Veteran dealer prepared for Chrysler crisis
Transcription
Veteran dealer prepared for Chrysler crisis
Volume 15 Issue 23 June 13, 2009 www.columbiabusinesstimes.com PHOTOS BY JENNIFER KETTLER Local automotive market in turmoil By David Reed Car and truck sales at Columbia’s dealerships plummeted in the irst quarter of this year. The 11 dealerships sold less than 4,000 new and used vehicles, according to Missouri Department of Revenue data, about 40 percent less than the irst three months of 2008. And that was before Chrysler and General Motors declared bankruptcy, Larry Estes lost his Dodge franchise, Pontiac announced it will end production and Lou Fusz was faced with the sale of Saturn. Nevertheless, like most car salesmen, Gary Drewing is relentlessly optimistic. “I think we always approach things from a positive aspect,” said Drewing, who owns the city’s four Joe Machens dealerships. CBT’s dealership rankings and vehicle ownership data inside “There are a lot of people struggling out there,” he said, particularly those who have lost jobs during this severe recession. The Chrysler and GM turmoil, Drewing said, “is just a tough deal right now. They may never recover the market share they’ve lost." But then he added, “It opens up opportunities for other brands out there.” Drewing’s dealerships also had declining sales in 2008 and in the irst quarter. But he is going ahead with expansion plans. (continued on Page 15) 5 6 19 General Assembly Boone County legislative delegation gets along for a change Business Proile: The Insurance Group Longevity helps company understand Columbia commerce New Business Update Belle, a women's clothing store downtown, is one of many recent local business additions 1 $ 50 Dodge City Motors owner Larry Estes, right, and General Manager George Madison. Estes lost the Dodge franchise but will keep selling Hyundai cars. Veteran dealer prepared for Chrysler crisis By Mina Mineva After moving from Moberly decades ago and going to work for Joe Machens Ford, Larry Estes was driven by the dream of owning a car dealership. In the spring of 1986, Estes opened Dodge City Motors on a 10-acre site between Vandiver Drive and Interstate 70 in northeast Columbia and saw his vision become real: lines of new cars and trucks glistening in the sun and relecting their images in the windows of a dealership lanked by towering Dodge signs with the distinctive red ram’s head logo. “My family wasn’t in the car business; nothing was given to me,” Estes said from behind a huge wooden desk in his dealership ofice. “I had to work for it.” Estes moved up from a salesman to general sales manager at Machens Ford and went on to run University Chrysler. He purchased that dealership, and two years later he split it, opening Dodge City. But his relationship with Chrysler was troublesome from the beginning, and after quickly selling University Chrysler he diversiied by adding a Hyundai dealership 14 years ago on the same lot with Dodge. (continued on Page 14) SPECIAL SECTION Automotive See Page 12 Permit #353 Columbia, MO PAID PRST STD U.S. Postage 2 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com 11 17 State of the City Bill Watkins explains Columbia's budget dilemma Tech Sessions Jonathan takes a Smart car for a test drive Acorn Books ................................................. 10 Albert Buick Honda GMC ............................. 13 Belle.............................................................. 19 Bob McCosh Chevrolet ........................... 12,13 Booche's ........................................................ 9 Boone County Family Resources ................. 10 Carpe Diem .................................................. 18 CC's City Boiler .............................................. 9 Central Missouri Humane Society ................ 10 Columbia Hyundai/Dodge City Motors ........................................... 1,12,13 Columbia Missourian.................................... 10 Ellis Fischel Cancer Center ............................ 5 Elly's Couture ............................................... 19 Envy .............................................................. 19 Head Motor Company Kia Motor Dealer............................................ 12,13 Joe Machens Automotive Group.................. 12 Joe Machens BMW ...................................... 12 Joe Machens Ford-Lincoln Mercury ....... 12,17 Joe Machens Toyota-Scion .......................... 12 Jones and Watkins, LLC................................. 9 Lakota Café .................................................. 10 Lou Fusz Saturn of Columbia ....................... 13 Mid-Missouri Mental Health Center ............... 5 Missouri Department of Natural Resources ....................................... 21 Missouri Department of Revenue ............ 12,13 Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority ..... 5 Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts ............ 10 Optimus Health Care, Inc. .............................. 7 Perry Nissan ................................................. 13 Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business .... 9 Swank ........................................................... 19 The Gillette Company ..................................... 9 The Insurance Group, Inc. ........................... 6,7 University Chrysler Center Chrysler Jeep Subaru .............................. 13,15 Beckett & Taylor Agency ............................. 23 Boone County National Bank ...................... 24 Children's Hospital - University of MO .......... 4 City of Columbia Rolloff & Commercial Waste Services.......................... 3 City of Columbia Water & Light ..................... 6 Columbia Regional Airport .......................... 16 Delta Systems ............................................. 15 General Printing .................................... Inserts Huber and Associates ................................... 5 Jacobs & Kemper Auction and Realty Co. .. 14 Landmark Bank ............................................. 2 Moresource ................................................. 18 Rickman Center ........................................... 14 Sandler Training ........................................... 21 Shelter Ofice Plaza ..................................... 19 Socket Internet ............................................ 22 Tech 2 ............................................................ 7 Triangle Blueprints ......................................... 3 UMB .............................................................. 8 UMB TITAN Awards / 20 Under 40............... 20 United Country Missouri Land and Home ... 16 Visionworks ..................................... 14, 16, 17 Willie Smith's Magic Services ....................... 3 3 June 2009 15 City Council Meeting 7 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building, 701 E. Broadway The council, according to a preliminary agenda, plans to hold a public hearing on the voluntary annexation of property located on the east side of Rolling Hills Road extension, approximately one mile north of Route WW and establish R-1 zoning. The council also will consider approval of the Farmers Market development plan and the Warren Funeral Chapel development plan. 18 Chamber of Commerce Member Roundtable Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Walton Building, 300 S. Providence Road The event provides information about the opportunities and beneits accrued through chamber membership. How to Control Cash Flow 6 to 9 p.m., Osher Lifelong Learning Center Training Room 1, Room 129, 3215B Lemone Industrial Blvd This class for business owners and others who need to know how to turn inancial statements into useful management documents costs $89, and registration is required. Contact the University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for more information, 882-7096. Reception for Stephens College President 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Walton Building This Chamber of Commerce event welcomes new Stephens College President Dianne Lynch to Columbia. The event is free, but the chamber requests that you register online at columbiamochamber.com. Building Construction Codes Commission Meeting 4:30 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building 23 Emerging Professionals In Columbia (EPIC): Civility Luncheon 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Walton Building The EPIC group’s Lunching Outside the Box series continues with “Mastering the Fine Art of Civility,” presented by Melanie McClain Brown, owner and director of Protocol Consulting of Columbia. The cost is $13 at the door; contact Emily Poore at 817-9115 or epoore@columbiamochamber.com for more information. Columbia Vision Commission Meeting 4 to 6 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building Environment and Energy Commission Meeting 7 p.m. Daniel Boone City Building 24 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting 7 p.m. at the ARC Columbia Vision Commission Meeting 5:30 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building Community Development Commission Meeting 7 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting 7 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building 19 25 Chamber of Commerce Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Walton Building Women’s Network ATHENA Awards Banquet 5 to 8 p.m. at the University Club, University of Missouri campus The 2nd annual ATHENA Young Professional Award and ATHENA Award will be presented at the event, which costs $28. For more information, contact Liz Glockoff, 874-1132, lglockhoff@columbiamochamber.com. 22 Columbia Business Times Power Lunch Noon to 1:30 p.m. Tiger Hotel Guests will discuss the importance of arts funding during tough economic times. (573) 499-1830 | (573) 499-1831 fax editor@businesstimescompany.com Chris Harrison | General Manager | Ext.1010 David Reed | Group Editor | Ext.1013 Cody Moore | Graphic Designer Alisha Moreland | Graphic Designer Betsy Bell | Creative Marketing Director Jennifer Kettler | Photo Editor | 573-529-1789 Cindy Sheridan | Operations Manager Becky Beul | Marketing Representative Joe Schmitter | Marketing Representative Writers in this issue: Mina Mineva, Jason Rosenbaum, Jonathan Sessions, Sean Spence Columnists in this issue: Al Germond, Mike Martin, Bill Watkins The Columbia Business Times is published every other Saturday by The Business Times Co. 2001 Corporate Place, Suite 100, Columbia, Mo 65202. (573) 499-1830. Copyright The Business Times Co., 2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Third-class postage paid at Columbia, Mo. The annual subscription rate is $39.95 for 26 issues. OUR MISSION STATEMENT: The Columbia Business Times strives to be Columbia’s leading source for timely and comprehensive news coverage of the local business community. This publication is dedicated to being the most relevant and useful vehicle for the exchange of information and ideas among Columbia’s business professionals. June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com CBT CALENDAR OF EVENTS 4 PEOPLE ON THE MOVE June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com Hirings Mauller Drew Hall has joined Arable Entertainment, a Pure Company, as director of corporate media. Hall is an 11-year veteran of the ilm and television production industry. He has worked with Fox Sports, ABC Family, Geffen Records and Lions Gate. Gina Mauller has joined Pure Marketing and Media as vice president of business development. Mauller served as the MU director of corporate relations. Her main responsibility was to build relationships with Fortune 500 companies. Julie Sizemore has been hired as director of sales of the