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48
KC Oil Widcatter Heads South
Jim “Blacky” Pryor is the last of a dying breed. He’s an oil wildcatter.
For years, he has explored untapped reservoirs of black gold,
scanning the Midwest for the next big gusher. These days, Pryor
spends his time prospecting in Central America, where Nicaragua
and Honduras hold great promise of untold wealth.
STORY BY DAVID CONRADS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SUSAN MCSPADDEN
Knowledge Center
14720 West 105th Street
Lenexa, KS 66215
913.888.7600
6 | K C B U S I N E S S
9. stories
features columnists
Global Wine, Local Label Business
47
19
Local entrepreneurs launch a popular Kansas City is growing ever
Australian wine label from Overland Park. more attached to the global
STORY BY RUTH BAUM BIGUS business world.
COLUMN BY BOB MARCUSSE
ILLUSTRATION BY NOLI NOVAK
The New Rail Barons
52
BEHIND THE CURTAIN
TiVo and the digital video
Lawsuits allege that the big U.S. railroad
Politics
recorders that allow
21 viewers to program favorite
companies, including KC Southern, shows and skip advertise-
Development lawyers are the ments are rattling the TV
entered into a wide-ranging conspiracy to world, including some
thrust behind local political local players. 37
milk billions from shippers.
campaigns.
STORY BY KEVIN BRASS
COLUMN BY TRACY THOMAS
ILLUSTRATION BY NOLI NOVAK
departments
INNOVATOR
The principals behind
10 Editor’s Note Cinema Scene Marketing
are using 3-D technology
13 KCBcentral.com for cutting-edge displays in
this month in i3 movie theaters. 43
14 Index
23
Event Photos:
KCB’s Influential Women 17 Contributors
KCB Quiz: 59 Kudos
A Jack of Which Type?
61 Networking Calendar
KC by the #s
63 The Grind
Career Profile: Blogger
64 Goat Locker
Tech: Wee Wonders
Answer Key: CEO Type
INNOVATOR
A marketing career that
involved the Ginsu knife has
led Taiwan native Benny Lee
to Kansas City in pursuit of
the American dream. 45
I N S I G H T , I N N O V A T I O N , I N S P I R A T I O N | 7
12. editor’s note
Kansas City is the pretty good place to ride out a recession. At press time, it cost about $3.10 for a
gallon of regular gas—about as low as it gets in the U.S. these days. The national average was $3.33,
and it was $3.68 in California. Imagine paying 50-cents more for each gallon of gas, or $5 extra for every
10 gallons. If that’s the price for a trip to the beach, no thanks. (This month, KCB looks at the impact that
the price of oil is having on a local wildcatter, as well as the shipping industry.)
The job market in KC also has remained relatively stable. In the KC region, nonfarm employment rose
1.7 percent in the one-year period ending February ‘08, nearly three times the national increase of 0.6
percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Also consider the average price of a single-family home in Kansas City, which was $148,200 in
the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the most recent data available at press time by the National
Association of Realtors. That was only a slight dip from the second quarter ‘07 high of $157,700.
Meanwhile, the national average for all of ‘07 was $217,800, after hitting a high-water mark of $221,900
P HO TO G RAPHY BY SUSAN MCSPADDEN for ‘06. To further illustrate the point, consider that the median price of a home in Los Angeles was
$509,700 in Q4 ‘07, falling from $593,000 in Q2 ‘07. That’s an $83,000 drop, compared to the $9,500
drop in KC for the same period.
While the mortgage crisis has affected markets everywhere, the damage in Kansas City has been less pro-
nounced. Real estate in Kansas City has always been affordable—a so-called “safe market.” Chances are that
even if you bought a home in Kansas City at the peak of the market, it’s probably unlikely that you’re too far
underwater on your investment. And for the price of an average single-family home in Los Angeles, you could
have bought at least two in some nice Kansas City neighborhoods.
To be sure, times have been tough. Some neighborhoods are hit harder than others. Job growth has
been slowing. There’s a budget crunch in KCMO. But the Kansas City region doesn’t experience the
booms and busts like cities on the coasts. There’s no single industry by which we thrive or die. It’s a
stable economy where the necessities, and amenities, are affordable. Living in Kansas City is a qual-
ity of life investment—you get a lot more with a lot less. Consider that it costs $44 for a dugout box at
Kauffman Stadium for a game against the New York Yankees. Compare that to the $325 price tag for
a single-game dugout box in Boston.
