A HISTORY OF SUCCESS
A HISTORY OF SUCCESS
25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
I Am Adventure. 1998 & 2010 Top 10
I Am Creative. 1995 Top 10
I Am A Team Player. 2004 Top 10
I Am . Giving op 10 2010 T
I Am Optimisti
I Am A Dreamer. 2007 Mr. K
c.
lways I Am A g. Learnin
2004 Mr.
K
op 10 2006 T
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
We Are Fearless. 2010 Mr. K
I Am Passionate. 1987 Small Business of the Year
We Are Persistent. 2005 Mr. K
I Am Resourceful. 2008 Top 10
I Am Focused
.
1999 M
r. K
I Am Collaborative. 2009 Mr. K
Nicholson Kovac
,WVHHPVOLNHMXVWDERXWHYHU\WKLQJKDV FKDQJHGLQWKHSDVW\HDUV Except our commitment toRelevant Ingenuity.
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We’ve changed our name. Grown from 10,000 to 40,000 square feet. Even found ourselves recognized as B2B Advertising Agency of the Year by Advertising Age. But none of that’s gone to our heads. We’re still committed to finding relevant, ingenious marketing communication solutions for our clients. And in the process, becoming an indispensable partner in their businesses.
1987 Winner Small Business of the Year
Relevant IngenuitySM is the product of our proprietary planning process that is based on a series of state-of-the-art communications models that have proven to consistently deliver performance and ROI.
%URDGZD\.DQVDV&LW\02__ZZZQLFKROVRQNRYDFFRP 60
© 2011 Nicholson Kovac, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Relevant IngenuitySM is a registered service mark of Nicholson Kovac, Inc.
Relevant Ingenuity
Mazuma Credit Union
Table of Contents A History of Success:
4 The Life & Legacy of Mr. K ...................... 6 Small Businesses of the Year ................. 7 2011 Top 10 Small Businesses ............ 28 25 Years and Counting ..............................
30 West Pershing Road, Suite 301 Kansas City, MO 64108-2423 (816) 221-2424 phone (816) 221-7440 fax [email protected] www.kcchamber.com
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce has compiled this information and commentary through research to the best of our abilities. Any missing information or misinformation is unintentional.
This is a MetroMedia Publication. Copyright© 2011 MetroMedia, Inc. 4210 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Suite 314A, Fairway, KS 66205 (913) 951-8440, www.metromediapublishers.com
At Mazuma Credit Union, we celebrate small business. Small businesses form the foundation of our community. We congratulate the Kauffman Foundation and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce for supporting the Small Business Celebration for 25 years. The entrepreneurial spirit is represented in Mazuma’s Business Resources Team. They help small businesses succeed every day. We welcome you to stop by and talk shop with our team, to help you make the most of your small business plans.
www.mazumabusinesswise.org | 816-361-4194 | www.mazuma.org 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 3
25 Years...
and Counting!
T
he Chamber’s very first celebration of small business took place on May 14, 1987. It was held at the Constitution Convention Center at 5th and Minnesota in Kansas City, Kansas, and the Mistress of Ceremonies for the event was Kay Waldo, then president of Kay Waldo and Associates, Inc. (The former mayor provided consulting services in the area of human resource development.) The luncheon was called a “Salute to Small Business” and was the brainchild of The Chamber’s Small Business Council. Council members wanted to shine the spotlight on small business — which they described as the “engine” of the regional economy — and they wanted to honor the locally-owned and managed small business that best typified the spirit of entrepreneurship in Greater Kansas City. The Small Business of the Year Award went to NKHW and Blankenship Distributors in 1987. And a Chamber tradition was born. A lot has changed since 1987, but the basic premise has not: to celebrate the important role of small business and entrepreneurship in our region. The criteria set to determine the Small Business of the Year are essentially the same now as they were 25 years ago: • Growth of the business; • A history of good employee relations; and • Service to the community.
4 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
The size of the celebration has certainly changed: what started as a oneday luncheon has now morphed into an annual series of events held over the course of three months, beginning with the Candidates’ Showcase at the March Business After Hours, followed by the Small Business Celebration Breakfast, private receptions and get-togethers, and culminating in May with the announcement of the Small Business of the Year. The competition has certainly grown as well. That first year, only a handful of companies were nominated for the Small Business of the Year Award. This year, there were more than 1,500 nominations! In 1994, The Chamber unveiled its new “Mr. K Award” for the Small Business of the Year, honoring the late Ewing M. Kauffman, founder of Marion Laboratories and one of Kansas City’s most storied entrepreneurs. Kauffman had passed away the previous year. At the time, then-Chamber Chair Tom McDonnell (DST) said, “Ewing Kauffman blessed Kansas City with his entrepreneurial largess … and epitomized the criteria we use to determine our Small Business of the Year.” It’s been called the “Mr. K Award” ever since. Engraved on the back of the trophy is this inscription: “This award is named for Ewing M. Kauffman, an entrepreneur who started his own pharmaceutical company, introduced the championship Royals Major League Baseball team to Kansas City and founded one of the nation’s most innovative philanthropies … Mr. Kauffman attributed the success of these enterprises to leadership principles and philosophies that guided his professional relationships: first, that those who produce should share in the rewards; second, that we should treat others as we wish to be treated; and third, that we should give back to the community.”
Kauffman Foundation of Entrepreneurship
Ewing Kauffman started Marion Laboratories in the basement of his Kansas City home, and nurtured his small company and its employees to grow and be competitive on a global scale.
The Life & Legacy of
E
wing Marion Kauffman was born on a farm in Garden City, Missouri, in 1916. His family moved to Kansas City when he was a boy, and he called Kansas City home for the rest of his life. Following his service in the Navy during World War II, Ewing Kauffman began working as a salesman for a pharmaceutical company. In 1950, his innately entrepreneurial spirit led him to start his own pharmaceutical company in the basement of his home. He named his company Marion Laboratories Inc., using his middle name rather than his last name so his customers wouldn’t think he was running a one-man operation. In his first year in business, he had sales of $36,000 and a net profit of $1,000. When he sold his company to Merrell Dow in 1989, it had grown to become a global diversified health care giant with nearly $1 billion in sales and employing 3,400 associates.
6 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Mr. K
Mr. Kauffman brought more to Kansas City than an international business. By establishing the Kansas City Royals in 1968, he brought major league baseball back to his hometown, boosting civic pride and the city’s economy. He made the Royals a model sports franchise and built a spectacular stadium that the team named in his honor near the end of his life. With Mr. K as the team’s owner, the Royals developed young players who won six division titles, two American League pennants, and a World Series championship in 1985. Ewing Kauffman’s most enduring legacy to his community and the world is the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He established the Foundation with the same sense of opportunity he brought to his business endeavors, and, with the same convictions. Kauffman wanted his foundation to be innovative — to dig deep and get at the roots of issues to fundamentally change outcomes in people’s lives. He
wanted to help young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, get a quality education that would enable them to reach their full potential. He saw building enterprise as one of the most effective ways to realize individual promise and spur the economy. Ewing Kauffman lived life with a daring desire to shape the future and make others’ lives better. He remains a beloved figure, remembered for all that he brought to Kansas City and the nation, and for all that he gave. Today the mission of the Kauffman Foundation is guided by Ewing Kauffman’s belief that the American way of life thrives when our entrepreneurial spirit is unleashed. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the Mr. K Award each year to an outstanding small business that exemplifies the personal and professional philosophies of Ewing Kauffman.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
1987
Nicholson Kovac, Inc. Co-Winner, Small Business of the Year, 1987 Pete Kovac, CEO Year established – 1981
1987 CO-WINNER
Blankinship Distributors
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It was a huge morale booster for a young, growing company! It also provided a very strong third party vote of confidence for us as a business.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration?
Co-Winner, Small Business of the Year, 1987 G.L. Blankinship, Sr., Chairman G.L. Blankinship, Jr., President Year established – 1944
It was structured differently then, (no Top 10), and we almost didn’t go to the event because we thought we were a long shot!
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Always have a business plan, both short-term and long-term, and continually update it. Also make sure you stay true to your culture as you grow.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
‘88,‘89
Swagelok Kansas City (formerly Kansas City Valve & Fitting) Small Business of the Year, 1989 Bruce Pendleton, CEO Year established – 1962
How has your company changed since you won the Award? We have remained a niche supplier, but expanded our value proposition.
1988 Small Business of the Year
Cerner Neal Patterson, CEO Year established — 1979
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It helped us to remain focused on our values as we grew.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Live and promote quality and value your associates.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Diversified industries and the work ethic of the local resource pool. 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 7
Kansas City Valve & Fitting, Swagelok, Spin! Pizza
1990
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
PB&J Restaurants Small Business of the Year, 1990 Paul Khoury & Bill Crooks, Founders Year established – 1987
How has your company changed since you won the Award? We have expanded our restaurants and grown from 30 team members to 1300. We also expanded our operations to four states.
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It inspired us to keep growing with new innovative menus and concepts.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? To stay positive and not let anything hold you back.
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“All of the money in the world cannot solve problems unless we work together. And, if we work together, there is no problem in the world that can stop us, as we seek to develop people to their highest and best potential.” —Ewing Kauffman
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Big Bob’s Flooring Outlets of America Small Business of the Year, 1991 David Elyachar, CEO Year established – 1983
How has your company changed since you won the Award? We have grown from a small, entrepreneur-based business to a national franchise of entrepreneurs in 25 states.
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It gave us tremendous credibility in the market and infused us with a confidence in not only our abilities but of our business model. The recognition and energy was a tremendous uplift and to this day the momentum is still felt in our organization and by our executive management team.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Find and build on the thing you do best, your core competencies. They alone are what give you the credibility and confidence to climb the mountain without fear.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Bagel & Bagel, Inc. Small Business of the Year, 1993 Gail Lozoff, CEO Year established – 1989 Sold to Boston Chicken in 1995
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It was great PR, of course, but most importantly our organization was very proud of our achievement.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? If you open a well-conceived business that operates well and serves a customer need, you don’t have to fight for attention. There are enough new ventures to make KC a vibrant place, but not so many that a good business can get lost.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Have confidence in what you know, but know what you don’t know. It’s a fine line. Be humble enough to be vigilant about learning new things.
