APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 · VOL. 44, NO. 42 $2.50 · SBJ.NET YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY SINCE 1980 HEATHER MOSLEY Codefi launches investment fund for startups by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net Cape Girardeau-based technology incubator Codefi Foundation on Rural Innovation has launched a new southern Missouri investment fund. Innovate SOMO Funds, which has a starting size of $2 million from nonprofit and for-profit sources, seeks to invest in startups across the 47 counties served by the Southern Missouri Innovation Network, said James Stapleton, Codefi president and CEO. The Southern Missouri Innovation Network, dubbed Innovate SOMO, is an existing partnership of Codefi and Missouri State City logs progress in wake of parking study by Karen Craigo · kcraigo@sbj.net A parking study by engineering firm Walker Consultants Inc. determined downtown Springfield has plenty of parking to meet demand. The study analyzed parking occupancy during a busy weekday last spring and determined at peak usage, between 10-11 a.m., 64% of spaces were open. That availability was even higher for public parking spaces at 70%. For some who shop or dine downtown, those figures – which paint a picture of roughly two open spaces beside every parked car – may feel off. In a Springfield Business Journal informal poll from this month, 75% of 701 respondents said parking availability impacts their decision to visit downtown. Representatives of Walker Consultants presented their findings to Springfield City Council in August 2023, after being hired at a cost of $205,000 to complete the study the previous fall. The goal of the study, according to city officials, was to provide the city with options for improving the parking system, totaling nearly 11,300 spaces, to foster quality of place and encourage economic development. Eight months later, the city is tackling the downtown parking situation from multiple angles, though the study’s assessment that parking is plenteous makes major expenditures hard to justify, according to officials. “A lot of what we heard in the initial meetings with the city and others – downtown business owners as well as the public – was the reality-versus-perception of a parking problem,” said Eric Haggett, the study’s project manager from Walker Consultants’ Chicago office, in an August 2023 council luncheon. “This See SOMO on page 50 See PARKING on page 44 Special edition inside in the life Day GREAT PLACES TO WORK: SPRING 2024 EDITION | ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT INSIDE Innovate SOMO Funds targets southern Missouri counties Downtown problems partly a product of perception, officials say James Stapleton: Most startup investments will range $50,000- $200,000. CIRCLING THE BLOCK Visitors to the Landers Theatre and other establishments in the 300 block of West Walnut Street may not find the spot they’re looking for on the first loop of the block.
APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 2 · SBJ.NET Understanding what really matters. We understand the importance of personal one-on-one assistance, ready whenever you need it. Our experienced team can o er smart, a ordable options to help you reach your financial goals and be with you at every step. Find your support team for business and personal banking at GreatSouthernBank.com.
APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 3 NEWS by Karen Craigo · kcraigo@sbj.net Springfield City Council considered two measures that would provide mental health services to divert people from the justice system at its meeting April 22. One measure, which passed, accepted a grant to boost the Springfield Police Department’s joint mental health response program that it operates with Burrell Behavioral Health. The other, which was the subject of a first reading and is scheduled for a vote May 6, would reestablish a jail diversion program through the Springfield-Greene County Health Department. SPD’s mental health co-responder program will double in size with a grant from the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s State Crisis Intervention Program. Council accepted the CONTENTS Get an inside look at a typical day for a health care leader, school district superintendent and brewery owner. page 9 Day in the Life Open for Business A new hair care salon opens on East Republic Road. page 4 Business Spotlight A typewriter resale and repair business based in Kimberling City has made a name for itself nationwide. page 6 From the Ground Up New safe room at Willard Central Elementary will provide additional music, arts and athletic classroom space. page 39 Opinion Page Guest columnist Andy Drennen outlines strategies to plan for a sunset on personal tax rate cuts. page 49 Branson RecPlex wraps $3.3M improvement project by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net City of Branson officials were in a celebratory mood earlier this month with the completion of a multimillion-dollar project that is expected to double the economic impact of youth sports tournaments at one of its facilities. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department hosted an April 5 ceremony at the Branson RecPlex, an indoor and outdoor sports and recreation complex, marking the official unveiling of improvements at the 19-year-old facility. The primary upgrade was the installation of synthetic turf on the infields and outfields of the complex’s four baseball and softball fields. The $3.3 million project, which included replacement of the dirt and grass on the fields, along with upgraded LED lighting and new shade structures, was completed by Meridien, Kansas-based general contractor Mammoth Sports Construction LLC. “If you’re into traveling baseball, turf’s where it’s at,” Branson Parks and Recreation Director Cindy Shook said, noting close to half of the project – roughly $1.6 million – was funded by an American Rescue Plan Act federal grant. “Turf facilities have now become the expectation in sports tourism.” Shook, who has worked with the city department since 1991 and as director for nearly 25 years, said the desire to have turf fields has “been on my radar for many, many years.” “The issue was money. By securing the ARPA grant, that was the boost we needed,” she said, adding while city reserves funded the remainder of the project, the federal dollars were essential to move the project forward. After getting notification of ARPA funding in April 2023, construction began late last year and wrapped in March, according to city officials. REBECCA GREEN TURF TIME The Tiny Tot T-Ball program, organized by the Branson Parks and Recreation Department, gets in some gameplay on the new synthetic turf fields recently installed at the Branson RecPlex. See TURF on page 42 See PROGRAM on page 46 City officials expect new turf fields will be economic driver Vote on jail diversion program is scheduled Council OK’s expansion of SPD, Burrell co-responder program Cindy Shook: Branson RecPlex has an all-time high of 26 baseball and softball tournaments in 2024.
APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 4 · SBJ.NET NEWS By Mike Cullinan, Reporter, and Jillian Smith, Editorial Intern New business, new location, new owner? Send your info to newbusiness@sbj.net Evergreen Hair House After operating remotely for the past year, the Ozark Chamber of Commerce once again has a brick-and-mortar location, having opened an office April 5 at 1503 S. Third St. Chris Russell, who started April 1 as the Ozark chamber’s new president and CEO, said the organization previously was at 1471 W. South St. before exiting the space around a year ago. He declined to disclose lease terms with Hometown Ventures LLC, which rents multiple office suites within the Ozark building that it owns, adding the chamber’s office space is roughly 240 square feet. Additionally, the chamber has access to the 750-square-foot lobby. While Russell said he currently is the chamber’s lone employee, he wants to turn the lobby into a visitor center, adding he and volunteers are gathering promotional material to stock the space. The Ozark chamber ranked No. 5 on Springfield Business Journal’s list this year of the area’s largest chambers of commerce, with 431 members. Commercial Street on April 13 welcomed Dirk’s Tavern LLC, a hobby shop and game lounge owned by Ben Frisch and Nate Shuler, to its roster of businesses. The store’s name was derived from a character in Dungeons & Dragons. The building that houses the roughly 1,165-square-foot space at 210 W. Commercial St., Ste. A, is owned by Canada Properties LLC, and the owners declined to disclose lease terms or startup costs. Frisch and Shuler said they’ve enjoyed playing board games and video games together for years. Being north-side Springfield natives, they tired of driving to south-side gaming stores, which led them to start their own. Selections offered include Star Wars Shatterpoint, tabletop role-playing games and card games such as Magic: The Gathering. It also sells miniatures, cards, dice trays and other game accessories. Prices vary, with board games ranging from $20-$100, card games $4.99-$6.99 and booster boxes around $100. After accruing over a decade of hairstyling experience in other salons, Mikellah Scheele opened a shop of her own with the Nov. 1 launch of Evergreen Hair House. The Springfield salon fills 1,200 square feet at 1110 E. Republic Road, Ste. 108, next to MaMa Jean’s Natural Foods Market LLC. Scheele said startup costs were roughly $50,000, adding she signed a three-year lease for an undisclosed rate with Green Circle Shopping Center LLC for the space formerly occupied by Omni Health and Yoga LLC. Scheele leads a staff of five at Evergreen, which she said specializes in hand-tied hair extensions and low-maintenance hair coloring. The salon services also include haircuts, blowouts and consultations. With Scheele’s 11 years of experience, which included past employment in a suite at Sola Salon Studios followed by Bliss Salon & Spa, she said her growing clientele and team required more space, and that’s what prompted the creation of Evergreen. ☎ 417-528-2440 EvergreenHairHouse.com Ozark Chamber of Commerce Dirk’s Tavern ☎ 417-581-6139 OzarkChamber.com ☎ 417-890-2027 Facebook.com/DirksTavern OPEN FOR BUSINESS Mikellah and Matt Scheele KATELYN EGGER LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY DOUG & ANDREA WINDSOR © 2023 Five Star Painting SPV LLC. All rights Reserved. Commercial & Residential Painting 417.720.2376 FiveStarPainting.com
APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 5 Send your company’s new hires, promotions, awards and achievements to newsmakers@sbj.net or click “Talk to SBJ” on our homepage. Please include job titles and relevant career and educational experiences. We’ll publish high-resolution color photos attached as space permits. LET US KNOW by Geoff Pickle · gpickle@sbj.net Banking & Finance Jordan Johnson joined Guaranty Bank as vice president and commercial banking officer. With more than seven years of banking experience, most recently with OMB Bank, Johnson is a Missouri State University graduate. Jessica Passeri was promoted to associate financial adviser in the Springfield Edward Jones branch officer of Peter Lai. Passeri has nine years of experience as a senior branch office administrator. Jamie Hunt was promoted to vice president and human resource officer at Branson Bank. With more than 16 years of experience at the company, Hunt has a bachelor’s in business administration with an emphasis in management from College of the Ozarks. Entertainment Dena Atchley, owner of Dena The Balloon Lady, was awarded the Deborah Fellman Spirit Award during the Float Balloon Convention in Chicago. The award recognizes her generosity and commitment to the industry. Flooring Mouery’s Flooring hired Randy Halmagyi and Anna Algeo as project manager and commercial administrator, respectively. Halmagyi has more than 30 years of flooring experience, and Algeo has been in the industry for more than 14 years. Human Resources HR Advantage promoted Elizabeth Hurst to business development director from business development manager. Hurst has a bachelor’s in music and arts administration and a Master of Business Administration from Drury University. Michelle Courtney was hired by HR Advantage as human resources adviser assistant. She has 16 years of HR experience. Logistics Springfield supply chain solutions company NewStream Enterprises LLC surpassed 5 million safe hours without a lost time incident since 2011. Employees contributed to safe working practices by following processes and procedures to reach the milestone. Manufacturing Austin, Texas-based Vital Farms Inc. promoted Todd Hilzendager to director of plant operations at its Egg Central Station facility in Springfield. He’s been an employee with the company since 2019. Robert Clark, quality assurance manager for Vital Farms in Springfield, received the 2024 Excellence in SQF Practitioner Leadership Award. The award from the Safe Quality Food Institute recognizes high standards in food safety and sustainable agriculture. Clark leads a team of 21 food safety and quality assurance professionals. Vital Farms’ Egg Central Station achieved its goal of zero-waste-to-landfill. Zero-wasteto-landfill is defined by Total Resource Use and Efficiency, or TRUE, certification with just 2% of waste generated going to landfill. Egg Central Station, which expanded in 2022 after opening in 2017, is a 150,000-square-foot facility in Partnership Industrial Center West. Trucking Tyler Smith, maintenance manager for Wilson Logistics Inc., was selected by the Truckload Carriers Association for its 2024 Elevate TCA Young Leadership Program. Smith is among 15 inductees. NEWSMAKERS Send announcements to newsmakers@sbj.net Atchley Algeo Courtney Hurst Hilzendager Clark Hunt Johnson Halmagyi Passeri Give yourself a time raise Stress-free payroll solutions with the fastest support in the world. apluspayroll.com
APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 6 · SBJ.NET by Nicole Chilton · Contributing Writer Jot & Tittle Vintage Typewriters, an online based business out of Kimberling City, was born out of an incidental passion in 2018. “I wanted to write with a typewriter,” says owner Laura Prather. “I didn’t even know if typewriters were still around.” Prather’s husband, Rob, worked for Goodwill at the time, and she told him to keep an eye out for a vintage typewriter. After bringing home a few and searching online for how to repair broken ones, Prather realized two things: vintage typewriters were selling for hundreds of dollars online, and typewriter repair people were few and far between. After a two-hour drive to get her vintage typewriter repaired, Prather wondered if this was something she could do as a business. “We were living in Colorado Springs at the time, and I had just closed a boutique I owned,” Prather says. “So, we got three or four old typewriters, set up a card table in the living room, and Rob started messing around with them.” Without knowing much about the online reselling space, Prather set up an Etsy shop in September 2018 and listed her four vintage typewriters. “By the end of the month we sold five, and by Christmas, we sold 50,” she says. “We were honestly so shocked.” Not long after starting the business, the Prathers fell in love with Table Rock Lake and moved from Colorado to Kimberling City. Despite the four-month hiatus, business picked right back up and found momentum in their new house, where they do business and repairs. “It was perfectly set up for us, with a basement overlooking the lake, and where we can put the shop for repairs and my studio and workspace is all down there,” she says. “It was a gift. It was on a whim, and thinking that God said move out here, it was step of faith.” The business name, too, is influenced by Prather’s faith. “Jot & Tittle is inspired by a Bible verse talking about the dot of an i and the crossing of a t,” she says. “I thought that was really cool, and it worked really well for us.” Prather says they originally sourced typewriters from thrift stores, but the market has become competitive so they have had to get creative in their searches. “We primarily focus on selling a few specific brands, including Smith Corona, Royal and Olympia,” Prather says. Prices on their site range from $250 to $450 per typewriter, with servicing starting at $50 for regional customers only. Depending on time and inventory, Prather says they can list anywhere from two to 10 typewriters a week. “One year, we were doing six to eight a week, which brought us over $100,000 that year in sales,” she says. Because Prather and her husband both work full time in addition to Jot & Tittle, they currently add only two new typewriters to sell per week, which they announce in a weekly email to over 900 subscribers. “As soon as we post our newsletter they usually sell.” After finding quick success within the industry, Prather decided to set up Instagram and YouTube accounts, where she posted photos of available typewriters and repair tutorials. “We realized customers had either never typed on a typewriter or couldn’t remember, so I’m going to do a video of all our typewriters to prove they work and how to use them,” she says. “This was really just for the customers. I knew nothing about the platform, and the next thing I knew people were following.” What started as a free service for her customers ended up being an unintentional marketing boost, Prather says. Jot & Tittle’s Vintage Typewriter’s YouTube account, which has almost 3,000 followers and over 700 videos, helped build a robust and loyal clientele and community, she says. Nashville-based technical writer Roy Burkhead is one of those loyal customers who found the business through a web search. In 2022, Burkhead purchased a new ribbon from Jot & Tittle Vintage Typewriters for his manual Smith Corona, and because of the age of the typewriter, he needed help putting it together. “They make it easy,” he says via email, adding that he had remote help and phone calls from the Prathers. He says he also loves the weekly e-newsletter he receives from the business. “It’s not spam,” he says. “I’m always happy to see it arrive in my email inbox, and it always has interesting information.” Because the typewriter community is so tight knit, according to Prather, they have caught the attention of a Hollywood celebrity: Tom Hanks. “He’s huge in the typewriter community, and really reawakened the interest,” she says. Prather had heard rumblings of him sending different typewriter businesses pieces from his collection, and was honored, but not surprised, when one day she received a 1956 Voss typewriter, signed by Hanks. “The typewriter world is small, and we’ve been around and our name is out there.” The typewriter is currently on display at their house, with a framed letter Hanks sent with it. Jot & Tittle Vintage Typewriters also offers accessories, including typewriter ribbons, cloth covers that Prather’s mother creates, and nonslip felt pads which sell for $30. “We designed and worked with a manufacturer for those,” Prather says. While growing the business isn’t a top priority for Prather, she says that being an active part of the community is. “When you write, you share your heart and passion, you’re being really vulnerable, and people respond to that,” she says. “A typewriter helps people connect with their thoughts, so you can’t help but be intimate