Fairield Inn and Suites hotel by Marriott-Columbia. Previously Sizemore was the director of sales for the Hampton Inn and Suites and for the Stoney Creek Inn. True Media has hired Chris Evans as associate media director. Before joining True Media, Evans was a media supervisor at Starcom MediaVest Group, where he developed media plans for national and regional accounts including Hummer, Cadillac, Pontiac and Goodwrench. Promotions , Appointments Wagner Thompson Robert J. Wagner, chief executive oficer of the Columbia Insurance Group, has become the board chairman. Wagner, who will continue to be the CEO of the 135-year-old company, has served on the board since 1985. He began his career at Columbia Insurance Group in 1971 as an administrative assistant. Wagner also is vice chair of the board of directors for REDI Inc. Joe Scallorns has retired as chairman of the board of directors after nearly 24 years of service. Scallorns also was chairman, president and CEO of Farmers & Traders Bank in California, Mo. Gary Thompson, executive vice president and chief operating oficer at the Columbia Insurance Group, has been promoted to president. Thompson also has been appointed to the board of directors. He joined Columbia Insurance Group in 1989 as a vice president of reinsurance operations. Gina Boone, vice president and general counsel, has been promoted to corporate secretary of the Columbia Insurance Group. Before joining the company, Boone served as assistant vice president and general counsel for a regional property and casualty company in Texas. Bob Gerding has been appointed as vice chair and lead independent director for the Columbia Insurance Group board of directors. Gerding is a partner of Gerding, Korte & Chitwood CPAs. Citizen of the Year The Columbia Chamber of Commerce presented its 2009 Outstanding Citizen Award to Lynda Baumgartner, co-owner of Image Technologies of Missouri. This award recognizes a resident who has made a signiicant contribution to the community. Baumgartner spent 20 years as a special education teacher in Columbia Public Schools. She has co-owned the ofice equipment company since 1994. She also served for 24 years in the U.S. Army Reserves. This year, she went on a mission trip to a village in Malawi, Africa, to assist women and teach children. Certiications Caroline Andriano became certiied as a senior professional in human resources by the HR Certiication Institute. Andriano is a human resources manager for Alliance Water Resources Inc. Boyce and Bynum Pathology Laboratories received the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation from the College of American Pathologists. The Association of Collegiate Conference and Event Directors presented the One-Stop Shop certiication to the MU Conference Ofice, part of MU Extension. This certiication is held by 42 colleges and universities that provide an effective planning atmosphere to stage a collegiate conference or event. Departures David A. White III, resigned as the executive director of the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts effective June 1. Kanani May, director of public relations and marketing for the theatre and the symphony, will be the interim executive director during the search for a new director. Pamela Benoit has been hired as the executive vice president and provost for Ohio University in Athens. Since 2006, Benoit served as the MU vice provost for advanced studies and dean of the Graduate School. Appointments Samuel T. Bennett, a partner at the Harrison Agency, has joined the national faculty of The Society of Certiied Insurance Counselors. The Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation has added Lili Vianello to the 2009 class representing the Greater Missouri Region-Central. Vianello is the owner and president of Visionworks Marketing & Communications. v 5 By Jason Rosenbaum Rep. Chris Kelly could have saved a few bucks on his phone bill if he’d just been prescient enough to add several members of the Boone County legislative delegation to his calling plan before the session started. Kelly, D-Columbia, said he had the numbers of Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, and Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, on speed dial during the 2009 legislative session. It wasn’t about friendship; it was about necessity as the three worked together on a slew of bills favorable to Boone County. “We talked I bet a dozen times,” Kelly said. “One of the three of us would call the other one and say, ‘Oops, ‘X’ happened. What do we do now?’ And then we igured it out, and then we’d do something.” Legislators who represent Boone County seemed to work in concert this session and across party lines. While they did not pass everything on their agenda, lawmakers say their close working relationship played a big role in nabbing funding for building the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center in Columbia. It wasn’t always this way. Local lawmakers, for instance, were ultimately divided on a plan to use assets from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority for capital improvement projects. The plan originally included money for a Health Sciences Center but later was altered to pay for the $31.2 million cancer center. After the 2008 election cycle, the delegation changed dramatically. Kelly and Schaefer ousted two incumbent legislators. And Reps. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, and Mary Still, D-Columbia, won primaries to replace two lawmakers who chose to run for statewide ofice. Rep. Paul Quinn – a Democrat from Monroe City who represents portions of northern Boone County – said the inlux of new members made a fresh start possible. “I think we worked well together,” Quinn said. “All of them came aboard and wanted to work together. You’ve seen a lot of cooperation between us. We talked together, reached out a lot to make sure we were on the same page. And it was a good year.” Schaefer, Hobbs and Kelly ultimately struck an alliance that ended up paying dividends as the session went forward. One example of this working relationship could be seen in the handling of a bonding bill aimed at creating capital improvement projects at colleges and universities. After Kelly introduced the bill, Hobbs quickly passed it out of a committee that he chaired. When it passed out of the House, Schaefer handled the measure on the Senate loor. That reciprocity extended to other issues. Kelly and Schaefer both sponsored legislation that would allow the city of Ashland to establish a tax to build a hotel, as well as a bill to hand over the Mid-Missouri Mental Health Center to the University of Missouri. The mental health center bill ultimately was sent to the governor, but the other two bills failed to pass. Kelly said work throughout the session made a big difference when an appropriations bill funding myriad projects with federal stimulus money came up for the debate. “It’s like an inield,” Kelly said in May. “When that shortstop knows where he’s throwing the ball, he knows the other guy is going to be there.” The appropriations bill allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in stimulus money to the state for a variety of projects, including a statewide police communications system, St. Louis’ METRO transportation system and the state’s public defender system. With MOHELA suffering from inancial woes, lawmakers decided to infuse stimulus cash to fund remaining projects – including the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center. While the bill navigated a somewhat treacherous legislative path, it managed to pass a day before a mandatory deadline to pass legislation dealing with the budget. Kelly said Hobbs, Webber and Still all worked hard to keep the stimulus bill alive Schaefer after some bumps in the legislative road. Schaefer credited an open line of communication among Boone County lawmakers with keeping the University of Missourirelated programs on track. “When things come together in this building, it tends to happen very fast,” Schaefer said in May. “And if you don’t have everything lined up and everybody’s not communicating, you’ve missed that opportunity. The opportunity usually comes and goes very quickly. And I think it’s a testament to the fact that in addition to working very hard, we all kept in communication.” Several other factors conKelly tributed to Boone County lawmakers’ achievements. It helped, for instance, that all three lawmakers are members of a budget-writing committee. Kelly – who served as budget chair during a prior legislative stint – served as the ranking Democratic member of the House Budget Committee. In addition to being a member of the Budget Committee, Hobbs is close to House Speaker Ron Richard – a Joplin Republican who has a powerful inluence over legislation. Freshman Still previously served as an aide to Gov. Jay Nixon when he was attorney general and to former Gov. Bob Holden. Many of the candidates – such as Kelly and Schaefer – campaigned last year on working with the opposition to get things done. Kelly even drew lak from his Democratic colleagues for voting with Republicans on some issues. The lack of political competition also could have played a role, especially in a legislature where House members eye a jump to a Senate seat. Kelly has said repeatedly he has no interest in running against Schaefer. Quinn and Hobbs (continued on Page 21) June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com Boone County delegation makes nice 6 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com PHOTOS BY JENNIFER KETTLER BUSINESS PROFILE | THE INSURANCE GROUP From left, Charlie Digges Jr. and Charlie Digges Sr. Insurance Group a Columbia mainstay By Sean Spence The Insurance Group traces its business back more than 100 years, and partner Charlie Digges Jr. said one key to the company’s longevity is its ability to keep up with the changes in Columbia’s commerce. “As a result of that, we’ve got to be more aware of exactly what kinds of businesses are here and what they do,” Digges said. The lineage of The Insurance Group is easy to trace. The company has had a Charlie Digges in leadership, either father or son, since 1946. The insurance company started in 1922 as Rollins & Rollins, a family that included James S. Rollins, commonly referred to as the “Father of the University of Missouri.” The company also bought the Columbia Insurance Co., an agency founded in 1898. Charlie Digges Sr. would join Rollins & Rollins two decades after its formation. “I got out of the University in 1940, and, for a short time, I went with a life insurance company,” Digges said. “Then World War II came along, and so I went and served.” Digges returned to Columbia in 1946, a 27-year-old ighter pilot looking to build his post-war future. The company, then Rollins & Vandiver, hired Digges to help with its growing insurance practice. With Digges joining the team, the company had just three employees. In 1950, Digges was called back into action in the Korean War. Upon his return in 1952, the Charlie Digges Sr. Charlie Digges Jr. company was rechristened Rollins, Vandiver & Digges. Digges stayed with the company until his retirement in 1992. Another major change came in 1971, with the addition of partner Skip Grossnickle, who leads the irm today with Charlie Digges Jr. The junior Digges entered the picture when he was still in high school, working part time in the irm for spending money. Then there was college at MU, six years of service as a ighter pilot in the Air Force (following in his father’s footsteps) and several years as an airline pilot. In 1979, Digges was visiting Columbia for Christmas when he got a life-changing phone call: “Interestingly, not my