Yes, you can ride out a recession in Kansas City in relative comfort … that is until speculators start
driving up the price of real estate or the Royals win another World Series.
R. Scott Macintosh
Editor
rsmacintosh@KCBmagazine.com
10 | K C B U S I N E S S
13. tivol diamonds.
a cut above.
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA HAWTHORNE PLAZA BRIARCLIFF VILLAGE
14.
15. this month @ http://www.kcbcentral.com
now on metrostew
At Anthem Publishing’s new interactive Web site, MetroStew.com, you’ll find not only the extra KCB content
that we didn’t have room for in the magazine, but also news, features and high-end photography for all of the
company’s publications. At MetroStew, you can read unabridged Drinks With interviews with business leaders.
Use our new interactive feature that lets you flip through virtual copies of the past issues of all our publications—
check out KC Magazine’s April profile of the city’s hottest bands or reread the profiles of KCB’s 50 Most
Influential Women from the March edition. MetroStew is Kansas City’s new source for all things work and play.
poll results
WILL THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS HAVE A WINNING SEASON THIS YEAR?
goat locker
What’s a goat locker? Go to KCBcentral.com to learn about the origins
of the term. Also look at our photo outtakes, like the shot above of Brian
Alexander, the new president and CEO of the World War I Museum. Also
online are outtakes from our photo shoots with Linda Friend of SuperFlea,
L.C. Richardson of LC’s Bar-B-Que, artist David Ford, James Carver of
YES
Aesthetica and Timothy O’Leary of Shughart Thomson & Kilroy. 45.59 %
read it on the blog
Want more? Delve into cutting edge business news that just couldn’t wait
on KCB’s blog, bizblog.kcbcentral.com. We keep a finger on the pulse NO
of Kansas City, delivering unexpected, under-the-radar news items that 54.41 %
entertain and inform.
stock options
Keep up with the biggest local stock moves on the
Metrostew.com Web site. Our scrolling stock ticker Share your opinion on this month’s poll question at KCBcentral.com.
THE QUESTION: Is the Kansas City economy in recession?
tracks the latest ups and downs of local, publicly held
companies. It’s updated with the latest market move-
quotable
ments every 15 minutes. Also, you can create your own personalized ticker
“This is the biggest change to a submitted city
with the stock picks of your choice. To create your customized stock ticker and
watch it scroll, simply click “edit” on the bottom left-hand side of the Metrostew budget in the last 30 years. ... With this budget, we
home page and make a selection. have made significant strides toward restoring our
fund balance. We’ve planned for the actual costs we anticipate cover-
quick links
SUBSCRIBE ing in the coming year. And, most significantly, we’ve worked together
Sign up for a subscription to KCB. Twelve issues for $34.95.
to make strategic choices in order to fund those services that are most
KCB UPDATES
To receive news about the next issue of KCB and when it will hit important to our citizens.”
the local newsstand, sign up for our e-mail notices by contacting
— STATEMENT MADE MARCH 28, 2008, BY KCMO MAYOR MARK FUNKHOUSER ON THE
editorial@KCBmagazine.com.
ADOPTION OF THE FY 2008-2009 BUDGET.
I N S I G H T , I N N O V A T I O N , I N S P I R A T I O N | 13
16. index: people and companies in this issue
HERE YOU’LL FIND A LISTING OF
Bridging the Gap ...................................... 61 Enterprise Financial Services Corp. ......... 59 Holloway, Lael .......................................... 59
ALL OF THE COMPANIES AND
PEOPLE MENTIONED THROUGHOUT
THIS ISSUE OF KCB, INCLUDING Brien, Keith ............................................... 47 Entrepreneurial Development Center....... 59 Holmes, Michael ...................................... 43
OUR ADVERTISERS.