in the typewriter community. I can’t give that up, I want to keep with this. It’s just so lovely.” • BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Just the Type Jot & Tittle Vintage Typewriters Owner: Laura Prather Founded: 2018 Address: Kimberling City Phone: 719-963-6606 Website: JotandTittleTypewriters.com Services/Products: Vintage typewriters, typewriter cleaning and repair, vintage typing papers, typewriter ribbon, handmade typewriter covers, typewriter pads Revenue: Would not disclose Employees: 2 Laura Prather, owner of Jot & Tittle Vintage Typewriters, sources typewriters like this 1957 Royal Quiet Deluxe from across the country, which she then sells online from her home-based office in Kimberling City. Rob Prather works on a vintage Corona typewriter at Jot & Tittle Vintage Typewriters, where he maintains the mechanical parts, cleans the machine and installs a new ribbon. TAWNIE WILSON After discovering a niche for vintage typewriters, Laura Prather quickly grew a home-based typewriter sale and service business
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APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 8 · SBJ.NET NEWS BBFI Missions relocates to new Springfield campus Gary Gibson to retire from CU by Geoff Pickle · gpickle@sbj.net Springfield-based BBFI Missions, part of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International, has relocated its headquarters to a campus that’s wrapping up construction on the west side of town. Jon Konnerup, mission director for BBFI Missions, said office staff have nearly completed their move to a new 13,000-square-foot building at 4100 W. World Mission Ave., along West Sunshine Street. “We have around 3,500 churches around the United States that are involved in our network. Right now, we have around 600 missionaries in 80 different countries,” said Konnerup. “We are the service center for them.” Konnerup said 18 full-time and two part-time employees at BBFI Missions support missionary work worldwide. “We do a lot. Everyone wears multiple hats,” he said. BBFI Missions previously operated at 720 E. Kearney St., a building that was completed in 1987, Konnerup said. That building was known, in part, for a globe statue out front. The globe was moved by semitruck to the new campus on April 18, according to a BBFI Missions Facebook post. The Kearney Street building is being donated to the adjacent Mission University, formerly Baptist Bible College, said Konnerup. Mission University partners with Baptist Bible Fellowship International, according to past reporting. Mission University President Mark Milioni said plans for the building have not been finalized but that a welcome center, classrooms, and administration and finance offices are being considered. “We are very grateful for the kindness and partnership of the BBFI mission office,” Milioni said via email. “This gift is a great win-win for both organizations. While achieving their goal of a new missionary support center, their old building is a great first step in our future plans to update our facilities.” BBFI is wrapping up work on a 30-acre campus west of the Sunshine Street and West Bypass intersection that has a total project cost in excess of $7 million, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. Beyond the office building, BBFI Missions would have on the campus five short-term apartments for traveling missionaries, as well as retirement apartments for missionaries nearing the ends of their careers, Konnerup said. He said seven retirement apartments are being built, and a slab is ready for seven more. An open-plan building that would serve a dual purpose as a missionary training center and a community center also is in the works on the campus grounds, according to past reporting. Crossland Construction Co. Inc. is general contractor for the campus project designed by Burkholder Design Collaborative LLC, SBJ previously reported. • by SBJ Staff · sbj@sbj.net Gary Gibson, who has led City Utilities of Springfield since late 2019, is planning to retire from the organization. Gibson, CU’s president and CEO, intends to exit in February 2025, according to a news release. “It has been an honor to have worked with such an outstanding group of people and community. Leading the talented employees of City Utilities has been the most enjoyable and gratifying time of my professional career, which has made the decision to retire very difficult,” Gibson said in the release. “Over the past 34 years, I have loved seeing how CU’s leadership and bold vision has been at the forefront of advancing the quality of life in our community in so many ways.” Gibson, who started with CU in 1990 as an intern, in December 2019 took over for the retiring Scott Miller, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. Gibson is the 10th general manager of the municipal utility company since its start in 1945. Gibson is credited with leading CU to complete a fiber expansion project throughout the city, secure more than $60 million in grant funding for infrastructure improvements, retire the James River Power Station and complete the first phase of the Lake Springfield plan study, according to the release. “Gary’s leadership and vision for the utility and our community has been a guiding force that has led the utility to be a premiere public utility,” said Kristin Carter, chair of the Board of Public Utilities, which oversees CU, in the release. “Since 2019, our community and utility has weathered many storms and challenges that we came away from stronger because of his leadership.” The Board of Public Utilities is slated to establish a committee and start the search process for a new leader within the coming months. • Gary Gibson plans to retire from City Utilities of Springfield early next year. News releases and tips sbj@sbj.net Newsmakers Hires, promotions, awards and achievements newsmakers@sbj.net Open for Business Recent business changes, additions newbusiness@sbj.net Lists lists@sbj.net Guest Columnists eolson@sbj.net From the Ground Up Construction projects construction@sbj.net Complaints, Corrections, Clarifications ctemple@sbj.net Letters to the Editor ctemple@sbj.net HERE’S WHERE TO SEND IT. GOT NEWS? CHRISTINE TEMPLE ctemple@sbj.net 417-379-8037 Executive Editor Digital Editor GEOFF PICKLE gpickle@sbj.net 417-616-5856 Reporter KAREN CRAIGO kcraigo@sbj.net 417-210-9030 MIKE CULLINAN mcullinan@sbj.net 417-616-5851 Reporter List Researcher KAREN BLISS lists@sbj.net 417-849-4342 MEET THE NEWSROOM
APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 9 MORE PHOTOS AT SBJ.NET Three executives. Three days. Springfield Business Journal’s annual Day in the Life feature is back, this time taking you into the day of a health care leader, school district superintendent and brewery owner. While each leader is unique in their role, industry and personality, there’s a thread that ties them together: They prioritize connecting with the heart of their company missions. For Max Buetow at CoxHealth, that’s allotting extra time on his way to meetings to greet co-workers along the way. For Springfield Public Schools’ Grenita Lathan, it’s taking selfies with students during a school visit. And for Carol McLeod, it’s grabbing a drink with Hold Fast Brewing customers. SBJ’s editorial staff followed them to bring you a glimpse into their world. Join us as we share what we saw in the 2024 Day in the Life. —Christine Temple, Executive Editor in the life Day
10 · SBJ.NET APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 April 8 8 a.m. – Meeting with executive vice presidents 10:14 a.m. – Introduction and Q&A during employee orientation 11:26 a.m. – Rounding at Ambulatory Infusion Center 1 p.m. – Meeting with Mostly Serious 1:40 p.m. – Health system employees pause for solar eclipse 5:15 p.m. – Bible study at Buetow’s home Buetow by Geoff Pickle · gpickle@sbj.net Photography by Heather Mosley Traffic at the National Avenue and James River Freeway diverging diamond interchange serves as the view for the typical start to CoxHealth President and CEO Max Buetow’s day. On this Monday, Buetow has his usual view of morning traffic in his corner of south Springfield, and he’s joined in his office on the fifth floor of Hulston Cancer Center by CoxHealth’s executive vice presidents. Buetow has an even-keeled disposition, keeping an ear open to listen to the executives’ upcoming plans while weighing in as needed and asking questions for clarity. A portion of the meeting focuses on planned new hires for CoxHealth’s transition to Epic as its electronic health record provider, as well as a new class of physicians coming on board. “I’d like to celebrate these people,” says General Counsel Charity Elmer, who is joined at the meeting by Chief Operating Officer Amanda Hedgpeth, Chief Financial Officer Jake McWay and Cox Medical Group President Dr. Timothy Jones. Buetow seems agreeable. “Maybe when we do the new physician baseball game, we could have a callout,” says Buetow, who gestures while talking. “We’re going to need more suites at the ball field.” With the meeting over at 9:30 a.m., Buetow takes care of some administrative work, penning his signature to thank donors to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at CoxHealth. Reflecting on his day-to-day duties, Buetow says his team of executives are a “great group of leaders” who help him effectively lead the health system. “I don’t deal with a ton of fires. If it comes to me, it is a forest fire at that point,” he says. “I don’t want to get caught off guard and definitely don’t want our board to be caught off guard.” Just after 10, Buetow heads across the skywalk over National Avenue to the main hospital, where he’s slated to chat with new employees during their orientation. Buetow says he factors in a bit of time between tasks, as his style is to be approachable and talk with CoxHealth employees en route. He arrives at Foster Auditorium around 10:14 for the employee orientation, where 34 people are learning the ins and outs of 417-895-2770 foundationcreditunion.com Contact us FINANCE YOUR HOME Dream HEAD OF THE CLASS Max Buetow participates in employee orientation day. Max President and CEO, CoxHealth
APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 11 the health system. In a Q&A talk with Tina Moore, CoxHealth learning consultant, Buetow introduces himself to the new employees. “I love orientation because it’s the sound of the cavalry coming,” he says, giving facts about himself that include his hometown of Denver, his love of hockey and career highlights, such as his more than 12-year employment at CoxHealth. Buetow points to the potential for career advancement opportunities, using himself as an example. He says he recalls sitting in orientation feeling a bit of impostor syndrome after previously working in the manufacturing industry with Sara Lee Bakery Group. “I’m not an exceptional person. I just happen to be in an exceptional organization,” Buetow says of CoxHealth. His advancement advice to the new employees: Be vulnerable, ask questions and “bloom where you are planted.” The new employees are encouraged to ask him questions, and several speak up. One individual inquires about the security team at CoxHealth. “Our security teams are second to none,” Buetow says, noting the health system has made “significant investments” in security over the last five years. He concludes, “My job ultimately is to support you in your jobs.” With his part in orientation complete at 11:19, Buetow heads back across the skywalk to the Ambulatory Infusion Center inside Wheeler Heart and Vascular Center. It’s part of a process Buetow calls “rounding,” in which he visits departments within the hospital to hear directly from employees about what’s working and improvements that are needed. He carries a red notebook with the words “Rounding Notes” written on the front, and he takes notes throughout his visit to the center. The Ambulatory Infusion Center is bustling with activity. It’s an active case zone, and Buetow seeks to get the lay of the land as employees head from one side of the center to the other tending to patients. “What do you need as a leader?” Buetow asks Ambulatory Infusion Center leader Thelma Feuerborn. “Space is the big one. We want to grow, but we’re landlocked,” Feuerborn replies. Buetow pens the request in his notebook. “What about communication?” he asks. Feuerborn responds, “I really think communication is