presented a second urban renewal plan to the city council that included a large part of central Columbia’s college and university areas along with the Flat Branch area. Slum housing was located on both sides of the Flat Branch south of Broadway, most on what was termed “Cemetery Hill” west of Providence. Earlier, the LCRA cleared a substan-tial area north of Broadway, encased Flat Branch in concrete, and launched redevelopment efforts

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1979 drawing of proposed Flat Branch redevelopment, by Maryland consultant Don Zuchelli.

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including new housing under the Housing Authority. These improvements occurred under the leadership of LCRA Chairman B.D. Simon, a major contractor.

However, property ownership and occupancy were fairly debated on the second issue, which in 1963 failed on a vote of 4,579 to 3,183. Opponents included A.J. McRoberts and attorneys Ralph Alexander and Edgar Wayland.

Shortly after the defeat of the second urban renewal issue, which included the Flat Branch area, the city council directed that “slum areas and housing” be cleaned up. One area included dilapidated homes on Cemetery Hill and east-ward to the east side of Flat Branch Creek. The occupants owned few of the houses, and Edgar Wayland was attempting to purchase the prop-erty for commercial use on Cemetery Hill from landlords.

I recall our only building inspector, Albert Richardson, and I, as public works director, inspecting each house and posting it as unsafe. Under the ordinance, I conducted public hearings for owners and tenants who were relocated pri-marily in newer housing provided by the housing authority. It was an awesome task. Although the homes did have electricity, living conditions were awful, similar to the third world, with common outside watering points, outdoor privies, gravel and dirt roads and unbelievably poor housing.

Cemetery Hill was cleared, and Wayland finally got all the land purchased to build the shopping area that once held Osco Drug and now houses such stores as Office Depot. Some of the property to the south remained vacant. I recall Wayland telling me it had been a mistake to lead opposition to the urban renewal vote because it was almost impossible to negotiate for

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An aerial view of the redevelopment plans proposed by Zuchelli, Hunter & Associates in 1979.

CBT | November 3, 2007 �1

all the property that LCRA could purchase by eminent domain if necessary.

In June 1966, a study by the Beverly Hills con-sulting firm Space Utilization Associates (SUA) rec-ommended a new City Hall and Civic Center in the area surrounded by Broadway, Locust, Providence and Fifth Street. However, this plan was not pursued, and in 1972 the city and county partnered to purchase the Daniel Boone Hotel from Jim Nanson following a major fire in the building.

The City Council in 1968 approved an ordinance authorizing the city to apply for a federal Housing and Urban Development grant of $187,000 to plan the rehabilitation of the Flat Branch area. The urban renewal project took over a decade to develop, with the council approving official boundaries for the Flat Branch development project in 1978. The area included 33 acres bounded by Providence Road, Broadway, Elm Street and Fifth and Sixth Streets. In addition to the city and MU, there were 44 other private owners of parcels of the Flat Branch land.

During this time, some business growth continued in the area. The Katy Station Restaurant opened in 1976, for instance, Hardee’s purchased its 1.6-acre lot bordering Providence Road in 1978, and a new office building was constructed.

The council voted to draw up a proposal and hired Annapolis, Md., consultant Don Zuchelli, who pre-sented designs for the potential Flat Branch develop-ment in 1979. By 1980, the urban renewal project for the Flat Branch area evolved into a multi-use complex that would include a $3 million civic center, conven-tion center and 225-room hotel.

Catalysts for the new effort were former mayor Bob Pugh, the new LCRA chairman, and architect Jack Cooper. Mayor Les Procter appointed the LCRA members who would create the plan. Vice Chairman Mark Landrum, a community leader, president of First National Bank and a former chair of the Special Business District, emerged as one of the project’s most vocal supporters. MU Chancellor Barbara Uehling and University of Missouri System President James Olson held many discussions. However, voters defeated the $31.5 million proposal by a two-to-one margin in April. Once again, A.J. McRoberts led the successful opposition, and attorney Dave Bear represented the property owners. Local Attorney Edgar Wayland was one supporter of the new plan who had stood against the 1962 proposal.

The vote was just another in the pattern that had developed over time. Interested citizens would bring forth ideas, plans would be developed to implement them, but the public would vote them down. Usually, the ballot measures would stumble over issues related to land and business ownership.

After decades of challenges for improvements, a vision for the “Flat Branch Area” and the southwest sector is under way and continuing. The city, univer-sity and other entities have developed partnerships to make improvements to the area that will be good for the Flat Branch area, downtown, the university and our entire community, which I will discuss further in part two. v

Flat Branch Park during recent renovations.

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Where should we build the East Columbia connector? Four options to pick from

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The Missouri Department of Transportation, the City of Columbia, Boone County and their consultant, CH2M Hill, are trying to deter-mine the best option for improving the road system in the rapidly growing area known as East Columbia, bounded on the north by Interstate 70, the west by Route Z, the south by New Haven Road and the east by U.S. Highway 63.

The driving force of the project is the federal government’s Economic Impact Statement, and the process of determining the best road-building plan began more than a year ago when federal, state and city agencies came up with nine alternatives. On Oct. 24, the agencies and their consultant pre-sented what they consider to be the four most reasonable alternatives for addressing traffic congestion and safety concerns. At the public meeting, they put up poster boards showing maps of the routes and explaining the process, and they solicited feedback from the people who attended.

The study team will evaluate the four recommended alternatives. Its task is to balance community needs with technical and regulatory constraints such as cost, including right-of-way acquisition and potential home displacement, and environmental protection. In 2008, the agencies will present the Preferred Alternative in a draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The four alternatives are called St. Charles One and Two and Richland Road One and Two.

All four alternatives extend from Stadium Boulevard to Route WW, the eastern extension of Broadway Street. All four also improve Route WW, the road beside the largest residential development project in Columbia’s history, Old Hawthorne, which includes an 18-hole golf course.

St. Charles One: From the intersection of the Stadium Boulevard extension and WW, this route includes a corridor to the Lake of the Woods interchange on I-70. The road would be located within the corridor shaded in orange. The northern boundary runs beside a housing development and then connects with St. Charles Road, which heads northeast. The southern boundary runs above the North Fork of Grindstone Creek and then veers northeast, connecting with the northern boundary line at the Lake of the Woods interchange.

St. Charles Two: This route is the same as St. Charles One with one addition: the proposed Ballenger Road Extension, which would branch off from St. Charles Road, cross over I-70, and connect with Ballenger Road. There would be no interchange.

Richland Road One: From the intersection of the Stadium Boulevard extension and WW, this route follows the same path as the southern line of St. Charles One and Two, just above the North Fork of Grindstone Creek. But it then veers east and joins Richland Road, heading due east until veering north along Rangeline and ending at the Route Z-Interstate 70 interchange.

Richland Road Two: This route is the same as Richland One with, again, one addition: the proposed Ballenger Road Extension.

For more information, visit www.EastColumbiaEIS.com, or call 888-ASK-MODOT

Rollling Hills Road Extension to New

Where should we build the East Columbia connector? Four options to pick from


ByJimMuench

After viewing the four competing road con-struction plans for East Columbia, Doris Littrell, vice chair of the Timberhill Road Neighborhood Association, wanted a fifth choice: none of the above.

All four of the “reasonable alternatives” presented by the Missouri Department of Transportation have the same proposed path for the Stadium Boulevard extension to Route WW.

Culled from nine alternatives suggested a year ago, the four chosen for further pursuit all include improvements to Route WW as well. The differences among the final four boil down to two questions: “Should the Stadium exten-sion connect with Interstate 70 at the Lake of the Woods or Route Z interchanges?” and “Should Ballenger Road be extended so that it carries traffic across I-70 to link up with Stadium?”

After gauging the reaction to the four alterna-tives, MoDOT, the City of Columbia and Boone County will present a preferred alternative in a draft environmental impact statement next year.