father, but Mr. Vandiver and Skip Grossnickle asked me if I would come to the ofice one day,” Digges said. “They asked me if I would consider coming back to Columbia and being a partner in the insurance agency. It was a wonderful opportunity, and I took advantage of it.” In 1981, Grossnickle and Charlie Digges Jr. and Sr. partnered with Dudley and Hall Trice, purchasing a third agency, combining all of their operations and forming The Insurance Group. Today, with the previous partners all retired, Charlie Digges Jr. and Skip Grossnickle run the company. Charlie Digges Jr. explained The Insurance Group as it exists today: “We are an independent insurance agency, which means we represent a whole lot of different companies. The idea is that we match the company with the client to costs, 20 percent comes from administration, and 80 percent comes from claims. The center is one way we can work with clients to make claims less likely or less expensive.” Looking back, Digges Sr. said that a big part of the company’s success relates to the partners’ commitment to getting involved in the community. Even in this, the Digges family could be seen following in each others’ footsteps. The very irst Charlie Digges was Digges Sr.’s father; he was the sixth president of the city's oldest Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Columbia, serving from 1926 through 1927. Digges Sr. followed behind him, as president of the same club, in 1956-1957; and Digges Jr. likewise served in 1984-1985. “This is important to us across the board,” Digges Jr. said. “I think everybody in this ofice is involved in some way or another.” Today, The Insurance Group includes the main ofice in Columbia and ofices in St. Louis and Lake Ozark. The company has about 40 employees and plans to continue expanding. v The Insurance Group 200 East Southampton Drive, Columbia, Missouri 65203 573-875-4800 www.theinsurancegrp.com Audrey Harned, right, works with her Personal Trainer Holly Delgman. Trainers work with clients of The Insurance Group to help make lifestyle adjustments to reduce claims. "Eighty percent of insurance costs are claims, so if we can make her claim less likely or less expensive, then we've helped her," said Charlie Digges Jr. The Insurance Group Vice President Rich Miller helps a client in his ofice. June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com provide them with the best coverage at the most competitive price.” The company provides insurance products for individual and business clients. In addition – and this is one of the largest changes the company has seen since its inception – it manages employee beneit programs for the businesses it serves. “Back in 1922, nobody did beneits,” Digges Jr. said. “Back then, everybody just paid their doctor with money or chickens or eggs or whatever. Since ’65, the employee beneits side has become pretty important to employers.” The year 1965 marked the passage of the federal Medicare program. “That’s when it all started,” Charlie Jr. said. The Digges said they consider their success to hinge on personal service and their ability to understand the nuts and bolts of how their clients function, whether dealing with individuals or businesses. This tends to be more complicated with business clients. “In order to properly manage the risk of a business, we’ve got to be able to understand what they do and how they work,” Digges Jr. said. This means staying on top of a wide array of changes in many business sectors, and being ready to address new issues all the time. One that has arisen over the last few years is coverage for things related to the Internet, “Cyber Insurance.” “A great example is that I’ve got a client who maintains a credit card base of his clients’ credit card numbers,” Digges Jr. said. “His fear is that some hacker will get in there and steal those credit card numbers. He calls me and wants to know how he can protect his business. That’s the kind of thing that 50 years ago we just didn’t have.” Digges likes to show off the company’s twostory building at the corner of South Providence and East Southampton, which was inished in 2007. One of the most unusual features of the ofice building is a gym and wellness center that serves employees and customers, and which is open to the public. It’s staffed by four certiied exercise physiology professionals “The whole driving force behind this is helping clients make lifestyle adjustments that will reduce healthcare claims,” Digges Jr. said of Optimus, The Center for Health. “Looking at our 7 BUSINESS PROFILE | THE INSURANCE GROUP Director of Development, MU's Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business JOB DESCRIPTION: As Director of Development, I work closely with our alumni and constituents to keep them engaged with MU and the Trulaske College of Business. These relationships are the foundation that allows us to secure inancial support and address the needs of our students and the institution. AGE: 37 YEARS LIVED IN COLUMBIA: Five ORIGINAL HOMETOWN: Omaha, Neb. EDUCATION: 1994 B.A. Marketing – Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: President of Stonecrest Neighborhood Association. Member of Columbia Catholic School’s 2010 Committee. PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: I was hired as an admissions representative at Clarke College after graduating in 1994 and was promoted to development oficer and then director of development before leaving in 2004 to become director of development at Trulaske. A COLUMBIA BUSINESSPERSON I ADMIRE AND WHY: Greg Jones of Jones & Watkins LLC. As a ’92 MU alumnus, Greg and his family were integral to our family’s decision to move to Columbia and begin working for MU. His family and friends embraced us as we settled in Columbia and provided a welcoming and supportive atmosphere. His entrepreneurial spirit to begin a law irm took great courage and passion, which I admire most. His involvement with local groups keeps him very engaged with the Columbia community. As a former colleague at MU, he was very professional and respected by his peers. WHY I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT MY JOB: It’s the students. Every day I am fortunate to walk through Cornell Hall and witness the role MU and the Business School has in our students’ lives. When we are able to establish a new scholarship, provide funding for a program, or share ideas to perpetuate our growth, it always comes down to how it will beneit the students. It’s a tremendous feeling to be a part of change and progress and match our vision with our donors’ intentions. IF I WEREN’T DOING THIS FOR A LIVING, I WOULD… be a public address announcer for the Boston Red Sox. I have done emcee and public address work for the past 12 years and have enjoyed it tremendously. Last year I participated in a national contest, sponsored by Gillette, to be an on-the-ield reporter for the World Series. I ended up as the regional champion for the New England market and made it to the inal eight in the country. It was a tremendous experience and one that I would love to pursue again someday (after I retire, per my wife’s request.) BIGGEST CAREER OBSTACLE I’VE OVERCOME AND HOW: Learning MU. My alma mater had 1,100 students and 9,000 alumni. We didn’t have a Greek system or a football team. After spending 14 years of my life in Dubuque, I had to learn a new institution all over again. A FAVORITE RECENT PROJECT: Last year we began a program, the ‘Mizzou Tigers on Wall St.’ Given the economic events that unfolded, these 14 students were witnesses to a snapshot of our economic history that will be written about in textbooks. The experience was designed to take our business students to New York for a week-long immersion into what it takes to get to Wall Street and be successful. The week was illed with meetings with high-level and prominent MU alums at major irms. At the end of the week, we arranged for our students to participate in half-day job shadow opportunities with our alumni. Two of the students from the trip were hired as interns (at Goldman Sachs and Guggenheim Partners). We began new engagements that have resulted in new donors to MU. The event was so successful that we facilitated a similar event in Dallas this past March and are planning to return to New York this fall. WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROFESSION: I love what I do. I believe we are entering a gilded age of philanthropy; particularly in education. Over the next decade, new ideas will be explored to help bring the real world further into the classroom. Conversely, ideas from inside the classroom need to make it to the street. Philanthropy transforms a good idea into a great one. Philanthropy will give institutions and individuals the courage to dream bigger dreams. It will create platforms for great discoveries and prepare a workforce to be successful. Although many people say, “no,” to our proposals and ideas, it generally means “No. Not now.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: Anything with my kids. Lots of tee-ball and golf these days as the kids are entering a great age and having a lot of fun. I enjoy my friends and a good dinner party. If we’re not hosting them, we are attending them. FAMILY: My wife, Jen, and I have been married for 12 years. We have two children, Cecilia, 10, and Sammy, 6. I come from a family of six (ive boys and a girl). My wife comes from a family of six (ive girls and a boy). When I irst found this out, I told her, “You have to go on a date with me; that’s too much of a coincidence.” Fortunately, she said yes. FAVORITE PLACE IN COLUMBIA: For dinner, CC’s City Broiler; for lunch, Booche’s; for recreation, Daniel Boone Little League Fields and the MKT Trail; for relaxing with friends, our cul-de-sac around the ire pit. ACCOMPLISHMENT I’M MOST PROUD OF: Other than being a dad, this year I won an MU Excellence in Education Award. It was in recognition for outstanding contributions to student learning. I was honored to be nominated and selected by our students and faculty to win this award. It reminded me once again that it’s all about the students. MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT I: Just started playing the guitar and that I was born in Okinawa, Japan, while my dad was in the service. v PHOTO BY JENNIFER KETTLER June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com Mike Haggas 9 PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW 10 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com VOICES From the Roundtable True gains of HDTV conversion may take years to sort out Al Germond Al Germond is the host of the “Columbia Business Times Sunday Morning Roundtable” every Sunday at 8:15 a.m. on KFRU. He can be reached at algermond@gmail.com. Several hundred million analog television transmitters are now little more than scrap material. Television station engineers hit the "plate off" button last Friday, severing high voltage for the last time to powerful vacuum tubes what were part of the mysterious process bringing television into our homes. Every TV station across the land is supposed to be operating digitally, their analog transmitters extinguished for good. Television has come a long way since June 29, 1936, when NBC's W2XBS atop the Empire State Building signed on. Viewers watched TV's greenish images on a mirror in the lid of these handmade receivers. The quest for improvements in TV images, though, has been an international effort. Researchers on both sides of the Atlantic have pressed for iner resolution and higher deinition over the years. In 1936, Britain's BBC beat us handily with the world's irst regular service. In 1941, the U.S. froze deinition at 525 lines of resolution (a larger number of lines