great.” Buetow is back in his office around 12:05 p.m. for lunch. After munching on a sandwich, he uses the remainder of the lunch time for more administrative tasks, checking emails and preparing for afternoon meetings. At 1 p.m., Buetow has a meeting with Jarad Johnson and Spencer Harris of website design and digital marketing company Mostly Serious LLC. Heather Swearengin, CoxHealth’s vice president of consumer experience, also is in the meeting, which focuses on how Mostly Serious can potentially help the health system improve its customer experience. “We don’t just want to be the best in health care,” Buetow says. “We want to be the best, period.” Johnson and Harris ask probing questions. The two organizations have been partnering for around a decade, starting with Mostly Serious’ build-out of CoxHealth’s website. “What stops us from pulling this off currently?” Johnson asks of CoxHealth’s customer experience goals. “We have to tear all of the guardrails down.” The CoxHealth leaders seem receptive. The meeting pauses around 1:40, when Buetow, Swearengin and the Mostly Serious leaders head to the top of the adjacent parking garage for a view of the solar eclipse. Similar to his trips across the skywalk, Buetow uses the opportunity for networking with colleagues. At the parking garage, Buetow is joined by employees and patients who want to get a glimpse of the eclipse. Health care workers in scrubs are alongside people in suits, like Buetow, who dons his eclipse glasses as the moon crosses in front of the sun. “It feels weird out here, doesn’t it?” he remarks as the bright light from the sun begins to dim. Buetow offers to grab a photo for a group of employees before heading inside. The meeting with the Mostly Serious leaders concludes just after 2 p.m., and all agree to have follow-up conversations. The remainder of Buetow’s day at the hospital concludes similarly to the start, with meetings. He holds a closed-door meeting with Cox Medical Group’s Jones, part of a regular series of meetings in which Buetow gets up to date with his leadeship team every other week. “What do I need to be aware of? What are the obstacles?” Buetow says of the questions answered in the team meetings. “I try to be very intentional.” After work, Buetow heads home, where he holds a men’s Bible study. “We’re doing a study in Corinthians called ‘act like men,’” says Buetow, who is a member of Crossway Baptist Church. He says the individuals at his home Bible study, ranging from doctors to small-business owners and barbers, are seeking to become better husbands, bosses and citizens through the lens of a First Epistle to the Corinthians passage that reads as follows: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” After the Bible study, Buetow leaves to catch the second basketball game in a double-header to watch the second youngest of his four children, Claire, compete at the Fieldhouse. “She goes all out,” Buetow says, noting Claire got her passion for basketball, in part, from his wife, Laura, a former college basketball player. Buetow enjoys some Chinese food back at his home with family, and his day wraps with a personal Bible study. It’s back to CoxHealth on Tuesday. • FOCUS DAY IN THE LIFE NOTE TO SELF Buetow carries a notebook to write down areas of improvement identified by health system employees. SOLAR POWER A meeting with Mostly Serious’ Spencer Harris (center) and Jarad Johnson (right) is on pause as Buetow views the solar eclipse. COFFEE CONFAB Buetow gets up to speed during a morning meeting with CoxHealth’s executive vice presidents.
12 · SBJ.NET APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 Lathan by Karen Craigo · kcraigo@sbj.net Photography by Rebecca Green Although she’s recovering from a cold, Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Grenita Lathan is up with the birds as usual. Lathan rises at 5:30 a.m. and begins this Wednesday with private moments of prayer and devotional time. Then it’s off to her office at the Kraft Administrative Center. Lathan is in the habit of grabbing breakfast at work, since she frequently starts things off with an early-morning meeting, though that’s not the case today. First up is a 9 a.m. preview session for the presentation she’ll give at an upcoming board retreat. Lathan reviews a set of PowerPoint slides with Deputy Superintendent of Academics Nicole Holt and the district’s communications team: Stephen Hall, chief director of communications, and Teresa Bledsoe, assistant communications director. The trio discuss where they anticipate questions or challenges, and Lathan makes sure she’ll be ready with answers. Lathan explains that she met several times with principals and teachers, both individually and together, and culled their suggestions. “We asked them what was working in the district and what we need to stop doing,” she says. Their suggestions became a plan to guide the district in the 2024-25 school year, Lathan says. “If we hear from people in classrooms and buildings, we can work and solve problems together and come up with solutions as a team,” she says. Holt asks if they should plan to go into the weeds – minute details – with the board, sharing the results of an SPS employee survey that included 1,488 thoughts from 1,640 participants. “Yes, because that’s what they asked for,” Lathan says. Lathan’s next stop, set for 10:30 a.m., is at the district’s Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays, for children ages 6-17. Call 417.799.7474 for your FREE assessment today. perimeterspringfield.com PROVIDING HOPE. TRANSFORMING LIVES. Your child is your world. Find hope on their behavioral health journey. LET US HELP YOU SIMPLIFY Streamline your subscription. If your company has two or more subscriptions, contact us today about our Custom Corporate Subscription program. Email subscriptions@sbj.net to get started today! IN THE WEEDS Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Grenita Lathan prepares for an upcoming Board of Education retreat, where she plans a detailed approach to sharing faculty feedback. Grenita Superintendent, Springfield Public Schools April 24 7 a.m. – Arrives at office 9 a.m. – Preview of presentation for Board of Education retreat 10:30 a.m. – Arbor Day ceremony at Hickory Hills Elementary 11:30 a.m. – Care to Learn tour at Pittman Elementary 1 p.m. – Budget meeting with new board member Susan Provance 5:30 p.m. – Student African American Brotherhood awards banquet
APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 13 easternmost reach: Hickory Hills K-8 School. Students file out of the building to encircle a newly planted oak tree. City of Springfield Urban Forestry Technician Troy Powell talks about how deep they had to plant the young oak and how much water it will require. It turns into a math problem; with his 2.5-gallon jug, how many times will he have to walk back and forth from the spigot to give the sapling the 10 gallons of water it will need? A sage fifth-grader knows the answer is four. Powell advises against making mulch volcanoes – big mounds of mulch at the base of the tree – and reminds students to plant in wise locations and to call before they dig. Lathan steps forward, along with Jason Steingraber, executive director of choice programs and summer learning, to douse the base of the tree with water. Afterward, Lathan is swarmed by students, some asking for selfies. Becky Ash, principal at Hickory Hills, calls Lathan a kid magnet. “She wants to be here – she wants to be involved,” Ash says. “It’s not uncommon to see her out and about at these kinds of events, and it really makes her part of our team and brings us all together.” As Ash and Lathan stroll around the building, it suddenly dawns on Lathan that most of the Hickory Hills fifth-graders are quietly ambling behind her. “You can go around,” she says, waving them on with a smile. “That’s OK,” a girl replies, and the slow parade continues, several dozen kids enjoying the sun for an extra minute or two. Lathan has an appointment at Pittman Elementary at 11:30 a.m. There, she plans to meet Krystal Simon, CEO of children’s charity Care to Learn, and visit with school leaders. At Pittman, nurse Julie Murdock shows Lathan and Simon the school’s resource closet, with clothes, toiletries and other supplies for kids who need them. Simon says Care to Learn is nimble enough to fulfill children’s needs, from shoes to hearing aids, but she appreciates partners like Pittman, where people like Murdock know the families and have stocked up with essentials for them. “We can do the one-off stuff all the time, but then Grenita has a crazy idea of hey, let’s do 30,000 hygiene items …,” she laughs. “Yes!” Lathan says, remembering. Simon says she trusts Lathan. “She has the best interests of her faculty and staff and her students at heart, and we want to partner together, because it starts with that relationship piece,” Simon says. From Pittman, Lathan returns to the Kraft conference room to meet with new Board of Education member Susan Provance. This meeting is intended to walk her through fine details of the budget so she’ll be on firm footing in future meetings. Assisting are Travis Shaw, deputy superintendent of operations, and Cara Stassel, executive director of business services. Stassel explains that board members are always given the most current information, and as a result, the figures may look different in a few weeks’ time. Provance learns that COVID money from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund is going away, and the district can either opt to keep all of the positions not eliminated through attrition or it can right-size classrooms. “Money can be for staff raises, or it can be to retain positions. We can’t do both,” Lathan says. “At some point we have to make decisions.” To help with those, Lathan says Provance will be equipped with six years of figures: last year’s actual numbers, the current year’s constantly revised numbers, next year’s early projections, and three years of projections after that. “This is what keeps me honest and legal,” Lathan says, holding up her copy of the budget. “It’s kind of like my bible. When we know what’s coming in, we can make some informed decisions. It helps us know what we need to do.” Asked if she has any questions, Provance says she may have some later, but for now, she’s satisfied. “This is the largest school district in the state of Missouri, and it’s in good shape,” Provance says. Lathan says she wishes people would understand that. “People don’t understand what they do when they tear down the heart and soul of a community, which is the school district,” she says. “We spend a lot of time putting out fires that don’t need to be a fire, and it takes away from the work we need to do.” She notes discipline is a big topic right now, with a lot of people advocating a hard-line approach. “There are times we have to suspend, but there are times we have to counsel and put together a plan to help children,” she says. “It’s disheartening when people want to jump to the most punitive plan possible for minor things.” Provance agrees. “Don’t throw them away,” she says. At the end of the day, says Lathan, children need our empathy. “People deserve second chances. People deserve a hundred chances,” she says. Provance heads out, leaving Lathan to catch up on work before her 5:30 p.m. engagement, when she will make some remarks at the annual awards reception of the Student African American Brotherhood, an organization devoted to encouraging students of color to pursue higher education after high school. After that, Lathan will head home to start in fresh tomorrow. Some weekends she has district or community commitments, but this weekend she says she plans to rest and recover. Lathan says that’s her best advice for fellow executives. “Truly practicing self-care is so important,” she says. “You have so many things coming at you as a leader – so many balls that you need to juggle and keep in the air, so many people you have to tend to. You have to take care of yourself.” • FOCUS DAY IN THE LIFE RESOURCEFUL Pittman Nurse Julie Murdock (right) shows the contents of a well-stocked and organized resource closet to Lathan and Care to Learn CEO Krystal Simon. ATTENDANCE PROGRESS Pittman Elementary Principal Melissa Agnew shares progress students have made with boosting attendance rates. TREE-MENDOUS Lathan participates in a tree planting at Hickory Hills Elementary.