Littrell was one of more than 200 people who attended the MoDOT open house at the Elks Lodge on Oct. 24, and her neighborhood is lo-cated just east of U.S. 63 and south of Route WW. It would be bordered on the west side by an ex-tension of Stadium.

“Our main issue with the extension of Stadium is that it would go right through a neighborhood of about 50 residential houses,” Littrell said. “In addition to that, we don’t think that it goes far enough east. If it’s going to extend past 63, it should go farther away from 63 in order to help alleviate any kind of traffic issues.”

Ann Peters, the past chair of the Woodridge Neighborhood Association and a current mem-ber of the city Planning and Zoning Commission, said she prefers sending Stadium to the Route Z interchange. Above all, she said, anything that would help traffic move better along St. Charles Road would be welcome because there are few street outlets between Lake of the Woods and WW on the street.

Residents in the Woodridge and Avalon sub-divisions want a road system that relieves con-gestion in their area. Matt Volkert, president of the Avalon Homeowners Association, said they support any alternative that would divert traffic around the U.S. 63/I-70 interchange, “whether it’s a cloverleaf structure or something like that that keeps people from going through the inter-change for every single thing they’re going to do, or that diverts things through a Stadium ex-tension would be good for us.”

But Volkert and other residents expressed concerns about a Ballenger extension feeding more traffic onto St. Charles Road. “We need to do something to relieve traffic that is continuing to pile up on St. Charles Road and WW,” said Al Hahn, chair of the Woodridge Neighborhood Association. “The population north of I-70 wants a Ballenger extension, but Ballenger would add on to the St. Charles Road traffic.”

The city council probably will weigh in on its preferences in January or February, Public Works Director John Glascock said at the open house.

“The Ballenger Road extension is the most important factor for the city,” Glascock said.

Glascock also suggested that the Stadium extension might begin as a two-lane road and be widened to four lanes later, although a four-lane right-of-way would be acquired in either instance.

Some local residents, however, said they want an expressway, which might limit development along the road. “Having a two-lane road to help move traffic from a four-lane road doesn’t make any sense,” Littrell said.

Realtor John Pekkala, who is marketing the Cross Creeks development at the intersection of U.S. Highway 63 and Stadium, said he was gen-erally enthusiastic about the possible new roads but that he didn’t think they would affect his development very much. He said new housing developments on WW, such as Old Hawthorne and the Vineyards, are already putting a strain on traffic along the whole Broadway corridor.

“WW’s going to be big,” he said. “That’s one where it would really pay to improve it. If it were up to me, the road ought to run to the north side of the American Legion ballfield and connect up with El Chapparal.”

Pekkala said he thought the studied area should have been expanded to include the Gans Road interchange to the south, where commer-cial zoning is going to bring much future devel-opment. “I predict that interchange will be built extremely fast,” he said.

Gregg Suhler, president of the Timberhill Road Neighborhood Association, said he was disappointed with the narrow range of options presented because they did not reflect present realities.

Suhler said he drives on the Grindstone Parkway every day and thought taking the New Haven Road improvements off the table was a mistake. He said traffic counts that say there are more cars traveling on Stadium than Grindstone are two years out of date.”

The traffic count has risen exponentially on Grindstone in the past year or so and there are

MoDOT gathers opinions on East Columbia road alternatives

Columbians provide feedback about proposed road extensions.


many more cars on Grindstone than Stadium today, Suhler said. “I’d be surprised if it isn’t a multiple on the order of two or four to one.”

MoDOT officials say they are still collecting responses to the alternatives from people who could not attend the meeting and will study them along with those submitted at the open house. As the selection process narrows to the preferred alternative, the study team will juggle considerations such as geography, costs, right-of-way acquisition, potential home displace-ment and environmental protection to come to a decision.

“The next step is a detailed engineering analy-sis of specific areas of right of way with detailed costs and environmental impacts,” said Mike Dusenberg, planning manager for MoDOT’s dis-

trict five. He said the ideal alternative would be identified next spring at a public hearing.

Dusenberg said two alternatives, WW-1 and WW-2, were dropped from consideration because they were too limited and did not solve the over-all problem of congestion on the road network in Eastern Columbia. Likewise, alternative RR-3 was dropped because it would have required a new I-70 interchange, and the New Haven alter-natives, NH-1 and NH-2, were dropped because they did not link Stadium to the interstate.

“New Haven was seen as too far south to re-lieve congestion,” Dusenberg said. “Extending New Haven as a new outer loop also doesn’t take traffic from the northeast to the university or downtown, which were seen as prime desti-nations.” v


So you need a commercial, television or radio, to promote your product, service, business, orga-nization or event. As you can imagine, the sources are numerous. Local media offer free or low-cost production for advertisers purchasing airtime. Area advertising professionals and firms charge a little more to develop strategically focused, creative spots or campaigns. Mass-production service bureaus offer pre-produced generic ads for local use. So do vendor and corporate partners; simply add a name or logo and— poof!—you’re done.

It’s challenging to take a pre-produced ad and make it in-tegrally pertinent to your business. Not to mention that usu-ally the exposure for the advertiser, the business paying for most or all of the ad, is restricted to a five-to-10-second logo flash and/or mention at the end. I tend to prefer commercials that are written and produced for the specific advertisers us-ing them.

Writing effective television and radio commercials can be a little bit involved. It goes way beyond just finding a great creative idea. There are the branding and strategy-related components that need to be considered as well. Our creative brainstorming sessions tend to get a little crazy as ideas fly back and forth. Many concepts that come out of this process could not be written about here, much less used to promote one of our clients. But others––“clean,” creative, witty, even brilliant options––are put aside because they cannot be inte-grated with the strategic goals of the spot or campaign.

So what are the strategic elements that need to be consid-ered? We start by identifying what needs to be accomplished by the advertising. Is it awareness? Is it image enhancement or a shift in consumer perceptions of the product or service? Is the ad being used to educate the consumer? Is attendance at a special event the goal?

Once we determine what we are trying to accomplish with the advertising, our team moves on to identifying who is the primary audience for the commercial. Who will buy this product or service? The more that is known about the target audience, the better. Gender, age, education level, household income, geographic location, spending habits, likes, dislikes—any demographic or psychographic information available can provide insight.

The challenge from there is to jump into the minds of the consumers and look at things from their perspective. Why would they shop at this business? An involved business owner or manager prob-ably has a pretty good idea about the advantages or disadvantages his or her business has versus the competition. The tricky part is recognizing which of those elements are truly motivators to potential customers. What would make them choose this organization over a competitor?

A good script involves the audience. Our goal is to create emotion within the listener. We want them to actually visualize themselves using the product or service.

Understanding the ad medium we are writing for is also an important component. If its radio, we are relying solely on what can be heard. Some creative concepts do not translate well into an exclu-sively audio format. At the same time, a writer can get away with some techniques that won’t work elsewhere. For instance, broken sentence structures and awkward phrasing are often acceptable. It’s usually best to write a radio spot in the same conversational style people use to communicate on a day-to-day basis.

Television offers the luxury of using both audio and visual elements to convey the message. In some cases, you may want to limit your script and allow the video images to tell more of your story. In others, the audio component is a crucial partner to getting the message across. Either way, in television, the visual is very important. It can be video, still photos, artwork or words on screen, but change and variation are critical to keeping the viewer’s interest.

Developing commercials for broadcast media is not difficult, but it does take some strategizing and attention to the details. Writing good, effective radio and television advertising doesn’t mean every spot will win awards. But in my book, the best reward is when our clients’ marketing objec-tives are met.

Advertising that speaks to people about what matters to them is more likely to drive traffic, change opinions, inspire action or create a sale. When that happens, you know you’ve written a good ad. Of course, once it’s written, the spot heads off to production. But that’s a different article. v

Lili Vianello is president of Visionworks Marketing & Communications, a Columbia-based full-service advertising firm offering photography, graphic and Web design, audio and TV production, and media plan-ning and placement. Contributions to this article were made by Visionworks staff members. Visit them online at www.visionworks.com.

