The Industry of “I Do” - Great Bend Chamber of Commerce

May 2011 • p16
Chamber Coffee Schedule
Thursdays at 9:30 am
May 5, 2011
Herl Pipe & Specialties • 386 SW 20 Road
Located just north of Straub’s.
May 12, 2011
Image Total Fitness • 1209 Main Street
IMAGE Total Fitness is Great Bend’s only exclusive personal training studio! Our private atmosphere allows you to get the most out
of your workouts without the distractions of typical gyms.
May 19, 2011
Barton County Historical Village • 85 S US-281
Highway
Located just south of the Arkansas river bridge, the Barton County
Historical Society is the area’s largest collection of local history, featuring a 19th century school house, a post office, a Lustron home, a
church, and a museum featuring numerous exhibits.
May 26, 2011
Kansas Wetlands Education Center • 562 NE K-156
Highway
Joanne Wondra
Sales Director, May Kay Cosmetics
www.marykay.com/joanneh
Office: 620-792-2778 Cell: 620-786-4624
June 2, 2011
Clara Barton Foundation • 250 W 9th Street,
Hoisington
Clara Barton Foundation is dedicated to building strong relationships within the Hospital’s service area and providing opportunities
for investments in the future of health care for Clara Barton
Hospital, a not-for-profit community hospital. Clara Barton
Foundation is led by a full-time executive director and dedicated
volunteers, who are committed to preserving, enhancing, and
advancing the quality of health care in the area.
®
3307 10th Street • Great Bend, KS 67530
McDonald’s
Economic Outlook
is providing coffee for Chamber of Commerce coffees.
Employment – Barton County
February 10
15,587
14,601
986
6.3%
7.5%
February 11
15,903
15,016
887
5.6%
7.2%
per and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bold; Independent
oint Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light.
auty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may be utilized.
Labor Force
Employment
Unemployment
Unemployment Rate
KS Unemployment Rate
City/County Local Sales Tax
Distributions Report
February 10
Sales Tax for Barton County at 1.00% $387,890
Sales Tax for Great Bend at .75%
$201,753
February 11
$382,554
$210,826
Permits
Commercial – GB
Residential - GB
Cars - County
Trucks - County
February 10
February 11
5
2
14
18
23
12
9­15
Great Lakes Airlines Flights - February 2011
Flights from Denver
Flights to Denver
NA
NA
www.greatbend.org
A Monthly Publication of the Great Bend Chamber
of Commerce and Economic Development
May 2011 • Volume 90, No. 5
The Industry of “I Do”
Wedded Bliss Ushers in Steady Business for Professional Vendors
There’s more to saying “I do” than saying “yes” to the dress. (See pages 8-10 for this month’s business story featuring Beautiful Beginnings Bridal Boutique). Those two affirmatives generally set in motion a sequence of events.
From booking the church and the hall, to ordering flowers, catering meals, organizing entertainment, decorating,
and even planning the special getaway – the desired effect is for all facets to be in synch and in seamless flow.
Luckily, there are professionals who know how to make that happen. Weddings are a steady stream of business
for area vendors as they work to ensure that each of their customers achieve wedded bliss on their magical and
memorable day.
FLOWERS On average, Paula Storm, owner and florist of Vines and Designs, Great Bend, prepares flower arrangements for two or three weddings month. But she may have as many as six weddings to prepare for in a
month. That’s what she is facing in June. That seemingly impossible accomplishment is possible because
of the popularity of silk flowers, which can be scheduled simultaneously with fresh-flower weddings.
“I’ll do a fresh and a silk on one weekend,” explained Storm, who has operated her business for seven
years. “The fresh one is done the day before the wedding and the silk one can usually be done two weeks
before the wedding.”
The quantity of flowers varies for each wedding. Some weddings only have flowers for wedding party and parents; others add flowers to the
church and reception. That could mean as many as 30 tables, she said.
“Some don’t want to decorate, or don’t have the time, they just want it there,” said Storm. “I do the arrangements, put them on the table and there’s
an instant decoration. They are done.”
Making Vines & Designs even more convenient, Storm offers free delivery in Great Bend to her customers. Storm said the flower of choice currently is the callas lilies, but of course, roses are always popular.
PHOTOGRAPHY During 33 years of operation, Riggs Studio and Camera Shop, Great Bend, has seen many changes in wedding photography. The business used to
photograph up to 60 weddings a year, but now it handles about half of that amount. Thirty weddings a year is “about perfect,” said owner and photographer Dale Riggs. He estimated wedding photography accounts for about 15 percent of his business now.
“But our wedding orders are way up – double of what they used to be,” said Betty Riggs, co-owner and wife of Dale. “It’s nothing for people to
spend $2,000 on photos nowadays, so it evens out.”
Business for Riggs comes primarily from a 60-mile radius, due to connections made three decades ago
Continued on Page 2
when the bulk of the couple’s business was photographing students at 45 of area schools. But on occasion,
May 2011 • p15
May 2011 • p2
“Outlook Business Journal”
A monthly publication of the
1125 Williams,
Great Bend, KS 67530
Phone: 620-792-2401
Fax: 620-792-2404
Web address: www.greatbend.org
Rachel Mawhirter, Writer & Editor
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chairman
Ron Straub, Straub International
Vice Chairman
Chad Somers, Benefit Management Inc.
2nd Vice Chairman
Erika Brining, CPI Qualified Plan Consultants
Immediate Past Chairman
Gene Dikeman, Farmers Bank & Trust NA
Treasurer
Jason Mayers, Adams Brown Beran & Ball Chtd.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tatum Dunekack
Tatum Dunekack, DDS
Mary Foley
JC Penney
John Francis
Francis Financial
Brady Gros
Fuller Brush Products, Inc.
John Jackson
Agricultural Management Group
Julie Kramp
Barton Community College
Curt Mauler
L&M Contractors
Sally Mauler
The Buckle
Dr. Russ McCaulley
10th Street Eyecare Center
Rick Nulton
Eagle Radio
Kyle Roberts
Schendel Pest Control
Chris Shepard
Watkins Calcara Chtd.
Kenny Vink
Office Products, Inc.
Kim Vink
Coldwell Banker Sell Real Estate
Lance Walters
McDonald Tank
Jan Westfall
Great Bend Regional Hospital
EX-OFFICIO
The Industry of “I Do”
Cont. from Page 1
Dale has traveled (courtesy of the wedding party) as far away as Jamaica and Alaska to capture wedding
images.
Digital photography has changed aspects of the business, but not the artistry of the craft, said Dale,
a graduate of Brooks Institute, one of the premiere photography schools in the world. It’s increased the
amount of work for him, rather than turning the film over to a lab. Still, he is adamant it has not changed
the essence of portraiture and wedding photography.
“Is it film or digital?,” he asked, gesturing to his work hanging on the wall. “You don’t know whether it’s
film or digital. That’s the mark of a good photographer. Whatever medium he’s using, it’s not detectable.”
CATERING –
Kim Randall is so serious about catering that she had her husband build a commercial kitchen in her
basement where she has operated Baked Blessings from her home for the past seven years.
Most every day, Randall single-handedly cooks and delivers for her catering business. She doesn’t do
many weddings, just because of the scale of them. On occasion when she does cater a wedding, family and
friends will assist at the larger scale events.