means a higher image deinition) and an "aspect ratio" (vertical to horizontal image size) of 4:3; both standards were inally abandoned just a few days ago. There's nothing new about HDTV. The 819 line HDTV that I irst saw in Paris almost 50 years ago was impressive. After Liberation in 1944, Edward R. Murrow panicked his superiors at CBS reporting that Frenchman René Barthélemy was demonstrating 1,000-line HDTV in his Montrouge laboratory. Frozen at 819 lines when the Eiffel Tower station opened on October 1, 1950, anyone who saw French television envied the movie-like image quality. Meanwhile, our 525 line standard was considered both good enough and too entrenched, so we stuck with it. The conversion to all-HDTV brings sharper pictures, but requiring the complete reconstruction of every TV station in the land has cost the industry billions of dollars — and it was an unfunded federal mandate. Spurred by Japanese competition and the desire to retain some TV set manufacturing in the United States, the HDTV conversion process has gone on for decades, and poor government administration resulted in confusion. This country's conversion to digital television has been part of a wide-ranging industrial exercise that has seen various deadlines come and go. The transition was supposed to take Citizen Journalist place in February. It's been a messy process, and it may take years to sort out the true gains. Digital TV requires less bandwidth due to digital video compression. By squeezing more channels within the same frequency band, there are frequencies made available for other uses, such as cell telephone transmissions. The federal government, as it goes through a beleaguering budgeting process, has been deriving inancial gains by dividing up and auctioning certain parts of the frequency spectrum. Most television set owners hardly noticed the switch from analog to digital because cable or satellite providers made the conversion. But are we really watching HDTV? While images look snappier on lat screens that are all the rage and the aspect ratio goes from 4:3 to a more theatrical 16:9, so called "high" deinition may not be as elevated in some cases as it is in others. Then there is an environmental question: How do we process the tens of millions of TV sets headed for scrap heaps? There's lots of nasty stuff lurking in a typical receiver, and some municipalities charge a separate and distinct fee to handle various curbside "gifts" of electronics. Columbia’s Music Men and their dysfunctional directors Mike Martin Martin, a Columbia resident and science journalist, can be reached at Mike. martin@weeklyscientist. com Missouri Theatre executive director David White’s resignation this month under a cloud of contractor disputes reminded me of former superintendent Phyllis Chase’s retirement last year from the Columbia Public Schools. Both departures were the culmination of controversies that might have been avoided if a board of directors had mustered the courage to take charge and say "No." No, David: Given what we owe our contractors, Tony Bennett — unless he can sell out 1,200 seats at $100 a seat — is too expensive for our opening gala. No, Phyllis: Given budget shortfalls, we can’t afford $10 million in new expenses. Many local organizations — from non-proits to government agencies — hire paid executives who answer to unpaid directors who tend to rubber stamp the executive for reasons that range from expedience to keeping the peace. The result is almost always the same: longterm dysfunction that ultimately erupts in a high-proile departure and a storm of bad publicity. Secrecy and sunshine Board dysfunction manifests in many ways. School board observer and Acorn Books owner Ken Green sees it in something as simple as a seating arrangement. “The superintendent’s central position at the school board’s legislative table raises an important question: Is the school board a step up in the chain of command, in charge of the superintendent, or not?” Green asked in a recent editorial. There were only three superintendents in the 50 years prior to 1993, but “six or seven” superintendents since then. Dysfunction manifests in executive turnover, as Missourian columnist George Kennedy noted in a January column about the search for Chase’s successor. Kennedy laid the blame for at least three disastrous departures — Chase; Russell Mayo, who left after a similar no-conidence levy defeat; and Joel Denney, ired over allegations of on-the-job drinking and sexual harassment — at the doorstep of another common board dysfunction: secrecy. “Secrecy is a bad idea,” Kennedy noted. “The unhappy outcomes I've recounted all began behind closed doors.” Speak Up, Shoot Down Executive turnover has long vexed the Central Missouri Humane Society, and insiders tell me that a paralyzing fear of confrontation is partly to blame for the society’s well-known inancial problems. For instance, “The board hasn’t had the guts to stand up and insist that government agencies pay their way when they use the shelter for animal control,” said a source close to CMHS. “Anyone who speaks up gets shot down. They’re too afraid to make waves.” Getting shot down is partly what prompted board members Steve Tatlow and Alison Martin (my wife) to resign from the Boone County Family Resources (BCFR) all-volunteer board last year. Financial and management irregularities — including an unusually large reserve fund and an unduly long term for board chairman Bob Bailey — churned up a perfect public relations storm that had Bailey literally yelling at dissident board members. “Who talked to the papers? Don’t talk to the papers!” News accounts had Bailey and BCFR’s six-igure-salaried director Les Wagner telling Tatlow that his questions about their taxpayerfunded operation were “a waste of time.” Fear of personal liability for board malfeasance drove Tatlow to the Missouri attorney general’s ofice, which sent a letter to BCFR on Oct. 11, 2007, that “expressed concern about the legality of the board’s operations and raised the possibility of a formal investigation,” the Columbia Missourian reported. Speaking in Tatlow’s defense during one grueling board meeting, “Alison Martin said she felt uncomfortable with the board,” the Missourian reported. “I feel very intimidated, and it really bothers me,” Martin said. Saying it was “vital that a board member ask critical questions,” Tatlow resigned rather than ight an effort to dismiss him. Karl and the King The most high-proile example of this volunteer board-paid staffer arrangement, the Columbia City Council, would have dissolved in disarray years ago if not for the iron-clad control of a nearly monarchical city manager. The city manager doesn’t answer to the citizens, at least not directly, and with Columbia’s extraordinary growth over the past decade, council control is more critical than ever. But council members are reluctant to take charge, and it’s no wonder why. Asking questions about a staff hiring process earned Third Ward councilman Karl Skala a threat of dismissal á la Steve Tatlow. “Not exactly what I expect from a democracy,” Skala quipped. True to the prevailing form, council members’ hands are tied. They aren’t paid; they don’t have dedicated staff or ofice space; and, with the exception of retirees or the independently wealthy, they don’t have adequate time to scour the budget, answer staff arguments, or grill the city manager when he oversteps as Bill Watkins did during the Missouri State Historical Society’s disastrous foray into eminent domain. (continued on Page 21) City View Budget balancing act: saving money, sustaining services and planning Adapted from the "State of the City" address Bill Watkins Bill Watkins is Columbia’s city manager. It’s no secret that the current economy makes it dificult for businesses to forecast revenues and budget accordingly. Planning the city’s 2010 budget is no different. For the irst time since the 1980s, we must prepare a budget based on no real growth in revenue. I believe “sustainability” is about more than climate control and energy. It’s about using all of our resources more wisely and making choices that support our future while scaling back on those that relect our past. I propose we sustain resources by: • Crafting an “S.O.S.” strategy - one that “Seeks Opportunities to Save” city resources and use them more eficiently. Our challenge is to ind a way to afford a new position, set eficiency benchmarks, be accountable for savings and get a return on our investment. • Creating an advisory task force to revise our stormwater utility funding structure. The current stormwater revenue system, set by voters almost 20 years ago, is not adequate for what we must do today and tomorrow. • Modifying our land disturbance ordinances, based on the City Council’s speciic guidance. The Council has been discussing policy options for about four months. For better or worse, I think that the unintended consequences associated with the Crosscreek Center development at Stadium and U.S. Highway 63 will dictate our planning and development future for many years. We’ve talked with the Council about ways to avoid scenarios like Crosscreek and have prepared several options. Each option has its own set of “pros” and “cons.” • Continuing to update Columbia’s comprehensive development plans. The Council has directed staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission to make this planning very thorough and inclusive, and has decided by resolution to appoint an advisory task force. • Implementing the demand-side management measures described in the city’s energy integrated resources plan, or “IRP.” On its face, this is a reasonable step. If customers use less energy, there is less demand that our utility has to supply. This requires up-front spending, however, and the key is making sure that citizens and ratepayers get a return on their investment. In my book, we should not be spending electric utility funds without expecting a return on investment for the utility. We are fortunate to have secured a little more than $1 million in start-up funds available through the federal Energy Eficiency and Conservation Block Grant. I believe we should target four areas, including: an Energy Star assessment of all city buildings; energyeficiency retroits for city buildings, places where I think we should lead by example; a pilot project to create codes and incentives for energy-eficient building design; and partial funding for an “S.O.S.” coordinator, the position that will seek opportunities for savings in city government As we seek to maximize and conserve our resources a little further, we need to remember our human resources. While across-the-board For the first time since the 1980s, we must prepare a budget based on no real growth in revenue. raises probably are not in the cards this year, one of my most important goals has been to recruit, hire and retain the best possible employees with the funds available. With each retirement, however, we lose experience and knowledge. With that in mind, I propose the following ideas: • Fund a three-year talent strategy to identify up-and-coming supervisors and assure they have the skills and attitudes needed to make the transition; • ask an employee committee to identify core skills needed in our organization, and when appropriate, help teach the next generation; • invest, to the best of our ability, in a wide range of training; and • pull as much knowledge as possible from our current workforce and preserve it as a reference for those coming up. This is my workforce capital improvement plan, or “talent strategy,” the guide for building a human infrastructure for years to come. Every year we spend considerable resources looking at long-term