CustomerService»Lili VianelloCommercials: Crafting the right message for television or radio

Developing commercials for

broadcast media is not difficult, but it does

take some strategizing and attention to the

details. Writing good, effective radio and

television advertising doesn’t mean every spot will win awards. But in my book, the best reward is when

our clients’ marketing objectives are met.


busiNess PROFILE| SPICEWINE IRONWORKS

ByBondiWood

Grilling experts know that timing is crucial for success. The same holds true for launching a new business.

Three Columbia businessmen appear to have mastered the timing for both ventures, experiencing rapid growth in their barbecue-smoker manufactur-ing business while earning top honors in barbecue competitions. In less than four years, Spicewine Ironworks has drawn national attention from top competitors as well as local backyard barbecue buffs.

Owners Jay Curry, Steve Curry and Randy Ham, who also own Columbia Welding next to Spicewine Ironworks, share a background in fabrication and welding as well as a love for down-home barbecue. So the move to designing and manufacturing cus-tom-made smokers was a natural wedding of their work and play.

The venture started when Jay Curry was unable to find a barbecue smoker that suited him, so he set about building a custom smoker for his backyard use. That was nearly four years ago, and Jay’s back yard is still empty. “We’re about 15 smokers behind

Custom smoker-maker supplies barbecue world’s competitive connoisseurs and backyard cookouts

Jay Curry, left, helps his business partner Randy Ham drill a hole for the valve handle.(Continued on Page 28)


right now and have a 12-week waiting period. Maybe I should put myself on the list,” Jay Curry jokes.

Evidently, the custom-made smokers are worth the wait. Michele Kowalski of Manorville, N.Y., just ordered her third Spicewine smoker in 14 months. Late in 2006, Kowalksi and her husband, Guy, ordered a large smoker for competi-tion use. Since then, they’ve purchased a small smoker for home use, and they recently ordered a mid-size unit, also destined for competitive cooking.

Kowalski is one of the five Kowalski family members who make up the “2 Fat Polocks” [sic] competitive bar-becue team. Kowalski said the 2 Fat Polocks team just won Reserve Grand Champion, using a Spicewine smoker, at a national barbecue competition in Saville, N.Y.

“People ask us about the Spicewine smoker all the time,” Kowalski said. “We absolutely love it. It’s insulated and has a longer burn time, which means we can get some sleep at these competitions.”

Steve Curry, a former welding instructor, agrees that the national barbecue competition circuit is helping with the company’s Internet marketing ef-forts. “People could see them on the Web site, but being able to see them up close and personal is re-ally starting to snowball the sales,” he said.

“Our smoker business is up 180 percent this year,” Jay Curry said. According to the Curry

brothers, there are about 40 Spicewine smokers in Columbia and 50 in central Missouri; the remaining smokers are scattered throughout the country.

Spicewine Ironwork owners also are enhanc-ing sales efforts in climates not hindered by a short barbecue season. “We’ve just signed on with a distributor from Florida, and they barbecue year round down there,” Jay Curry said. Steve said the company already has an order for 20 smokes from Florida clients.

Jay Curry said Spicewine also has been ap-proached by a distributor who wants exclusive rights to sales in Colorado. Spicewine owners are

reluctant to sign on, however. “We just can’t produce enough right now. We’re at a young stage in our business,” Jay said. Currently, all three owners work full time at Spicewine, and Jerry Curry, a cousin to the Curry brothers, has taken over operations at Columbia Welding.

Still, Jay is worried that the barbecue craze could fade. “I don’t want to hire someone full time then have the bottom fall out,” he said.

Other revenue streams for Spicewine include a line of dry rubs and sauces available nationally via the Spicewine Web site and locally at Schnucks, Hy-Vee and Buckingham’s. Two new sauces are in development, with one possibly hitting store shelves by next spring. Spicewine uses Missouri bottlers and

packagers for rubs and sauces.Kowalski said that her “2 Fat Polocks” compe-

tition team uses Spicewine’s rubs and sauces at national competitions throughout the Northeast United States. “We do us their products. That’s a secret, though,” Kowalski laughed. “They’re re-ally good, and when we combine it with different things, it gives us a great end product.”

Spicewine Ironwork’s Heffer Dust just won World Champion Honors, among hundreds of entries from throughout the country, at the 2007 American Royal Barbecue Contest earlier this month. v

Spinewine Ironworks owners, from left, Jay Curry, Randy Ham and Steve Curry.


Succession planning: Seeing the big picture

ByCarlL.MedleyII

The following is the second in a series of articles about the im-portance and benefits of succession planning within a business or organization. In this series, we explore the various steps of this critical planning process that will help protect the longevity of your business and provide professional growth for your future leaders.

In the previous article, “Succession planning offers smooth transition and continued success” (Oct. 20 CBT), we discussed the overall approach to succession planning and the importance of having a succession plan in place. In this article we begin exploring the planning process by assess-ing your business’s past and current performance, examin-ing the industry and markets in which you exist, and finally using this information to project a vision for the future.

During this initial assessment phase, it is critical that you take a step back from the day-to-day and look at your entire operation from a fresh and critical perspective. All too often,

owners, executives and managers fall into the “immediacy trap.” That is, they get too wrapped up in today’s activities (and the crisis du jour) to actively monitor the business in a bigger context, includ-ing current and past performance, all while keeping a watchful eye out for the future.

Begin the assessment by dusting off all your old profit and loss reports (P&Ls) and analyzing your past performance. If you do not regularly prepare, review and compare your P&Ls, then this may take you quite a bit of time, but—trust me—it will be time well spent. Go back four, five or even 10 years and begin to really study and compare your current perfor-mance to past performance. Make it easy on yourself by starting with the highest levels of income and expenses to develop initial historical and trend analyses. Once this is complete, then you can work your way through the more detailed levels as needed. Also, review your past balance sheets and calculate the common performance and financial ratios. The point of this assessment is to know how well your business has performed in the past and look for key trends that might show you where you are going in the future.

Next, spend some time researching and thinking about your industry. How is your industry faring in the local, national and global markets? How has your busi-ness’s performance fared in comparison to your competition and the markets in general? Is your business prepared for new regulation or new competition poised to enter the market? What growth opportunities exist, and could possibly allow for expansion? When searching for industry compa-rables, you will undoubtedly find reliable information sources online, but your banker, accountant, management consultant or state and national associations may also be able to help you gain access to comparable industry data and trends.

Finally, when conducting analysis—whether historic, trend or comparable analysis—numbers alone may not be enough. You may want to make a graph to help you visualize the timing and magnitude of changes that you see in the numbers. Being able to see the numbers represented in the graphical presentation may help confirm your suspicions about key trends or issues affecting your operation. For example, health insurance costs may be rising more rapidly than you suspected. Or hiring the new sales manager in 2005 yielded much higher sales than you expected. After all, we are in the “Show-Me State,” and a picture is worth a thousand words.

In the previous article I challenged you with a homework assignment. Specifically I asked you to consider your long-term goals and your vision for the future of the business. Now, with your home-work assignment and initial assessments complete, you are undoubtedly well on your way to devel-oping a clear vision for where you want your business to go and how you think you will get there. Ensuring that you have this vision solidified is very important before moving on to future steps in the succession planning process. In the next article, we begin the assessment of your business’s hu-man capital by looking at the people around you and determining who will be most likely—and willing—to share your vision for the future. v

Carl L. Medley II, partner in CCG, is a management consultant, leadership trainer and inspirational speak-er. He may be reached at [email protected]

The point of this assessment is to know

how well your business has performed in the past and

look for key trends that might show you where you

are going in the future.