‘91,‘92 OTR Express Small Business of the Year, 1992 William Ward, CEO Year established – 1985
“We think that our company is an example of the success that is still possible for a small business in America today.”* *Quote taken from company cover letter for the Chamber award, written by the company principals in 1992, as printed in the Kansas Citian newsletter: May 22, 1992
1993 1993 TOP 10 • Darling Envelope Corp. • Independent Telecommunications Network • Johnson Brickell Mulcahy & Associates • K.C. Masterpiece Restaurants • Manlo Inc. • Model Stone Midwest Inc. • Muller + Co. • Trabon Printing Co. • VPR Creative Group 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 9
1994
UMB, United Missouri Bank, CBIZ
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Phelps Tool & Die
1994 TOP 10 • • • • • • • • •
Small Business of the Year, 1994 Michael Phelps, CEO Year established – 1951
CARSTAR Automotive Inc. Country Club Bank Michael Forbes Restaurants Gilbert, Christopher & Associates Myron Green Enterprises Inc. LPG Services Group Inc. Mac-Hardware Inc. Mr. Goodcents Franchise Systems Inc. The Sterling Group
“What ultimately set our winner apart (from the Top 10) was the evidence that it was achieving industry recognition as one of the best in the world, and that’s not easy for a small business to do.” —Tom McDonnell, DST Systems, Chamber Chair, 1994
*quote taken from The Chamber’s Kansas Citian newsletter, May 20, 1994
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Visit us: umb.com | Call us: 314.612.8627
Your small business Banker Will provide guidance Every step of the way • • • • •
Checking and Online Banking Loans and Credit UMB Visa® Business Card Services Treasury Management Merchant Payment Services
PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE CHAMBER’S 2011 Small Business Celebration EMPLOYEE BENEFITS CBIZ WELLNESS SOLUTIONS HUMAN CAPITAL SERVICES EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROPERTY & CASUALTY PAYROLL
6
Small Business Banking
RETIREMENT PLAN SERVICES 7
10 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
FINANCIAL SERVICES
913.234.1000 www.cbizkc.com
Husch Blackwell
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Robert O’Byrne & Associates
1995 Robert O’Byrne, CEO Year established – 1964 Sold to CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services
Small Business of the Year, 1995
How has your company changed since you won the Award?
1995 TOP 10
Our success and growth over the years allowed us to become an integral part of a larger organization that was looking to add capabilities nationally similar to those we had developed.
• Ace Personnel • AmeriTel Pay Phone • Blackwell Sanders Matheny Weary & Lombardi L.C.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? When our company was named as the winner, our associates were thrilled. Bringing the award back to the office and celebrating with all of the employees was a wonderful part of our history. The legacy of Ewing Kauffman constantly reminds us to strive to be even better and stronger each year.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? The culture in our community is very relationship oriented and provides great opportunity to develop long term business relationships and business networks. The significant capital investments our community has made this an even better community to live and work.
(now Husch Blackwell)
• Carter Broadcast Group • InterConnect Devices • Medical Communications Software • Myron Green Food Service • River City Studio • U.S. Engineering
Our Insight. Your Advantage.
Making Mr. K Proud Husch Blackwell congratulates the 2011 Small Business of the Year and all of the Top 10 Small Business finalists. As a former Top 10 company, we recognize the importance of community and giving back, just as Mr. K taught. Many thanks to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce for encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit for the past 25 years. huschblackwell.com
4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112 816.983.8000 Husch Blackwell LLP
Arizona
Colorado
Illinois
Kansas
Missouri
Nebraska
Tennessee
Washington, D.C.
England
25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 11
1996
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Worth Harley-Davidson
1996 TOP 10
Small Business of the Year, 1996 Rick Worth, CEO Year established – 1978
• All Points Inc. • American Compressed Steel Company (now Advantage Metals Recycling)
• Carter Broadcast Group • Empower Trainers & Consultants • Haake Insurance Agency • Midway Ford Truck Center • Professional Resources • Trabon Printing Company
1997
How has your business changed since you won the Award? Ray and Beverly Worth owned the business when we won the Award. Rick and Treva Worth purchased it in 1999.
What advice would you give to other small businesses? Stay focused on what you do best.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Kansas City maintains a steady economy and a predictable customer base, less likely to follow short-term fads and trends.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Gould Evans Associates Small Business of the Year, 1997 Robert Gould, Principal Year established – 1974
1997 TOP 10 • • • • • •
Accomodations by Apple Arthur Clark Holding Inc. Boulevard Brewing Co. Courtney Day Inc. DARCA Inc. Data Systems International (DSI) • Galvmet Inc. • Hermes Landscaping • The Corridor Group 12 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? I remember feeling stunned when they called our name. The firms we were competing against that year were phenomenal, well-known and very successful. I think for many we came out of nowhere. It’s a real tribute to what The Chamber has done through this Award’s program. They really bring recognition to otherwise unknown or publicized businesses.
What advice would you share with other small businesses? Remain diversified in the clients/markets you serve. Our firm was established during the recession of 1974, and endured the recessions of the ‘80s, ‘90s and the beginning of 2000s; what got us through that time and what is getting us through now is our diverse portfolio. If business from one area slows, we can rely on our work in other areas to keep us thriving.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Kansas City offers a strong environment for entrepreneurs; not only through the support provided by a host of local organization/foundations, but also because the cost of living and cost of doing business is so low compared to the national average.
Midway Ford Truck Center, 360 Architecture, Threesixty Architecture
1998
Thank you to The Chamber’s 2011 Small Business Celebration sponsors! Small Business Celebration Presenting Sponsor
Marketing Associates International
Small Business Celebration Media Sponsors
Small Business of the Year, 1998 Mitch Wheeler, CEO • Sold to VML in 2004
Awards Dinner Presenting Sponsor
1998 TOP 10 • • • • • • • •
Awards Dinner Premier Sponsors
Awards Dinner Cooperating Sponsor Straub Construction Company
1961
2011
Serving the Kansas City area for 50 years
Truck Sales Service Parts Body Shop
Kansas City’s only Employee-owned Ford truck dealership
CDFM2 Architecture Inc. Custom Engineering Inc. Kissick Construction Company SKC Communication Products Inc. Southmoreland on the Plaza Spaces Inc. The Roasterie Warehouse 1
COLLABORATION THAT RUNS DEEP ARCHITECTURE THAT INSPIRES FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, WE’VE BEEN PROUD TO SERVE AS KANSAS CITY’S DESIGN PARTNER
Proud to be one of the 1996 Top Ten Small Businesses of the Year! 7601 NE 38th St | Kansas City, MO 64161 816-455-3000 www.midwaytrucks.com
360architects.com
25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 13
1999
Missouri Bank
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Missouri Bank Small Business of the Year, 1999 Grant Burcham, CEO Year established – 1891
1999 TOP 10 • A. Zahner Company • Best Computer Consultants Inc. • Hereford House • LaserCycle Inc. (now InkCycle) • Old World Spices & Seasonings Inc. • Peripheral Vision InfoSystems Inc. • Waller Truck Company Inc. • Western Blue Print Company
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? Huge. We gained tremendous brand awareness.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? I recall sitting next to a Top 10 tech guy whose business had grown dramatically. I thought, “He is the winner, we can’t compete with that.” Needless to say he didn’t win! Also the sheer shock and surprise of hearing our name called as the winner. What a day!
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Our entrepreneurs are so well connected to each other through The Chamber, Helzberg Mentoring and Kauffman. Also, Kansas City’s entrepreneurs are extremely generous with their time and advice. We stick together!
There’s nothing small about 25 years of small business recognition. Congratulations to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce on 25 years of Mr. K Award winners and nominees – including 26 mobank small business customers.
mobank.com Crossroads. Downtown. Prairie Village. Brookside.
14 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Carter Broadcast Group
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
2000
SKC Communication Products, LLC Small Business of the Year, 2000 Tray Vedock, CEO Year Established – 1986
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It reaffirmed to us that we were making good business decisions and developing programs that would enable us to scale and grow our operations. The local media and press coverage was great and helped us meet several new clients and prospects. Our employees were very proud of the award, and we saw an immediate increase in the quantity and quality of applicants for new positions. Our Mr. K Award is still proudly displayed in our executive boardroom.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? It was surreal to hear our name announced at the luncheon as the winner. We had been named to the Top 10 two years prior, and we were thrilled to be named the 2000 award recipient. Our employees met a lot of great people throughout the nomination and celebration events.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Make smart business decisions based on sound financial principles. Utilize community resources, such as The Chamber, to learn from other business leaders. Recruit and retain good talent who can bring energy, ideas and success to your business.
2000 TOP 10 • • • • • • • •
All Pro Construction bijin salon & day spa Carter Broadcast Group FirstGuard Health Plan FishNet Security LaserCycle Inc. (now InkCycle) PAYDATA The Management Network Group (now TMNG Global) • The Sunflower Group
THANK YOU to The Chamber’s Small Business Celebration 25th Anniversary Committee: Phil Thomas, A.L. Huber general contractor Matthew Condon, Athletic & Rehabilitation Center Kevin O’Rourke, Athletic & Rehabilitation Center Flip Short, EmotivDNA Thomas Fritzlen, Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen, P.C. Sheree Johnson, Nicholson Kovac, Inc. Michael Fuhrman, Schutte Lumber Company Robbin Reynolds, Sound Products, Inc. Ernie Straub, Straub Construction Company, Inc. Aaron and Connie Zack, Sunlighten Bruce Pendleton, Swagelok Kansas City Teri Rogers, T2 + Back Alley Films Danny O’Neill, The Roasterie, inc. Pasquale Trozzolo, Trozzolo Communications Group 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 15
2001 2001 TOP 10 • • • • • •
bijin salon & day spa ETC Institute FirstGuard Health Plan FishNet Security Passport Travel Schroer Manufacturing Company • TradeNet Publishing Inc. • Trozzolo Creative Resources Inc. (now Trozzolo Communications Group)
• VML Inc.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR CommuniTech.net Small Business of the Year, 2001 Gabriel Murphy, CEO Year Established – 1997 Sold to Atlanta-based Interland Inc. in 2002
“I’m a big proponent of small businesses. I work with small businesses because they’re easy to work with, you can get answers quick and results fast. I believe that small businesses like ours have an advantage over bigger guys because our time to market is so much faster.”* *Gabriel Murphy quote taken from Greater Kansas City Business magazine, June 2002
2002 2002 TOP 10 • C K Enterprises • Countryside Maintenance and Management Services, Inc. • DATACORE Marketing • J.M. Neil & Associates • Jahnke & Sons Construction Inc. • Mid America Fittings • National Cable Television Cooperative • PAYDATA • Right Management Consultants 16 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Strickland Construction Company Inc. Small Business of the Year, 2002 Rogers Strickland, CEO Year Established – 1980
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It made our customers and associates aware of our values and efforts to give back.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? How moved individuals were by the stories of building churches and schools around the world.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? It’s not about money or prestige, it’s about the people we serve.