Broadway Across America ....................... 28 Environmental Protection Agency ............ 50 Hospital Corp. of America ........................ 59
a
ABC .......................................................... 38
Action Coach ............................................ 27
Advertising Icon Museum .................. 17, 28
Brown, Benjamin ...................................... 55
Brown, F. Peter ................................... 24, 28
Brown, G. Michael .............................. 24, 28
Ericson, Vaughn ....................................... 40
Ernst & Young........................................... 59
Escalation Consultants ............................ 55
i
IdentiGEN ................................................. 19
Industria Oklahoma Nicaragua SA........... 51
Information Resources Inc. ...................... 39
Aesthetica..................................................13 Brown, Michael ................................... 24, 28 Euronet Worldwide ................................... 24 Information Technology of Iowa ............... 59
AIESEC ..................................................... 19 Brown, Peter ....................................... 24, 28 European Motorsports ............................. 40 InterContinental Hotel ................................ 8
f
Alexander, Brian ....................................... 64 Bryan Cave Law ....................................... 44 Facebook ................................................. 26 International Association
Alger, Horatio ............................................ 45 Bubb, Megan............................................ 47 Fanning, Monica....................................... 59 of Administrative Professionals ................ 61
Allison, Craig ............................................ 39 Bussanmas, Corita ................................... 61 First National Bank .................................. 42 Ironhorse Golf Club .................................. 61
AMC Entertainment Inc. ..................... 24, 59
American Century Investments ................ 59
c
Caligiore, Gustav ...................................... 47
Carnegie, Dan .......................................... 61
First National Bank of Kansas .................. 23
First Watch ............................................... 61
IRS ............................................................ 21
ISSN ......................................................... 64
j
American Chemistry Council............... 54-55 Cates Auction ........................................... 41 Fitness For Life ......................................... 26 Jefferson Wells Inc. ............................ 41, 59
American Restaurant, The........................ 46 Central Exchange ..................................... 61 Fitness Gallery.......................................... 21 Job Match ................................................ 39
Amini’s Galleria .......................................... 2 Cerner Corp........................................ 19, 24 Flickr ......................................................... 26 Johnson County Community College ........ 3
k
Anderson, Jan-Eric ................................... 37 Chateau Avalon ........................................ 29 Ford Motor Company ............................... 26 Kansas Biosciences Organization ........... 23
Applebee’s ............................................... 59 Child Health Coalition .............................. 61 Fortune Magazine .................................... 25 Kansas City Area Development
Archer Daniels Midland ............................ 54
Association of American Railroads .......... 54
Aureus Group ........................................... 46
Cinema Scene Marketing ......................... 43
Collins, Jeremy ................................... 37, 63
ColoradoBiz Magazine ............................. 28
g
Gail’s Harley Davidson ............................. 23
Garmin.......................................... 19, 24, 28
General Services Administration .............. 61
Council ................................................19
Kansas City Chiefs ................................... 19
Kansas City Council of
b
Barkley................................................ 37, 26 Combest, Christopher .............................. 47 Gentle, John ............................................. 57 Women Business Owners .................. 19, 23
Bayer Corp. ........................................ 24, 28 Conrads, David ........................................ 48 Ginsu Knife ............................................... 45 Kansas City Royals....................................10
Beckloff, Michael ...................................... 23 Consumers United for Rail Godin, Seth .............................................. 21 Kansas City Southern............................... 53
Bell Atlantic Corp. ..................................... 57 Equity ............................................54, 57 Godsey, C. Wayne.................................... 38 Kansas City Symphony .............................. 4
Bennett, Kathy .......................................... 23 Credit Union of Johnson County .............. 61 Greater Kansas City Chamber Kansas Information Technology
Benskin, Audrey ....................................... 23 Cribb, Christopher .................................... 47 of Commerce ..................................... 16, 59 Association ..........................................59
h
Bernstein, Bob.................................... 24, 28 Czinege, Mike........................................... 59 Hallmark ................................................... 19 Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp........ 59
d
Bernstein-Rein ........................ 17, 24, 28, 40 Derusseau, Brad ...................................... 43 Hamberger, Edward R.............................. 55 Kao, E. Min ......................................... 24, 28
Bentley-St. Louis ........................................ 9 Dietrich, Bill............................................... 61 Handy Stitch ............................................. 45 Kauffman Foundation............................... 19