“If I do weddings, I try to keep
them on the smaller side,” said Randall, who attended culinary school in
Kansas City before moving back to
her hometown of Great Bend. I have
one coming up (this month).
Related to weddings, Randall
enjoys catering bridal showers and
rehearsal dinners. Those two events
are a steady part of her business.
“I like doing the rehearsal dinners
and bridal showers because you can
put so many specialty touches into
each one and make it extra special for
your clients,” she explained.
Whatever the event, there are no
standardized menus for customers
of Baked Blessings. Each menu is
unique to the customer’s requests,
even going as far as using customer
recopies, said Randall. She has an
interesting menu for a wedding this
month – a pasta bar with chicken,
meatballs, along with different ItalWedding Women - Pictured are (top left) Paula Storm - owner of Vines
ian salads and breads.
& Designs, (top right) Kim Randall - owner of Baked Blessings, (bottom
Continued on Page 13
left) Christi Penka - owner of First National Travel, and (bottom right) Tara
Russell - owner of All About You Event Planning.
Randy Bahe, Ambassadors Chairman
Cris Collier, Great Bend CVB
Dr. Carl Heilman, Barton Community College
Ken Roberts, City of Great Bend
Great Bend Bark Park Celebrates Grand Opening
After over a year in the works, the Great Bend Bark Park officially celebrated its grand opening in mid-April with a Chamber ribbon cutting.
The project initially started in September 2009 under the direction of Great Bend resident Mindy Hickel. With the help of other dog-lovers and
the private donations of numerous individuals and businesses, the community can now enjoy this wonderful addition to Veterans Memorial Park.
“The dog park is an amenity that a lot of small towns don’t get to enjoy,” Hickel
says. “A lot of people have pitched in to get the project this far, but it’s going to
take the help of everyone using it to keep it nice.”
The fenced, off-leash running area features a fire hydrant, a shade structure,
and a watering fountain. There are also four waste receptacles in the dog park
for owners to clean up after their pets, as required by city ordinance. “Eventually
we’d like to add more receptacles all over the many City parks, but for now this is
a good start,” Hickel says.
Other plans for expansion in the future may include some additional landscaping, play features, and of course more donor bricks. “Much of this project was
funded by the purchase of the bricks which are engraved and displayed in the
park,” Hickel says. “Bricks are still available for sale for $100 each, and can be
purchased by businesses, individuals, families, or in memory of someone else.”
Bricks are available for sale at Coldwell Banker Sell Real Estate, located at 4000
10th Street in Great Bend, 620-792-2566. “This park is a work in progress, and
anyone wanting to get involved with the project is more than welcome to take the Picture for Pets - Dog park project coordinator Mindy Hickel cuts the
lead on future expansions,” Hickel says. “Our City’s parks belong to the people, so ribbon during the Great Bend Bark Park ribbon cutting in mid-April. The
it’s our job to do what we can to keep them nice for future generations.”
project was funded entirely by private donations, but the City of Great
Bend will maintain the facility. However, residents who utilize the free
Park hours are 6 a.m. to midnight daily. For more information or to see park
dog park are required to clean up after their pets.
rules, visit the City of Great Bend’s web site, www.greatbendks.net.
Natural Extremities Celebrates Business Launch with Ribbon Cutting
After a decade in the restaurant management profession, Lori Stafford was ready for a shift of pace. “The restaurant business leaves very little time
for family activities,” Stafford explains. “With three daughters and grandkids, I wanted something a little more flexible.”
After nearly a year of juggling cosmetology school in Hays during the week with family activities in Great Bend on the weekends, Stafford is pleased
to finally be settled in to her new profession as a natural nail technician. “I specialize in all sorts of natural nail treatments,” Stafford says. “This would
include spa manicures and pedicures, gel sculpted nails, nail wraps, paraffin wax dips, polishes, and other services upon request.”
The reason Stafford sets herself apart as a ‘natural’ nail technician is because all of her techniques leave the natural nail intact. “I won’t do acrylic
nails, because you have to file down the natural nail to apply the plastic product,”
Stafford says. “The chemicals can be harmful, and the nail bed is essentially
destroyed. I much prefer the natural products.”
Natural Extremities is located inside EZ Tan in the Westgate Shopping Center on
K-96 Highway in Great Bend. Stafford’s niche services are pedicures, primarily
because of the pampering treatment her clients receive. While enjoying the spa pedicure, they are seated in a massage throne that has vibrating and heat settings for
optimal relaxation. Stafford takes extra care to make sure her clients are happy. “A lot
of nail technicians don’t enjoy doing pedicures,” she says. “I just love making my customers feel better about themselves by pampering them for an hour. I’m a people
person, and this career is well-suited for me.”
In addition to nail treatments, Stafford has plans for expanding her business to
include retail sales of a line of bath products and essential oils that Stafford has created herself. “I am very flexible with my work schedule as well,” she says. “I am availBusiness owner Lori Stafford cuts the ribbon with the assistance of
able for emergency fixes or last-minute appointments.” For more information or to
Chamber Ambassadors at her grand opening ceremony in April. Stafford
schedule an appointment, contact Lori Stafford with Natural Extremities at 620-617provides her clients with a wide variety of natural nail treatments.
6876.
Dr. Tom Vernon, USD #428
Jennifer Schartz, Barton County Commission
Sen. Ruth Teichman
Rep. Bill Wolf
CHAMBER STAFF
Jan Peters, President/CEO
[email protected]
Lacey Oetken, Office/Business Manager
[email protected]
Lori Waters, Membership Services Director
[email protected]
Rachel Mawhirter, Marketing Coordinator
[email protected]
Coming Soon!
Nex-Tech Local Telephone Directory
for Great Bend & Surrounding Areas!
Fun, Unique,
& Interesting
Gifts &
Accessories!
Rana Luna Boutique
1910 Broadway • 620-792-5850
Open Mon - Fri 10-8 & Sat 10-6
May 2011 • p3
May 2011 • p14
Farmers Bank Celebrates Hanhardt’s 50th Anniversary
Don Hanhardt, loan officer at the original Farmers Bank in Albert, Kansas,
recently celebrated his 50th anniversary with the financial institution. “Don’s loyalty to our bank is a perfect reflection of this bank’s commitment to the communities we serve,” remarked CEO WR Robbins. “Don has seen a lot of changes over
the last fifty years, and has continually adapted to his customers’ needs.” Don
demonstrates stability as a pillar of the Albert community, where he has spent his
life and developed relationships with many of the children and grandchildren of
the founding fathers of the bank established 103 years ago right here in Albert, KS.
“ This is the philosophy that has made Farmers Bank so successful, demonstrating
stability as it adapts to meet customer needs,” according to Robbins.
After graduating from Otis High School, Hanhardt knew that finance was his life
calling. After working for another financial institution for ten short months,
Hanhardt started at Farmers Bank as a teller in 1961 at the age of 18. After being
promoted through the positions of bookkeeper, loan assistant, and loan officer,
Hanhardt now holds the title of Assistant Vice President, assisting customers with
their lending needs.