Trozzolo Communications Group
HERE’S TO SMALL BUSINESS HEAVYWEIGHTS.
On this, the 25th year of the Small Business Celebration, we again honor Kansas City’s best and brightest. The small businesses who do more with less. Who work hard, fight harder and always get up when they’re knocked down. We’re honored to be recognized in your class. Advertising | Branding | Public Relations
trozzolo.com
2003
Riverside RedX
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR DATACORE Marketing Small Business of the Year, 2003 Jeff Yowell, CEO Year Established – 1992
2003 TOP 10 • Adams-Gabbert & Associates, Inc. • HRS Erase, Inc. • Kross Office Outfitters, Inc. • Larkin Group, Inc. • Punch Software LLC • Riverside Red-X • RxCCI (Regulatory/Clinical Consultants, Inc.) • S&M NuTec, LLC • Top Innovations, Inc.
How has your company changed since you won the Award? We have doubled in size, expanded our capabilities greatly and secured engagements with even more Fortune 500 businesses.
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? Winning the Award had a tremendous positive impact on employee morale and confidence that carried on for quite some time. I believe that the Award represented a type of professional confirmation of our company, business model and employees.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Make sure that you get involved in efforts that involve and engage your employee base. Having an employee base that is excited, proud of where they work, passionate and confident will yield incredible business success.
RIVERSIDE
Providing quality service, competitive pricing and a unique shopping experience for our valued customers.
Serving Kansas City for 63 years DEPARTMENTS: • GROCERY • LIQUOR • DELI • $0.99 SHOP • VALUE DEPARTMENT • HARDWARE • EDUCATIONAL TOYS & CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS • DICKIE’S CLOTHING
816.741.3377 2401 N.W. Platte Road • Riverside, MO • www.riversideredx.com 18 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Larkin Group, Inc., DuraComm, Top Innovations, Lee Research Institute, Eliton Former Top 10 Small Businesses and Mr. K winners have worked together to develop the Top 10 of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund with the goal of giving back to the community by identifying and recognizing the “Future Top 10” – students who exemplify Ewing Kauffman’s principles and the spirit of entrepreneurship.
Larkin Group, Inc. Dependable People Providing Reliable Solutions.
Since the start of the program in 2009, more than thirty $1,000 scholarships have been awarded to students in Kansas and Missouri. To make a contribution to help the Top 10 of Tomorrow, call (816) 374-5443. Thanks to the following companies for their contributions to the scholarship fund in 2011: Athletic & Rehabilitation Center Bishop-McCann Brookside Barkery & Bath CBIZ ECCO Select Corporation EMR, Inc. Global Medical Direct INTRUST Bank Kansas City Internal Medicine
Magic Touch Cleaning Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen Nicholson Kovac Signature DNA Straub Construction Sunlighten The Purple Guys The Roasterie TK Architects
Larkin Group would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 2011 Small Business of the Year. Larkin Group was recognized in 2003 by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as a top 10 small business. Larkin Group, Inc. is a multi-disciplined engineering firm dedicated to providing quality civil engineering services to cities throughout the Midwest. Core markets include drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, streets and aquatics.
9200 Ward Parkway, Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 64114-3350 Phone: (816) 361-0440 Fax: (816) 361-0045 www.larkin-grp.com
Benny Lee and his family of companies CONGRATULATE The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as it marks 25 Years of the SMALL BUSINESS CELEBRATION. TOP INNOVATIONS was a Top 10 Small Business in 2003. Since that time (and the subsequent sale, in 2008, to VORNADO, Inc.), the family of Benny Lee Companies has continued to grow and now includes: DuraComm Corporation, including DuraComm Power Supplies, DuraComm Lighting, Lee Research Institute, and Eliton Cello.
Benny has continued to work with the Chamber and serves on its Board of Directors as well as Chairs the Advising Board of FUTURALLIA KC 2011 – the largest Chamber Event of the Year. Benny’s civic and community involvement extends to the following organizations: Asian-American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City – President Park University – Trustee Sister City Association of Kansas City – Advisory Board Member FBI Citizen Academy – Board Member Chamber’s World Trade Center – Advisory Board Member International Relations Council – Board Member UMKC – Entrepreneur In Residence at the Bloch School of Management’s Institute of Entreprenuership and Innovation 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 19
2004
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR InkCycle
2004 TOP 10 • Axiom HR Solutions • Best Harvest Bakeries • Grubb & Ellis/The Winbury Group • Helix/Architecture + Design • JMA Information Technology Inc. • RxCCI (Regulatory/Clinical Consultants, Inc.) • S&M NuTec, LLC • UPAC Insurance Finance • WingGate Travel/American Express
2005
Small Business of the Year, 2004 Rick Krska, CEO • Year Established – 1992
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? Without question, the honor of being recognized by The Chamber’s Award has brought increased local interest in our business activities. Recognition of this type brings new interest in your company ranging from potential investors to media to new customers to suppliers… it really impacts every bit of your business.
What advice would you give to other small business owners? In today’s world, where most products and even services are viewed as commodities, the best way to differentiate yourself is still the same – treat people the way you want to be treated. If you do, you probably won’t have much competition.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? I can’t imagine a better place to have started the company than in Kansas City. There is such a sense of entrepreneurial spirit that translates into opportunities for new small businesses to be mentored and supported by other local companies and entrepreneurial organizations.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
S&M NuTec, LLC
Joe & Judy Roetheli, Founders Year Established – 1996 Sold to MARS in 2006
Small Business of the Year, 2005
2005 TOP 10
How has your company changed since you won the Award?
• Anthem Media Group • Canterbury Preparatory School • Hoefer Wysocki Architects • MarketSphere Consulting • McCownGordon Construction, LLC • RCA Group • TakeTwo (now T2 + Back Alley Films) • Treat America • UPAC Insurance Finance
We sold and started new companies.
20 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? It offered an opportunity to get to know a number of other really great young companies, many of which were not well known before the Small Business Celebration.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Use this opportunity to invigorate and inspire your employees—your greatest asset.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Kansas City is one of the most entrepreneurial cities in America if not the best. Great mentoring.
Hoefer Wysocki Architects
2006
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Hoefer Wysocki Architects
2006 TOP 10 • • • • • • •
Axcet HR Solutions Bennett Packaging of K.C. Inc. Canterbury Schools First Community Bank Gail’s Harley-Davidson Market Directions, Inc. McCownGordon Construction, LLC • Schutte Lumber Company • TK Architects, Inc.
Small Business of the Year, 2006 Mitch Hoefer, Principal • Year Established – 1996
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? Winning the Award in 2006 was a significant benchmark and fantastic validation of our efforts. It showed us that we were in a fantastic position for the next 10 years and beyond. The support The Chamber gave us helped us gain recognition for the work we had been doing and showcased our work to potential clients.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? “It’s a Jungle Out There” was the theme of our entry, and that seems even more appropriate today. The whole staff took part in turning our office into a jungle with vines, stuffed animals and pith helmets. Even our clients got in the act. It was a blast.
What advice would you share with other small business owners?
2007
Focus on your employees, your culture and your personal relationships with your clients and community. The business growth will follow.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
ViraCor-IBT Laboratories, Inc. 2007 TOP 10 • • • • • • • • •
Bennett Packaging of K.C. Inc. First Community Bank Pro Circuit, Inc. Seagull Environmental Technologies, Inc. SoftVu, LLC Straub Construction Company, Inc. Sunlight Saunas (now Sunlighten Inc.) Two West, Inc. Weyforth-Haas Marketing, Inc. (now BKV)
22 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Small Business of the Year, 2007 Phillip Short, CEO Year Established – 2000
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? When we first won the award it was great because we could use it to hire people from outside of K.C. It also was used to promote growth in the company and used to celebrate our success all of the time. The award was the first thing you saw when you walked into the company every day.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? Yes, I told our company that if the judges actually vote based on the four criteria that they provided in the beginning, that there was no way we could lose. Thanks a million for making that happen. You are all the best!
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Midwest values. Be honest and sincere, try and help others including all your associates and vendors. K.C. is a place where you can do that. I am not suggesting that it can’t be done anywhere, but we are known for our midwest values, and it helps tremendously.
Schutte Lumber Co., Cramer Products
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
2008
Sunlighten Inc. Small Business of the Year, 2008 Aaron & Connie Zack, Founders Year Established – 1999
2008 TOP 10
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It has helped confirm that we are on the right path and further supports our initiatives and vision for the company.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? We value the relationships that we were able to establish with the other Top 10 finalists. We especially enjoyed giving back to the Top 10 of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund and interviewing future small business leaders.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Become involved in Chamber and other community service events. Developing a successful business is more than working on the business day in and day out. Follow your gut instinct and continue to innovate. Finally, surround yourself with people who believe in you and your vision.
• Bartunek Technology Group, Inc. • Cramer Products, Inc. • Dimensional Innovations • ECCO Select Corporation • Handmark • Kansas City Internal Medicine • Liquid 9 • Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen, P.C. • Redemption Plus
Proud to be chosen as one of the top ten Small Businesses in 2006. Founded in 1880, Schutte Lumber enjoys a rich history in the Kansas City area. It is our mission to grow the tradition of providing superior quality products.