Birch, Mary ............................................... 21 DLR Group ............................................... 44 Harley Davidson ....................................... 23 KCADC ..................................................... 19
Black & Veatch ......................................... 19 Dost, Linda ............................................... 23 Haverty, Michael ....................................... 54 Kemper, D. Mariner ............................ 24, 28
Black Star 231 .......................................... 50 Dreiling, Mark ........................................... 23 Heit, Mary ................................................. 59 Kepner-Tregoe Inc. .............................. 24-25
Blue Cross Blue Shield............................... 1
BMW ......................................................... 28
Brass, Kevin ....................................... 37, 53
e
Embarq Corp............................................ 28
Embrace Smiles LLC................................ 22
Employee Advisory Committee ................ 59
Hendrikse, David E. ................................. 59
Hereford House .................................. 63, 61
Hesse, Dan......................................... 24, 28
KMBC ....................................................... 38
Krass, Todd .............................................. 59
Kreps, Angela ........................................... 23
Brenner, Daniel L. ..................................... 21 Enterprise Bank ........................................ 59 Historic Annapolis Foundation ................. 64 KSHB ................................................... 39-40
14 | K C B U S I N E S S
17. index: people and companies in this issue
KTEC ........................................................ 59 Nielsen Company, The ............................. 37 Rosemann & Associates P C. .................. 59
. Surface Transportation Board ............. 56-57
l
L.C.’s Bar-B-Que.......................................13 Nintendo ................................................... 63 RubinBrown .............................................. 26 Szabo, Bob......................................... 54, 57
t
Lambert, Thom ......................................... 56 Noble, Melissa A. ..................................... 61 Russell, Rebecca ..................................... 61 Take Two Productions............................... 23
Lathrop & Gage........................................ 21
Leawood Chamber .................................. 61
Lee, Benny ............................................... 45
Noles, Samantha...................................... 61
Norfolk Southern ...................................... 53
North Kansas City Hospital ...................... 61
s
Sahni, Jyotsna .......................................... 61
Sailer, Berta .............................................. 61
Sales Professionals International ............. 61
Time Warner Cable................................... 24
Tivol .......................................................... 11
TiVo ..................................................... 37, 43
Lindell, Celeste ......................................... 26 Northeast Johnson County Chamber ...... 61 Samsung .................................................. 27 Top Innovations ........................................ 45
Lucas, George.......................................... 43 Northland Chapter, The ............................ 61 Scheels All Sports .................................... 21 Trozzolo, Angelo R. .................................. 59
m
Majestic Resource.................................... 25
March of Dimes ........................................ 61
Northwest Missouri State University..........17
Norwood Resources Ltd. ......................... 51
Schlitterbahn ............................................ 21
Scott Fetzer Company ............................. 45
Trozzolo, Pasquale ................................... 59
Trozzolo Communications Group ............ 59
Mark O’Connell ........................................ 47
Mark One Electric Company .................... 39
Marquee Artisan Wines ...................... 17, 47
o
Ohle, Joerg ......................................... 24, 28
On Demand Technologies ....................... 12
OncImmune.............................................. 19
Scott Rice Officeworks ............................... 6
Securities and Exchange
Commission ........................................57
Tymosko, Paul .......................................... 59
u
U. S. Bank................................................. 59
U.S. Department of Labor..........................10
Matthews, Lisa ......................................... 23 OQO ......................................................... 27 Sheahan-Strain Associates Inc. .............. 24 Ubben, Miriam.......................................... 59
McDonald’s .............................................. 43 Organisation for Economic Cooperation Shelburne Museum .................................. 64 UMB Financial Corp. ................................ 24
McSpadden, Susan ........................... 64, 48 and Development .....................................19 Shot Bee ................................................... 59 Union Pacific ............................................ 53
p
Menendez, Ann ........................................ 23 Outpost Broadcast Communications ...... 23 Shughart Thomson & Kilroy ..................... 59 Union Station ...................................... 61, 21
Mid-America Minority Business Panama Canal Railway Company............ 54 Sign Pro of Kansas City ........................... 61 University of Kansas................................. 19
Development Council ............................... 42 Patterson, Neal ................................... 24, 28 Singer ....................................................... 45 University of Missouri ......................... 19, 56
Mini, Martin ............................................... 23
MoneyGram.............................................. 28
Peterson, Mary Beth ................................. 59
Pittsburg State University ......................... 60
SKC Communications Systems ............... 20
Sloss, Jim ................................................. 61
v
University of North Texas...........................17