“When I started at the bank, our total assets were right around $2 million and
we did things a lot differently,” Hanhardt says. “This was due largely in part to the
lack of modern computer and communication systems. We were still hand-writing
transactions in ledger books. As our bank grew, we experienced changes in technology, who dreamed we would be offering banking by phone when I first started!“
Over the course of five decades, much has changed in the way that Hanhardt
and the rest of the Farmers Bank team do business. Since the bank was purchased
by W.R. Robbins in 1971, Hanhardt has seen assets grow from $4 million to $650
million through four major technology upgrades with lots of incremental changes
along the way. Each one of these technological upgrades was geared toward making the customer experience more enjoyable and more convenient. “ No matter
the advancements in technology, though, banking still revolves around relationships maintained between a bank and its customers,” bank President Gene
Prairie Enterprise Business Tip of the Month
Provided Courtesy of Karmi Green, Director
One of the biggest complaints of business owners
in small towns is the lack of local support. While
there are many reasons residents should shop locally,
the fact remains that many do not. Instead of complaining, take time to evaluate their reasons. Are your
hours convenient? Many people run errands before
and after work or on their lunch break. If you’re open the same hours they work
and close for the lunch hour, you’ve made it difficult for them to support your business. What about customer service? Are you grateful for their business or do you
show contempt because it’s been over a month since they were last in? Brainstorm
ways to draw in your local crowd. You’re here for them, not the other way around.
This tip was brought to you by Prairie Enterprise Project. This non-profit organization offers free and confidential business consulting to Barton, Russell and
Edwards counties. For more information or to set up an appointment, contact
Karmi Green at 620-617-1555 or e-mail [email protected].
Chamber Connect Show Airs May 5th
Tune in to Eagle Radio's 1590 KVGB on the first
Thursday of each month to hear Eagle Radio's Patrick
Burnett discuss the latest Chamber happenings with
Chamber Marketing Coordinator Rachel Mawhirter.
The May edition of Chamber Connect will air on
Thursday, May 5th at 11:35 a.m.
News from Cheyenne Travel/
Please Go Away Vacations
Axman Receives Travel Award
Paula Axman, Vice President and co-owner of
Cheyenne Travel/Please Go Away™ Vacations, has been
notified of her selection as one of the nation’s major
producers for Travel Guard Insurance Company, the
leading provider of travel protection for travelers as they
journey throughout the world. As part of her recognition she was presented with a Flip HD Video Camera.
Travel Guard Insurance Company has been providing unmatched protection for travelers for more than 20
years. Unlike many programs, including those of major
cruise lines and tour operators that only provide for partial reimbursement and/or reimbursements in the form
of future travel credits, Travel Guard’s protection is in
place before and during one’s travels and policy limits
are always paid in the form of actual cash payments for
100% of the claim value.
In commenting on her recognition Axman stated,
“We recommend Travel Guard without hesitation to all
travelers, whether an individual traveler or a member
of one of our many personally hosted groups. We
have found their service to be superb, regardless of the
circumstances. They also have provisions to protect
against pre-existing conditions and are on call 24/7/365.
Our travelers and travel hosts can literally reach them
anytime day or night from anywhere in the world and
immediately receive personalized service, ranging from
weather delay assistance and rerouting to handling the
details of tragedy, such as personal injury or even death.
We believe so strongly in the service and protection
Travel Guard provides that we include the protection on all of our personally hosted travel experiences
throughout the world, without exception. Underscoring the importance of this protection, Travel Guard has
paid approximately $200,000 to our clients, providing
them protection against incurred travel losses.”
Boxberger Joins Travel Staff
As part of an overall long-range expansion plan,
Cheyenne Travel/Please Go Away™ Vacations is pleased
to announce the addition of Laura Boxberger to its
professional travel team.
Boxberger, a native of Gorham, has experience in
business management and event planning in the bridal
catering field. She also has experience in group travel
business incentive operations, with an emphasis on
cruising.
Marilyn Kopke, President of Cheyenne Travel, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Laura. Her
background and pleasing personality blend nicely with
our committed personal service business credo of “Small
Town Caring – Worldwide”. In addition to relieving
the increasing work loads of other team members due
to expanding business growth, she will also head up our
Destination Weddings travel department.”
Laura and her husband Tim reside in Great Bend. She
can be contacted at [email protected]; and
either 800-362-9347 or 620-792-2458.
Full-Time Firefighter Launches Heritage Refinishing as Part-Time Business Venture
Between his hectic 24-on, 24-off work schedule, local firefighter Michael
Smith somehow found time over the last eight years to perfect his woodworking
skills. Now, his hobby is going to become his business. “After helping local
antique businesses refinish some of their wood pieces, I started refinishing wood
furniture in my garage at home,” Smith says. “But my projects quickly outgrew
that workspace.”
Smith recently completed a fully functional work space near Fuller Grove Park
just west of Great Bend. The new shop space features a properly ventilated
“stripping room” for the complex chemical processes it takes to refinish antique
furniture.
“I used to dip furniture, but that process destroys the wood glue,” Smith says.
“Having the stripping room allows me to use a special, chemical spraying and
rinsing process to prepare the furniture for refinishing. I also use the ventilated
work space to spray lacquer.”
Owner Michael Smith and his wife, Jo, cut the ribbon with the assisThe stripping room uses a high volume, low pressure (HVLP) spray system,
tance of Chamber Ambassadors during the Heritage Refinishing ribbon
and is also equipped with an extinguisher system. “Being a firefighter doesn’t
cutting in early April. Also pictured are Smith’s parents, Gary and Janice
mean I get to cut any corners when it comes to safety,” Smith told Ambassadors
Smith. Not pictured is Michael’s 9-year old daughter Hallie.
during his ribbon cutting. “This shop is about as safe as they come.”
Heritage Refinishing, Smith’s business, specializes in furniture repair, touch-ups, and refinishing. In addition to projects for consumers, Smith
has also taken on commercial projects repairing gouges and nicks for hotels, banks, restaurants, etc. “I will drive anywhere in Barton County to
do free in-home estimates,” Smith says. “I also pick up and deliver using an enclosed trailer to ensure that the furniture stays safe and that the
customer has to do as little work as possible.”
For now, Smith primarily handles the bulk of his projects alone. However, long-time friend Don Summers also helps out when needed. For
more information or to schedule an estimate, leave a message for Michael Smith with Heritage Refinishing at 620-617-5368 or email him at
[email protected].
Farmers Bank Celebrates Hanhardt’s 50th Anniversary
Don Hanhardt, loan officer at the original Farmers Bank in Albert, Kansas, recently celebrated his 50th anniversary with the financial institution. “Don’s loyalty to our bank is a perfect reflection of this bank’s commitment to
the communities we serve,” remarked CEO WR Robbins. “Don has seen a lot of changes over the last fifty years,
and has continually adapted to his customers’ needs.” Don demonstrates stability as a pillar of the Albert community, where he has spent his life and developed relationships with many of the children and grandchildren of
the founding fathers of the bank established 103 years ago right here in Albert, KS. “ This is the philosophy that has
made Farmers Bank so successful, demonstrating stability as it adapts to meet customer needs,” according to Robbins.