Proud to be chosen as one of the top ten small businesses in 2008. (816) 753-6262
Cramer Products: an industry leader in sports medicine & athletic training room supplies for over 90 years.
3001 Southwest Blvd • Kansas City, MO 64108 www.SchutteLumber.com
cramersportsmed.com 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 23
2009
Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen P.C.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Kansas City Internal Medicine Small Business of the Year, 2009 Lori Mallory, CEO Year Established – 1980
2009 TOP 10 • A.L. Huber general contractor • Athletic & Rehabilitation Center • Canterbury Schools • ColorMark, Inc. • EMR, Inc. • HiSonic, Inc. • Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen, P.C. • Sound Products, Inc. • Worldwide Clinical Research, Inc. (now Clinipace Worldwide)
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? I believe this Award broadened our brand in the community. The community rallies around successful businesses and this Award highlighted that. As important, this Award increased employee morale and established in their minds a strong respect for the company they work for.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? Probably the best memory is the creation of the Top 10 of Tomorrow Scholarship program. It demonstrates well the power of a few minds collaborating for a better way to impact our world.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Definitely get involved with The Chamber. As with everything in life, what you get out is what you put in, but if you put in, you will get benefited far greater. The opportunities for leadership advancement, collaboration and creative partnerships are countless.
Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen P.C.
MoKan Title Services, LLC Full Service Title Company • Licensed in MO & KS Representing local, regional and national businesses and lending institutions in Kansas City and the Midwest since 1989.
(816) 221-1430
Real Estate Closings • Title Insurance Title Commitments 0 & E Reports • Document Retrieval
(816) 221-0881
1044 Main Street • Suite 900 • Kansas City, Missouri 64105 • www.mllfpc.com Chosen as one of the Chamber’s Top Ten Small Businesses in 2008 and 2009. 24 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Kansas City Internal Medicine
2010
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Athletic & Rehabilitation Center
Matthew Condon, CEO Year Established – 2003
Small Business of the Year, 2010
How has your company changed since you won the Award?
2010 TOP 10
Since winning the Award – we have experienced profound growth. Undoubtedly, the exposure and attention we received by winning this Award has played a significant role in that growth. This Award provided us with the confidence that we could grow our company without changing our commitment to excellence – another lesson learned from Mr. K!
• • • •
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? ARC’s success has been, and will always be, a reflection our people who tirelessly dedicate themselves to our mission. Mr. K always recognized that fact in his own company – and winning this Award confirmed that we too are a company defined by our people.
• • •
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Kansas City is a great place to start and grow a small business because of the people — people who effectively combine intelligence, integrity, and work ethic and genuinely want to help. It’s amazing to work in a city where so many business and community leaders freely offer their advice and assistance.
• •
Bishop-McCann ColorMark, Inc. Global Medical Direct Greenleaf Construction Co., Inc. Magic Touch Cleaning, Inc. P/Strada, LLC Straub Construction Company, Inc. The Purple Guys The Roasterie inc.
KANSAS CITY INTERNAL MEDICINE Now offering extended Weekday and Saturday hours at Menorah. Please call or check our website for details.
WE ARE
THE REGION’S MOST EXPERIENCED INTERNAL MEDICINE TEAM
• INTERNAL MEDICINE • ADULT URGENT CARE • VASCULAR STUDIES • STATE OF THE ART LABORATORY/RADIOLOGY • BONE DENSITY TESTING • ENDOCRINOLOGY/DIABETES MANAGEMENT • ACUPUNCTURE • NUTRITION COUNSELING • RHEUMATOLOGY • PODIATRY SERVICES • ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY • PROTIME CLINIC SERVICES Research Medical Center / Kansas City Office: 6420 Prospect, Ste. T101 - 816.363.4100 Menorah Medical Center / Overland Park Office: 12140 Nall Ave., Ste. 100 - 913.451.8500 St. Joseph/Carondelet Office: 1010 Carondelet, Ste. 224 - 816.943.0706 Lee’s Summit-Murray Road Office: 506 NW Murray Rd. - 816.525.4400 Lee’s Summit St. Luke’s East Office: 20 NE St. Luke’s Blvd., Ste. 350 - 816.524.5333 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 25
Magic Touch Cleaning, Magictouch, ARC, Athletic & Rehabilitation Center
SALUTING 25 YEARS OF SMALL BUSINESS
Athletic & Rehabilitation Center’s big impact has earned us Small Business of the Year in 2010, but more importantly, our big ideas have helped save big and small businesses millions of dollars through innovative healthy workforce programs. • • • • • •
Nine Physical and Occupational Therapy Clinics Post Offer Employment testing to ensure job candidates are physically capable of performing job duties Work Conditioning and Ergonomic Onsite services Functional Capacity Assessments Measurable Outcomes RedefineWellness.com — our award-winning online wellness, fitness and biometric tracking website
www.RedefineStrength.com www.RedefineWellness.com | www.arckc.com
26 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
MetroMedia
25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 27
Introducing The Chamber’s
2011 Top 10
Alexander Open Systems, Inc. (AOS) Mr. Gary Alexander Chairman, President & CEO AOS is the leading technology solutions provider in the Central Midwest specializing in wireless networks, unified communications, storage, virtualization and information security.
12851 Foster Street Overland Park, KS 66213 (913) 307-2300 www.aos5.com
Brookside Barkery & Bath Ms. Delena Stout President Brookside Barkery & Bath is a full and self-service dog bathing and grooming facility, as well as allnatural pet food store for dogs and cats.
118 W 63rd Street Kansas City, MO 64113 (816) 333-2275 www.barkerybath.com
Concrete & Masonry Restoration, Inc. Mr. William Thomas President Concrete & Masonry Restoration is an awardwinning commericial contractor specializing in remedial restoration of concrete and masonry structures.
3115 E. 12th Street Kansas City, MO 64127 (816) 920-5600 www.cmrestore.com
EMR, Inc. Ms. Connie Cook CEO/President From eight offices throughout the country, EMR provides professional services in four service lines: environmental, facilities and infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and emergency management and safety.
3200 Haskell Avenue Suite 140 Lawrence, KS 66046 (785) 842-9013 www.emr-inc.com
Gragg Advertising Mr. Greg Gragg CEO/Chairman
Gragg Advertising is a full-service, strategic advertising agency focused on data-driven results and direct-market responses. 28 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
450 E. 4th Street Suite 100 Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 931-0050 www.graggadv.com
Small Businesses James Engle Custom Homes Mr. James Engle Owner
P.O. Box 3300 Olathe, KS 66062 (816) 616-9788 www.jamesengle.com
James Engle Homes merges enduring design elements, superior artisanship, innovative technologies and the most sought after amenities to help their clients build their dream home.
McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips Mr. Phillip Sanders COO
10 E. Cambridge Cir. Drive Kansas City, KS 66103 (913) 371-3838 www.mvplaw.com
McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, founded in 1901, is a full service law firm that has maintained a focus on Family First across generations.
Mile Rail, LLC Mr. Benjamin Greenberg CEO
8116 Wilson Road Kansas City, MO 64125 (866) 614-8671 www.milerail.com
Mile Rail provides railcar cleaning and repair, environmental services and health and safety training to a diverse range of corporate clients and industries.
SFP, LLC Dr. Larry Sanders CEO
11550 Ash, Suite 220 Leawood, KS 66211 (913) 956-7557 www.sfp.com
SFP produces products, AVAIL and Nutrisphere-N, that can increase crop yields while reducing pollutants with more efficient use of phosphorous and nitrogen in fertilizers.
SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza Ms. Gail Lozoff Partner
4950 Main Street Kansas City, MO 64112 (816) 561-7746 www.spinpizza.com
SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza offers hand-tossed, stone-fired pizza, salad, sandwiches, wine and gelato in the Neapolitan tradition. 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 29
Greater Kansas City Chamber of CommerCe Tucker Trotter, Dimensional Innovations Aaron Zack, Sunlighten Photo by Bruce Mathews
When Sunlight Met A New Dimension Small business is widely recognized as the driving force behind the local economy, also representing 90 percent of Chamber membership. As participants in The Chamber’s Small Business Celebration, Aaron Zack of Sunlighten® and Tucker Trotter of Dimensional Innovations made a top notch connection as two of The Chamber’s Top 10 Small Businesses in 2008. Both Aaron and Tucker were looking to share new ideas on how to stay in step with the constant changes occurring in their respective industries. Soon after their initial meeting, Sunlighten contacted Dimensional Innovations to construct the company sign that now lives outside Sunlighten’s newly renovated office. “We established a friendship; now we meet monthly to talk about business. It’s great to have a friend who I can be open with,” said Aaron. In their regular meetings, the pair discuss new business developments and troubleshoot critical issues facing small business entrepreneurs. “It’s always great to get an outsider’s perspective on things and to have someone you can bounce your ideas off of,” added Tucker. For more information about how The Chamber For small businesses and big businesses and every can help you make company in between, The Chamber is the best place to valuable connections make your Top 10 connection! The connections start for your business, with Small Business nominations in October. Nominate and be nominated! Stay tuned to www.kcchamber.com call (816) 374-5479. or our new mobile app, KCChamber2Go, for details.
The Chamber. It Works. 30 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Intrust Bank
Plenty of banks are ready to work for you. Choose the one that works with you. [And shares a genuine interest in your success.]
If you’re looking for a trusted partner to help tackle the financial affairs of your business, look no further than INTRUST Bank. We have a wealth of banking services to handle your biggest needs – from commercial lending to merchant ser vices and much more. And we’ll work with you to make smart decisions that can help keep your business profitable. Visit intrustbank.com or call Stan Ricketts at 913-385-8238 to learn more. Member FDIC
Viracor IBT Laboratories
Congratulations to our fellow
Mr. K Award
winners... past, present & future!