capital needs. We should do likewise for our “Human Capital.” The Council and staff must develop stronger and more effective connections with the community and provide new opportunities for citizen engagement. Here are a few of my recommendations: • Merge functions associated with neighborhood relations and property code compliance into a single, more eficient unit. These neighborhood-focused employees now are housed in six departments. They do their work well but need a stronger, continuous unity of purpose. I’d like to provide some new organizational and enforcement tools for them to work more effectively with citizens and property owners. • Support Police Chief Ken Burton in his efforts to improve communication with citizens, strengthen neighborhood connections, provide greater accountability and form community partnerships. While the city’s fiscal condition is sound, but not comfortable, it is fair to ask why we Columbians still prefer progress to retrenching, as many other communities are discussing. • Appoint, as outlined in the community vision plan and discussed by the Council, a Transit Advisory Committee, modeled after our Airport Advisory Board, to focus on bus transportation. By September 30, the end of our current iscal year, we will have over $100 million in local infrastructure projects under ongoing internal management. This represents a commitment to voters who approved ballot issue inancing for roads, sewers, local streets and sidewalks, ire and police stations, water system and ire low upgrades, electric system improvements and wastewater projects. It is one of our biggest challenges to keep these assets current and in working order. They must be maintained if we’re going to continue to provide safe, reliable and reasonably priced services to citizens. Council members have consistently supported and exerted their leadership to maintain public infrastructure, and I can’t remember a time in my 22 years of service when infrastructure was not on the retreat agenda. I recently announced the appointment of Mike Brooks as our new Economic Development Director and President of REDI, our regional economic development partnership. I want to thank Bernie Andrews, who managed REDI throughout the organization’s restructuring. I am pleased that Bernie will continue working to bring projects to Columbia and Boone County as REDI’s Executive Vice President. The REDI team is a tremendous asset to our community, and I appreciate all they do. Like other communities, Columbia is well into the shift toward a technology- and knowledge-based economy. With our local and regional partners, we will continue to make long-term investments that sustain this area for years to come. By the same token, we can’t afford to leave behind those who are not yet technologically prepared. Our children and grandchildren should have the same career opportunities here as they might ind in other places. For that to happen, we need a diverse economic base. While the city’s iscal condition is sound, but not comfortable, it is fair to ask why we Columbians still prefer progress to retrenching, as many other communities are discussing. On this point, I refer to former President Harry S Truman, who said, “I don't believe in little plans. I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can't possibly foresee now.” We are very fortunate to have the community vision guiding our future, and that is a very big plan. We’re already implementing many of the strategies in that plan, and the actions I have proposed to the Council take us even further. Why think “small” if it puts Columbia at risk of missing opportunities? As City Manager, it is my duty to look at the horizon, and beyond, to advise Council members and then implement their decisions. I will continue to work with Council and City staff to keep you informed as our budget process develops over the coming months. Send your letters and comments to CBT via our Web site, www.columbiabusinesstimes.com, by mail to 2001 Corporate Place, Columbia, MO 65202 or by e-mail to editor@columbiabusinesstimes.com 11 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com VOICES PHOTOS BY JENNIFER KETTLER Ranking Columbia’s dealeRs #1. Joe Machens FordLincoln Mercury 1911 West Worley www.joemachensford.com Gary Drewing, owner Gary Drewing, owner New vehicle sales Used sales Total sales 2006: 4,428 5,065 9,493 2007: 4,054 5,048 9,102 2008: 3,539 5,282 8,821 Percent change New sales Used sales Total sales From 2007: -12.7% +4.6% -3.1% From 2006: -20.1% +4.3% -7.1% First Quarter total vehicle sales 2009: 1,286 2008: 2,284 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -43.7% #3. Bob McCosh Chevrolet 1 Business Loop 70, www.bobmccoshchevrolet New vehicle sales Used sales Tota 2006: 1,341 1,361 2,70 2007: 1,393 1,291 2,68 2008: 972 1,182 2,15 Percent change New sales Used sales Tot From 2007: -30.2% -8.4% -19 From 2006: -27.5% -13.2% -20 First Quarter total vehicle sales 2009: 316 2008: 660 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -52.1% Total salesColumbia 2006: 9,493 Hyundai/Dodge City Motors 2007: 9,102 1300 Vandiver Dr. 2008: 8,821www.columbiahyundaimo.com Larry Estes, owners #5 in sales New vehicle sales 2007: 822 #2. Joe Machens Toyota-Scion Change from 2006: +8% 63 900 Bernadette Drive, www.joemachenstoyota.com, Gary Drewing Total vehicle sales 2007: 1,556 Change from 2006: +6%Steven +87and Stuart Head, owners New vehicle sales Used vehicle sales Total vehicle sales 2006: 1,696 1,797 3,493 1st quarter 2008 total sales: 324 2007: 3,023 2,038 5,061 1st quarter change: -12% New vehicle sales 2008: 2,503 1,991 4,494 Percent change New sales Used sales Total sales From 2007: -17.2% -2.3% -11.2% From 2006: +47.6% +10.8% +28.7% First Quarter total vehicle sales 2009: 632 2008: 1,297 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -51.3% Total sales 2006: 3,493 2007: 5,061 2008: 4,494 #8. Joe Machens Automotive Group 500 Vandiver Drive, www.joemachensgm.com, Gary Drewing New vehicle sales Used vehicle sales Total vehicle sales 2006: 390 831 1,221 2007: 325 991 1,316 2008: 300 770 1,070 Percent change New sales Used sales Total sales Total sales 2006: 1,221 From 2007: -7.7% -22.3% -18.7% From 2006: -23.1% -7.3% -12.4% 2007: 1,316 First Quarter total vehicle sales 2008: 1,070 2009: 356 2008: 280 First Quarter percent change from 2008: +27.1% #10. Joe Machens BMW* 1510 I-70 Drive SW, www.joemachensbmw.com, Gary Drewing New vehicle sales Used vehicle sales Total vehicle sales 2007: 224 442 666 2008: 191 455 646 Percent change New sales Used sales Total sales Total sales 2007: 666 From 2007: -14.7% +2.9% -3.0% First Quarter total vehicle sales 2008: 646 2009: 115 2008: 194 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -40.7% *missing data for 2006 Used vehicle sales Tota 2006: 378 1,040 1,41 2007: 639 1,108 1,74 2008: 509 973 1,48 Percent change New sales Used sales Total From 2007: -20.3% -12.2% -15.2 From 2006: +34.7% -6.4% +4.5% First Quarter total vehicle sales 2009: 258 2008: 430 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -40.0% #5. Columbia Hyundai/Dodge City Motors 1300 Vandiver Drive www.columbiahyundaimo.com Larry Estes, owner New vehicle sales Used vehicle sales Tota 2006: 759 710 1,46 2007: 822 734 1,55 2008: 629 568 1,19 Percent change New sales Used sales Tot From 2007: -23.5% -22.6% -23 From 2006: -17.1% -20.0% -18 First Quarter total vehicle sales 2009: 172 2008: 324 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -46.9% ships t.com, Bob McCosh, owner al sales 02 84 54 tal sales 9.7% 0.3% *Joe Machens BMW data unavailable Total sales 2006: 2,702 2007: 2,684 2008: 2,154 % #4. Head Motor Company Kia Motor Dealer 710 Business Loop 70 W. www.headmotorcompany.com Steven and Stuart Head, owners #6. University Chrysler Center Chrysler Jeep Subaru 1200 I-70 Drive, www.universitychrysler.com, Dan Burks and Dave Drane, owners New vehicle sales Used vehicle sales Total vehicle sales 2006: 396 609 1,005 2007: 433 716 1,149 2008: 418 708 1,126 Percent change New sales Used sales Total sales From 2007: -3.5% -1.1% -2.0% From 2006: +5.6% +16.3% +12.0% First Quarter total vehicle sales 2009: 195 2008: 314 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -37.9% Total sales 2006: 1,005 2007: 1,149 2008: 1,126 #7. Perry Nissan 201 Nebraska Ave., www.perrynissan.com, Justin Perry, owner al vehicle sales 18 47 82 l sales Total sales 2006: 1,418 2% 2007: 1,747 % New vehicle sales Used vehicle sales Total vehicle sales 2006: 284 365 649 2007: 606 585 1,191 2008: 614 504 1,118 Percent change New sales Used sales Total sales From 2007: +1.3% -13.8% -6.1% From 2006: +116.2% +38.1% +72.3% First Quarter total vehicle sales 2009: 114 2008: 297 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -61.6% Total sales 2006: 649 2007: 1,191 2008: 1,118 2008: 1,482 #9. Albert Buick Honda GMC 1717 N. Providence, www.albertmotors.com, Don Albert, owner % Total sales 2006: 1,469 2007: 1,556 2008: 1,197 New vehicle sales Used vehicle sales Total vehicle sales 2006: 913 563 1,476 2007: 774 423 1,197 2008: 660 350 1,010 Percent change New sales Used sales Total sales From 2007: -14.7% -17.3% -15.6% From 2006: -27.7% -37.8% -31.6% First Quarter total vehicle sales 2009: 200 2008: 244 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -18.0% Total sales 2006: 1,476 2007: 1,197 2008: 1,010 #11. Lou Fusz Saturn of Columbia 1310 Vandiver Drive, saturnc.fusz.com, Lou Fusz, owner al vehicle sales 69 56 97 tal sales 3.1% 8.5% % Columbia Dealerships Total Sales First Quarter 2008: 6,428 First Quarter 2009: 3,678 First Quarter change: -42.8% 2008: 23,545 2007: 26,150 One year change: -9.96% 2006*: 23,423 Larry Estes, owner New vehicle sales Used vehicle sales Total vehicle sales 2006: 188 309 497 2007: 223 258 481 2008: 161 266 427 Percent change New sales Used sales Total sales From 2007: -27.8% +3.1% -11.2% From 2006: -14.4% -13.9% -14.1% First Quarter total vehicle sales 2009: 34 2008: 104 First Quarter percent change from 2008: -67.3% Total sales 2006: 497 2007: 481 2008: 427 Source: Missouri Department of Revenue 14 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com SPECIAL SECTION | AUTOMOTIVE Chrysler ... continued from Page 1 Be Our Guest At The RICKMAN CENTER For your next company retreat, group outing, conference, banquet or camp For more information contact: DeAnne Nigus, Coordinator (573) 635-0848 toll free: (866) 635-0848 rickman-office@embarqmail.com Rickman Conference Center P.O. Box 104298 Jefferson City, Mo 65110 www.rickman.info Then, on May 14, exactly 20 years from the day that Dodge City Motors opened, Estes got The Call. A Chrysler representative informed him that the Big Three automaker was taking away his Dodge franchise. He was one of 27 dealers in Missouri and 789 dealers in the United States whose contracts were terminated as of June 9. “They told me, since I hadn’t done what they wanted me to do and the other folks had agreed to everything, they had decided to take away the Dodge vehicles,” Estes said. Despite objections from several hundred dealers, not including Estes, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in New York on June 1 approved the government’s plan for reorganizing Chrysler and selling 20 percent of its assets to the Italian carmaker Fiat. The Supreme court declined to hear the appeal. With this last obstacle resolved, Chrysler signed the documents with Fiat on June 10 and exited from bankruptcy. Following the Chrysler developments closely, Estes knew that he should prepare for the worst. About a year ago, he took out his business account money from Chrysler and started to cut down expenses such as advertising purchases. “I used to be a real heavy player with Chrysler credit,” he said. “I believe in participating