Carl L. Medley II


busiNess BRIEFS

Columbiahostsannualmanufacturers’conferenceProduct developer Doug Hall and directors of four state

agencies—economic development, natural resources, transpor-tation and revenue—will speak at the third annual Missouri Manufacturing Conference in Columbia on Nov. 14-15.

The conference sponsored by Associated Industries of Missouri and Missouri Enterprise is being held at the Courtyard by Marriott and is timed to coincide with Manufacturer’s Month in Missouri.

Presenters and their topics include: Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers, on the agency’s ombudsman program that assists employers with compliance issues; Missouri Training and Development Council Director Rose Marie Hopkins, on the Career Readiness Certificate; and Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations representative Daniel Stark on OSHA compliance training.

Department of Economic Development Director Greg Steinhoff and Missouri Department of Transportation Director Pete Rahn are the luncheon speakers on the second day. Hall, founder of Eureka! Ranch will deliver a keynote address on growth strategies for U.S. manufacturers.

PackagingcompanymovesfromMoberlytoColumbiaPremier Paper and Packaging purchased the industrial build-

ing previously occupied by Summit Polymers on Boone Industrial Drive and plans to begin operating on Dec. 1 with 15 employees.

Premier will invest $4 million in the packaging paper distribu-tion plant, company President Ed Stansberry said. The facility will also house a paper converting operation and the company’s sales, customer service and management departments.

Stansberry and his brother founded Premier Paper in Moberly in 1994 and three years later moved within the city to a 40,000-square-foot facility. The plant on Boone Industrial Drive is more than twice as large, and Stansberry said it will “allow for further growth, expansion of our fleet and the addition of a packaging equipment showroom.”

StateoutlinesMissourihealthcareplanThe Insure Missouri health plan will be introduced in three

phases beginning in February and will help low-income workers purchase health insurance, Gov. Matt Blunt said.

Phase I will cover working parents and caregivers with chil-dren in the home who have incomes at or below the designated poverty level, which is $20,650 for a family of four.

Phase II, starting next summer, will expand access to work-ing parents and other working adults who are not eligible for Medicare. The General Assembly will set the income level for eli-gibility. The plan’s intent is for the cost to be below 5 percent of income, and Blunt estimates that it would bring coverage to an additional 77,000 state residents.

Phase III is designed to make health care more affordable for small business owners and their employees. The General Assembly will determine eligibility. Blunt said the plan would create a rein-surance program, which is a way to reduce catastrophic risk to insure employees and make premiums more affordable. Benefits of Insure Missouri are expected to compare with those offered to state employees.

Information on the program and application updates can be found at www.insuremissouri.org


First National Bank’s holding company, the Landrum Co., will move employees into the historic Renie Hardware building at 16 N. Eighth St. in mid-November.

The old Kelly Press Bulding at 10 Hitt St. will be the new home of Ragtag Cinemacafé, Ninth Street Video and Uprise Bakery.

The McClung Brothers have resumed construction of their three-story additon to Quinton’s Bar & Deli at 124 S. Ninth after the city lifted its stop-work order. The balcony extends over the sidewalk on Ninth Street.

CONsTRuCTiON UPDATE


MU renames College of Business

The University of Missouri’s College of Business has added a major donor to its name.

The renaming to the Trulaske College of Business was made in rec-ognition of a series of Robert J. Trulaske’s gifts, including the latest an-nounced Oct. 19 that came from his wife in his honor. The amount was not disclosed.

Two years ago, Geraldine Trulaske made another donation to MU, pro-viding funding for six endowed named faculty positions in the College of Business and a campus-wide scholarships program. Earlier, the Trulaskes had made a series of gifts that created three endowments: one for undergraduate scholarships in MU’s business school, a second for scholarships for MBA students, and a third for a new scholarships coordinator position in the College of Business. Currently, 36 students have Trulaske Scholarships.

The College of Business will use the latest gift from Geraldine Trulaske to advance the priorities contained in its strategic plan. The priorities are wide ranging and include profes-sional development of students, research, entrepreneurship, economic development, financial services and collaboration with the business community.

Trulaske, who received a business degree from the University of Missouri in 1940, was chief executive officer of the O’Fallon-based True Manufacturing Company, a commercial refrigeration business that manu-factures coolers for the soft drink and food service industries. He died in September 2004. The University of Missouri Board of Curators approved the renaming of the business school.

Following graduation in 1940, Trulaske was employed at Procter & Gamble until the start of World War II. He served as a combat pilot and took part in D-Day and other battles. Upon returning from the war, he started his own company with his brother and father in 1945.

“My father credited the University of Missouri for giving him the tools to success,” Robert Trulaske Jr. said.

The College of Business is the second academic division to be named at the University of Missouri-Columbia; the other is the Sinclair School of Nursing. In various national rankings, such as The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report, approximately 75 percent of top-tier business schools are named.

The Trulaske College of Business, founded in 1914, today enrolls nearly 4,000 undergraduate students and 345 graduate students. The college has four academic units—Accountancy, Finance, Management, and Marketing —with 64 full-time faculty members. The college offers an undergraduate degree in business administration, an MBA degree, a 150-hour program that confers both undergraduate and master’s degrees in accountancy, and Ph.D. degrees in both accountancy and business administration. v

Robert J. Trulaske


BySarahKohnle

An unexpected union has formed since the Missouri Wedding Connection network was launched. Not only are betrothed couples connecting with area businesses; vendors are connecting with their competitors, creating a coopera-tive spirit.

The Wedding Connection is an op-portunity for wedding-industry compa-nies to get acquainted with fellow ven-dors and learn “who does what,” said Kathy Spry, who manages the Lindsey Rentals wedding and party section.

To assist vendors and clients in shar-ing information and resources, Spry helped form the group a year ago with co-founders Edith Hall, owner of Cakes with the Personal Touch, and Rosalyn Heidbreder, of U.S. Rents It Wedding and Party Center.

As the competing vendors get to know each other, they’re becoming more open, organizers said.

“They’re bouncing ideas off each other, and that’s great. It benefits the bride,” Heidbreder said.

Heidbreder and Spry are competitors, but now, through this network, they operate under the concept of “her inventory is mine and mine is hers.”

The three founders agreed that the best part of the Wedding Connection is the development of friend-ships. The connection becomes obvious when they explain the organization’s concept by finishing each

other’s sentences.Heidbreder started, “We are connecting brides to

other vendors in the wedding business. It makes things simple for brides…” “…and grooms and moms,” Spry added.

The network’s Web site, www.moweddingconnec-tion.com, is tagged as a “referral organization of wed-ding and event vendors.” Approximately 85 vendors are listed, including several bridal shops, multiple photographers, and various decoration and rental businesses.

Edith Hall explained that the bride is in total control of her selection on the Web site. There is no registration cost, and the user clicks directly to the ven-dor’s information. The site is provided as a convenience.

“We’re not out to make big bucks,” Hall said.

New vendors are welcome, and the Wedding Connection operates in a dem-ocratic fashion. “All of our vendors get a say-so in the bridal show,” Heidbreder said.

Vendors select their own locations and participate in other decisions, such as decorations and advertising. Monthly meetings address educational topics, and vendors also vote the shows they hold. The next one, the Winter Wedding Gala, takes place Jan. 20, 2008, at the Boone County Fairgrounds.

The Wedding Connection is holding new promotions and contests at shows, giving away money as well as prizes. “Not only do [brides] have the chance to see vendors and plan for their special day,” Hall said, “they get a chance to do something fun and get cash.”

Overall, though, the wedding business is still busi-ness as usual.