Best wishes to all for continued success in modeling Ewing Kauffman’s business philosophy: • strong growth or sustainability • outstanding employee relations • and strong community service
2007 Small Business of the Year Recipient
25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
I Am Adventure. 1998 & 2010 Top 10
I Am Creative. 1995 Top 10
I Am A Team Player. 2004 Top 10
I Am . Giving op 10 2010 T
I Am Optimisti
I Am A Dreamer. 2007 Mr. K
c.
lways I Am A g. Learnin
2004 Mr.
K
op 10 2006 T
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
We Are Fearless. 2010 Mr. K
I Am Passionate. 1987 Small Business of the Year
We Are Persistent. 2005 Mr. K
I Am Resourceful. 2008 Top 10
I Am Focused
.
1999 M
r. K
I Am Collaborative. 2009 Mr. K
Nicholson Kovac
,WVHHPVOLNHMXVWDERXWHYHU\WKLQJKDV FKDQJHGLQWKHSDVW\HDUV Except our commitment toRelevant Ingenuity.
60
We’ve changed our name. Grown from 10,000 to 40,000 square feet. Even found ourselves recognized as B2B Advertising Agency of the Year by Advertising Age. But none of that’s gone to our heads. We’re still committed to finding relevant, ingenious marketing communication solutions for our clients. And in the process, becoming an indispensable partner in their businesses.
1987 Winner Small Business of the Year
Relevant IngenuitySM is the product of our proprietary planning process that is based on a series of state-of-the-art communications models that have proven to consistently deliver performance and ROI.
%URDGZD\.DQVDV&LW\02__ZZZQLFKROVRQNRYDFFRP 60
© 2011 Nicholson Kovac, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Relevant IngenuitySM is a registered service mark of Nicholson Kovac, Inc.
Relevant Ingenuity
Mazuma Credit Union
Table of Contents A History of Success:
4 The Life & Legacy of Mr. K ...................... 6 Small Businesses of the Year ................. 7 2011 Top 10 Small Businesses ............ 28 25 Years and Counting ..............................
30 West Pershing Road, Suite 301 Kansas City, MO 64108-2423 (816) 221-2424 phone (816) 221-7440 fax [email protected] www.kcchamber.com
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce has compiled this information and commentary through research to the best of our abilities. Any missing information or misinformation is unintentional.
This is a MetroMedia Publication. Copyright© 2011 MetroMedia, Inc. 4210 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Suite 314A, Fairway, KS 66205 (913) 951-8440, www.metromediapublishers.com
At Mazuma Credit Union, we celebrate small business. Small businesses form the foundation of our community. We congratulate the Kauffman Foundation and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce for supporting the Small Business Celebration for 25 years. The entrepreneurial spirit is represented in Mazuma’s Business Resources Team. They help small businesses succeed every day. We welcome you to stop by and talk shop with our team, to help you make the most of your small business plans.
www.mazumabusinesswise.org | 816-361-4194 | www.mazuma.org 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 3
25 Years...
and Counting!
T
he Chamber’s very first celebration of small business took place on May 14, 1987. It was held at the Constitution Convention Center at 5th and Minnesota in Kansas City, Kansas, and the Mistress of Ceremonies for the event was Kay Waldo, then president of Kay Waldo and Associates, Inc. (The former mayor provided consulting services in the area of human resource development.) The luncheon was called a “Salute to Small Business” and was the brainchild of The Chamber’s Small Business Council. Council members wanted to shine the spotlight on small business — which they described as the “engine” of the regional economy — and they wanted to honor the locally-owned and managed small business that best typified the spirit of entrepreneurship in Greater Kansas City. The Small Business of the Year Award went to NKHW and Blankenship Distributors in 1987. And a Chamber tradition was born. A lot has changed since 1987, but the basic premise has not: to celebrate the important role of small business and entrepreneurship in our region. The criteria set to determine the Small Business of the Year are essentially the same now as they were 25 years ago: • Growth of the business; • A history of good employee relations; and • Service to the community.
4 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
The size of the celebration has certainly changed: what started as a oneday luncheon has now morphed into an annual series of events held over the course of three months, beginning with the Candidates’ Showcase at the March Business After Hours, followed by the Small Business Celebration Breakfast, private receptions and get-togethers, and culminating in May with the announcement of the Small Business of the Year. The competition has certainly grown as well. That first year, only a handful of companies were nominated for the Small Business of the Year Award. This year, there were more than 1,500 nominations! In 1994, The Chamber unveiled its new “Mr. K Award” for the Small Business of the Year, honoring the late Ewing M. Kauffman, founder of Marion Laboratories and one of Kansas City’s most storied entrepreneurs. Kauffman had passed away the previous year. At the time, then-Chamber Chair Tom McDonnell (DST) said, “Ewing Kauffman blessed Kansas City with his entrepreneurial largess … and epitomized the criteria we use to determine our Small Business of the Year.” It’s been called the “Mr. K Award” ever since. Engraved on the back of the trophy is this inscription: “This award is named for Ewing M. Kauffman, an entrepreneur who started his own pharmaceutical company, introduced the championship Royals Major League Baseball team to Kansas City and founded one of the nation’s most innovative philanthropies … Mr. Kauffman attributed the success of these enterprises to leadership principles and philosophies that guided his professional relationships: first, that those who produce should share in the rewards; second, that we should treat others as we wish to be treated; and third, that we should give back to the community.”
Kauffman Foundation of Entrepreneurship
Ewing Kauffman started Marion Laboratories in the basement of his Kansas City home, and nurtured his small company and its employees to grow and be competitive on a global scale.
The Life & Legacy of
E
wing Marion Kauffman was born on a farm in Garden City, Missouri, in 1916. His family moved to Kansas City when he was a boy, and he called Kansas City home for the rest of his life. Following his service in the Navy during World War II, Ewing Kauffman began working as a salesman for a pharmaceutical company. In 1950, his innately entrepreneurial spirit led him to start his own pharmaceutical company in the basement of his home. He named his company Marion Laboratories Inc., using his middle name rather than his last name so his customers wouldn’t think he was running a one-man operation. In his first year in business, he had sales of $36,000 and a net profit of $1,000. When he sold his company to Merrell Dow in 1989, it had grown to become a global diversified health care giant with nearly $1 billion in sales and employing 3,400 associates.
6 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Mr. K
Mr. Kauffman brought more to Kansas City than an international business. By establishing the Kansas City Royals in 1968, he brought major league baseball back to his hometown, boosting civic pride and the city’s economy. He made the Royals a model sports franchise and built a spectacular stadium that the team named in his honor near the end of his life. With Mr. K as the team’s owner, the Royals developed young players who won six division titles, two American League pennants, and a World Series championship in 1985. Ewing Kauffman’s most enduring legacy to his community and the world is the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He established the Foundation with the same sense of opportunity he brought to his business endeavors, and, with the same convictions. Kauffman wanted his foundation to be innovative — to dig deep and get at the roots of issues to fundamentally change outcomes in people’s lives. He
wanted to help young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, get a quality education that would enable them to reach their full potential. He saw building enterprise as one of the most effective ways to realize individual promise and spur the economy. Ewing Kauffman lived life with a daring desire to shape the future and make others’ lives better. He remains a beloved figure, remembered for all that he brought to Kansas City and the nation, and for all that he gave. Today the mission of the Kauffman Foundation is guided by Ewing Kauffman’s belief that the American way of life thrives when our entrepreneurial spirit is unleashed. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the Mr. K Award each year to an outstanding small business that exemplifies the personal and professional philosophies of Ewing Kauffman.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
1987
Nicholson Kovac, Inc. Co-Winner, Small Business of the Year, 1987 Pete Kovac, CEO Year established – 1981
1987 CO-WINNER
Blankinship Distributors
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It was a huge morale booster for a young, growing company! It also provided a very strong third party vote of confidence for us as a business.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration?
Co-Winner, Small Business of the Year, 1987 G.L. Blankinship, Sr., Chairman G.L. Blankinship, Jr., President Year established – 1944
It was structured differently then, (no Top 10), and we almost didn’t go to the event because we thought we were a long shot!
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Always have a business plan, both short-term and long-term, and continually update it. Also make sure you stay true to your culture as you grow.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
‘88,‘89
Swagelok Kansas City (formerly Kansas City Valve & Fitting) Small Business of the Year, 1989 Bruce Pendleton, CEO Year established – 1962
How has your company changed since you won the Award? We have remained a niche supplier, but expanded our value proposition.
1988 Small Business of the Year
Cerner Neal Patterson, CEO Year established — 1979
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It helped us to remain focused on our values as we grew.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Live and promote quality and value your associates.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Diversified industries and the work ethic of the local resource pool. 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 7
Kansas City Valve & Fitting, Swagelok, Spin! Pizza
1990
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
PB&J Restaurants Small Business of the Year, 1990 Paul Khoury & Bill Crooks, Founders Year established – 1987
How has your company changed since you won the Award? We have expanded our restaurants and grown from 30 team members to 1300. We also expanded our operations to four states.
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It inspired us to keep growing with new innovative menus and concepts.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? To stay positive and not let anything hold you back.
8 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
“All of the money in the world cannot solve problems unless we work together. And, if we work together, there is no problem in the world that can stop us, as we seek to develop people to their highest and best potential.” —Ewing Kauffman
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Big Bob’s Flooring Outlets of America Small Business of the Year, 1991 David Elyachar, CEO Year established – 1983
How has your company changed since you won the Award? We have grown from a small, entrepreneur-based business to a national franchise of entrepreneurs in 25 states.
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It gave us tremendous credibility in the market and infused us with a confidence in not only our abilities but of our business model. The recognition and energy was a tremendous uplift and to this day the momentum is still felt in our organization and by our executive management team.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Find and build on the thing you do best, your core competencies. They alone are what give you the credibility and confidence to climb the mountain without fear.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Bagel & Bagel, Inc. Small Business of the Year, 1993 Gail Lozoff, CEO Year established – 1989 Sold to Boston Chicken in 1995
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It was great PR, of course, but most importantly our organization was very proud of our achievement.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? If you open a well-conceived business that operates well and serves a customer need, you don’t have to fight for attention. There are enough new ventures to make KC a vibrant place, but not so many that a good business can get lost.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Have confidence in what you know, but know what you don’t know. It’s a fine line. Be humble enough to be vigilant about learning new things.