Vibe Marketing ......................................... 25
Moore, Pat ................................................ 61
Morgan, Hali ............................................. 23
Multi Service Corp. ................................... 47
Power On Technologies Inc. .................... 29
Poynter Institute for Media Studies............17
PQ Media ................................................. 40
Software and Information
Technology of Iowa .................................. 59
Spangler, Laura ........................................ 23
w
WDS Marketing ........................................ 23
Webster House......................................... 23
Wendlandt & Stallbaumer ........................ 38
MySpace .................................................. 26 Pryor, Jim .................................................. 48 Spangler, Marga ....................................... 23 Wheeler, Charley ...................................... 21
n
National Association of Realtors................10 Pryor Oil Company ................................... 50 Spangler, Rich .......................................... 23 White, Tom ................................................ 55
National CineMedia LLC .......................... 28 Pstrada ..................................................... 59 Spangler, Sara .......................................... 23 Wilson, Becky ........................................... 23
National Freight Transportation Quikut, Douglas ....................................... 45 Spidertel ................................................... 40 Winfrey, Oprah.......................................... 39
Association .........................................53
National Golf Club of
Kansas City, The ..................................19
r
Rebar Business Builders .......................... 28
Referring Entrepreneurs and
Professionals .......................................61
Sprint Nextel ............................................. 24
Staffing KC ............................................... 27
Star Group, The ........................................ 19
Witcher, Harold ......................................... 51
Womack, Cheryl ....................................... 19
World Figure Skating Museum ................. 64
National World War I Museum ........... 13, 64 Regal Entertainment Group ..................... 28 SteamFast ................................................ 45 Worth, Gail ................................................ 23
NBC ..................................................... 39-40
NBC Universal .......................................... 40
Nebraska Furniture Mart .......................... 21
Regnier, Bob ............................................. 61
Research Belton Hospital ........................ 59
Ria Envia................................................... 28
Sterling Steel Company ........................... 54
Stillwell, Arthur .......................................... 54
Strnad, Sarah ........................................... 23
y
YouTube .................................................... 26
YRC Worldwide ........................................ 19
Zerkel, Sherri ............................................ 61
Neifert, Marianne ...................................... 61
New York Yankees......................................10
Rogers , Teri ............................................. 23
Roman, Jay .............................................. 55
Sughart, Thomson & Kilroy........................13
SuperFlea...................................................13 z
Zucker, Jeff ............................................... 40
Zurbuchen, Nancy.................................... 23
I N S I G H T , I N N O V A T I O N , I N S P I R A T I O N | 15
18.
19. contributors
RUTH BAUM KEVIN DAVID KEVIN DAVID BETSY SUSAN
BIGUS BRASS CONRADS FLEMING HODES LEE MCSPADDEN
Ruth Baum Bigus writes about Marquee Ar- month for KCB. Fleming’s work also has ap- Susan McSpadden is one of those lucky peo-
tisan Wines in this month’s Global Market col- peared in such publications as Modern Bride, ple who has always known what she wanted to do
umn. Bigus also contributes to sister publication Maxim, Successful Farming and Mental_Floss. with her life: Take pictures for the likes of KCB and
Commercial Journal-Kansas City. David Hodes is a Kansas City native and free- other publications. A contract photojournalist in
In this month’s Behind the Curtain column, lance writer who also has worked as a news pro- the Kansas City area, her credits include The New
writer Kevin Brass investigates the impact that motions writer/producer for local television news York Times and The Washington Post. Previously,
digital recording devices (DVRs) are having on stations. He is a field producer for nationally syn- McSpadden worked for The Kansas City Star for
TV advertising revenues. He also writes a feature dicated news programs for NFL Network, VH-1 eight years as a photo editor and photographer.
story about the allegations of price-fixing in the and CBS. He is the former editor of Video Sys-
ANTHEM MAY PREVIEW
railroad industry. Brass is a longtime contributor tems, a video trade publication. Feature articles
What’s in our other issues?
to a lengthy list of publications, including The by Hodes have appeared in Billboard magazine In the May issue of Commercial Journal-Kan-
sas City, read about the construction of the
New York Times, International Herald Tribune, as well as other national business and entertain-
West Edge project on the Country Club Plaza.
People and San Diego Magazine. He has also ment magazines. He also writes for the KCB’s When completed next spring, the building will
serve as the new headquarters of Bernstein-
been a regular contributor to the business sec- sister publication Commercial Journal-Kansas
Rein advertising and home of the Advertis-
tion of the Los Angeles Times and served a stint City. This month, Hodes writes about entrepre- ing Icon Museum plus a boutique hotel. Also
learn about two major intermodal hubs that are
as executive editor of Video Store Magazine. Be- neur Benny Lee.
coming online and will boost the region’s pro-
hind the Curtain appears each month in KCB. A native of Lawrence, Betsy Lee earned a bach- file as a shipping and transportation hub.