“We’re not reinventing the wheel,” Hall said. “We’re adding to it and dressing it up.” v

Wedding vendors unite, develop Web site


pubLiC RECORDDeeds of trust more than $150,000

$950,000DOUGLAS, TROY AND CARATHE CALLAWAY BANKSTR 10-50-14 /W/NE FF

$886,704HAWTHORNE DEVELOPMENT GROUP LLCBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLOT 1 OLD HAWTHORNE

$796,000I 70 LLCPREMIER BANKSTR 12-48-12 //E

$765,000COPPERPOT LLCFIRST NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COLOT 122 COPPERSTONE

$755,000SCHAUF-BAKER PARTNERSHIPBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLOT 4B CENTRE WEST OFFICE & STORAGE $750,080GINGER C LLCCENTRAL TRUST BANK LOT 35 PAYNE’S ADD

$750,000HEIFNER, GREGORY AND DEBRASCHAUF, BURTON AND BRUCE AND LYNDA BAKERSTR 21-49-13 //W

$606,072.28 LAKEVIEW ESTATES DEVELOPMENT COCOMMERCE BANKLOT 801 LAKEVIEW ESTATES

$543,750KEMPER, LEO AND CARLA CENTRAL BANK OF MISSOURI- COLUMBIALOT 307 EWING INDUSTRIAL PARK

$532,000C4 INVESTMENTS LLCPREMIER BANKLOT 60 THORNBROOK

$429,000FINKE, DAVID AND KIMBERLYPROVIDENCE BANKSTR 29-46-12 /SE/SW

$360,000WILSON, DANIEL AND SUSANGMAC MORTGAGE LLCSTR 19-46-12 //SW

$340,000HAYTER, THOMAS AND KARINCOMMERCE BANKLOT 199 OLD HAWTHORNE

$323,762.40 KING, NATHAN AND TAMMYPREMIER BANKLOT 228 A THE VINEYARDS

$318,400MCCULLEM, RYAN AND ROBYNPREMIER BANKLOT 204 GREENBRIAR VILLAGE

$290,000MILLER, TROY AND SHIRLEYMID AMERICA MORTGAGE SERVICES LOT 101 WELLINGTON MANOR

$280,000CAMPBELL, RYAN AND BETHFIRST NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COLOT 121 THE CASCADES

$263,997.60DARNELL, STEPHEN AND JOANMERRILL LYNCH CREDIT CORPLOT 36 COUNTRY WOODS

$257,600THOMAS, THOMAS REVOCABLE TRUST FIRST NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COLOT 123A ARBOR FALLS

$252,000ZARCONE, MARKBANK OF AMERICALOT 48 THORNBROOK

$229,500JESSE, JANICE LIBERTY REVERSE MORTGAGE INCLOT 164A SPRINGDALE ESTATES

$228,055LOGSDON, GREG AND RACHELBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLOT 203 WALNUT BROOK CONDOMINIUM

$228,055HILL, ROBERT AND SARAHBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLOT 203 WALNUT BROOK CONDOMINIUM

$205,000KDG LLCPREMIER BANKLOT 146 COPPERSTONE

$201,500KLEEKAMP, STEPHEN AND TRACI WILSONLIBERTY MORTGAGE CORP LOT 52 GREENBRIAR

$200,000ELIAS & ELIAS LLCU S BANKSTR 34-48-13 //SW

$188,800STEVE HERIGON CONSTRUCTION INCBANK OF MISSOURI LOT 21 BEAR CREEK VILLAGE $187,520GINGER C LLCNEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS LLCLOT 35 PAYNE’S ADD

$176,000 BOLLS, PAUL LIBERTY MORTGAGE CORPLOT 5 D’ESTE ESTATES

$171,700MAUNEY, ERIK AND MONICASUNTRUST MORTGAGE INCLOT 167 PALOMINO RIDGE

$171,500PARKS, WANDA BANK OF MISSOURI LOT 44 BEDFORD WALK

$168,000FONVILLE, JOHN AND ELAINE QUICKEN LOANS INCLOT 1 CLEARVIEW

$160,000BROWN, ERIC AND EMA BARBOSAFIRST NATIONAL BANK & TRUST LOT 6 COLLEGE PARK


$156,000TRESSELT, LISA AND RICHARD BANK OF AMERICASTR 2-48-14 //SE

$155,700GERDES, DAVID AND BECKY FIRST NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COLOT 128 BROADWAY FARMS

$155,650MCCARTY, BROOKE AND JONATHANFIRST NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COLOT 692 VANDERVEEN CROSSING

$150,000PENDGRAFT, PATRICIA AND MICHAELBANK OF MISSOURI LOT 282 THE VILLAGES AT ARBOR POINTE

$150,000BARNES, ALAN AND VALERIECOMMERCE BANKLOT 33 BRISTOL LAKE

$1,600,000TWO BALD BROTHERS LLCCITY BANK & TRUST COMPANY OF MOBERLYLOT 3 BOONE INDUSTRIAL PARK NORTH $1,300,000MCLAGAN, GARY AND LAUREL FIRST NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COLOT 4 KINGS MEADOW

$959,500LIBERTY SQUARE PROPERTIES LLCCHAMPION BANK UARELOT 5D LIBERTY SQ

$825,000KEENEY, WILLIAM AND SUSAN COMMERCE BANKLOT 1616 FIVE-TWENTY ADDITION CONDOMINIUMS

$790,379.29 GLEN BEAR CONSTRUCTION LLCCOMMERCE BANKLOT 50 DEER RIDGE

$375,000WHITFIELD, JEFFREY AND TAMARACOMMERCE BANKLOT 175 OLD HAWTHORNE

$340,000BAKER, CHRISTOPHER AND STACEEMID AMERICA MORTGAGE SERVICES INCSTR 4-49-13 //NE

$340,000WISE, STEVEN AND CATHERINE MID AMERICA MORTGAGE SERVICES INCSTR 4-49-13 //NE

$336,000ROBINSON, ERIC AND KATHRYN ALLIED MORTGAGE GROUP INCLOT 324 THE CASCADES

$315,000JQB CONSTRUCTION INCBOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLOT 422 THE CASACADES

$300,000HOFFMAN, HARVEY AND ALEJANDRA GUDINO COUNTRYWIDE BANKSTR 26-51-14 S/SE/SW

$291,200CRON, ROBERT AND SARAHEVERBANKSTR 16-48-14 /SW/SE

$251,000POWELL, MICHAEL AND MARYMID AMERICA MORTGAGE SERVICES INCSTR 10-51-11 /E/SE

$250,000KIRKPATRICK, ROBERT AND PEGGY COUNTRYWIDE BANKSTR 24-49-14 //SE

$249,550THOMAS, MATTHEW AND DENISE BANKS COUNTRYWIDE BANKLOT 77 PRICE’S ADD

$237,750CARDWELL, RUBY COUNTRYWIDE BANKLOT 31 SEASON’S RIDGE

$236,725MCMENAMY, JAMES AND PATRICIA BOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLOT 3 MCMENAMY SUBDIVISION

$235,000AZUL PROPERTIES LLCCOMMERCE BANKLOT 175 COLUMBIA

$232,000FOUR SEASONS CONSTRUCTION LLCFIRST NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COLOT 349 THE CASCADES

$218,366.55 FISHER, BYRON AND JENNIFER BOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLOT 1 GRAND VIEW ESTATES

$217,000GERBIG, LIBUSE AND JOSEPH AND OLGA KRNAKMID AMERICA BANKLOT 62 LAKESHORE ESTATES

$209,100DARKOW, GRANT AND CARY FIRST NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COLOT 12 WOLFCREEK

$203,350BAKER, BRUCE AND LYNDA BOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKSTR 21-49-13 //SW

$200,214CROSS, ROBERT AND KRISTINA COUNTRYWIDE BANKLOT 117 THESSALIA SUBDIVISION

$200,000LEFEVRE, MICHAEL AND JUDITH BOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANKLOT 50 COUNTRY CLUB FAIRWAYS

$200,000PARDALOS, JOHN AND ELENIBANK OF AMERICALOT 59 HERITAGE MEADOWS

$200,000CROWLEY, GARY AND LINDA MISSOURI CREDIT UNIONLOT 42 WOODRIDGE

$200,000PATEL, SURESHBHAI AND SHOBHABENBANK OF AMERICALOT 521 SMITHTON RIDGE

36 November 3, 2007 | CBT speCiAL SECTION

As end of year approaches, it’s time to start investigating items that will be on this year’s holiday (or budget surplus) wish list. If a mobile phone is on that list, I can help. Over the last too weeks, I have been able to get my hands on some of the hottest new phones being released just in time for the holidays.

