- PRESS RELEASE - Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation   Blue Springs, MO- Sept 3, 2010- For more information, contact: Ann Judd Blue Springs EDC 816-228-0210 ajudd@bluespringsedc.com Mizzou Reaching Out to Grad Students The following video story was aired on Kansas City's Fox4News on Thursday, September 2, 2010. BLUE SPRINGS, MO - More students are looking to stay closer to home to further their education, and as a result the University of Missouri is bringing a unique program to the metro area as specialized graduate classes are now underway at the new Mizzou Center in Blue Springs. FOX 4's John Pepitone is Working for You with the report. Click on the following image: For more information about The Mizzou Center and/or the Missouri Innovation Park, checkout our website at www.bluespringsedc.com/innovation.aspx. ### Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation 1600 NE Coronado Drive Blue Springs, MO  64014 www.ThinkBlueSprings.com

Blue Springs EDC | 1600 NE Coronado Drive | Blue Springs | MO | 64014

Once again, it’s election time, as you can tell by the proliferation of political signs, letters to the editor, and junk mailings filling up our mail boxes. There are politicians who say they represent our interests, politicians who say they aren’t politicians, and opinion column writers, current and former politicians. How do we weed out the facts from the spin and make good decisions in selecting our next leaders? It’s difficult if not impossible to effectively verify the statements made by politicians in a timely manner. We often believe what we read or hear, especially if we know or trust the source.

As I read the letters to the editor and added my own comments to several, it occurred to me that those letters have been written with the best of intentions, usually to help friends with their efforts to win an election. Letters of support to express our own individual opinion of the person, not necessarily that the person we are supporting will in the end vote the way we think they should. Our elected officials surprise us at times with their comments, and their votes not always in sync.

So how do we as voters figure out whom to cast our vote for? Whom do we believe? The answer is simple and hard at the same time. We should make every effort to learn more about the people we are supporting, and we should dig more deeply than just our personal relationship with that person. Friendship is one thing; voting is another.

I really wasn’t surprised when I read Ron Fowler’s letter to the editor supporting Sheila Solon, as they are longtime political friends with similar positions on local issues. Ron wrote about how Sheila voted against multi-family housing complexes. What he didn’t mention is that she votes for them as well. Right or wrong, she is inconsistent on this issue. Once in February 2003 she voted to put multi-family zoning on Adams Dairy Parkway and twice that I recall in 2007 while I was on the council serving with her.

Ron also talks about Sheila voting against sales taxes. Those votes were actually against the new retail development on Adams Dairy Parkway. The next time you sit down for dinner at Olive Garden or shop at Target or Gordman’s, consider that she fought hard to stop Adams Dairy Landing from coming to town. Just before she left city office, she worked very hard to scale back Missouri Innovation Park from its original 500 acres to just 100 acres. Her actions would have restricted job growth in Blue Springs at a time when we need more high-quality jobs. Again, she is inconsistent after making “real jobs” a focal point of her council campaign.

Former Councilman Solon, as pointed out by Mayor Ross in a recent article, was very ineffective as an elected official while on the City Council. I expect it would be no different in Jefferson City. Fortunately, the voters have a choice on Aug. 3. I would recommended giving strong consideration to Mike Parker. I’ve spent some time getting to know him and believe that he will best represent the interests of his constituents and will be an effective leader.

The past few weeks have been an adventure, one that I have dreamed of for 30 years. Last summer we purchased a Gold Wing motorcycle from Dell’s Powersports, setting the stage for a touring vacation.

We spent 12 glorious days exploring North and South Dakota, culminating in the Smidt family reunion in White, S.D. My two great aunts, 96 and 101 years young, along with many members of my maternal grandfather’s family, enjoyed a great reunion. Our travels took us to the Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore, Needles Highway, Spearfish Canyon, Standing Rock Indian Reservation, the Corn Palace, Laura Ingalls Wilders’ Homestead and Pageant, and the cities of Brookings and White. What a truly remarkable country we live in!