A frequent contributor to KCB, David Conrads elor’s degree in journalism from Northwest Mis-
Just in time for Mother’s Day, the May edition
has written for numerous national and local pub- souri State University and pursued graduate jour- of KC Magazine examines what motherhood
means to a variety of our city’s most interest-
lications, including the Christian Science Monitor, nalism studies at the University of North Texas.
ing and vibrant women and offers a gift guide
USA Today, Commercial Journal-Kansas City and She completed a writing and reporting fellowship that’s sure to please.
KC Magazine. He is also co-author, with Steve Wulf, with the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in
KC Home Design welcomes May’s flowers
of I Was Right On Time, the autobiography of Buck St. Petersburg, Florida. Her work has appeared in with the debut of its new columnist, Heather
Clawson. The “chic” behind the design blog
O’Neil. This month, he writes the profile of Kansas the Dallas Morning News, Missouri Lawyers Weekly
Habitually Chic on metrostew.com, Clawson
City-based Jim “Blacky” Pryor, one of the last of and, closer to home, in the St. Joseph News-Press shares her New York interior insights. This
spring’s issue also reveals two very differ-
the old-school oil wildcatters, and his search for oil as well as KCB’s sister publication, KC Magazine.
ent yet equally sophisticated homes: a Mid-
reserves in Central America. Lee lives in Kansas City. This month, she writes the Century Modern River Market condo and a
eclectic art home in Mission Hills.
Kevin Fleming writes The Grind column each CEO quiz in the i3 section of the magazine.
I N S I G H T , I N N O V A T I O N , I N S P I R A T I O N | 17
20.
21. business philosophy
BOB MARCUSSE | president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council
ILLUSTRATION BY NOLI NOVAK
Global KC
E
arly this month, the Kansas City area will host a very appointments in India and Chile. MU journalism students will be
influential group of international economic develop- covering the Beijing Olympics this summer, and the university has
ment leaders. The Organisation for Economic Co- research partnerships and training programs in China as well.
operation and Development (OECD) is sending its Working • The University of Kansas’ global vision includes a nation-
Party on SMEs and Entrepreneurship to Kansas City for several al No. 8 ranking for the percentage of students studying abroad,
days of meetings with the Kauffman Foundation. 440 students certified in the university’s Global Awareness pro-
The visit offers a rare opportunity for Kansas City to en- gram, and the world’s largest student chapter of the AIESEC,
gage and make an impression on more than 100 international which arranges internships worldwide.
government dignitaries and global entrepreneurial leaders Significant international outreach also takes place in both the
from 30 different countries in Western Europe and Asia. The Kansas and Missouri governor’s offices, and through many of the
OECD Working Party will be meeting in the U.S. for the first region’s city governments.
time in its 40-plus-year history. As has been true in the corporate and political world for quite
The OECD is an international organization that collects and some time, the economic development community also is realizing
analyzes data that is used to make recommendations on interna- that competition is no longer limited to the United States or even
tional economic policy. Membership is made up of international just North America. More and more, companies are conducting
government dignitaries representing economic development, tour- global searches for manufacturing plants, research & development
ism, industry, labor, energy, transportation, science and technology, centers, datacenters and customer contact facilities.
and small business. The organization’s Working Party on SMEs The KC region has worked with at least nine overseas companies
and Entrepreneurship focuses specifically on issues and policies at in the past two years. It has seen interest, in particular, from com-
the national and international levels pertaining to SMEs (including panies in Germany, Ireland and England.
micro-enterprises) and entrepreneurship. When the KCADC worked with the team from IdentiGEN, an
The KCADC is hosting the group, along with key corporate, early-stage animal health company based in Ireland, their interest
civic and elected leadership from across the region and both states in the U.S. stemmed from their ability to more easily get funding
for a special dinner highlighting KC’s global reach and interests. for their research and product development. There was a similar
The Kansas City region is fortunate to have the resources it does opportunity with London-based OncImmune, a company that is
in the Kauffman Foundation, as well as innovation and leadership at now developing an early detection test for breast and other cancers
companies like Garmin, Hallmark, Black & Veatch, Cerner, from its new office in Kansas City.