‘91,‘92 OTR Express Small Business of the Year, 1992 William Ward, CEO Year established – 1985
“We think that our company is an example of the success that is still possible for a small business in America today.”* *Quote taken from company cover letter for the Chamber award, written by the company principals in 1992, as printed in the Kansas Citian newsletter: May 22, 1992
1993 1993 TOP 10 • Darling Envelope Corp. • Independent Telecommunications Network • Johnson Brickell Mulcahy & Associates • K.C. Masterpiece Restaurants • Manlo Inc. • Model Stone Midwest Inc. • Muller + Co. • Trabon Printing Co. • VPR Creative Group 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 9
1994
UMB, United Missouri Bank, CBIZ
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Phelps Tool & Die
1994 TOP 10 • • • • • • • • •
Small Business of the Year, 1994 Michael Phelps, CEO Year established – 1951
CARSTAR Automotive Inc. Country Club Bank Michael Forbes Restaurants Gilbert, Christopher & Associates Myron Green Enterprises Inc. LPG Services Group Inc. Mac-Hardware Inc. Mr. Goodcents Franchise Systems Inc. The Sterling Group
“What ultimately set our winner apart (from the Top 10) was the evidence that it was achieving industry recognition as one of the best in the world, and that’s not easy for a small business to do.” —Tom McDonnell, DST Systems, Chamber Chair, 1994
*quote taken from The Chamber’s Kansas Citian newsletter, May 20, 1994
8
1 2 3 4
5
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Your small business Banker Will provide guidance Every step of the way • • • • •
Checking and Online Banking Loans and Credit UMB Visa® Business Card Services Treasury Management Merchant Payment Services
PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE CHAMBER’S 2011 Small Business Celebration EMPLOYEE BENEFITS CBIZ WELLNESS SOLUTIONS HUMAN CAPITAL SERVICES EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROPERTY & CASUALTY PAYROLL
6
Small Business Banking
RETIREMENT PLAN SERVICES 7
10 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
FINANCIAL SERVICES
913.234.1000 www.cbizkc.com
Husch Blackwell
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Robert O’Byrne & Associates
1995 Robert O’Byrne, CEO Year established – 1964 Sold to CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services
Small Business of the Year, 1995
How has your company changed since you won the Award?
1995 TOP 10
Our success and growth over the years allowed us to become an integral part of a larger organization that was looking to add capabilities nationally similar to those we had developed.
• Ace Personnel • AmeriTel Pay Phone • Blackwell Sanders Matheny Weary & Lombardi L.C.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? When our company was named as the winner, our associates were thrilled. Bringing the award back to the office and celebrating with all of the employees was a wonderful part of our history. The legacy of Ewing Kauffman constantly reminds us to strive to be even better and stronger each year.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? The culture in our community is very relationship oriented and provides great opportunity to develop long term business relationships and business networks. The significant capital investments our community has made this an even better community to live and work.
(now Husch Blackwell)
• Carter Broadcast Group • InterConnect Devices • Medical Communications Software • Myron Green Food Service • River City Studio • U.S. Engineering
Our Insight. Your Advantage.
Making Mr. K Proud Husch Blackwell congratulates the 2011 Small Business of the Year and all of the Top 10 Small Business finalists. As a former Top 10 company, we recognize the importance of community and giving back, just as Mr. K taught. Many thanks to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce for encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit for the past 25 years. huschblackwell.com
4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112 816.983.8000 Husch Blackwell LLP
Arizona
Colorado
Illinois
Kansas
Missouri
Nebraska
Tennessee
Washington, D.C.
England
25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 11
1996
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Worth Harley-Davidson
1996 TOP 10
Small Business of the Year, 1996 Rick Worth, CEO Year established – 1978
• All Points Inc. • American Compressed Steel Company (now Advantage Metals Recycling)
• Carter Broadcast Group • Empower Trainers & Consultants • Haake Insurance Agency • Midway Ford Truck Center • Professional Resources • Trabon Printing Company
1997
How has your business changed since you won the Award? Ray and Beverly Worth owned the business when we won the Award. Rick and Treva Worth purchased it in 1999.
What advice would you give to other small businesses? Stay focused on what you do best.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Kansas City maintains a steady economy and a predictable customer base, less likely to follow short-term fads and trends.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Gould Evans Associates Small Business of the Year, 1997 Robert Gould, Principal Year established – 1974
1997 TOP 10 • • • • • •
Accomodations by Apple Arthur Clark Holding Inc. Boulevard Brewing Co. Courtney Day Inc. DARCA Inc. Data Systems International (DSI) • Galvmet Inc. • Hermes Landscaping • The Corridor Group 12 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? I remember feeling stunned when they called our name. The firms we were competing against that year were phenomenal, well-known and very successful. I think for many we came out of nowhere. It’s a real tribute to what The Chamber has done through this Award’s program. They really bring recognition to otherwise unknown or publicized businesses.
What advice would you share with other small businesses? Remain diversified in the clients/markets you serve. Our firm was established during the recession of 1974, and endured the recessions of the ‘80s, ‘90s and the beginning of 2000s; what got us through that time and what is getting us through now is our diverse portfolio. If business from one area slows, we can rely on our work in other areas to keep us thriving.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Kansas City offers a strong environment for entrepreneurs; not only through the support provided by a host of local organization/foundations, but also because the cost of living and cost of doing business is so low compared to the national average.
Midway Ford Truck Center, 360 Architecture, Threesixty Architecture
1998
Thank you to The Chamber’s 2011 Small Business Celebration sponsors! Small Business Celebration Presenting Sponsor
Marketing Associates International
Small Business Celebration Media Sponsors
Small Business of the Year, 1998 Mitch Wheeler, CEO • Sold to VML in 2004
Awards Dinner Presenting Sponsor
1998 TOP 10 • • • • • • • •
Awards Dinner Premier Sponsors
Awards Dinner Cooperating Sponsor Straub Construction Company
1961
2011
Serving the Kansas City area for 50 years
Truck Sales Service Parts Body Shop
Kansas City’s only Employee-owned Ford truck dealership
CDFM2 Architecture Inc. Custom Engineering Inc. Kissick Construction Company SKC Communication Products Inc. Southmoreland on the Plaza Spaces Inc. The Roasterie Warehouse 1
COLLABORATION THAT RUNS DEEP ARCHITECTURE THAT INSPIRES FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, WE’VE BEEN PROUD TO SERVE AS KANSAS CITY’S DESIGN PARTNER
Proud to be one of the 1996 Top Ten Small Businesses of the Year! 7601 NE 38th St | Kansas City, MO 64161 816-455-3000 www.midwaytrucks.com
360architects.com
25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 13
1999
Missouri Bank
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Missouri Bank Small Business of the Year, 1999 Grant Burcham, CEO Year established – 1891
1999 TOP 10 • A. Zahner Company • Best Computer Consultants Inc. • Hereford House • LaserCycle Inc. (now InkCycle) • Old World Spices & Seasonings Inc. • Peripheral Vision InfoSystems Inc. • Waller Truck Company Inc. • Western Blue Print Company
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? Huge. We gained tremendous brand awareness.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? I recall sitting next to a Top 10 tech guy whose business had grown dramatically. I thought, “He is the winner, we can’t compete with that.” Needless to say he didn’t win! Also the sheer shock and surprise of hearing our name called as the winner. What a day!
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Our entrepreneurs are so well connected to each other through The Chamber, Helzberg Mentoring and Kauffman. Also, Kansas City’s entrepreneurs are extremely generous with their time and advice. We stick together!
There’s nothing small about 25 years of small business recognition. Congratulations to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce on 25 years of Mr. K Award winners and nominees – including 26 mobank small business customers.
mobank.com Crossroads. Downtown. Prairie Village. Brookside.
14 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Carter Broadcast Group
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
2000
SKC Communication Products, LLC Small Business of the Year, 2000 Tray Vedock, CEO Year Established – 1986
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It reaffirmed to us that we were making good business decisions and developing programs that would enable us to scale and grow our operations. The local media and press coverage was great and helped us meet several new clients and prospects. Our employees were very proud of the award, and we saw an immediate increase in the quantity and quality of applicants for new positions. Our Mr. K Award is still proudly displayed in our executive boardroom.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? It was surreal to hear our name announced at the luncheon as the winner. We had been named to the Top 10 two years prior, and we were thrilled to be named the 2000 award recipient. Our employees met a lot of great people throughout the nomination and celebration events.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Make smart business decisions based on sound financial principles. Utilize community resources, such as The Chamber, to learn from other business leaders. Recruit and retain good talent who can bring energy, ideas and success to your business.
2000 TOP 10 • • • • • • • •
All Pro Construction bijin salon & day spa Carter Broadcast Group FirstGuard Health Plan FishNet Security LaserCycle Inc. (now InkCycle) PAYDATA The Management Network Group (now TMNG Global) • The Sunflower Group
THANK YOU to The Chamber’s Small Business Celebration 25th Anniversary Committee: Phil Thomas, A.L. Huber general contractor Matthew Condon, Athletic & Rehabilitation Center Kevin O’Rourke, Athletic & Rehabilitation Center Flip Short, EmotivDNA Thomas Fritzlen, Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen, P.C. Sheree Johnson, Nicholson Kovac, Inc. Michael Fuhrman, Schutte Lumber Company Robbin Reynolds, Sound Products, Inc. Ernie Straub, Straub Construction Company, Inc. Aaron and Connie Zack, Sunlighten Bruce Pendleton, Swagelok Kansas City Teri Rogers, T2 + Back Alley Films Danny O’Neill, The Roasterie, inc. Pasquale Trozzolo, Trozzolo Communications Group 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 15
2001 2001 TOP 10 • • • • • •
bijin salon & day spa ETC Institute FirstGuard Health Plan FishNet Security Passport Travel Schroer Manufacturing Company • TradeNet Publishing Inc. • Trozzolo Creative Resources Inc. (now Trozzolo Communications Group)
• VML Inc.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR CommuniTech.net Small Business of the Year, 2001 Gabriel Murphy, CEO Year Established – 1997 Sold to Atlanta-based Interland Inc. in 2002
“I’m a big proponent of small businesses. I work with small businesses because they’re easy to work with, you can get answers quick and results fast. I believe that small businesses like ours have an advantage over bigger guys because our time to market is so much faster.”* *Gabriel Murphy quote taken from Greater Kansas City Business magazine, June 2002
2002 2002 TOP 10 • C K Enterprises • Countryside Maintenance and Management Services, Inc. • DATACORE Marketing • J.M. Neil & Associates • Jahnke & Sons Construction Inc. • Mid America Fittings • National Cable Television Cooperative • PAYDATA • Right Management Consultants 16 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Strickland Construction Company Inc. Small Business of the Year, 2002 Rogers Strickland, CEO Year Established – 1980
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It made our customers and associates aware of our values and efforts to give back.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? How moved individuals were by the stories of building churches and schools around the world.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? It’s not about money or prestige, it’s about the people we serve.