VerizonThe first phones I looked at are

from Verizon and have a strong consumer focus. The Juke and Chocolate v2 are, first and fore-most, built for music. The interface resembles an MP3 player more than a mobile phone; each has a wheel, a feature that seems to be a requirement on any music player.

The Juke is the newest phone from Verizon, released in October. Made by Samsung, in form it is reminiscent of its smaller, flashed-based MP3 players—with one big difference: With a slight push on the side, the dis-play flips out 180 degrees like a Swiss army knife. It is sleek and slim but a little thicker than I would prefer, and the ear buds

leave much to be desired. I did manage to get it to work with both Windows and Mac OS, but it took some unfriendly system practices.

The Chocolate v2 is a great improvement over Verizon’s first edition. From LG, it is slightly slimmer than its predecessor. The touch-sensitive circle has been replaced with the same wheel used on the Juke, and the touch buttons now provide feedback in the form of a subtle vibration. The slider now includes call and end buttons along with the keypad and a spring-loaded hold switch on the side. The hold switch and better touch sensitivity were necessary improvements on the first version, which had a knack for dialing numbers while sitting untouched.

AT&TIf you need a phone but are not looking for

all the excess features of a smart phone, the Samsung a727 and a717 phones from AT&T are great phones with cool features under their hoods. These two phones (and several others from AT&T) offer video streaming. When making a call on a 3G network—which Columbia has—with a video-streaming-en-abled phone, the user has the option to share video from the integrated 1.3-megapixel cam-era. The streaming works only in one direction at a time; it would be handy for any on-the-go business user needing to visually explain or

demonstrate a concept or product remotely. A video can be saved (on the sending phone, not the receiving) and retrieved later via microSD card or Bluetooth to a computer.

If you need something more, the AT&T Tilt, a brand-new smart phone, has all the lat-est and greatest. The phone has two principal positions: vertical, utilizing the 2.8-inch touch screen, and basic, using the sliding QWERTY keyboard, with the display tilted up toward the user for easy view (get the name?). The phone has almost any feature an on-the-go professional might need. It runs Windows Mobile 6.0 and, therefore, a host of Microsoft applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, 3G and WiFi support, GPS, Bluetooth, Push to Talk, a three-megapixel camera, microSD expansion, and host of additional business and pleasure applications, including full Exchange support and video streaming.

While the phone is a borderline “mini lap-top,” all of these features come at the cost of size. The phone is extremely thick—thicker than any cell phone I have used, almost dou-ble the thickness of the iPhone, far too much to put in a pocket and quite a bit to have strapped to a waist. The physical keyboard is easy to use and responsive; however, it is so large that Blackberry and Treo users will miss the ability to type with a single thumb.

The phone also has awkward positioning

TechAdvice»Jonathan sessions

‘Tis the season for smart phones

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

AT&T A717

AT&T Tilt

for the stylus. Vertically, the stylus is on the bottom right, but with the keyboard out, the stylus ends up under the left thumb. Though with use it may become easier, it feels awkward to right-handed people.

My biggest complaint about the phone is really with Windows Mobile. The dialing function is software based; the number pad is on the screen. The buttons are far too small for easy dialing, and the delay in response from the system meant I often had to retype phone numbers. While I got better with time, I could not dial on it as easily as I can the iPhone (another software/touch screen key-pad). Still, for a convergence device, it does everything decently enough to make it worth the price of admission for someone not needed or wanting to haul a laptop around. The device is conve-nient, versatile and reasonably well designed.

VoyagerVerizon’s iPhone and Tilt competitor for this winter is major

update to its enV phone, rebranded Voyager. The Voyager con-tains a large touch screen with an interface similar to iPhone’s. One feature I enjoy about the touch screen is the vibration feed-back it gives during interfacing. It is strong enough to be noticed but subtle enough not to distract from function. Unlike the iPhone, the Voyager opens like a book to reveal a wide screen underneath with full QWERTY keyboard.

The Voyager has many of the same features of the Tilt: Bluetooth, VZ Navigator (GPS of sorts), a calendar, and basic e-mail. The Voyager will even handle larger microSD cards (up to 8GBs). However, it is unable to handle enterprise e-mail and the office suite, which might be a deal breaker for some.

I did not get to handle the Voyager for long, but I was im-pressed by the capabilities of the one I got to use. It will probably not meet the needs of all business users, but it fills the void the iPhone has placed in competitors’ product lines for Verizon. Look for it at Verizon in early November.

In addition to these phones are several recently updated busi-ness phones worth a look. All major carriers have the new slimmer Blackberry 8800, most have the 8300 media phone, and T-Mobile and AT&T have the smaller 8100. Most of the system features re-main the same, but with a new form factor, some models are also equipped with GPS. T-Mobile recently updated its Sidekicks and has the Wing, its version of the Tilt (sliding keyboard but lacks the “tilt”). Also, later this month AT&T will release the Blackjack II, a slight upgrade from the original, and Verizon will carry the Pearl Nov. 8.

When looking for a new phone, it is important to realize that the most costly or the phone with the longest list of features might not be the right phone for you. Determine your needs, and then find the phone with those features. Ask your provider whether it offers a trial period; most do. At worst, they let you return the phone after 30 days for a small restocking fee. Make sure the phone works for you and not the other way around. Finally, if this is your first smart phone purchase, be prepared for all the new ways people will be able to contact you. ❖

Jonathan Sessions is managing partner and consultant for Tech 2. He can be reached at 573-442-1555 or by email [email protected]

CBT | November 3, 2007 37HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Verizon JUKE

Verizon Voyager

Pilates Session Gift CertificatePilates of ColumbiaRobin Riley Martin: 443-2062

Hoss’sGiftBasketHoss’s Market & Rotisserie815-9711

DesignerPenandPersonalizedStationeryThe Pen Point PaperieVeronica: 449-6956

Whether you’re shopping for a client, an em-ployee, a boss or a successful executive who seems to have it all, Columbia businesses offer stylish, personalized and perfectly indulgent gifts for the holidays at prices to suit anyone from the budding entrepreneur to the established mogul.

38 November 3, 2007 | CBT speCiAL SECTION HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

CBT’s Tips for Executive Gifts

Massage Gift CertificateGreenway MassageMirra: 449-4929

FramedSportsPictureBrady’s GlassEmily Brady: 442-6143

EdibleBouquetEdible Arrangements

445-5858

speCiAL SECTION CBT | November 3, 2007 39 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE


Century-old University Concert Series balances its books— and its show programming

ByXianglinLiu

The University Concert Series kicked off the 2007-2008 season last month with the Wines and Beers of the World fund-raiser, at which, for $15 each, attendees sampled from 48 wines and 22 beers while enjoying live music. The fund-raiser has become each season’s usual starter event, but the evening marked an unusual occasion: the 100th anniversary of the University Concert Series.

To say the series has evolved over the past century would be an understatement. In its early years, the nonprofit per-forming arts organization annually hosted three to five chamber music and operatic events. These days audiences can attend as many as 40 performances each year, ranging from symphony, ballet and international folk dance to rock music, Broadway shows and stand-up comedy.

But throughout its evolutions, one constant has been the ability of the series to stay afloat financially. Over the past two decades, the Concert Series had balanced its budget, says Mike Dunn, manager of University Concert Series, though at times it hasn’t been easy.