After graduating from Otis High School, Hanhardt knew that finance was his life calling. After working for
another financial institution for ten short months, Hanhardt started at Farmers Bank as a teller in 1961 at the age of
18. After being promoted through the positions of bookkeeper, loan assistant, and loan officer, Hanhardt now holds
the title of Assistant Vice President, assisting customers with their lending needs.
“When I started at the bank, our total assets were right around $2 million and we did things a lot differently,”
Hanhardt says. “This was due largely in part to the lack of modern computer and communication systems. We
were still hand-writing transactions in ledger books. As our bank grew, we experienced changes in technology, who dreamed we would be offering banking by phone when I first started!“
Over the course of five decades, much has changed in the way that Hanhardt and the rest of the Farmers Bank team do business. Since the bank
was purchased by W.R. Robbins in 1971, Hanhardt has seen assets grow from $4 million to $650 million through four major technology upgrades
with lots of incremental changes along the way. Each one of these technological upgrades was geared toward making the customer experience
more enjoyable and more convenient. “ No matter the advancements in technology, though, banking still revolves around relationships maintained between a bank and its customers,” bank President Gene Dikeman noted.
“A bank can only grow if the community and environment it is in also grows,” explained Dikeman. “It’s a partnership and the bank’s responsibility to be a good partner with the community because we both win.”
Hanhardt lives with his wife, Marty, in Albert. When Don isn’t at the bank assisting his customers, he enjoys yard work and spending time
with his six grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Hanhardt currently serves as a volunteer fire fighter and as the treasurer for the Peace
Lutheran Church. In the past, he has also served as Albert city treasurer, as a volunteer for the annual fire department pancake supper, and on
various church committees.
Farmers Bank & Trust currently operates banks in 9 locations, Great Bend, Albert, Kinsley, Bazine, LaCrosse, Overland Park, Liberty, MO and
the newest location in Larned, KS. For more information about Farmers Bank & Trust, visit www.farmersbankna.com, or contact a member of
the Farmers Bank staff at 620-792-2411.
May 2011 • p13
May 2011 • p4
5th Annual Job Fest Event May 19th
Employer Booths Still Available
Gore Golf Tournament Tees Off May 20th
The Sixth Annual Gary Gore Golf Tournament will be held May 20 at
The Club at StoneRidge with a 1 p.m. start slated. Members are encouraged
to sponsor and participate in a fun-filled event. The tournament is a way
to link business with pleasure, and provides an opportunity for participants to network with other business professionals in a casual and relaxed
environment.
JobFest 2011 will be Great
Bend’s fifth annual concerted job
fair effort as employers gather to
provide information about jobs
available at their businesses. This
year’s event is set from 4-7 p.m.
Thursday, May 19th, at the Best
Western Angus Inn Courtyard. By having a large contingent of
employers signed up for JobFest, organizers expect to attract a
large number of diverse job seekers for the three-hour event.
The tournament memorializes former Chamber President and CEO Gary
Gore, who died in a watercraft accident at Wilson Lake in 2005. Gore was
serving as Chamber president at the time of his death, a position he held
for five years.
Cost to enter the tournament is $85 per player, or $340 per team. Mulligans are is available for $5, paid the day of the tournament. Prizes will
be awarded to the top three teams. A dinner will be sponsored by CPI
Qualified Plan Consultants Inc., following the tournament. A beverage cart
is also available for the tournament, sponsored by St. Rose Ambulatory &
Surgery Center. In addition, Dove Buick Pontiac Chevrolet is giving away a
brand new truck to anyone who can score a hole-in-one on the sixth hole.
Organizers will serve refreshments, and provide several professional door prizes to attract job seekers. Booths are being offered to employers for $100 each. Registration deadline is May
7th. Employers who register by the May 7th deadline will be
entered into a drawing to win their booth fee back. Electricity
and wireless Internet will be provided. For more information
or to register, contact Amanda Brack, 620-792-9349, at Barton
Community College.
Look for the insert in the May Outlook Business Journal, to be delivered
next week. Registration forms to enter the tournament and for businesses
to sponsor the tournament are available at the Great Bend Chamber of
Commerce and Economic Development, 620-792-2401, lwaters@greatbend.
org. Sponsorships are $100 per hole.
WELCOME to these
NEW Chamber Members
Great Bend Zoological Society
Scott Gregory
2123 Main
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 786-5420
Category: Non-Profit Clubs/
Organizations
Daniel R. Trickey Memorial Life
Giving Center
Michell Conner
2100 Broadway
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 603-6283
Category: Women’s Transitional Living
Largest • Cleanest • Coolest
Salon in Town & Open 7 Days a Week!
Spray Tans in
Under 5 Minutes!
Where the sun always shines.
2011 Job Fest Sponsors include the City of Great Bend, CPI
Qualified Plan Consultants, Best Western, Doonan GMC,
Farm Bureau Insurance, and Barton County.
Heritage Refinishing and Repair
Michael & Sandra Smith
731 B Ave.
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 617-5368
Category: Wood Furniture Refinishing
Jensen Associates, Inc.
Rob Fisher
16 N Main
Ellinwood, KS 67526
(620) 564-2020
Category: Insurance
Stone Waste Management, LLC
Nelson Stone
P.O. Box 872
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 793-8853
Category: Trash/Roll-Off Containers
JRZ Enterprises, LLC
Jeffrey R. Zoller
P.O. Box 30
Hoisington, KS 67544
(620) 653-2464
Category: Geology
Chet Cale, Sculptor
Chet Cale
510 Stone St.
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 282-0160
Category: Artist/Sculptor
S & S Digital Designs
Steven Seems
P.O. Box 33
Phillipsburg, KS 67661
(785) 302-0143
Category: Website Design
Gift Certificates Available!
When she caters for weddings, Randall will do as much as she can
in advance to prepare and she scales back on all other events, except for
pharmaceutical sales luncheons, which are a constant part of her catering
business.
“The week of a wedding, I’m cooking night and day,” she said. “But
for all the work, I still love catering. I’d miss it if I weren’t doing it about
every day.”
EVENT PLANNING –
Tara Russell acknowledges she’s generally the last person in the process that people call during their wedding planning. Russell, owner of All
About You Event Planning, readily meets those challenges.
“I am usually one of those afterthoughts because usually I’m contacted
when they start to feel overwhelmed and the wheels start turning in their
minds,” said Russell, who has operated her business for more than four
years. “I get frantic phone calls at times.”
Russell estimates that wedding planning is about 80 percent of her
business. She has 18 weddings scheduled this year and she could have easily had three more in July, except that she is getting married and then will
be honeymooning during those weeks.
Though she has offices in Great Bend and Ellsworth, Russell isn’t tied
to any particular location. She operates All About You Event Planning all
over the state and even has a wedding scheduled in Texas in September.
“I will go most anywhere to meet with clients,” said Russell, who described herself as a traveling wedding planner. “You’ll see my full capacity
wherever we meet, whether it’s at a mall or a restaurant.”
Russell said that many clients discover her from bridal shows, but others come to her as word-of-mouth referrals from previous clients or from
her website, allaboutyouevent.com.
“I do bridal shows in Great Bend, Salina, Hays, Concordia, and I’ll soon
do a Manhattan bridal show,” Russell said. “And I’m in the process of trying to put an ‘All About You’ bridal show together in Hutchinson.”