When we arrived in Brookings, a city of about 20,000, we spent a little time seeing the sights and discovering hidden treasures. Tree-lined streets with sidewalks set far back from the right of way enhanced the walk-ability and attractiveness of the community. Their downtown is vibrant and focused on local business, dining, and entertainment. Like many cities along an interstate highway, their business community also included national chain stores and restaurants at their interchanges. Similar to Blue Springs, Brookings has its own economic development corporation collaborating with the city to achieve balance, as it pursues opportunities for growth and development.

Blue Springs was again recently honored by Money magazine as one of the “Best Places to Live,” ranking us 49th out of a total 100 cities honored. Our low cost of living, nationally recognized schools and low tax rates helped us stand out among the 746 cities considered for recognition.

It is a blessing to live in one of the best cities in America, but that blessing requires commitment from our residents and our elected leaders. One of our long-standing challenges is the revitalization of our downtown. The city has adopted a blueprint for that revitalization that will allow our downtown to grow to a size that is appropriate in relationship to our current population. Our downtown business owners, city government and Chamber of Commerce continue to work hard to provide and promote events that encourage residents and visitors to the downtown area. These events help to generate the synergy necessary to make our downtown thrive.

By working together, we have the ability to make this happen. There are those in our community with the available resources to bring more business opportunities into our downtown. However, they need the confidence that we will support those businesses once they open their doors. We need to focus on local innovation and creating a unique mix of businesses that will make our downtown a destination for residents and visitors alike.

Thought you might like to know that we recently signed a new lease for the former Steamin' Bean Coffee shop at 1875 NW Highway 7. Thus, the location didn't remain vacant for long. This free-standing building is located out in front of the Dickinson Theatre location.

The building will become a new Subway restaurant. Having a drive thru will be a relatively unique feature among area Subway units.
Sincerely,

Marty Hugo
Real Estate Dynamics, Inc.
6045 Martway, Suite 101
Mission, KS 66202
Phone: 913.432.8800

www.RealEstateDynamics.com

On June 17, 2010 New Landings is hosting a Business Summit involving area business leaders and our unemployed and employed professional workforce. If you plan to attend and have not registered, please do so as soon as possible.  We are opening this event to the public and would like to make sure our membership has available seating.

The focus of the Business Summit is on how businesses are sustaining momentum in this economic climate, the challenges our communities face, and how all of us can work together to find solutions.  For a detailed listing of our distinguished panelists, please view the attachment.  

At the Summit, we will unite business leaders and job seekers in a collaborative and productive dialog designed to identify new solutions to the challenges at hand. Simply stated, our state and nation is in desperate need of new and innovative ideas on how to effectively deal with the national unemployment rate of 9.7%. We believe our people are the finest, yet untapped resources we have to nationally address this issue.

Topics we will address include:

? How can we encourage business leaders and entrepreneurs to create new jobs?

? How do we empower people to more creatively engage and support employers who may be at a transitional place in terms of job creation?

? What are the issues that are mission critical to the business community’s ability to create and sustain new job positions?

? What can we do as a community to better support both the local businesses and job seekers, to enable a more efficient or effective process of job creation?

The event will be held June 17, 2010 in Yardley Hall** on the Johnson County Community College campus from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. It will be facilitated by Elizabeth Allen, a widely acclaimed business advocate and expert facilitator.

Note: Seating is limited for this event. There is no charge to attend and pre-registration is required.  RSVP at http://events.linkedin.com/New-Landings-Business-Summit/pub/326512 . Please click on” View Full Event Profile” to register.  If you do not have a LinkedIn account, please send your registration to nlbizsummit@yahoo.com. If you would like to submit a question for our panel, please send it to nlbizsummit@yahoo.com.

**   Directions – The Carlson Center is on the SW corner of the College and Quivira intersection in Overland Park. Yardley Hall is inside the Carlson Center on the North side of the campus. Parking is available immediately to the north of the building. Note that school is in session, so arrive early to ensure convenient parking.

Please note dress attire is business casual. 