Kimberly Mouser, the series assistant director, said pri-vate individual donations provided $126,000 in funding for the 2006-2007 series, but that amount covers only 10 percent of the total costs. To make up the difference, the series relies on ticket sales and corporate sponsorship, which accounted for 54 percent and 22 percent, respectively, of the total fund-ing in fiscal year 2007, Mouser said in an e-mail message.

Organizers say setting a reasonable ticket price is crucial for survival. Is a $52 ticket too expensive? Not for a violin performance by Itzhak Perlman, a superstar classical musician requesting a $90,000 artistic fee for his March 9 performance at Jesse Hall. To offset the high cost without turning off potential audience members, Dunn said, he needs to set the ticket price with care. “Tickets are usually based on two things: how much the artist costs and how much we think the market will bear,” he said. He believes Perlman’s big name can draw audience members who will pay $42-$52 to pack the 1,750 seats in Jesse Auditorium.

When designing the program list, Dunn looks carefully at the market dynamics and takes into consideration past event popularity. For example, tickets for Broadway plays and comedies sell out fast, while modern dance and classical jazz draw smaller crowds.

Besides a good business strategy, in order to stay afloat the Concert Series also needs diverse funding sources that help balance its budget and support its educational programs. Therefore, the Concert Series has sought funding from the university and applied for grants from the Missouri Art Council, the Mid-America Art Alliance and the city.

On Sept. 17, the Columbia City Council agreed to appropriate $7,531 to support a Concert Series program, the “Quality Arts & Education Series,” which presents eight educational programs at a cost of about $350,000. Since the grant amount is less than the $10,000 the Concert Series originally requested, the staff members plan to submit a revised application that reflects the full amount. Still, Dunn said, he appreciates the gesture.

“I think the city is doing what it can do,” he said. “Most of cities in the state and most other states don’t do that. I think it shows that our city government and people in the city care about the com-munity and try to make it a better place to live by putting money into artistic endeavors.”

Columbia’s support of the arts is well recognized. In 2005, the city received the state’s first-ever “Creative Community” award. Columbia is also the only city in the state that has a cultural affairs office as part of its municipal government.

Data from the Office of Cultural Affairs show that the city government has gradually increased its annual arts funding to support the local arts community. Annual awards have increased from $65,150 in fiscal year 1999 to $80,076 in fiscal year 2007. The total arts funding budget is approaching the $100,000 mark for fiscal year 2008. v

The University Concert Series continues this weekend at Jesse Auditorium, with performances by comedian George Carlin at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday and a performance of the popular Broadway show The Producers at 7 p.m. Sunday. For ticket information, call 882-3781.

George Carllin performs Saturday as part of the University Concert Series


By Sarah Kohnle

Not far from the Columbia Mall, a new gated con-dominium development is welcoming its first resi-dents. Smithton Crossing, a Pate-Jones Construction development built on private property with a private drive, is one of two gated communities being estab-lished in Columbia. The other, the 20-acre condo com-plex Boulder Springs, recently was built off Campus View Drive.

While so far the two developments are the only such communities on private property in Columbia, in the past the city has housed gated communities for public housing, said John John, a real estate agent with RE/MAX Boone Realty and a sales representative for the Boulder Springs development. Columbia has sup-ported both a mobile home park that was gated in or-der to be eligible for federal funds and a low-income neighborhood that was fenced, also to comply with regulations for funding. Private gated communities are new to the area.

Gated communities within Columbia city lim-its must adhere to city ordinances, said Tim Teddy, Columbia’s planning and development director. “A gated community … would have to be done as a planned development or already zoned as multi-fam-ily,” Teddy said. “Gating requires a private street sys-tem, and private streets require the formation of a ho-meowner’s association. Also, there needs to be a level of assessment that would support long-term street maintenance.”

Smithton Crossing, which sits on a seven-acre lot

in southwest Columbia, includes walking trails, land-scaped grounds, a swimming pool and a clubhouse. The natural wooded barrier in the back provides ad-ditional seclusion and helps lower cost because there’s no need to fence the entire property.

“It’s like being in the country but only three min-utes to everything; we timed it,” Leigh Pate said.

The first two units at Smithton Crossing were sold in late September and early October. The development’s homes range from two-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot condos starting at $139,900 to three-bedroom, 1,400-square-foot condos starting at $149,900. Pate said the developers plan to build up to 106 units within the next three to four years, depending on sales. The com-munity will include a homeowners’ association.

Though the gated community concept is new to mid-Missouri, John Jones of Pate-Jones Construction said new residents coming from other areas of the

country, such as Texas and Florida, are attracted to both the already-familiar gated communities and to area’s higher quality of life and lower cost of living. Jones said the gates provide peace of mind and help deter traffic and noise problems. When the gate is closed, residents use a key fob to access the gate. A callbox at the front gate enables visitors to seek entry. In the event of an emergency, Jones and Pate said, emergen-cy personnel would be able to activate the gate with a special signal or access a locked box that includes keys, a footprint of the buildings and mechanicals.

The target market for Smithton Crossing is a mix of young professionals and retired people. The multi-lev-el structures hold elevators, making them accessible to disabled and elderly residents.

Currently, the second Smithton Crossing building is a shell. Though the units are not yet sold, Jones ex-plained, the developers wanted to complete construc-tion early to avoid inconveniencing residents in the first building with nearby construction. Leigh Pate of Page-Jones construction works on site, coordinating subconsultants, working with service items and fol-lowing up with homeowners.

“We’re so hands on,” she said. “We’re getting the kinks out, and then we’ll turn it over to a professional management company.”

Her husband, Tracy Pate, and his partner, Jones, work closely together. Leigh Pate said Jones meets with homeowners and basically gets the ball rolling, while Tracy Pate is the one who wraps up each project. ❖

Gated community breaks new ground


Attention rude drivers: Don’t mess with Gina! You may get a shiner from Mrs. Overshiner, whose edgy blog innocently titled “Low Car Life” gives a whole new meaning to “pedal power.”

Like a mother duck with her ducklings, Gina Overshiner daily leads the Lee School Bike Brigade—”11 bikes, three with bike carts”—on a cross-town, school-day trek though the ups and downs of life in the bike lane.

Starting one morning with a higher-than-nor-mal “coffee to food ratio,” the Columbia home-remodeling maven felt “amped and jittery.”

What terrible timing. That day “the gasholes were out,” Overshiner

blogged. “They seemed to be everywhere. I don’t know if there is some special gashole sea-son or if the change of weather has brought out the worst in car drivers”

With a burst of speed and chutzpah, she re-minds us why her version of “Bike, Walk and Wheel” isn’t for the faint or finicky.

“Just as we were about to make the turn, Gashole #1 ... pulled up on the left side of us, in the parking lane, to go around,” she wrote. “We all started yelling at him, ‘Hey that’s illegal. You need to wait your turn!’”

But the errant driver took off, and Gina—”af-ter a quick nod of agreement from the rest of the Bike Brigade,” which includes several parents—took off after him.

“I stood in the pedals and cranked hard. I fol-lowed him up to Locust, where he turned right ... I was sure I could catch him. I would explain ... why what he had done was really dangerous.”

But justice, as it often does, eluded the intrep-id cyclist. “I lost him,” she wrote. “Dang! If only I hadn’t been pulling the trailer.”

Donna Quixote on a two-wheeled quest for humanity’s elusive windmills, little Sancho Panzas named Max and Annarose in tow, Overshiner blogs with an astute intuition about the pesky slights we all endure to grow, mature and achieve a measure of worldly toughness.

On a two-wheeled trip to the grocery store precipitated by cupboards bare except for “one kind of cereal that no one really liked,” Overshiner fills her cart with a mountain of food that elicits in one nosy woman a “breathless an-ticipation of my total. ‘How much will all her groceries cost?’”

When the cashier announces “$254.71, hand-ing me the two-foot long receipt,” Overshiner can “feel the lady and the bagger’s silent gasps.”