All About You Event Planning offers two main wedding-planning
packages. Day-of-Services packages comprise four consultation meetings, a list of recommended vendors, 10 hours of coordination, weddingday itinerary, a “wedding day emergency kit” and set up and clean up of
decorations. Russell does every aspect of the wedding planning for the
full-service packages, from booking vendors to going on appointments,
making invitations, assisting with guest accommodations, and choosing
decorations. There are ala carte services offered, too. Those include any
services from the main packages, in addition to planning bachelor and
bachelorette parties, or bridal showers.
There are additional advantages to using All About You Event Planning: Discounts with other vendors, and a wide range of inventory to
choose from that won’t have to be purchased and then indefinitely stored
HONEYMOONS –
Much like wedding planning,
there are hassle factors involved with
choosing honeymoon destinations. Typically, travel agent Christi Penka
will get the call after overwhelmed clients have perused vast selections on
the web and their heads are swimming with too much information.
“They don’t know which direction to go after looking at all the information,” said Penka, owner of First National Travel Agency’s satellite
office in Great Bend. “Even with young people who have always had the
Internet in their lives, there is still a trust factor. Is it safe? Am I entering
the information correctly? Are there flight schedule changes? People don’t
want that stress, so they turn it over to me.”
Penka estimated that honeymoons account for about 40 percent of her
business.
“Easily, every third phone call is for a honeymoon,” Penka, who opened
up the Great Bend satellite office six years ago, after working 16 years in
the industry.
Most First National Travel honeymooners opt for tropical destinations. All-inclusive resorts are most popular because couples pay one
price up front and everything is included, including the gratuity, Penka
explained. Cruises are second on the popularity list, followed by Hawaii.
Still, a small portion of honeymooners go other directions, such as Alaska,
Disneyland and even places in Europe, she added.
Penka also handles travel for destination weddings. Again, most destinations are warm and tropical in those instances. She has two planned
this summer and one includes booking for an aunt and uncle in Kansas
City. Booking for customers from other locations is common when coordinating travel arrangements among groups, said Penka.
“When you do a destination wedding, there are extra promotions and
extra discounts that are all tied in with the destination wedding,” she
explained. “It’s beneficial to go through the same agency and much easier,
even if person lives in some place like Connecticut. Usually we are successful in tying flights together. We can even get it as detailed as getting
people seated next to one another. That way, there are no questions;
everyone has the right dates booked and the correct resort.”
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me because they want someone to put out the
fires and clean up the messes. They generally have guests who travel miles that they
may never see again. They don’t want to
be stuck in the kitchen, not enjoying the
day.”
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Part of the NEW Outlook Business Journal
format are the high resolution ad spaces
from supporting member businesses. The
revenue generated from these ad spaces
helps keep our costs down, so that we can
continually improve the look and feel of the
publication. If you would like to see your
business’ advertisement, contact Rachel
Mawhirter at 620-792-2401.
May 2011 • p12
- Economic Development Update -
KDOL to Visit Great Bend in June as Part
of National “We Can Help” Campaign
KDOC Hosts Local Consultations
for International Exports
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis recently used the historic setting of Chicago’s
famed Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, on the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois, to unveil the U.S. Department of Labor’s “We Can Help” campaign.
Solis committed to helping the nation’s low-wage and vulnerable workers, and
reminded them that her agency’s personnel will not waver in protecting the
rights guaranteed by law to every worker in America.
The Kansas Department of Commerce, Trade Development
Division, will be visiting Great Bend on Thursday, May 26th
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to meet with local businesses regarding
the numerous services provided through the KDOC for exporting and international trade.
“I’m here to tell you that your president, your secretary of labor and this department will not allow anyone to be denied his or her rightful pay — especially
when so many in our nation are working long, hard and often dangerous hours,”
Secretary Solis told an energized crowd of workers, community advocates and
leaders. “We can help, and we will help. If you work in this country, you are protected by our laws. And you can count on the U.S. Department of Labor to see to
it that those protections work for you.”
Today’s event marked the beginning of the “We Can Help” nationwide
campaign. The effort, which is being spearheaded by the department’s Wage
and Hour Division, will help connect America’s most vulnerable and low-wage
workers with the broad array of services offered by the Department of Labor.
The campaign will place a special focus on reaching employees in such industries
as construction, janitorial work, hotel/motel services, food services and home
health care. It also will address such topics as rights in the workplace and how to
file a complaint with the Wage and Hour Division to recover wages owed.
Through the use of Spanish/English bilingual public service announcements
— featuring activist Dolores Huerta and actors Jimmy Smits and Esai Morales,
the launch of a new Web site at http://www.dol.gov/wecanhelp and a toll-free
hotline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243), the department is renewing its emphasis on
reaching and assisting workers who often find themselves denied the pay legally
guaranteed to them by law. The campaign also underscores that wage and hour
laws apply to all workers in the United States, regardless of immigration status.
“The nation’s laws are for the protection of everyone who works in this
country,” said Secretary Solis, speaking from the site where President Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s Labor Secretary Frances Perkins once worked. “It is appropriate and
correct that vulnerable workers receive what the law promises, and that no employer gain a marketplace advantage by using threats or coercion to cheat workers from their rightful wages. I have added more than 250 new field investigators
nationwide – an increase of a third – to help in this effort. If you are a worker in
America, on this day, we promise you a new beginning and a new partnership to
ensure you receive the wages you deserve.”
Any businesses in question about whether or not they are currently compliant
with KDOL labor standards can rest at ease. Watch your email inbox for upcoming issues of the Chamber’s email Updates, where we will provide our members
with links to numerous resources that will educate business owners on the
rules and regulations enforced through the Department of Labor. If you are not
currently receiving the Chamber’s email Updates and would like to subscribe,
contact Chamber Marketing Coordinator Rachel Mawhirter at rmawhirter@
greatbend.org.
Greg Call with the Kansas Department of Commerce and
A.J. Anderson with the U.S. Commercial Services Department
will be available to help local businesses learn how to minimize
their exporting risk and maximize their exporting potential.
This visit is a follow-up from the Chamber’s manufacturers
roundtable meeting late last summer. If your company is not
exporting, you may be missing out on connecting your goods
or services to the ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers
that live outside the United States of America.
Surprising Exporting Facts:
•
95 % of the world consumers live outside the USA
•
Exporting enables companies to diversify the customer base
and to weather economic storms
Barriers to Trade continued to erode, it’s never been easier.
More than two-thirds of exporters have fewer than 20
employees
Small and medium sized companies account for the vast
majority of growth in new exporters
•
•
•
For more information or to set up an appointment with the
KDOC representatives who will be visiting Great Bend, contact
Greg Call by phone at 316-771-6808 or by email at [email protected].
Income Statistics for State of
Kansas Now Being Made Available
The Kansas Department of Labor recently made available
their most recent statistics on the state’s average wage information. Two sets of data will soon be made available to all
Chamber members by way of the weekly email Updates. These
sets of data include the average wages by county and the per
capital income by county. Barton County came in higher than
many similar rural counties, to the delight of local officials.