 

New Landings Business Summit Panelists

Elizabeth Allen, Principal Consultant, MarketSmartz.  Elizabeth has developed a proprietary sales and marketing system called CODE^Ò. CODE^Ò is a highly effective sales system that teaches "technical experts" how to effectively sell like the entrepreneur.  CODE^Ò is being adapted for application to the unemployed: CODE^Ò for Free Agents is the subject of Elizabeth's forthcoming book Thriving In An Economy Of One.

Sam Atieh, President & CEO, American College of Technology (ACOT).  ACOT is dedicated to delivering high quality, innovative, affordable, and accessible educational opportunities and services that focus on skills and career building for students.  Mr. Atieh has developed various computer systems and applications for schools, airports, hospitals, military, retailers and manufacturers in various languages.  Mr. Atieh brings his practical experience and on-campus teaching skills to his online students.

Don Jalbert, VP Sales & Marketing, CTI Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of technology products and services for business, education, healthcare and retail. Don is responsible for developing and implementing both short and long-term strategic plans to grow the business, managing key customer relationships, and participating in the recommendation and development of new products and specialties.

Brad Justice is co-founder of Team Office, a full-service office furniture company with nationwide delivery.  He is also President of Justice and Associates, a personal development company and author of The Holy Grail of Selling, a how-to book on professional selling. During his 25 year career in sales, Brad has successfully sold clothing, advertising, furniture and more. He lives in Overland Park with his wife Cathie and their two children, Peyton and Cole.

Shawn Kinkade is a full time licensed Professional Business Coach and the President of Aspire Business Development, a business strategy, consulting and coaching company.  He works with business owners and professionals who have hit a ceiling on their business and are looking for traction and momentum to move up to the next level.  Shawn’s past experience has been a mix of Management Consulting at Accenture and as a Corporate Executive at Sprint PCS.  Both roles required extensive work on developing and fixing business processes, leadership, coaching and counseling, and a dedicated focus on solving business problems.

David Longstreet is a consultant with clients in every corner of the globe. His ideas are persuasive and thought provoking, yet he maintains the perfect mix of educator and entertainer. David blends his practical experience with academic research. He is a member of the Academy of Management, the American Economic Society, and has written numerous articles and two books. He is an adjunct professor of graduate level economics and statistics in both the business and psychology departments at Avila University.

Marquita Miller, President, Five Star Tax & Business Solutions.  At Five Star Tax & Business Solutions, Marquita equips clients to understand and play a positive role in their businesses financial future. Marquita has over thirteen years of accounting and tax experience in various industries. She has worked with non-profit, technology, engineering, travel, financial, healthcare, and small business firms, and is the host of a weekly small business radio show, “Market Place Ministries”.

Andrew Nave, Economic Developer with the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce / Economic Development Council.  The Overland Park Chamber Economic Development Council's (OPEDC) mission is to attract, expand and retain the Overland Park business base.   Andrew will be speaking to area business development and potential growth in the Kansas City area.

Jeff Oddo, President, Citywide Maintenance.  City Wide Maintenance is a “Total Solution” for building maintenance, offering commercial janitorial and many other building maintenance services needed by nearly every facility, business and commercial property.  In 1996, the company franchised, and Jeff shifted the company from being a local operational company to a national sales and management company.

Michael Rapken, COO, Genesis10.  Genesis10 is one of the fastest growing, privately-held business and technology firms in the United States and has brought over 150 jobs to the Kansas City area in support of Bank of America.

Jon Schram, President, The Purple Guys.  The Purple Guys have grown over 25% each year since its inception. They have been recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal every year as one of the “Top 25 Network Support Companies” and also one of the “Best Places to Work” in Kansas City. The Purple Guys provide managed services / outsourced IT support to over 70 locations representing over $1B in revenue in the local community.  It has been said of Jon: “Jon is the definition of an entrepreneur.  He is always thinking of new ways to accomplish the tasks at hand and continually trying to improve process.”

Dennis Thompson, COO, Walton Construction, a leader in pre-construction, general contracting, design-build, and construction management services.