“Do you need help out to your car, ma’am?” Oops. Definitely the wrong question.

Gina next tries the leap from commoner to queen, navigating a Cadillac world of SUV’ing “über-moms” with “perfect tans, amazing gym bodies and cars that are always clean inside and out ... no ‘fart’ written in the dust film.”

At Lee School, “this really cool über-mom came up to me as I was on my way to the bath-room to wipe my face and asked if I rode my bike. I smiled... Maybe she finally realized how cool I was and wanted to invite me to join the über-moms’ club.”

But the invitation never arrives, leaving Overshiner to ride home, “cranking it hard, av-eraging 20 mph.” She rolls into her driveway

“sweaty and out of breath,” only to find a whiny sub-contractor waiting on her porch for a pay-check advance “so his mom doesn’t kick him out.”

Then comes the coup de grace for the Tour de Gina. She can’t find her checkbook and must pedal another six miles to fetch it from husband Tim’s truck.

“Really hot, really thirsty” and “pre-men-strual too,” Overshiner returns and pays the man, “sweat pouring off me ... running down my calves ... soaking through my shirt” and with a biting irritation that reduces him to tears—literally.

Just when you’re thinking “I am Woman, Hear Me Roar,” Overshiner’s motherly instincts flip her topsy-turvy world upside-down. “His eyes were moist. I realized I had made him cry. Geez! Now I had this big burly guy in tears.” Her tough facade bursts in a downpour of guilt and apologies.

When the existential angst finally drains out, she’s left with “major jelly legs” and a queasy re-minder of youthful fainting spells she thought were long past. “Everything started spinning and the edges of my vision started going black. Crap... I grabbed the door knob and doubled over....”

Peppered with morals: “Drink plenty of water when it’s hot outside. Don’t be a stupid pig-headed show-off”; maxims: “Life is a smor-gasbord and most poor bastards are starving to death” and plenty of mayhem, Gina Overshiner’s hyperkinetic Tour de Blogosphere whisks read-ers along with a jittery alternation of banality-bashing rants and introspective cantos, all from a hard seat on the 50 yard line of life.

Turns out the bike seat may be the best spot in the stadium after all. As Gina’s 9-year-old son, Max, aptly blogs, “Bikes are better than cars be-cause on a bike you are in the whole world. In a car, you are closed up in a little metal box.” v

Gina Overshiner’s Low Car-Life blog.over-

shinerhome.com

CitizenJournalist»Mike MartinFor Columbia contractor, it’s a hard-knock, low-car life

Gina Overshiner


CbT ENTERTAINMENT

TiMe weLL SPENTNOVEMBER 2007

3rdGeorge Carlin—University Concert Series6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at Jesse AuditoriumThe University Concert Series presents the comedy legend who first gained acclaim in the 1960s. Recommended for mature audiences only. $30-$40; 882-3781

The Art of Slow Food6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Orr Street StudiosEnjoy hors d’oeuvres, bid on original arts and crafts inspired by food, and hear music by the John Stewart-Kevin Hennessy jazz duo. Proceeds support the Slow Food Katy Trail Convivium, an organization promoting sustainable local foods and multicultural food traditions. $20-$25; [email protected]

4thThe Producers—University Concert Series7 p.m. at Jesse AuditoriumThe biggest Tony Award winner in Broadway history comes to Columbia. The Mel Brooks comedy follows the adventures of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom as they attempt to stage the worst play ever created, Springtime for Hitler. $31-$37; 882-3781

23rd Annual Hearnes Center Fall Arts & Crafts Show 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse, University of MissouriBrowse more than 300 booths featuring thou-sands of crafts by regional artists. View or buy decorative glass, woodwork, baskets, pottery, folk art and jewelry. $1-3; 884-6475

7th-10thThe Most Massive Woman Wins 7:30 p.m. at the Stephens College Warehouse Theatre, 104 Willis Ave. In this play, four women from different back-grounds and lifestyles come together in the waiting room of a liposuction clinic. As they await their procedures, they explore the forces involved in shaping a woman’s self-image. $6-$8; 876-7199

9thDierks Bentley8 p.m. at the Hearnes Center Grammy-nominated country music star Dierks Bentley teams up with special guest Jack Ingram to bring his Throttle Wide Open tour to Columbia. $25-$175; 884-7297, 866-646-8849

9th-11thJane Froman Centennial Celebration Various events at Columbia College, MU’s Ellis Library, the Boone County Historical Society and Stephens CollegeHonoring Missouri-born singer Jane Froman, this weekend-long celebration includes a round table event with Robert Paulson, a showing of the newly launched DVD With a Song in my Heart, an exhibit from the permanent collec-tion of Boone County Historical Society, film presentations, a reception and Mayor Darwin Hindman’s proclamation declaring Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007, Jane Froman Day in Columbia. (917) 856-3664

Columbia Weavers & Spinner’s Guild 18th Annual Holiday & Exhibition Sale 6 to 9 pm Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Boone County Historical Society, 3801 Ponderosa St.The culmination of the year’s creative efforts of many guild members, the exhibition and sale features baskets; hand-woven and hand-dyed scarves and shawls; one-of-a-kind jackets, vests and sweaters; handmade table linens; baby blankets and stuffed animals; handspun yarns; Christmas ornaments; fiber-art wall pieces; rugs; hand-felted hats; woven beadwork and more. Demonstrations are included. Proceeds support the CWSG Scholarship Fund. 443-1731

10thRequiem and Gloria 7 p.m. at The Missouri United Methodist Church, 204 S. 9th St. The Columbia Chorale and the Columbia Civic Orchestra perform Faure’s Requiem and Rutter’s Gloria. Stefan Freund and Alex Innecco conduct. 443-3111

10th-11thKing’s Daughters Holiday Festival 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Holiday Inn Select Executive Center, 2200 I-70 Drive SW The 18th Annual King’s Daughters Holiday Festival features crafts, gifts, Christmas deco-rations and other products by 120 merchants. Proceeds help provide dental care for under-served children in the Columbia area and sup-port for the King’s Daughters seniors home in Mexico, Mo. $2-$5; 424-7889

10th-15thThe Crucible 8 p.m. plus a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee at the Rhynsburger Theatre, MU Campus-Fine Arts Building Stephens College players present the timeless tale of truth on trial, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a relentlessly suspenseful drama of collective evil and personal conscience. $8-$10; 882-7529

11thCash: Ring of Fire—University Concert Series7 p.m. at Jesse AuditoriumThe music of the Man in Black ignites the stage in the new Broadway musical Ring of Fire, featuring 38 signature songs by Johnny Cash, including “Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “A Boy Named Sue” and the title song. $16-$30

14thPoetry at Kayotea featuring Pam McClure6 p.m. at @ Kayotea Tea Room and BistroPoet and Columbia College humanities professor Pam McClure reads her latest work. Open mic follows. 489-5333

15thMU Choral Union: Handel’s Messiah—University Concert Series7 p.m. at Jesse AuditoriumMore than 200 performers participate in this popular holiday tradition, including the University of Missouri Choral Union, University Singers, University Philharmonic and a cast of professional soloists. $16-$22; 882-3781

Staying on their ToesWith their original home base, the Missouri Theatre, in the throes of renovation, the dancers of the Missouri Contemporary Ballet have become increasingly nomadic. Soon the company will move into a permanent space in the under-construction new building at Orr Street Studios. In the meantime, though, the professional dance company has found temporary performance and rehearsal space at the Presser Performing Arts Center in Mexico, Mo., and has scheduled upcoming shows for the Holiday Inn Executive Center and The Blue Note. The Nov. 9 Blue Note show, “Rock”, features contemporary dance performed to rock and roll music; doors open at 6 p.m. In September, the dancers performed outdoors at the Columbia Festival of the Arts. Photos by Jennifer Kettler.

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