Springfield Business Journal_2019-07-29

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 27 JULY 29-AUG. 4, 2019 2019 ECONOMIC IMPACT AWARDS by Geoff Pickle · gpickle@sbj.net The Springfield-Greene County Park Board is in the business of recreation, and business is booming. Since its formation in 1913, the city- and county-affiliated system has grown to en- compass 104 park sites, including the Coo- per Tennis Complex, Dickerson Park Zoo, botanical garden and four golf courses. The Park Board maintains some 3,200 acres of park land, which includes more than 100 miles of recreational trails. Behind it all is a balanced budget of $31 million, with no general revenue funds coming from the city or county, officials say. Parks Director Bob Belote says estimates point to more than 3.1 million people who visit the system’s parks annually. Those visitors are served by around 270 full-time employees, with 600 to 700 seasonal, tem- porary and contract employees each year. “The community is engaged in parks here. Any kind of honor we get is obviously one we share with the community,” Belote says. To keep its employees on board and sup- porting the parks system, the Park Board is implementing voter-approved Missouri minimum wage increases, despite the fact that the organization is technically exempt as a government agency. The park system also is an economic developer booster, Belote says, as sports tourism alone is estimated to generate some $15 million in visitor spending. “It gives us a competitive advantage,” he says. To better capitalize, Belote says the Park Board commissioned a formal economic im- pact study scheduled to start this summer. Belote says the study will look at visitors and their impact on the economy, as well as health care cost savings brought on by healthy parkgoers, stormwater improve- ments and the “true impact we have on property values.” “I’m really excited about what that study is going to tell us,” he says. In the sports arena, the Park Board also owns the Springfield Lasers, which last year won the World TeamTennis cham- pionship for the first time in the team’s 23-year history. “I feel like we’re blessed to be affiliated with that,” he says. “We hook a lot of people on that.” Belote says the WTT win is helping put the team – and Springfield – on the map. “We’re very much in a baseball and bas- ketball community. I get that, and that’s cool,” he says. “Having said that, I think the Lasers and having the uniqueness of Coo- per … that’s just unheard of.” The Park Board announced in May it would invest $500,000 in interior renova- tions at the Cooper Tennis Complex, the home of the Lasers. Plans call for resurfacing the tennis courts and new nets and posts, among other work. “That facility’s been recognized twice by the U.S. Tennis Association as the national facility of the year,” Belote says. The Park Board also operates Rutledge- Wilson Farm, Jordan Valley Ice Park, Springfield Skate Park and the Miracle League Ball Field, among several other community amenities. For its efforts, the Park Board last year was named to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, the first parks department to ever be inducted, Belote says. Business of Fun Springfield-Greene County Park Board Founded: 1913 Address: 1923 N. Weller Ave. Web: ParkBoard.org Products/services: Government- affiliated park operator Employees: 268 full-time; 600-700 seasonal 2018 Revenue: $31.2 million JESSICA ROSA The Springfield-Greene County Park Board is led by, from left, Kim Reser, Bob Belote, Miles Park, Jim Fisher and Mike Crocker. 30+ YEARS IN BUSINESS by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net With more than three decades under its belt, Penmac Staffing Services Inc. experi- enced its most successful year yet in 2018. Founded in 1988, the Springfield-based professional staffing agency reached $133.1 million in revenue last year – nearly $20 million more than its 2017 total of $114.2 mil- lion, says Tim Massey, CEO. A large factor fueling that growth was the 2018 purchase of Brainerd, Minnesota-based Employment Resource Center Inc. – the local company’s first acquisition in its history. He says around $9 million of that increased revenue came from ERC. The revenue bump also was at- tributed to organic growth in total associates employed and an overall increase in business, Massey says. “We really saw spikes in business in the center part of Missouri, like Eldon and Jef- ferson City,” he says. “Also, our Memphis office had a really strong year and Spring- field probably had its strongest year.” The Springfield office, which is one of the company’s 34 locations in nine states, has always been the largest performer, Massey says. “They easily accounted for 15% of the revenue,” he says, adding that percentage would be higher if not for the amount of growth companywide. Over 27,000 associates were placed in 2018, the highest total ever by the company, Massey says. Around 25,000 associates were placed in jobs the year be- fore. Despite those re- cord increases, man- ufacturing activity is slowing down a bit, he says, noting the economic impact of tariffs is being felt in general. “There is some concern about a slow- down in the spend for labor across the board in the clients that we have,” he says, noting Penmac served more than 1,100 cli- ents in 2018. “We’re really looking for ways to diversify in areas like education.” That led to Penmac Education Staff- ing, launched in 2014, which partners with schools to provide quality substitute teachers, innovative training and benefits programs. It currently serves 18 school dis- tricts in the state, with more being added every year, Massey says. He notes it makes up around 15% of the company’s total rev- enue, up from about 2% in 2015. Being service driven and giving back to the community has been a priority of Pen- mac since Patti Penny founded the compa- ny, Massey says. Aside from company staff being encouraged to volunteer, the branch offices are each given a budget to donate to local charitable causes. The company is the presenting sponsor for the annual Handbags for Hope, a Great Circle fundraiser, and is involved in Suit Yourself Inc., a boutique that provides in- terview and workplace attire to women in need. Discover Center of Springfield Inc., Council of Churches of the Ozarks and United Way of the Ozarks also are among Penmac’s charitable focus. “Patti has always been very entrenched in the community as well as Paula Adams, our president,” Massey says. “That’s really the mentality of the company. We drive it at the field level, not just corporate.” Service Driven Penmac Staffing Services Inc. Founded: 1988 Address: 447 South Ave. Web: Penmac.com Products/services: Staffing agency Employees: 90 local; 179 companywide 2018 Revenue: $133.1 million Nancy Riggs and Paula Adams are among the leaders at Penmac Staffing Services taking the professional staffing agency beyond three decades in operation. We’re really looking for ways to diversify in areas like education.” —Tim Massey Penmac Staffing Services Inc.