Watch your email inbox for these statistical comparisons. If
you are not currently receiving the Chamber email Updates
and would like to be, contact Chamber Marketing Coordinator
Rachel Mawhirter at [email protected].
Chlumsky
Liquormart
“Serving Great Bend Since 1968”
www.kelleragency.com
620-792-2128 or 1-800-281-2181
1101 Williams, P.O. Box 945
Great Bend, Kansas
2204 Kansas
Great Bend
620-792-1929
Let Ours Be Your
Favorite Store
May 2011 • p5
Schumacher Named Corporate
Trainer for Farmers Bank & Trust
All About You Event Planning
Moves to New Location
As Farmers Bank & Trust, NA continues to increase in size the
need to designate an official corporate trainer has become a major focus. The bank is pleased to announce that Maryln Schumacher has been chosen to lead this effort bank wide. Maryln has
enjoyed her career in banking and is anxious to share her 30+
years of experience. She began at a local bank as a teller and
quickly moved into various areas of the bank. She has prior experience on the deposit, operations and lending sides of banking
as well as within supervision and leadership. Maryln’s new title
will be Assistant Vice President Corporate Training. She will also remain the bank’s data
processing coordinator. Maryln and her husband Larry reside in Great Bend.
All About You Event Planning, formerly
located inside Vines & Designs at 2009 16th
Street in Great Bend, has moved locations.
Tara Russell, owner of All About You Event
Planning has decided to move her shop to
Ellsworth where she currently resides. The
demand for her services has grown over the
months in the Salina other Eastern Kansas
communities. “Having my shop in a more central location will allow me to better serve my
clients all over Kansas.”
Farmers Bank has been in business for 104 years and has locations in Great Bend, Albert,
Lacrosse, Bazine, Kinsley, Overland Park, and Liberty, Missouri. The bank’s newest facility is
located in Larned, Kansas.
To best serve local brides, however, Russell
will still maintain an office space in Great
Bend. “I will have rental items on display in
hopes of making it more convenient for brides
living in Great Bend and other parts of
Western Kansas,” Russell says. “The new
office space in Great Bend will be located
inside Shelter Insurance at 1922 Main Street
and will be open soon.”
Treader’s Deli Debuts “Argonne” with After Hours May 5th
Treader’s Deli, located at 1309 Main Street in Great Bend, celebrated its grand opening in
November of last year. As the seventh of the MyTown stores to open, the restaurant serves
soups, salads, sandwiches, and snacks from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. “The MyTown project has seen continuous growth and
improvement since its launch in 2008,” says general manager Tina Mingenback. “We are very
pleased with our progress, and know that the community will love the latest expansion inside
of Treaders.”
In addition to the Kidz Zone, an indoor playground available for customers and party renters, Treader’s Deli will now also feature another new play area for kids (and kids at heart).
The “Argonne” is a new arcade and game room on the south side of Treader’s that features an
internet juke box, pool tables, and all sorts of arcade games. The expansion also includes outdoor seating for when the weather is nice and an enormous 82” high definition television visible from all the seating at Treader’s. “By adding the game room, we’re hoping to turn Treader’s
from a great place to grab a bite to eat to a fun environment for families to hang out,”
Mingenback says. “Treader’s will also now be serving fat free frozen yogurts with toppings.”
MyTown would like to invite the business community to come to a Chamber Business
After Hours event on Thursday, May 5th from 5-7 p.m. to celebrate the grand opening of the
Argonne inside Treader’s. There will be adult beverages and appetizers, as well as door prizes.
For more information or to make a reservation, contact Treader’s Deli at 620-786-2337.
EarCare Promotes Hearing Checks During Better Speech & Hearing Month
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, dedicated to educating consumers about the need to assure that their hearing is healthy. This year,
EarCare Hearing Aid Centers is joining the Better Hearing and Speech Council in promoting the Across America Hearing Check Challenge – an online
hearing test that lets individuals quickly and confidentially determine if they need a comprehensive hearing check by a hearing professional. Visit www.
hearingcheck.org, and walk through a simple, 15-question self-screener in the privacy of your own home. “We know that unaddressed hearing loss seriously undercuts a person’s quality of life and has a tremendous impact on relationships,” says AJ Chrest, the Hearing Consultant at EarCare. “We see it
every day in our practice and hear it from our patients and their concerned family members and friends.” For more information, call 620-603-6445.
r’s
Tim Mille
Our new shop is located 3/4 mile
west of Great Bend and has double
the service space!
Excellence in Paintless Dent Repair
620-791-7002
The address for the Ellsworth shop has not
yet been determined, but will be announced
later this summer. All About You Event
Planning has grown significantly since its
grand opening in 2010. Russell has 18 weddings on the books for this year, with more
scheduled for 2012. In addition to wedding
and event planning services, Russell also specializes in custom invitations and rental
items. If you need assistance planning a wedding, graduation party, fundraiser, or even an
office party, All About You Event Planning
can help you make it one to remember. For
more information, contact owner Tara Russell
at 785-640-0616 or [email protected].
Follow All About You Event Planning on
Facebook!
Beer • Wine • Cocktails
CHARLIES
PLACE
Your After Hours Hang-Out
- No Memberships 1109 Main Street, Great Bend
620-793-8668
May 2011 • p11
May 2011 • p6
Great Bend Coffee Company Adds
Second Location Inside St. Rose
When Paul & Barbara Wagner moved to Great Bend from the
state of Washington in 2008, they had no idea that their Seattlestyle coffee shop would evolve so quickly into the popular bistro
and restaurant that it has become. “Since we opened, we’ve quickly
adapted based on our customers’ requests,” says owner Paul
Wagner. “We added lunch and catering services, and then quickly
expanded to now offer fine dining on Friday and Saturday evenings
now that we acquired our liquor license. It’s been immensely popular, so we’re excited to expand yet again on this new venture.”
After working with several local restaurants and coffee shops, St.
Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center notified the Wagners in midApril that they were being chosen as the only food service provider
for the medical facility after it completes its transition to an emergency/surgical center this month. “We were given a few weeks to
get our new operation up and running. It’s challenging, but we’re
making it happen,” Wagner says. “The new location will be in the
former gift shop space in the St. Rose lobby, and will be open for
business on May 2nd.”
St. Rose will still have a gift shop, but in a different part of the
building. The new Great Bend Coffee Company location will be
open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., featuring
a full espresso shop and a full kitchen for breakfast and lunch.
“We’ll be carrying over some of the same menu items from the other
location, but expanding the breakfast offerings,” Wagner says. “St.
Rose has been great to work with, and has done a lot to help us get
settled in our new location. We couldn’t be more excited for this
next phase of our business.”
The new restaurant’s business will be made up primarily of the
numerous nurses and doctors who will be working in the medical
facility, but outside customers are encouraged to come in as well.
For more information about the new coffee shop/bistro inside St.
Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center, stop by at 3200 Broadway or
call Great Bend Coffee Company at 620-603-6465.