in the factory and programs, in its capital and inance. I quit doing that over a year ago, and that saved me a lot of money.” In October 2008, not long after Estes sold his stock, a proposed merger with General Motors failed, and Chrysler announced a 25 percent cut in its work force. The next month came the news that Chrysler sales in the U.S. market had plum- Rick Brogan, right, shares a laugh with Patricia Vanatter who just bought a Dodge Charger. meted 35 percent in only 12 months, and its CEO said the company could only remain viable by forming an alliance with another automaker and receiving government assistance. “What I really feel sorry for,” Estes said, “is the moms and dads who have invested years and years of their money in Chrysler stock and General Motors stock, and now it’s worthless. But, the big guys got taken care of. The little guys were out millions and millions of retirement, savings accounts.” At the beginning of the year, Estes predicted the total sales for 2009 would be about 850 Dodge and Hyundai vehicles, but without the Dodge cars and trucks, he said the total sales will probably end up around 700 vehicles. In the irst quarter of this year, Dodge City Motors sold 172 vehicles compared with 324 in the irst quarter of 2008, a decrease of 46.9 percent, according to state Department of Revenue data. The national Chrysler sales for May showed a similar change, a 49.6 percent sales drop compared to May 2008, according to Motor Intelligence. Estes said he was expecting Chrysler’s downfall, and signed an agreement with the Indian manufacturer Mahindra to start selling its diesel pickup trucks. “It’s like the grocery store,” Estes said. “If you lose a certain type of bread, you replace it with another type. But, you are still in business. That is exactly what I did.” “Unlike Chrysler, I know how to cut back expenses,” Estes added. “You don’t have to have a seven-course meal every evening. You may want to get a sandwich. That’s cutting expenses.” Estes said there’s no question he’ll continue selling Hyundai vehicles, which usually account for about half of the total car sales. When gas prices increased this past year, Hyundai car sales outnumbered the Dodge car sales. “Last summer, when gas prices were $3 to $4, I couldn’t keep Hyundais on the lot. I could keep Dodges on the lot, though,” he said. The Dodge City Motors sign and the Dodge signs with the ram’s head logo signs will have to come down, and the name of the dealership will soon be changing on everything from the Web site to the invoices. “It would most likely be Estes Motors, but a name change is nothing,” he said. “You don’t change the corporation. You don’t change the people. You don’t change anything.” After the closing notiication, Estes had about 100 Dodge vehicles left to sell in less than a month. In two weeks, he managed to sell 50 of them to customers and the rest to other dealers in Missouri. Estes, who has 45 employees, said that, because he cut expenses, he didn’t have to lay off any staff or service department workers. However, he usually has about 15 sales people, and that number is down to nine. “Some people, who don’t make enough sales to make a living, choose to ind a different job,” he said. Overall, Estes said he will be ine without Chrysler. “The factory wanted me to sign papers stating they were going to redistribute the vehicles, but I did not need their help.” In fact, Estes said Chrysler tended to cause problems rather than solve them. In December 1986, Chrysler asked Estes to build a new Dodge franchise and take on a partner at University Chrysler. He ended up selling University Chrysler and taking on the Hyundai franchise. Three years ago, Chrysler approached Estes again, asking him to remove his Hyundai franchise and to negotiate a merger with University Chrysler. He refused. As a result of closing Estes’ Dodge franchise, no Dodge vehicles will be sold in Columbia. University Chrysler owners Dan Burks and Dave Drane said they would not be surprised if Chrysler asks them to start selling Dodge vehicles in Columbia. They already own a Dodge franchise, Capitol City Chrysler, in Jefferson City. Estes was supposed to get the irst shipment of 20 to 30 Mahindra trucks in April, but Mahindra delayed its distribution until the end of the year so it could do more durability testing. The company decided to test-drive 25 trucks for 3.2 million miles on U.S. roads. Mahindra’s diesel pick-up trucks can carry 1.5 tons and pull up to three tons while getting 30 to 40 miles a gallon. The price range is between $18,000 and $24,000, which is less than the Dodge trucks’ price range of $25,000 to $55,000, Estes said. The trucks are built to meet the speciications for the 2015 environmental requirements, but they are yet to be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. As of now, Estes is the only dealer in Columbia planning to offer the pick-up trucks. Dodge City Motors’ service department will also be undergoing a change. It will soon become a diesel-certiied service center for all types of vehicle makes. Dodge owners, too, can come in for oil changes and other vehicle maintenance. But, for Chrysler warranty repairs the dealership will only be allowed to arrange transport to the nearest Dodge dealership or auto shop. v Car market ... continued from Page 1 Joe Machens Ford-Lincoln Mercury had double-digit irstquarter decline, although its sales fell only 3 percent in 2008 compared with 2007, and Joe Machens BMW had similar statistics. Joe Machens Toyota-Scion had a steep irst quarter decline, but sales in 2008 were 29 percent higher than in 2006. One bright spot was at Joe Machens Automotive Group, the Legend dealership Drewing bought last year from Richard Vairo that sells the Mazda, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz and Pontiac brands. The irst quarter sales were up 27 percent, and Drewing said the dealership “had a good month in May.” (The other recent ownership change was Bob McCosh’s purchase of the Chevrolet dealership from Justin Perry. McCosh, who has run the dealership for years and previously had a minority share, declined to be interviewed about his business and the impact of the GM bankruptcy.) Drewing is nearly inished with the expansion of BMW to a lot across the street where the Wilson’s landscaping and garden store used to be located. The construction of the Toyota dealership at the Crosscreek Center on U.S. Highway 63 and Stadium Blvd. has been delayed, but Drewing said the civil engineering at the site is under way and the groundbreaking will take place next year. He still hopes to add a Lexus franchise there. Drewing said 40 to 50 people will be hired when the new dealership opens. “The landscape of the car market a year from now will be very different,” Drewing said. “We’re very excited about it, although there are challenges ahead.” Don Brown, owner of Midwest Brokerage in St. Louis, said the industry is “in uncharted waters.” He’s been involved with the buying and selling of automotive dealerships for more than 20 years and was in the car business in Jefferson City and Columbia for more than a decade. “When all this shakes out, dealerships in larger markets will be more valuable,” Brown said. “There will be fewer players to divide up the pie and more opportunities for good operators.” Nationally, hundreds of car dealerships have closed in the past year. Chrysler trimmed its dealerships by about 800 in June, and GM plans to reduce its dealerships from about 6,000 to 3,500 by the end of 2010. But Columbia’s dealerships are diversiied – most have a combination of U.S. and Asian brands -- and none have gone out of business. Columbia is a regional shopping center for car buyers, Brown pointed out. “In my opinion, it’s the inest market in Columbia.” Dealers who are doing well in this market are those with strong used car sales and strong service and parts departments, Brown said, naming Machens and Albert Buick Honda GMC as two examples. The recession caused a credit crunch, which meant that many people who wanted to buy vehicles could not arrange inancing, while dealerships had a tougher time inancing inventory and getting rebates from manufacturers. The big question is whether people will start buying cars in numbers the dealers have been used to. Nationally, new vehicle sales in May were down 34 percent from May 2008, which means local sales in the second quarter could be anemic as well. v 15 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com SPECIAL SECTION | AUTOMOTIVE 16 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com SPECIAL SECTION | AUTOMOTIVE Boone County’s favorite vehicles MODEL See commercial properties available throughout Missouri at www.mo-commercial.com 923"Xcpfkxgt."Uvg0"323"Eqnwodkc."OQ"87424 Rjqpg<"795/696/:427 MAKE Owned in 2008 Owned in 2006 Rank in 2006 1 F SERIES PICKUP FORD 5119 4,658 1 2 CAMRY TOYOTA 3533 3,180 2 3 ACCORD HONDA 2648 2,525 3 4 TAURUS FORD 2393 2,277 4 5 SILVERADO CHEVY 2298 1,825 8 6 EXPLORER FORD 2053 1,957 6 7 RANGER FORD 2002 2,095 5 8 C/K SER. PICKUP CHEVY 1877 1,941 7 9 CIVIC HONDA 1829 1,578 9 10 COROLLA TOYOTA 1825 1,555 10 11 RAM PICKUP DODGE 1566 1,351 11 12 GRAND CARAVAN DODGE 1172 1,145 12 13 GRND CHEROKEE JEEP 1077 1,017 16 14 ESCAPE FORD 1045 672 30 15 MUSTANG FORD 1021 920 17 16 S-10 CHEVY 1006 1,097 14 17 CAVALIER CHEVY 1004 1,110 13 18 FOCUS FORD 931 680 29 19 ALTIMA NISSAN 920 735 26 20 DAKOTA PICKUP DODGE 908 891 20 21 IMPALA CHEVY 902 712 27 22 ESCORT FORD 890 1,058 15 23 SUBURBAN CHEVY 878 795 24 24 LESABRE BUICK 877 896 19 25 TOWN&COUNTRY CHRYSLER 843 739 25 26 GRAND AM PONTIAC 829 862 22 27 BLAZER CHEVY 827 865 21 28 WINDSTAR FORD 786 912 18 29 ODYSSEY HONDA 746 566 39 30 GALANT MITSUBISHI 707 796 23 31 TAHOE CHEVY 704 629 33 32 GRAND PRIX PONTIAC 701 630 32 33 MAXIMA NISSAN 690 696 28 34 MALIBU CHEVY 673 599 37 35 S SERIES SATURN 670 543 40 36 SIERRA GMC 665 529 43 37 TACOMA TOYOTA 654 519 45 38 SIENNA TOYOTA 637 461 53 39 AVALON TOYOTA 610 481 49 40 CENTURY BUICK 592 601 36 41 CHEROKEE JEEP 591 608 34 42 4RUNNER TOYOTA 586 479 50 43 CR-V HONDA 582 446 57 44 LUMINA CHEVY 573 650 31 45 E SERIES VAN FORD 563 606 35 46 LEGACY SUBARU 562 505 47 47 DEVILLE CADILLAC 543 596 38 48 SENTRA NISSAN 539 533 42 49 MAZDA6 MAZDA 525 527 44 50 CARAVAN DODGE 517 538 41 Vehicle ownership trends The CBT used Boone County personal property tax records to analyze vehicle ownership trends from 2006 to 2008. Some highlights: • The Ford F-Series pickup remains the most popular vehicle. The Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Ford Taurus held the second through fourth spots. The most popular SUV is the Ford Explorer, and the most popular van is the Dodge Grand Caravan. • The Ford Escape (14), moved the fastest up county rankings from 2006. • The 10 most popular models in 2008, in order: Ford Escape, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Ford F-Series pickup, Nissan Altima, Chevy Silverado, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Prius, Subaru Legacy and Chevy Impala. • Two Ford vans, Windstar and E-Series, dropped 10 spots in 2008 rankings. Ford had a 5-percent growth increase from 2006. • Mitsubishi ownership dropped 5.6 percent, the biggest decrease among the car companies. • Although Kia and Hyundai have the largest percentage growth in ownership from 2006 to 2008 (47 percent and 38 percent respectively), they did not make the county’s top 50 vehicles. The rest of the top 10 companies in ownership growth are: Chrysler (32 percent), BMW (26 percent), Toyota (21 percent), Lexus (20 percent), Audi (20 percent), Honda (16 percent), Suzuki (16 percent) and Subaru (14 percent). • Nationally Toyota in 2008 took over General Motors’ No. 1 spot in vehicle sales, but