Chuck Vanasse, CEO of Prio, Inc.  Chuck is a pessimistic optimist who believes that most people will be better because of our current economic situation. In Chuck’s words, “The benefits of character will far exceed the costs of the miserable times to get character. The payoff is clear. For a person or an economy, bad times season us.”

 

Article about the summit:

http://sunpublications.com/201006094419/news/group-evolves-from-job-club-sponsors-business-summit.html

Sometimes hope is found in the simplest of places. Monday evening, the Blue Springs City Council unanimously passed a consent agenda containing hope that the K-Mart building at 40 and 7 Highways may soon find new life and new opportunities.

Since 2003, the vacant building has been a frustration for residents and city officials, as many looked for ways to eliminate the blight that K-Mart’s closing brought to that intersection. One of the challenges in addressing the situation involved the bankruptcy proceedings that continued for several years after the store closed. It was not until late in 2006 those Tri-Land properties purchased the site and began the process of exploring options with the city regarding possible redevelopment. Several years have again passed, leaving people to wonder if anything is ever going to happen. More...

Adams Dairy Landing continues to add new tenants.  If you want to keep up to date on the happenings at the Landing you can sign up as a VIP on their website at http://www.adamsdairylanding.com/register.asp.  Following is the latest information about stores and restaurants in Adams Dairy Landing in Blue Springs Missouri:

Now Open...Target, Gordmans, Olive Garden, Petco, Famous Footwear, Sally Beauty, GameStop, Maurices, Gap Generations, Chipotle and Mattress Firm.

More...

Tuesday May 18, 2010 marked the opening of the Mizzou Center in Blue Springs as a part of Missouri Innovation Park.

 

 

Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Chipotle, Panera, Sonic, Panda Express, Taco Bell, Planet Sub. The addition of these eight restaurants, along with new retail shops like Petco, Gamestop and Maurices in the developments surrounding Coronado and Adams Dairy Parkway have provided opportunities for residents and visitors alike to have greater options for shopping and dining.

How very different this area looked just five short years ago. The area along R.D. Mize consisted of deteriorating homes, with the majority of the area along the parkway largely undeveloped for well more than a decade.

These developments have not come easily or without conflict. Our District 3 City Councilmen have continued to look for ways to stop these developments from progressing, in spite of the overwhelming support for new retail development in our citizen surveys. As I drove through the area after lunch at Olive Garden, I observed the restaurants and shops, all teeming with customers, and I simply could not comprehend why anyone would want to impede such progress.

Our council members must continue to open their minds to the opportunity inherent in these developments and look for ways to encourage the refurbishment of older shopping and business districts throughout our city.

New restaurants have recently opened in both the northern and southern areas of Blue Springs; we have seen progress in our downtown district; and the redevelopment of Woods Chapel Road is under way from Interstate 70 to the railroad tracks. The majority of our council members are eager to continue the positive momentum of the past several years. They understand the commitment they are making to finish what began and reap the benefits for our community.

Much work remains. On April 6, each district in our city will elect a council member. This is a privilege and a sacred responsibility. Those whom we choose to represent us will influence the future of our city.

Over the past several weeks, I have encouraged each of you to be an informed voter. Citizens willing to serve are a blessing, and we are fortunate to have two candidates to choose between in each district. The following are my endorsements for City Council:

District 1 – Dale Carter will listen to his constituents, consider the facts and ramifications before making a decision, and seek collaborative solutions on the important issues facing our city.

District 2 – Sissy Reed has served our city well for many years and will provide an experienced voice of coherent reasoning. Her calm leadership and respectful decision-making will guide the rest of the council members and facilitate support for continued development of all areas of our city.

District 3 – Grant Bowerman has a clear understanding of the issues facing our city. His positive demeanor, his passion for the community, and his intelligent evaluation of the challenges facing our community will serve the citizens of District 3 well.

Tom Ryan, Store Manager has announced  the grand opening of Gordman’s at Adam’s Dairy Parkway on Friday, May 7 at 8:30.  You are invited to attend this special occasion for our city.  Tom is hoping that LOTS of people will attend. 

His contact information is: 402.350.5662