Trozzolo Communications Group
HERE’S TO SMALL BUSINESS HEAVYWEIGHTS.
On this, the 25th year of the Small Business Celebration, we again honor Kansas City’s best and brightest. The small businesses who do more with less. Who work hard, fight harder and always get up when they’re knocked down. We’re honored to be recognized in your class. Advertising | Branding | Public Relations
trozzolo.com
2003
Riverside RedX
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR DATACORE Marketing Small Business of the Year, 2003 Jeff Yowell, CEO Year Established – 1992
2003 TOP 10 • Adams-Gabbert & Associates, Inc. • HRS Erase, Inc. • Kross Office Outfitters, Inc. • Larkin Group, Inc. • Punch Software LLC • Riverside Red-X • RxCCI (Regulatory/Clinical Consultants, Inc.) • S&M NuTec, LLC • Top Innovations, Inc.
How has your company changed since you won the Award? We have doubled in size, expanded our capabilities greatly and secured engagements with even more Fortune 500 businesses.
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? Winning the Award had a tremendous positive impact on employee morale and confidence that carried on for quite some time. I believe that the Award represented a type of professional confirmation of our company, business model and employees.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Make sure that you get involved in efforts that involve and engage your employee base. Having an employee base that is excited, proud of where they work, passionate and confident will yield incredible business success.
RIVERSIDE
Providing quality service, competitive pricing and a unique shopping experience for our valued customers.
Serving Kansas City for 63 years DEPARTMENTS: • GROCERY • LIQUOR • DELI • $0.99 SHOP • VALUE DEPARTMENT • HARDWARE • EDUCATIONAL TOYS & CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS • DICKIE’S CLOTHING
816.741.3377 2401 N.W. Platte Road • Riverside, MO • www.riversideredx.com 18 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Larkin Group, Inc., DuraComm, Top Innovations, Lee Research Institute, Eliton Former Top 10 Small Businesses and Mr. K winners have worked together to develop the Top 10 of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund with the goal of giving back to the community by identifying and recognizing the “Future Top 10” – students who exemplify Ewing Kauffman’s principles and the spirit of entrepreneurship.
Larkin Group, Inc. Dependable People Providing Reliable Solutions.
Since the start of the program in 2009, more than thirty $1,000 scholarships have been awarded to students in Kansas and Missouri. To make a contribution to help the Top 10 of Tomorrow, call (816) 374-5443. Thanks to the following companies for their contributions to the scholarship fund in 2011: Athletic & Rehabilitation Center Bishop-McCann Brookside Barkery & Bath CBIZ ECCO Select Corporation EMR, Inc. Global Medical Direct INTRUST Bank Kansas City Internal Medicine
Magic Touch Cleaning Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen Nicholson Kovac Signature DNA Straub Construction Sunlighten The Purple Guys The Roasterie TK Architects
Larkin Group would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 2011 Small Business of the Year. Larkin Group was recognized in 2003 by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as a top 10 small business. Larkin Group, Inc. is a multi-disciplined engineering firm dedicated to providing quality civil engineering services to cities throughout the Midwest. Core markets include drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, streets and aquatics.
9200 Ward Parkway, Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 64114-3350 Phone: (816) 361-0440 Fax: (816) 361-0045 www.larkin-grp.com
Benny Lee and his family of companies CONGRATULATE The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as it marks 25 Years of the SMALL BUSINESS CELEBRATION. TOP INNOVATIONS was a Top 10 Small Business in 2003. Since that time (and the subsequent sale, in 2008, to VORNADO, Inc.), the family of Benny Lee Companies has continued to grow and now includes: DuraComm Corporation, including DuraComm Power Supplies, DuraComm Lighting, Lee Research Institute, and Eliton Cello.
Benny has continued to work with the Chamber and serves on its Board of Directors as well as Chairs the Advising Board of FUTURALLIA KC 2011 – the largest Chamber Event of the Year. Benny’s civic and community involvement extends to the following organizations: Asian-American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City – President Park University – Trustee Sister City Association of Kansas City – Advisory Board Member FBI Citizen Academy – Board Member Chamber’s World Trade Center – Advisory Board Member International Relations Council – Board Member UMKC – Entrepreneur In Residence at the Bloch School of Management’s Institute of Entreprenuership and Innovation 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 19
2004
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR InkCycle
2004 TOP 10 • Axiom HR Solutions • Best Harvest Bakeries • Grubb & Ellis/The Winbury Group • Helix/Architecture + Design • JMA Information Technology Inc. • RxCCI (Regulatory/Clinical Consultants, Inc.) • S&M NuTec, LLC • UPAC Insurance Finance • WingGate Travel/American Express
2005
Small Business of the Year, 2004 Rick Krska, CEO • Year Established – 1992
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? Without question, the honor of being recognized by The Chamber’s Award has brought increased local interest in our business activities. Recognition of this type brings new interest in your company ranging from potential investors to media to new customers to suppliers… it really impacts every bit of your business.
What advice would you give to other small business owners? In today’s world, where most products and even services are viewed as commodities, the best way to differentiate yourself is still the same – treat people the way you want to be treated. If you do, you probably won’t have much competition.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? I can’t imagine a better place to have started the company than in Kansas City. There is such a sense of entrepreneurial spirit that translates into opportunities for new small businesses to be mentored and supported by other local companies and entrepreneurial organizations.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
S&M NuTec, LLC
Joe & Judy Roetheli, Founders Year Established – 1996 Sold to MARS in 2006
Small Business of the Year, 2005
2005 TOP 10
How has your company changed since you won the Award?
• Anthem Media Group • Canterbury Preparatory School • Hoefer Wysocki Architects • MarketSphere Consulting • McCownGordon Construction, LLC • RCA Group • TakeTwo (now T2 + Back Alley Films) • Treat America • UPAC Insurance Finance
We sold and started new companies.
20 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? It offered an opportunity to get to know a number of other really great young companies, many of which were not well known before the Small Business Celebration.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Use this opportunity to invigorate and inspire your employees—your greatest asset.
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Kansas City is one of the most entrepreneurial cities in America if not the best. Great mentoring.
Hoefer Wysocki Architects
2006
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Hoefer Wysocki Architects
2006 TOP 10 • • • • • • •
Axcet HR Solutions Bennett Packaging of K.C. Inc. Canterbury Schools First Community Bank Gail’s Harley-Davidson Market Directions, Inc. McCownGordon Construction, LLC • Schutte Lumber Company • TK Architects, Inc.
Small Business of the Year, 2006 Mitch Hoefer, Principal • Year Established – 1996
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? Winning the Award in 2006 was a significant benchmark and fantastic validation of our efforts. It showed us that we were in a fantastic position for the next 10 years and beyond. The support The Chamber gave us helped us gain recognition for the work we had been doing and showcased our work to potential clients.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? “It’s a Jungle Out There” was the theme of our entry, and that seems even more appropriate today. The whole staff took part in turning our office into a jungle with vines, stuffed animals and pith helmets. Even our clients got in the act. It was a blast.
What advice would you share with other small business owners?
2007
Focus on your employees, your culture and your personal relationships with your clients and community. The business growth will follow.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
ViraCor-IBT Laboratories, Inc. 2007 TOP 10 • • • • • • • • •
Bennett Packaging of K.C. Inc. First Community Bank Pro Circuit, Inc. Seagull Environmental Technologies, Inc. SoftVu, LLC Straub Construction Company, Inc. Sunlight Saunas (now Sunlighten Inc.) Two West, Inc. Weyforth-Haas Marketing, Inc. (now BKV)
22 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Small Business of the Year, 2007 Phillip Short, CEO Year Established – 2000
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? When we first won the award it was great because we could use it to hire people from outside of K.C. It also was used to promote growth in the company and used to celebrate our success all of the time. The award was the first thing you saw when you walked into the company every day.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? Yes, I told our company that if the judges actually vote based on the four criteria that they provided in the beginning, that there was no way we could lose. Thanks a million for making that happen. You are all the best!
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Midwest values. Be honest and sincere, try and help others including all your associates and vendors. K.C. is a place where you can do that. I am not suggesting that it can’t be done anywhere, but we are known for our midwest values, and it helps tremendously.
Schutte Lumber Co., Cramer Products
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
2008
Sunlighten Inc. Small Business of the Year, 2008 Aaron & Connie Zack, Founders Year Established – 1999
2008 TOP 10
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? It has helped confirm that we are on the right path and further supports our initiatives and vision for the company.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? We value the relationships that we were able to establish with the other Top 10 finalists. We especially enjoyed giving back to the Top 10 of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund and interviewing future small business leaders.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Become involved in Chamber and other community service events. Developing a successful business is more than working on the business day in and day out. Follow your gut instinct and continue to innovate. Finally, surround yourself with people who believe in you and your vision.
• Bartunek Technology Group, Inc. • Cramer Products, Inc. • Dimensional Innovations • ECCO Select Corporation • Handmark • Kansas City Internal Medicine • Liquid 9 • Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen, P.C. • Redemption Plus
Proud to be chosen as one of the top ten Small Businesses in 2006. Founded in 1880, Schutte Lumber enjoys a rich history in the Kansas City area. It is our mission to grow the tradition of providing superior quality products.