Maximum Impact Simulcast Returns May 6
On May 6, 2011 experience a one day leadership event that will
inspire you to be the one to make a difference - at work, at home
and in your community. This live simulcast actually takes place in
Atlanta, Georgia but listeners all around the country tune in from
host sites just like the one here in Great Bend. This dynamic seminar is definitely worth attending. Featured speakers for the 2011
event include Seth Godin (Entrepreneur, marketing expert, and
best-selling author), Robin Roberts (Anchor of ABC’s emmy-award
winning show, “Good Morning America”), John C. Maxwell
(Leadership expert and best-selling author), Sir Ken Robinson
(Best-selling author and leader in the development of creativity,
innovation and human resources), Dave Ramsey (Best-selling
author and nationally syndicated radio personality), Dan Cathy
(President and COO of Chick-fil-A, Inc.), Mack Brown (Head Coach
of the Texas Longhorns, 2009 Big 12 Coach of the Year), Suzy
Welch (Best-selling author, television commentator, and noted
business journalist), Muhtar Kent (Chairman of the board and
CEO of the Coca-Cola Company), Erin Gruwell (Founder and president of The Freedom Writers Foundation), Frans Johansson (Bestselling author).
For more information or to get registered, visit www.greatbendfamily.com.
Platinum Salon Welcomes New Stylists
Platinum Style Salon, located just east of Main Street on 12th Street in
Great Bend, is pleased to welcome two new stylists, Melanie Lightfoot,
Mallory Ehrlich, and Shanon Rziha. All three women are 2009 graduates
of Sidney’s Hairdressing College in Hutchinson, KS. Owner Karen Crane
and veteran stylist Sandy Clanton are excited about the expansion. “We
have been open for two years now, and have found several creative ways
to give back to the community,” Crane says. “Hopefully with three more
stylists, we can do even more to serve our clients and the community.”
Melanie Lightfoot and Mallory Ehrlich offers perms, highlights/color
treatments, facial waxing, and specializes in haircutting and updos.
Lightfoot can be reached at 620-282-0832. Ehrlich can be reached at
620-617-0482.
Shanon Rziha also offers cuts and colors, facial waxes, and perms. In
addition, her
clients can receive pedicures,
manicures, or
acrylic nail sets.
For more information or to
take advantage
of the numerous
beauty treatments available
from the five
stylists at Platinum Style Salon,
Smiling Stylists - Pictured from left to right are owner
stop by 1908
Karen Crane, and styllists Mallory Ehrlich, Shanon Rziha,
12th Street.
Melanie Lightfoot, and Sandy Clanton.
Sunflower Diversified Employee Receives Award
Cathy Soeken and Connor Robl have developed such a good rapport and reached so many milestones that they are sharing the Focus
on Abilities recognition at Sunflower Diversified Services. Soeken,
Sunflower children’s case manager, has been collaborating with the
Robl family of Ellinwood for two years to help young Connor use his
abilities to the fullest.
Sunflower is a non-profit agency that serves people with developmental disabilities in Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush and Stafford counties.
Connor relies on a wheelchair for mobility, and requires speech,
physical and occupational therapies. In addition, he has a hearing
impairment. He will be 6 years old April 22 and attends kindergarten
at Eisenhower Elementary School. “Connor is a trouper who is up for
anything and wants to be part of everyday life,” said Soeken, a
licensed social worker. “He enjoys interacting with his peers at school
and his four brothers at home. He may be small but he is tenacious.”
Soeken is also tenacious, said Glennda Drescher, Sunflower director
of service coordination and chief marketing officer. She has worked
with many organizations and businesses to supply Connor with special equipment. “Thanks to Cathy’s creativity and enormous help from
Connor’s parents, the youngster now has a Youth Suspension Walker
that gives him more freedom at school and home,” Drescher said. “It
allows him to be closer and more personal with others.”
Soeken collaborated with Children’s Miracle Network, the
Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the Kansas Society for Children with
Challenges in her efforts to help Connor. In addition, she worked
with Lowes Inc. and secured a grant, which paid for the materials to
construct a ramp at the Robls’ home.
Barton MLT Students Earn State Awards
The Kansas Society of Clinical Laboratory Scientists (KSCLS) presented awards this month to two Barton Community College students
enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Technology program. Barton’s
Maria Mayta received the KSCLS “Outstanding Student” plaque for
this year. Her classmate Laura Thompson earned the KSCLS
“Outstanding Student” scholarship for $500.
The “Outstanding Student” awards are based on completion of first
year MLT classes, overall GPA, employability, leadership demonstrations, community participation and program recommendations.
“Everyone involved with Barton’s MLT program is very proud of
these students for their excellence and personal responsibility in the
pursuit of their education,” said MLT Program coordinator and
instructor Cheryl Lippert.
With on-campus, hybrid and online options, Barton is currently
educating more than 30 MLT students across Kansas and western
Missouri. Find out more about Barton’s MLT program at mlt.bartonccc.edu.
KSCLS is an organization comprising laboratory professionals committed to improving clinical laboratories across the state. KSCLS is an
affiliate society of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
(ASCLS). Besides Kansas, ASCLS Region VI comprises Illinois, Iowa,
Missouri and Nebraska.
Big Bend Bike Rally Returns to Great
Bend Bigger & Better Sept. 23-25
Every year since its creation in 2008,
the Big Bend Bike Rally has grown more
and more popular. The motorcycle community is attracted for obvious reasons:
all-day beer garden, live music, and
motorcycle attractions and racing. But to
the surprise of some, many of the annual event’s followers don’t own
a motorcycle.
This year’s festivities will include a regional all-Harley drag race
coordinated by the nationally infamous All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA). The Big Bend Bike Rally is an annual motorcycel rally
organized by a committee of volunteers and Chamber staff persons.
For more information or to keep up with developments regarding the
Big Bend Bike Rally, visit the event web site at www.bigbendbikerally.
com, or follow the event on Facebook.
Clara Barton Benefit Golf Tournament
Registration Now Being Accepted
The 18th Annual Clara Barton Hospital Foundation Golf Benefit is
looking to hit a “big drive for Cardiac Equipment”. On Friday, June 17,
2011 the Foundation will hold its annual event to raise vital funding to
replace aging cardiac equipment in the Emergency Room. Cardiac Care
equipment is vital to the monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of our
cardiac patients and is extraordinarily expensive. The Golf Tournament
will be held Friday, June 17th at Lake Barton Golf Course with tee time
at 8 a.m. Organize your 4-person team and participate in a fun-filled golf
scramble. The cost to enter the tournament is $90 per player, or $360
per team. The registration fee covers: green fees, cart rental (sponsored by AlternaCare Home Medical Equipment, lunch on the course
(sponsored by Claflin Pump and Supply), and a ticket to the dinner and
auction that evening.
Mulligans are available for $5, paid the day of the tournament.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams in two flights: First Place:
$200 cash and monogrammed polo shirt from “In Stitches Custom
Embroidery”; 2nd Place: $100.00 cash and 1 dz. Titlist Pro V Golf Balls
sponsored by State Farm Insurance Agent, Kathy Burt and 3rd Place: 1
dz. Titlist DT Golf Balls sponsored by State Farm Insurance, Kathy Burt.
In addition, Manweiler Chevrolet, Inc is giving away a brand new 2011
Chevy vehicle to anyone who can score a hole-in-one on the 5th hole.