YRC Worldwide and many others. These organizations are bring- The decisions made within the OECD could potentially influ-
ing significant international prestige to the KC region. ence companies’ interest in investing in markets outside of their
Many of the regional universities have strong ties to interna- country of origin. Whether it becomes easier to do business abroad,
tional governments and universities abroad. more cost-effective or more competitive, the KC region needs to be
• The University of Missouri has a variety of global outreach in the spotlight. (For more information on the OECD, visit www.
efforts, from student study abroad programs in 60 countries to faculty oecd.org.)
Bob Marcusse, president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council; Nancy Zurbuchen, president of Motional Multimedia and co-
founder, director of the Kansas City Council of Women Business Owners; Cheryl Womack, president and CEO of the Star Group and VCW Holdings;
and Carl D. Peterson, president and general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs rotate in writing this column. To respond to this column, email
rsmacintosh@kcbmagazine.com.
I N S I G H T , I N N O V A T I O N , I N S P I R A T I O N | 19
22.
23. political commentary
TRACY THOMAS | former president of the Shawnee City Council
ILLUSTRATION BY NOLI NOVAK
Vote With Your Wallet
I
’ve never bought one thing at Nebraska Furniture Mart, All local governments funnel money and zoning privileges
and I never will. I hate that it ruined KC’s furniture and ap- to favored developers, engineers, homebuilders and bankers.
pliance industry. Instead of Lenexa, it was built at taxpayer They cover every number on the roulette wheel; any politician
expense in KCK. The minute the STAR bonds for infrastructure who asks gets a check. Then it’s payback after election time.
are paid off, this vulture is free to migrate to where it should have I know. I was elected for five years in Johnson County, and I
gone all along: Denver. All that will remain is a shell no company cut my political campaign teeth in KCMO in the post-Wheeler
will ever fill—a Kemper Arena of big-box stores. years. (And do you really believe Charley Wheeler wants to
I also won’t be riding the 65-foot subsidized Schlitterbahn be a state treasurer—something he knows nothing about? Of
Ferris Wheel or saluting the animatronic U.S. Presidents at Scheels course not. He’s running for a bigger state pension. It’s based
All Sports. I’ll get my treadmill at locally-owned Fitness Gallery on the average of your last three years of public salary.)
instead. And you won’t find me paying $10 to park downtown in or- In the past, campaigns for development scams seeking tax
der to drink a $9 Mojito at any Cordish Co.-subsidized bar. Nope. I subsidies, including BiState II and Big Soccer, were financed
dine in Westport or in Johnson County, where parking is free and easy, illegally. More than half of the proponent money was mysteri-
and the businesses self-supporting. Prediction: In three years, when the ously “in-kind,” because consultants told big business to write
novelty of the Power & Light District begins to wane with the crowds, checks directly to the TV stations and deduct the cost as adver-
Cordish will bail on the city. tising. That’s illegal. I am in the process of turning them in to
Maybe the only way to stop the tax abatement insanity is to hoist the IRS. Advertising is only deductible when it’s for your own
a George Bush “Mission Accomplished” banner and then quietly let business, not a political campaign.
some of these boondogles fail by refusing additional bailouts. Must All business owners and employees need to vote with their
Union Station survive by selling $24 tickets to view peeled cadav- wallets. It’s a matter of enlightened self-interest: support local
ers? And despite the $29 million in subsidies over the years, the business and no more taxes. Email all elected officials this week
18th & Vine Jazz District is still singing the blues. The Peachtree before you have to fire anyone in this recession.
Restaurant picked up and decided to relocate where there will be The joy of entrepreneurship is in risk-taking. But let’s learn some
at least some short-term traffic—the Power & Light District. lessons from history. Don’t you imagine your parents and grandpar-
Developments, like marriages, fail more than 50 percent of the ents wished they’d made some different decisions, say in 1929 and
time. You need an exit strategy. Impending blight? How about five 1938? Let’s not wake up whining, “Why didn’t someone tell me that
vacant grocery stores in Shawnee? Empty storefronts are the har- was gonna happen?”
binger of Troost. Wake up, voters! Vote against all tax increases Read Web icon Seth Godin’s book, Meatball Sundae: Is Your
and the developers’ lapdog politicians who support them. And Marketing Out of Sync? He urges us to stop adapting and start
when Lathrop & Gage fundraisers solicit you to write campaign reinventing. I say, do this politically as well. Godin helps cut-
checks for Johnson County’s Research Triangle this November, just ting-edge businesses with 14 new-media marketing trends. But
say NO. If it’s such a viable project, they’ll build it anyway. even if you run an old-fashioned “meatball” business, selling
From Funk to the JoCo Commission to every council race in the average goods to average Kansas City people, this book will
metro, all local campaigns are financed by development attorneys. wake you up. Consider yourself told.