Proud to be chosen as one of the top ten small businesses in 2008. (816) 753-6262
Cramer Products: an industry leader in sports medicine & athletic training room supplies for over 90 years.
3001 Southwest Blvd • Kansas City, MO 64108 www.SchutteLumber.com
cramersportsmed.com 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 23
2009
Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen P.C.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Kansas City Internal Medicine Small Business of the Year, 2009 Lori Mallory, CEO Year Established – 1980
2009 TOP 10 • A.L. Huber general contractor • Athletic & Rehabilitation Center • Canterbury Schools • ColorMark, Inc. • EMR, Inc. • HiSonic, Inc. • Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen, P.C. • Sound Products, Inc. • Worldwide Clinical Research, Inc. (now Clinipace Worldwide)
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? I believe this Award broadened our brand in the community. The community rallies around successful businesses and this Award highlighted that. As important, this Award increased employee morale and established in their minds a strong respect for the company they work for.
Do you have a memory to share from your time participating in the Small Business Celebration? Probably the best memory is the creation of the Top 10 of Tomorrow Scholarship program. It demonstrates well the power of a few minds collaborating for a better way to impact our world.
What advice would you share with other small business owners? Definitely get involved with The Chamber. As with everything in life, what you get out is what you put in, but if you put in, you will get benefited far greater. The opportunities for leadership advancement, collaboration and creative partnerships are countless.
Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen P.C.
MoKan Title Services, LLC Full Service Title Company • Licensed in MO & KS Representing local, regional and national businesses and lending institutions in Kansas City and the Midwest since 1989.
(816) 221-1430
Real Estate Closings • Title Insurance Title Commitments 0 & E Reports • Document Retrieval
(816) 221-0881
1044 Main Street • Suite 900 • Kansas City, Missouri 64105 • www.mllfpc.com Chosen as one of the Chamber’s Top Ten Small Businesses in 2008 and 2009. 24 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Kansas City Internal Medicine
2010
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Athletic & Rehabilitation Center
Matthew Condon, CEO Year Established – 2003
Small Business of the Year, 2010
How has your company changed since you won the Award?
2010 TOP 10
Since winning the Award – we have experienced profound growth. Undoubtedly, the exposure and attention we received by winning this Award has played a significant role in that growth. This Award provided us with the confidence that we could grow our company without changing our commitment to excellence – another lesson learned from Mr. K!
• • • •
What impact did winning the Award have on your business? ARC’s success has been, and will always be, a reflection our people who tirelessly dedicate themselves to our mission. Mr. K always recognized that fact in his own company – and winning this Award confirmed that we too are a company defined by our people.
• • •
What makes Kansas City a great place to start and grow a business? Kansas City is a great place to start and grow a small business because of the people — people who effectively combine intelligence, integrity, and work ethic and genuinely want to help. It’s amazing to work in a city where so many business and community leaders freely offer their advice and assistance.
• •
Bishop-McCann ColorMark, Inc. Global Medical Direct Greenleaf Construction Co., Inc. Magic Touch Cleaning, Inc. P/Strada, LLC Straub Construction Company, Inc. The Purple Guys The Roasterie inc.
KANSAS CITY INTERNAL MEDICINE Now offering extended Weekday and Saturday hours at Menorah. Please call or check our website for details.
WE ARE
THE REGION’S MOST EXPERIENCED INTERNAL MEDICINE TEAM
• INTERNAL MEDICINE • ADULT URGENT CARE • VASCULAR STUDIES • STATE OF THE ART LABORATORY/RADIOLOGY • BONE DENSITY TESTING • ENDOCRINOLOGY/DIABETES MANAGEMENT • ACUPUNCTURE • NUTRITION COUNSELING • RHEUMATOLOGY • PODIATRY SERVICES • ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY • PROTIME CLINIC SERVICES Research Medical Center / Kansas City Office: 6420 Prospect, Ste. T101 - 816.363.4100 Menorah Medical Center / Overland Park Office: 12140 Nall Ave., Ste. 100 - 913.451.8500 St. Joseph/Carondelet Office: 1010 Carondelet, Ste. 224 - 816.943.0706 Lee’s Summit-Murray Road Office: 506 NW Murray Rd. - 816.525.4400 Lee’s Summit St. Luke’s East Office: 20 NE St. Luke’s Blvd., Ste. 350 - 816.524.5333 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 25
Magic Touch Cleaning, Magictouch, ARC, Athletic & Rehabilitation Center
SALUTING 25 YEARS OF SMALL BUSINESS
Athletic & Rehabilitation Center’s big impact has earned us Small Business of the Year in 2010, but more importantly, our big ideas have helped save big and small businesses millions of dollars through innovative healthy workforce programs. • • • • • •
Nine Physical and Occupational Therapy Clinics Post Offer Employment testing to ensure job candidates are physically capable of performing job duties Work Conditioning and Ergonomic Onsite services Functional Capacity Assessments Measurable Outcomes RedefineWellness.com — our award-winning online wellness, fitness and biometric tracking website
www.RedefineStrength.com www.RedefineWellness.com | www.arckc.com
26 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
MetroMedia
25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 27
Introducing The Chamber’s
2011 Top 10
Alexander Open Systems, Inc. (AOS) Mr. Gary Alexander Chairman, President & CEO AOS is the leading technology solutions provider in the Central Midwest specializing in wireless networks, unified communications, storage, virtualization and information security.
12851 Foster Street Overland Park, KS 66213 (913) 307-2300 www.aos5.com
Brookside Barkery & Bath Ms. Delena Stout President Brookside Barkery & Bath is a full and self-service dog bathing and grooming facility, as well as allnatural pet food store for dogs and cats.
118 W 63rd Street Kansas City, MO 64113 (816) 333-2275 www.barkerybath.com
Concrete & Masonry Restoration, Inc. Mr. William Thomas President Concrete & Masonry Restoration is an awardwinning commericial contractor specializing in remedial restoration of concrete and masonry structures.
3115 E. 12th Street Kansas City, MO 64127 (816) 920-5600 www.cmrestore.com
EMR, Inc. Ms. Connie Cook CEO/President From eight offices throughout the country, EMR provides professional services in four service lines: environmental, facilities and infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and emergency management and safety.
3200 Haskell Avenue Suite 140 Lawrence, KS 66046 (785) 842-9013 www.emr-inc.com
Gragg Advertising Mr. Greg Gragg CEO/Chairman
Gragg Advertising is a full-service, strategic advertising agency focused on data-driven results and direct-market responses. 28 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
450 E. 4th Street Suite 100 Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 931-0050 www.graggadv.com
Small Businesses James Engle Custom Homes Mr. James Engle Owner
P.O. Box 3300 Olathe, KS 66062 (816) 616-9788 www.jamesengle.com
James Engle Homes merges enduring design elements, superior artisanship, innovative technologies and the most sought after amenities to help their clients build their dream home.
McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips Mr. Phillip Sanders COO
10 E. Cambridge Cir. Drive Kansas City, KS 66103 (913) 371-3838 www.mvplaw.com
McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, founded in 1901, is a full service law firm that has maintained a focus on Family First across generations.
Mile Rail, LLC Mr. Benjamin Greenberg CEO
8116 Wilson Road Kansas City, MO 64125 (866) 614-8671 www.milerail.com
Mile Rail provides railcar cleaning and repair, environmental services and health and safety training to a diverse range of corporate clients and industries.
SFP, LLC Dr. Larry Sanders CEO
11550 Ash, Suite 220 Leawood, KS 66211 (913) 956-7557 www.sfp.com
SFP produces products, AVAIL and Nutrisphere-N, that can increase crop yields while reducing pollutants with more efficient use of phosphorous and nitrogen in fertilizers.
SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza Ms. Gail Lozoff Partner
4950 Main Street Kansas City, MO 64112 (816) 561-7746 www.spinpizza.com
SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza offers hand-tossed, stone-fired pizza, salad, sandwiches, wine and gelato in the Neapolitan tradition. 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration • 29
Greater Kansas City Chamber of CommerCe Tucker Trotter, Dimensional Innovations Aaron Zack, Sunlighten Photo by Bruce Mathews
When Sunlight Met A New Dimension Small business is widely recognized as the driving force behind the local economy, also representing 90 percent of Chamber membership. As participants in The Chamber’s Small Business Celebration, Aaron Zack of Sunlighten® and Tucker Trotter of Dimensional Innovations made a top notch connection as two of The Chamber’s Top 10 Small Businesses in 2008. Both Aaron and Tucker were looking to share new ideas on how to stay in step with the constant changes occurring in their respective industries. Soon after their initial meeting, Sunlighten contacted Dimensional Innovations to construct the company sign that now lives outside Sunlighten’s newly renovated office. “We established a friendship; now we meet monthly to talk about business. It’s great to have a friend who I can be open with,” said Aaron. In their regular meetings, the pair discuss new business developments and troubleshoot critical issues facing small business entrepreneurs. “It’s always great to get an outsider’s perspective on things and to have someone you can bounce your ideas off of,” added Tucker. For more information about how The Chamber For small businesses and big businesses and every can help you make company in between, The Chamber is the best place to valuable connections make your Top 10 connection! The connections start for your business, with Small Business nominations in October. Nominate and be nominated! Stay tuned to www.kcchamber.com call (816) 374-5479. or our new mobile app, KCChamber2Go, for details.
The Chamber. It Works. 30 • 25th Anniversary Small Business Celebration
Intrust Bank
Plenty of banks are ready to work for you. Choose the one that works with you. [And shares a genuine interest in your success.]
If you’re looking for a trusted partner to help tackle the financial affairs of your business, look no further than INTRUST Bank. We have a wealth of banking services to handle your biggest needs – from commercial lending to merchant ser vices and much more. And we’ll work with you to make smart decisions that can help keep your business profitable. Visit intrustbank.com or call Stan Ricketts at 913-385-8238 to learn more. Member FDIC
Viracor IBT Laboratories
Congratulations to our fellow
Mr. K Award
winners... past, present & future!
Best wishes to all for continued success in modeling Ewing Kauffman’s business philosophy: • strong growth or sustainability • outstanding employee relations • and strong community service
2007 Small Business of the Year Recipient