14 · SBJ.NET APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 McLeod by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net Photography by Rebecca Green A mix of cardiovascular and strength-training exercises get the blood flowing for Carol McLeod as she tackles a one-hour workout at the Glenstone Avenue location of Orangetheory Fitness. Several times a week, McLeod visits one of the two Queen City exercise studios prior to a 10 a.m. start to her workday at Hold Fast Brewing, a family-run microbrewery she owns with her sister, Susan McLeod. “We don’t just drink beer here all day,” Carol McLeod says with a laugh, as she walks into the brewery, which will celebrate five years in downtown Springfield later this year. It’s the lone completely female-owned brewery in Springfield – a fact McLeod says she’s particularly proud to boast about. The 235 N. Kimbrough Ave. venture also has a distinguishing location, housed in a two-story former fire station built in 1956. McLeod says her fitness regimen started around 18 months ago with a plan to get herself in shape as she hit a landmark age. “I had a life goal of running a half-marathon when I turned 50. And that was last January,” she says, noting she completed it last year in San Diego with Susan and other family members participating. In November, she completed her second half-marathon, a Bass Pro Shops event. “It’s kind of fun,” she says. In preparation for a vendor visit from one of Hold Fast’s distributors, Breakthru Beverage Missouri, McLeod has dozens of papers spread out across the bar. They’re most – if not all – of the roughly 75 beer recipes for the brewery. After a brief search, she successfully finds a specific grain contained in one of the recipes that can be added to her order from Breakthru. Now, it’s on to an even more important matter: Feeding the brewery’s resident cats. The cats are owned by the McLeods but they keep the four felines at Hold Fast, where they have free rein of much of the building’s north side that is out of view of brewery customers. The quartet – Tony, Garfield, Dolce and Puma – are two sets of siblings that the McLeods initially started fostering for animal rescue nonprofit Watching Over Whiskers but ended up adopting themselves. “When I give a tour in the back, it’s like, ‘You’re not allergic to cats, are you?’” she says. For what she dubs as the “second workout” of the morning, Carol IN FOCUS Carol McLeod discusses brewery operations with a staff member prior to opening to customers for the day. Co-owner, Hold Fast Brewing April 16 8:45 a.m. – Workout at Orangetheory Fitness 10 a.m. – Arrives at Hold Fast Brewing 10:15 a.m. – Feeds brewhouse cats 10:30 a.m. – Begins miscellaneous work, including cleaning kegs, placing product orders and milling malt 1 p.m. – Holds managers meeting 2 p.m. – Makes song selections for Music Bingo event 4 p.m. – Visits with customers and checks in with on-site food truck 5:30 p.m. – Heads home Sponsored By HEAR THE CONVERSATION AS IT HAPPENED. THIS MONTH’S EPISODE: HOMEBUILDERS SBJ.net/CEORoundtable
APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2024 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 15 McLeod loads several 55-pound bags of malt onto a pallet for transporting across the brewery to be opened and dumped into a grain mill. It’s part of preparation work in advance of brewing activity over the next several days for both her and her sister. “Susan tells me what she wants to brew, and then I make sure that I have malts, hops and yeast in for her so she can just come right on in,” she says, noting her sister fits in part-time brewery work in addition to her full-time job with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. “Usually, I get it all milled for her.” Amid her milling work, Tim Freeman and Leland Ekstam with Breakthru Beverage come by and McLeod places an order, which includes canned hard seltzers and wine. She’s expecting a big weekend, as 4/20 – an unofficial holiday of marijuana – falls on a Saturday. The brewery is marking the occasion with a couple of new small-batch beer releases and an adult “Liquid Marijuana” slushie. McLeod stresses all the food and drink specials from that day are nonmedicated and meant to be fun. “I have to place almost all my orders just so by the end of the week that most of them come in,” she says. “What I ordered today will be in tomorrow.” For much of the morning, McLeod is on her own, as an employee who was supposed to clean kegs that day is out sick. That means it’s up to her to take on the task. She takes the kegs, two at a time, to hook up to the automated washer, which removes beer residue, bacteria and other contaminants, before they are put back into use. It’s a process undertaken roughly every two weeks at the brewery. “I don’t usually do them, but I need the kegs for all the beers. We have every tank full, but one,” she says. “I’ll (wash) 20 of them today. So, it’s go, go, go.” Working through lunch, McLeod connects with her trio of brewery managers – Marketing Coordinator Kaitlan Foland, Operations Coordinator Cynthia Lee and Event Coordinator Sarah Tweedle. They pour a pint before sitting down for a 1 p.m. meeting. Much of the discussion centers on what McLeod affectionately calls “Chaos Week,” the first full week in May, which staff expects will be a big draw for customers to visit downtown. The week includes Artsfest, the annual center city festival on May 4, Cinco de Mayo on May 5 and is preceded by a May 2 visit from Cousins Maine Lobster, a food truck that is scheduled to hit several Springfield-area breweries that week. “We’re the first stop. So that will be a huge deal,” McLeod says to the management team. “Everybody should expect to wait. We are not taking reservations. We are not taking parking reservations. It’s first come, first served.” McLeod says she plans to buy a lot of lobster rolls, perhaps only half-jokingly adding she expects to spend around $150 on herself alone. Scheduling entertainment and food trucks for the next several weeks also is discussed, with McLeod noting openings for mobile eateries are particularly sparse as there’s lots of competition. “Anybody new that reaches out, I need to know. Give them my card,” she says. “They need to tell me that they work in the winter, that they’re available Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sundays. That may start to eliminate people and then we can start researching them.” When the meeting ends, McLeod and Tweedle make a beeline to the back office to determine the musical genres for the monthly Music Bingo event, set for the next night. Hair metal is one of those selected with McLeod’s face lighting up when they glance at the screen and see Warrant’s “Cherry Pie” as one of the selections. “I want to sing that one!” she says. Soon after at 3 p.m., the garage doors are raised to welcome brewery customers. McLeod wraps up her keg cleaning duties and makes the rounds to visit with patrons at the bar, tables and outdoor benches. It’s a personal touch she says is important to help people – particularly newcomers – feel welcome. She also does a quick check-in with operators of the food truck for the day, El Sabor de Mexico Taqueria LLC, to make sure they have everything they need. Satisfied she’s completed all the prep work for the next day’s brewing schedule, McLeod leaves Hold Fast in the hands of her employees and is ready to head home around 5:30 p.m. The stop there is brief as she’ll take her stepdaughter Riley to a music recital before calling it a day. • FOCUS DAY IN THE LIFE COORDINATING SCHEDULES McLeod leads a managers meeting with, from left, Kaitlan Foland, Cynthia Lee and Sarah Tweedle, as the four discuss the upcoming event and food truck schedules. KEG CLEANING McLeod rotates a new pair of kegs to an automated keg washer, as part of a process undertaken roughly every two weeks at the brewery. OFF AND RUNNING Working out at Orangetheory Fitness is a task McLeod says she undertakes several times a week, rotating between the two Springfield gyms. CHEERS McLeod visits with a brewery customer as part of her afternoon routine.
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