Tracy Thomas, former president of the Shawnee City Council; Mike Shanin, veteran Kansas City broadcaster, host of Ruckus; Tim Carmody, attorney with
Berger & Carmody P .A., former Kansas State Representative and; Kris W. Kobach, Daniel L. Brenner/UMKC Scholar and Professor of Law, former counsel
to the U.S. Attorney General, rotate in writing this column. To respond to this column, e-mail rsmacintosh@kcbmagazine.com.
I N S I G H T , I N N O V A T I O N , I N S P I R A T I O N | 21
24.
25. i3: insight, innovation and inspiration
kcb’s influential women
To recognize KCB’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2008 (highlighted in the March
issue), a celebration was hosted at the Webster House. In attendance were: 1)
(Clockwise from left) Kathy Bennett; ‘08 Honoree Teri Rogers of Take Two Produc-
tions; Nancy Zurbuchen, KCB columnist and co-founder of Kansas City Council
of Women Business Owners; Gail Worth of Gail’s Harley Davidson; Linda
Dost; and ‘08 Honoree Becky Wilson of WDS Marketing. 2) Ellen D’Amato of
Central Exchange, R. Scott Macintosh and Dara Macan of Anthem Publishing,
and Marc Maun of Bank of Kansas City; 3) ‘08 Honoree Angela Kreps, president
of Kansas Biosciences Organization, Michael Beckloff and Martin Mini. 4) Au-
drey Benskin and Ann Menendez. 5) Rich Spangler, ‘08 Honoree Marga Spangler
of First National Bank of Kansas, Laura and Sara Spangler. 6) ‘08 Honoree
1
Sarah Strnad of Outpost Broadcast Communications and Mark Dreiling.
2 3
4 5
6
I N S I G H T , I N N O V A T I O N , I N S P I R A T I O N | 23
27. ers and employees, motivators spend most of their time
working with people. A motivator’s expertise is building his or
her team. Motivators work to rally their troops, establishing a
culture that is a magnet for the best and brightest.
5) RAINMAKER – Rainmakers are salespeople at heart. Their
expertise is the art of establishing customer relationships and
making the big deals. According to Kepner-Tregoe Inc., a
rainmaker CEO’s key question should be, “Do I have a unique
talent in this area or is it merely a preferred activity that could
also be carried out by others?”
6) MARKETER – Like any strong marketing representative,
marketer CEOs spend a great deal of time serving as their
organization’s “face.” Often, these individuals completely
embody the brand. As a result, they play a role that no one
Treading water with the same soggy
else in the organization can play. messages? Make a splash and have fun
doing it with integrated campaigns and
7) DEAL MAKER – Deal maker CEOs spend their time on
refreshing creative. Suit up. Grab your
alliances and acquisitions. They are much like strategists, but white board. Ride the wave with Vibe.
deal makers focus on finding partners. They spend most of • Full-Service Marketing • Graphic Design
their time searching for partners and conferring about busi- • Competitive Analysis • Public Relations
ness arrangements. • Strategic Planning • Web
8) AMBASSADOR – Stakeholders are the focus of ambassa-
• Branding • Media
dor CEOs. These CEOs work to please consumers, give fod-
der to financial analysts, sway lawmakers, compel regulators
and satisfy board members. They are community connectors.
According to Kepner-Tregoe, these CEOs could be referred to
as “lobbyists in chief.”
(For the Answer Key see page 28.)
INTUITIVE • INTERACTIVE • INNOVATIVE
YOURVIBETEAM.COM • 816-795-6067
kc by the #s
KC SOUTHERN’S RANK ON FORTUNE
MAGAZINE’S LIST OF THE 100 FASTEST-
20
GROWING COMPANIES IN 2007. THE RAILWAY
LINE POSTED REVENUES IN EXCESS OF $1.6
BILLION FOR THE YEAR. RISING FUEL AND
FREIGHT COSTS HAVE BOOSTED THE BOTTOM
LINE FOR THE RAIL COMPANY.
I N S I G H T , I N N O V A T I O N , I N S P I R A T I O N | 25