in Boone County the top three in order are: GM, Ford and Chrysler. Toyota is fourth. • American models make up 66 percent of all vehicles, a one percent decrease from 2006. • About 52 percent of Boone County residents own cars while 22 percent of them own trucks. Also, four out of the top 10 vehicles are trucks. • Top 10 companies that experienced the largest ownership growth from 2001 to 2008, in order: Kia (376 percent), Lexus (235 percent), Hyundai (207 percent), Ininiti (142 percent), Suzuki (140 percent), BMW (97 percent), Subaru (94 percent), Saturn (92 percent), Chrysler (91 percent) and Toyota (53 percent). v IN PRINT Tech Sessions » Jonathan Sessions Test driving a smart car Last week, I noticed in the lot of Joe Machens Ford one of those Smart cars I keep seeing downtown. The bright yellow car parked on the corner was hard to miss. Being an eco-friendly city driver and intrigued by new technology, I decided to check it out. Eating sunlower seeds at the corner of the building was salesman Willis Robb. I asked Robb about the little electric deal on the corner of the lot, and he surprised me: It’s gasoline-powered. Instantly fascinated, I had to take a closer look. The car, manufactured by a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, runs on unleaded gasoline — nothing else. Under the hood is a 1-liter, 3-cylinder engine (that means John Deere has a lawn mower with a larger engine). But even with the small engine, the car has a surprising 70 horsepower (the 2009 Corolla has 132) and an EPA rating of 33 miles per gallon in the city (41 on the highway). The smart Fortwo holds as many passengers as its name in surprising comfort. Each door Fortwo is almost the entire length of the car, so getting in and out is easy. There’s a lot of leg room, and the seat its my six-foot frame with room to spare. In fact, there’s so much space the cup holders at the front of the center console seem too far away. I like my coffee close. But how does it drive? The folks at Joe Machens Ford lent me the car for the afternoon so I could run a couple errands. Having never driven the Fortwo before, there was a moment at the beginning where I felt defeated. After a couple of minutes trying to ind the ignition around the steering column, I inally located it clear-as-day on the top of the center console, between the seats (I’ll be honest; I actually got out of the car and got back in before inding it). After a smooth start, the windshield wipers took off full speed. It took me another few minutes to igure out how to get those turned off. It turns out that off is the second position in the range of motion. I understand that style is common in cars, but it was new to me. Once I igured out where everything was and how it worked, I put the car in drive and took off. Like many cars, the Fortwo has an automatic manual transmission with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. It’s like a manual without the risk of stalling. While starting out, I left the car in automatic as I got a feel for it. Shifting is more like a multiple-speed bicycle than a typical manual transmission in which you use your feet to alternately push the clutch and the gas pedals and risk stalling. The computer can handle shifting for you, or the paddle shifters on the steering wheel can be used to make the process more manual, but the computer still handles the clutch. When starting out, I put the car in full shifting automation to get a feel for it. Coming from a Camry (and a Park Avenue before that), the Fortwo felt a little jerky. It stops very quickly, and I felt the road more than I’m used to. There is a lot of road noise, but with its small size, that’s not surprising. My biggest issue was with the automated shifting. In low gears the car would lay down. Until the 3-4 transition, the car practically stopped accelerating at every shift. This became a concern while trying to make a right turn into trafic on Stadium. It also made for an extra jerky ride. Putting the car into manual shifting made a difference. Once I got a feel for the car and the two paddle shifters, shifting was easy, and the ride much smoother. In general, the car was quite responsive and handled very well. I was able to pull out of a parallel parking space without backing up. In the 40-50 mph range, the car zipped along in trafic with ease. I drove it all the way out to Lemone Industrial Boulevard to pick up a package from FedEx Ground. On the way out, Grindstone parkway was smooth and easy. The storage is limited; the medium-size box I picked up from FedEx practically illed the trunk, and I doubt I could it most of my tools in there. On the way back, I took U.S. Highway 63 to Interstate 70. The Fortwo kept up and easily reached a speed of 70 mph. But the car is light, so I was concerned about drafts from large trucks passing. In the end, the worst problem was the wind as I drove over the bridge on Highway 63 at the Stadium exit. It took a lot of energy to keep from being pushed around. Overall, I enjoyed the car. It gets good gas mileage, is easy to park and very affordable (under $17,000). Obviously, it’s not a family car, and it’s not designed for long distances. Its attraction is for the city dweller who wants an in-city, supplemental vehicle that can be parked anywhere. v The Columbia Business Times is mid-Missouri’s leading source of news and information about local business. ONLINE www.columbiabusinesstimes.com offers searchable archives of past issues as well as frequent updates on local business news. AND NOW DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX e Join thousands of local business professionals who get the CBT eNewsletter which includes: breaking news, recap of top local business stories and a preview of our print edition. ..... It’s easy. Log on to www.columbiabusinesstimes.com and register your interest today! 17 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com SPECIAL SECTION | AUTOMOTIVE PHOTO BY JENNIFER KETTLER 18 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com NEW BUSINESS UPDATE Alex Inneco recently opened Carpe Diem. “I hope the space will act as an umbrella for art and artist,” Inneco said. Carpe Diem 807 Locust St., Owner: Alex Inneco, 573-268-5989 Alex Inneco, the music director for the Missouri United Methodist Church, hopes the cultural center he’s opened downtown called Carpe Diem (Seize the Day) will bring together artists and develop the local cultural community. Inneco, a Brazilian native, completed his master’s degree in conducting at the University of Missouri. After running a similar cultural center in Brazil for ive years, he decided Columbia was ready for a similar operation. “Five or six years ago, I started the concert series at the church, and we outgrew the parlor space,” he said. “All concerts were sold out, so I decided it was time to branch out.” Inneco is teaching music and opera history classes in the tiny three-room building. There are voice, string and piano teachers available as well. Students can sign up on Carpe Diem’s Web site, www.carpediemcolumbia.com, and walk-ins are welcome. The cost for a class is $59 a month. “I want to make sure that people understand that classical music is as fun as any other kind of entertainment,” Inneco said. “You just need to understand a little about it, so I’m trying to bridge that gap. I want people see this space as a mini concert hall, a very intimate space where people can get close to the artist.” Inneco will exhibit art and also will host an evening Sunday Soiree with live music. v NEWLy opENEd BUSINESSES Sweetooth Bakery, LLC Grand opening: June 15 Renae Nicholes 573-474-0781 5695 Clark Lane., Ste. A Bakery Taxi Terry’s Date opened: April 21 (Grand opening June 16) Angie Nickerson 573-441-1414 275 E Daniel St. Taxi, transportation Parkside Skateshop Date opened: March 1 (grand opening June 20) Chris Bailey 573-447-5283 1614 Business Loop 70 Retail, skateboards NEW BUSINESS LICENSES Amy Cafer Physical Therapy LLC Amy Rebecca Cafer 573-447-0212 2011 Chapel Plaza Court, Ste. 107 Physical therapy Boone County National Bank Boone County National 573-817-8100 205 S. Keene St. Bank Clear Mobile Media Inc. Tim Worstell 800-778-3570 3610 Buttonwood Drive Mobile marketing company Dress 4 Success Pamela Lynn Dampier 573-449-6796 1205 Range Line St., Ste. A Retail clothing Hardee’s #423 Rising Stars LLC 573-442-3198 200 S. Providence Road Fast food restaurant Gallaher Insurance Group Gallaher Insurance Group LLC 573-449-7283 300 E. Broadway Insurance agency Harmony’s Treasure Box Julean Evans 573-881-4889 601 W. Business Loop 70, Ste. 262 Retail clothing Girl Boutique Danelle Enterprises LLC 573-442-7003 1100 Club Village Drive, Ste. 106 Women’s retail clothing, jewelry, bags, accessories Hulett House Gym Robert Lee Hulett 573-424-5744 128 E. Nifong Blvd, Apt. A MMA ight club training NEW BUSINESS PAGE SPONSORED BY: Kabuki Japanese Steak House WF International LLC 573-442-9996 1000 I-70 Drive Southwest Japanese steak house KC Insurance KCII Insure Services LLC 573-817-2242 206 Austin Ave., Ste. B Insurance agency Midwest Environmental Lindsey R Henry 573-636-9454 1123 Wilkes Blvd., Ste. 220 Environmental consulting engineer 19 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com NEW BUSINESS UPDATE PHOTO BY JENNIFER KETTLER Natasha Hongsuwan Belle 22 S. Ninth St., Owner: Natasha Hongsuwan, 573-442-5656 Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday. While getting her degree in electrical engineering at the University of Missouri, Natasha Hongsuwan felt frustrated by having to travel outside Columbia to shop for the clothes she likes to wear. In her junior year, the California native decided to follow her passion for fashion, and on May 24 she opened a boutique downtown called “Belle.” “In California they already have stores like this,” Hongsuwan. Most of my store has a West Coast inluence, and Columbia didn’t have anything like this—so I thought it would be great,” reports Hongsuwan. The women’s clothing store is located at 22 S. Ninth St. next to Lakota café. “Business has been really well,” Hongsuwan said. “I thought it would be quiet in the summer with the students not being here, but we always have people coming in and out.” The boutique is located near several clothing stores primarily geared toward young women, including Britches down the street and Elly’s Couture, Envy and Swank on Broadway. “Even though there are other boutiques downtown, I feel like we are working together to keep shoppers downtown by providing multiple places to go instead of going to the mall,” Hongsuwan said. “We all sell different brands, so I don’t feel like we’re competing.” “We don’t have a high mark-up because we want to make it affordable so more girls can wear what we have,” Hongsuwan said. “I love to go out and see a lot of girls who are wearing the clothes. It just makes me happy.” When she graduates next year, Hongsuwan said she plans to look for a job and keep the boutique. “I cannot pick one; I love both.” v NEW BUSINESS LICENSES Millard Family Funeral Home Reid A. Millard 573-442-1712 12 E. Ash St. Funeral home Tucker’s Fine Jewelry Sonya Shellene Addison 573-817-1310 100 N. Providence Road, Ste. 103 Retail jewelry sales, jewelry repair, appraisal Moser’s Supermarket Show Me Oil Company Inc. 573-443-5480 4840 Range Line St. Supermarket Home Based Business Licenses Rainy Day Payday Loans Big & Little LLC 573-886-9425 2716 Paris Road, Ste. 5 Installment loans . Tower Loan of Columbia Tower Loan of Missouri Inc. 573-886-2112 3200 Penn Terrace, Ste. 107 Small loan-inance Brown and Bigelow Promo Edwin L. Maynard 573-443-7717 5413 Dalcross Drive Advertising, promotional products H and J Service Jack Benny Rivera-Munoz 573-447-1769 5304 Olivia Ray Drive Lawn and building maintenance Hecht’s Sandra Hecht 240-498-4860 3109 Crestwood Lane Fashion, retail Nichols Lawncare Justin M. Nichols 573-489-0885 5207 Wood Shire Drive Mowing, Landscaping Juan Felipe Calle Juan Felipe Calle 573-814-5429 4109 North Phoenix Road Landscaping SG Grass Cutting and Snow Stephon L Guyton 573-474-5553 2805 Skyview Road Lawn maintenance Lenity Lawn Care Andrew Thomas Daro 573-301-2695 4020 Snowy Owl Drive Lawn mowing Matt’s Handbooks and Kids Books Matthew Williams 336-772-0149 1715 Rose Drive Retail educational books Studley Remote Computer Management Jeffrey Dean Studley 573-228-0035 2012 W. Ash St., Apt. J-08 Computer maintenance, repair Vida Graphics and Marketing David R Contreras 573-234-4738 3645 Evergreen Lane Computer graphic design, sale paper and cards TITAN AWARDS 2009 presented by 20 Under Forty Winners: The 2009 Titan Awards Will honor local business and civic leaders who have made significant contributions to our community in the following categories: EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY Class of 2009 Jay Alexander Jason Becking Brent Beshore Clay Bethune unveils Columbia’s first ever TITAN Awards along with honoring our 2009 class of 20 under 40 at the biggest event of the summer. Jerry Dowell Cameron Dunafon Benjamin Gakinya Alex George Mike Grellner Michelle Kemp Todd McCubbin Mike Messer FINANCE Jack Miller David Nivens EMPLOYMENT DEAL MAKING Josh Oxenhandler Event Date: 8/6/2009 Location: The Reynolds Alumni Center Time: 6:00-8:30 PM Deadline to purchase tickets: 8/1/2009 Ticket Price: $30/person, $250/table of 10 Contact: Cindy Sheridan, (573-499-1830 ext. 1003) or CindyS@businesstimescompany.com Jennifer Perlow Kate Pitzer David Tyson Smith David Townsend Lindsay Young Lopez Sue Yun live outside Schaefer’s senatorial district, and Webber can’t run for the Senate in 2012 because he’ll be under 30 years old. Still would have to give up two more terms in a Democratic-leaning House seat to run against Schaefer. But the good working relationship may come down to the fact that the legislative contingent is personally close. “You know, Chris beat my friend Ed Robb,” Hobbs said in May, referring to the former Republican state representative from Columbia. “And we talked when we irst got down here. And I thought to myself, ‘Yeah, I kind of like Chris.’ And then we started working together, and found out… when we team up, we really get things done.” Hobbs said he worked closely with Schaefer when the freshman senator worked for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “We’re not Republicans or Democrats. We represent Boone County,” Hobbs added. “If we work together, we just might be able to do something special.” v Construction permits: Applications issued in May for valuations above $90,000 Alive in Christ Lutheran Church 201 W. Southampton $888,337 Commercial addition nonresidential Curtiss-Manes-Schulte Inc. 2201 W. Nifong $808,348 New commercial churches and others Professional Contractors & EN 901 E. Broadway $698,295 Commercial alteration nonresidential Skyline Custom Homes Corp. 6503 Rippling Water $425,000 New single family detached Citizen Journalist ... continued from Page 10 Music Man Speaking off the record, Missouri Theatre insiders say board dysfunction helped build the tsunami that toppled David White. Through force of will and a hyperactive salesmanship that could be charming or as off-putting as the Music Man’s chicanery, White brought the community together and pulled off a miracle: the theater’s total restoration. But failing to recognize that a great salesman isn’t necessarily a great manager, his board didn’t say “no” when he needed to hear it or “yes” when it came time to pay the bills and face the music they all helped to create. v Mexico Heating Co. 1104 N. Providence $383,998 Mechanical Pate-Jones Construction Inc. 406 Stallworth $325,000 New single family detached Pate-Jones Construction Inc. 302 Reedsport $225,000 New single family detached John Hansman Construction 6707 Chelan $200,000 New single family detached Roush Construction 4112 Doe Creek $140,000 New single family detached Advanced Millennium Builders 3203 Granite Creek $197,000 New single family detached Singleton Builders LLC 5809 Neptune $130,000 New single family detached Wilcoxson Custom Homes LLC 3409 Snow Leopard $180,000 New single family detached Home Modiication Specialists 600 Westmount $125,000 Residential alteration repair CDR Construction LLC 4106 Doe Creek $169,000 New single family detached JQB Construction 308 Reedsport $120,000 New single family detached Septagon Construction Co. 1600 E. Broadway $155,127 Commercial alteration nonresidential JQB Construction 300 Reedsport $110,000 New single family detached Glidewell Construction Co. 901 Edgewood $150,000 Residential addition Missouri Farmhouse Association Inc. 507 Kentucky $150,000 Commercial alteration nonresidential File Construction LLC 4402 Orrine $140,000 New single family detached Koirtyohann Construction LLC 808 Cherry $109,161 Commercial alteration nonresidential JQB Construction 212 Reedsport $100,000 New single family detached Horizon Retail Construction 2300 Bernadette $91,826 Commercial alteration nonresidential 21 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com CoNSTrUCTIoN PERMITS Boone County delegation ... continued from Page 5 22 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com PUBLIC RECORD Deeds of Trust more than $272,000 $7,400,000 BETHEL RIDGE II L P MISSOURI HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION LT 2A BETHEL RIDGE PLAT 2 $2,000,000 THE BETA THETA PI CLUB OF COLUMBIA MISSOURI BOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANK LT 12 PT GENTRYS SUB FF PRATT’S SUB $1,642,115 ZUMALT PROPERTIES LLC REGIONS BANK LT 1 MAPLE MEADOWS SUB PLAT 1 $1,550,000 MUTUAL HOLDINGS LLC PROVIDENCE BANK LT 31 JOHNSON SUB $1,200,000 COLUMBIA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL INC LANDMARK BANK LT 1 SCHEULEN ACRES $348,000 SCOTT, TODD D MID AMERICA MORTGAGE SERVICES INC LT 354 THORNBROOK PLAT NO 11 $323,135 SRINIVASAN, BHARATH & MANJULA THE CALLAWAY BANK LT 506 SMITHTON RIDGE PLAT 5 $317,000 KITE, SANDRA A & TROY D MID AMERICA MORTGAGE SERVICES INC LT 114 THORNBROOK PLAT NO 4 $313,920 PETERSON, JAMES & SERENE HAWTHORN BANK LT 128 SPRING CREEK PLAT 1 $313,850 SMITH, DEBORAH & DEREK WELLS FARGO BANK LT 100 VINEYARDS PLAT NO 1 $309,700 MILBACH, NATHAN & HAWKIINS, LAUREN MISSOURI CREDIT UNION LT 47 WOODRAIL SUB PLAT 4 $1,125,000 MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BUILDINGS LLC BOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANK LT 57 ROCKBRIDGE SUB REPLAT LT 34,35,52,54,55 $302,023 PETERSON, BARBARA S & ERIC J THE CALLAWAY BANK STR 5-48-11 /E/NE SUR BK/PG: 453/28 $641,000 D&N ENTERPRISES LLC SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION LT 9 PT FF BARKWELL’S SUB $300,000 HECHT, BRIAN & JENNIFER MISSOURI CREDIT UNION LT 335 THORNBROOK PLAT NO 10 $502,000 COLUMBIA INTERNAL MEDICINE INC BOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANK LT 305 KEENE MEDICAL BUILDING CONDOS $300,000 MCEWAN, THOMAS W & ABIGAIL C LANDMARK BANK LT 62 MILL CREEK MANOR PLAT NO 1 $500,000 JCMJ LLC PREMIER BANK LT 1A SUMMERFIELD SUBDIVISION LTS 1&2 $417,000 SNIDER, DEARLD O & AMBER L ALLIED MORTGAGE GROUP INC LT 25 HERITAGE WOODS PLAT NO 1 $416,000 HOFFERBER, SCOTT & MARY THE BANK OF MISSOURI LT 178 OLD HAWTHORNE PLAT NO 2 $300,000 WILCOXSON, DARRIN P & KARLA M BOONE COUNTY NATIONAL BANK STR 30-50-13 //SW SUR BK/PG: 2613/33 AC 36.370 $295,600 LUCAS, JONATHAN A & CARRIE A U S BANK LT 344 CASCADES PLAT NO 3 $288,700 HANSMAN, JONATHAN G & MONICA R LANDMARK BANK LT 110 BELLWOOD PLAT NO 1 $398,696 HALL, LESLIE W & ROSE ANN U S BANK LT 13 STRATFORD CHASE $286,600 MEYER, GARY B & CYNTHIA L PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES LP LT 834 HIGHLANDS PLAT 8-B $394,700 BAIRD, WILLIAM R & JEAN M BUSEY BANK LT 126B VILLAS AT OLD HAWTHORNE PLAT 1 $278,400 HOOD, BRAD & DEANA HAWTHORN BANK STR 16-47-12 /SE/NE SUR BK/PG: 823/211 FF TRACT 1 $372,200 GABRIELSON, JONATHAN P & ANDREA L STIFEL BANK & TRUST LT 7A PL 1 Plt Bk/Pg: 2753/81 FF BROOKFIELD ESTATE $276,720 ZWEIFEL, CHARLES CLINTON & SMITH, JANICE MARIE PULASKI BANK LT 20 CIMARRON ESTATES $359,910 POWERS, RICHARD B & JULIE A UMB BANK LT 315 CASCADES PLAT NO 3 $351,000 GRAHAM, RICHARD F & SALLY RAE JEFFERSON BANK OF MISSOURI LT 21 CHAMPETRA LAKE NORTH SHORE #2 $272,000 SEDA, MICHAEL J & JULIE S U S BANK LT 137 BELLWOOD PLAT NO 1 $272,000 HAMMANN, KENNETH R & CAROL SUE HAWTHORN BANK LT 113B VILLAS AT OLD HAWTHORNE PLAT 1 Previews and reviews of mid-Missouri events By the staff of Event Solutions, www.eventsolutionsllc.com Event Marketing Myths Using events as marketing and promotional tools is undoubtedly one of the more effective ways to create brand awareness and maintain brand loyalty. Unfortunately, when the economy took a downturn, the irst item in marketing budgets to get the ax often was eventmarketing. However, corporate and promotional events do not have to break the bank to make the impact your company needs. Let’s dispel some of the myths surrounding event marketing in the current economy. Myth #1: Events have to be extravagant. Promotional events do not have to be the epitome of pomp and circumstance to make an impact on the target audience. Events that fulill a speciic community or individual need are memorable and can be inexpensive. Myth #2: Marketing is important, but not a necessity. Many companies are trying to cut costs, and, in their efforts to do so, they think marketing can be put on hold. Brand position is constantly luctuating, and removing your company from the running can be devastating. Myth #3: What is important to my company will draw my target audience. We are all guilty of thinking our interests are the most important, but, frankly, in a consumer driven economy, that just isn’t the case. Be sure that the draw to your event is focused on your target audience, but still within your company’s mission. Myth #4: Once the event is over, the work is over. One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is failing to follow up. Quantifying and measuring the success of an event is dificult, but far from impossible. Incorporating measurement opportunities into your event takes creativity and inesse. Cherry Hill Summerfest and Art Show 2008 PREVIEW Cherry Hill Summerfest and Art Show When: June 13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Village of Cherry Hill in Columbia, MO- Corner of Scott Blvd. and Chapel Hill Road Details: A great way to experience the Village of Cherry Hill! This family-friendly event will include face painting, festival games and clowns to entertain the kids. While the kids are busy having fun, adults can browse the many artist booths or embrace their inner child by participating in a scavenger hunt. There will be live music performances by Lisa Rose and Hot House from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and, for late afternoon enjoyment, the Ironweed Bluegrass Band will take the stage from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. It’s guaranteed to be a fun way to enjoy your Saturday. More Info: www.villageofcherryhill.com/Summerfest09.pdf HIT LIST 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Columbia Pridefest: Stephens Lake Park-June 13 Juneteenth Celebration: Douglas Park-June 13 Shelter Gardens Summer Concert Series-June 21, June 28, July 12, July 19 Go Skateboarding Day: Cosmo Park-June 20 Fire in the Sky: Memorial Stadium-July 4 Off Track Events presents The 80s Run: Downtown Columbia-July 11 23 June 13, 2009 Columbia Business Times | ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com Time Well Spent