There will also be a 5-hole putting contest sponsored by First Kansas
Bank with 50% of all money received being paid back to top two contestants (60% to 1st Place and 40% to 2nd place). There’s a $5 per entry
fee to participate in the putting contest.
The dinner and auction will be held at the Knights of Columbus in
Hoisington starting a 6:00 PM. Dinner and auction tickets may be purchased for $15.00 each from the Foundation and Hospital. Nex-tech and
Nex-Tech Wireless are once again sponsoring the Auction dinner. This
year’s theme, “There’s No Place Like Clara Barton” was chosen in honor
of the growth and pride the Hospital has experienced since the violent
2001 F4 tornado that ripped through Hoisington 10 years ago, leaving
behind extensive damage to the hospital and destroying the clinic.
The menu will consist of Woodies Smokehouse beef brisket, pulled
pork, sweet baked beans, potato salad and home-style bun and Made
from Scratch assortment of fruit and crème pies. The Foundation has
set a goal of $35,000 to purchase three bedside cardiac monitors.
For more information call Michelle Moshier, Executive Director at
620-653-5012 or e-mail: [email protected]. Look for
the insert in this month’s newsletter! Deadline to register a team is June
13th.
Brining Farms Featured in Kansas Farmer
JC Penney Hangs New Exterior Sign
Local farmer Roger Brining is no stranger to attention from
agriculture media. His industry-leading ventures into no-till farming and wind energy have earned him notoriety in the agricultural
community. Recently, Kansas Farmer magazine took note of Brining’s
no-till practice of utilizing cover crops. The two-page spread takes
an in-depth look at the relatively new concept of planting a second
crop on the same field as a cash crop, with the sole purpose of putting
nutrients back into the soil and avoiding wind erosion. In the article,
Brining says, “Basically, I see in cover crops several goals,” Brining
explains. “Prevent both wind and water erosion, capture nutrients remaining in the soil from the previous crop, fi x nutrients and nitrogen,
and add organic matter, which, of course, helps for water-holding
capacity and prevents leaching of nutrients.”
JC Penney, located at Broadway & Kansas in Great Bend, recently upgraded the sign on the east side of their retail location. “We
desperately needed new signage,” says store manager Mary Foley.
“The new sign is a huge improvement from what was there before.”
To read the feature story, go to www.greatbend.org/PressReleases/
BriningFarms_KSFarmerFeature2011.pdf.
The Great Bend JC Penney’s location has been open for 75 years,
and there are 1,100 JC Penney
department stores across the
country.
For more information
about JC Penney, visit www.
jcp.com. Local store hours are
Monday through Friday from
10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and
Sundays from 12-5 p.m.
May 2011 • p7
May 2011 • p10
Cont.
from Pg 9
They may purchase the veil or shoes, for example. Another trendy choice is a solid-color wedding
dress. “We had one that was all pink, another all red,”
Klepper said. “This was a first for me this year. We are
also selling more little white dresses – above the knee,
cocktail type.”
If a destination wedding is planned, Beautiful Beginnings
can prepare the attire for travel. And if there is a reception
back home later, it will touch up the clothing for that event.
The boutique has two full-time and two part-time employees, in
addition to Klepper. The full-timers are Sharon Muehleisen and Krisanne Seidel; part-timers are Marla Isern and Casey Roberts.
“Mom and Dad are huge supporters too,” Klepper said. “Dad
does the books and mom helps with alterations.” Her parents are
Howard and Deanna Rogers.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without our support system,”
Klepper said. “Bless their hearts.”
The employees and family members also help Klepper give that
personal touch, which is so important at the shop.
“It all falls back on service,” she said. “Our biggest competition is
Kansas City and Wichita. Women don’t seem to mind spending $100
in gas and driving for four hours.
But if they would shop locally, their
money would stay here. We can get
almost anything they can find.
“The perception,” she continued,
“is that it is cheaper in other towns.
The opposite is true. Our prices are
usually $50 to $100 cheaper. And our
local service is so important.”
Klepper has talked to women who
shopped online and learned that what
they got is not what they ordered.
For example, “they were supposed to
get a size 10 and they got a 6. There
is nothing personal about that. This
is a personal experience. We build
relationships.”
Beautiful Beginnings also does its
share of community service. It recentFamily Finances - Howard Rogers, who also
ly sponsored a fund-raiser for the Heartland
happens to be owner Jennifer Klepper’s father,
filters through the store bills and sales receipts.
Cancer Center, and participates in the High
“it’s a huge help having my family involved with
School Promenade Benefit by donating to
the business,” Klepper says. “My husband gets
schools whose students participate in store
stuck doing most of the maintenance.”
promotions.
Display Decorating - Owner Jennifer Klepper
finishes up her store window display featuring prom dresses. “It’d be great if our store
window could be the local version of Sax
Fifth Avenue,” says Klepper. “We change the
displays often and try to keep things fresh and
interesting.”
H. MIKE BOYS • H.M. Boys Agency, Inc.
P.O. Box 1648
1925 10th Street
Great Bend, KS 67530
Office: 620-792-1269
Toll Free: 800-658-1612
Fax: 620-792-1260
Email: [email protected]
1-800-MYAMFAM (800-692-6326)
Do you have a product to sell?
Call Scott Donovan at 620-617-1218
On Air & Online at KHOKFM.com
Roy or Dale Westhoff
Phone: 620-792-2558
Fax: 620-793-9245
May Calendar of Events
1… Golden Belt Model Railroad Assoc. Open House, First Methodist Church, 2123
Forest, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
1… Great Bend Community Theatre presents “Waiting for the Parade”, Crest Theatre,
1905 Lakin, 2 p.m.
1… Barton Baseball Game, Lawson-Biggs Field, 1 p.m.
1… Wings N’ Wetlands Festival, Kansas Wetland Education Center
2… Barton County Commission Meeting, Barton County Courthouse Room 106, 9 a.m.
2… Great Bend City Council Meeting, City Council Chambers, 1209 Williams, 7:30 p.m.
3… Golden Belt Community Concert: Jim Witter, the Piano Man, Great Bend
Municipal Auditorium, Lakin & Stone, 7:30 p.m.
4... Habitat for Humanity Groundbreaking, 19th & Hubbard, 5:45 p.m.
4-6… 3i Show, Finney County Fairgrounds, 409 Lake Avenue in Garden City, 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. Daily
5… Chamber Coffee: Herl Pipe & Specialties, 386 SW 20 Road, 9:30 a.m.
5… Chamber Ambassador Lunch, Spray-Holt Family Board Room, 1125 Williams, 12 p.m.
5... Relay for Life Cinco de Mayo Dinner, Great Bend Regional Hospital Cafeteria,
11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
5… Treader’s Business After Hours, 1309 Main, 5-7 p.m.
6… Ribbon Cutting: Cheyenne Bottoms Inn & Suites, 57 W. KS-Hwy 4, 4:30 p.m.
6... Chick-fil-A Leadercast Voices of Change, First Assembly of God, 601 Patton Road,
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
6-7... A Night in the Theater, BCC Fine Arts Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m.
Saturday
7... Relay for Life Bake Sale, Dominican Sisters Convent Lawn, 8 a.m.
7... Relay for Life Tastefully Simple Show, United Church of Christ in Ellinwood, 1-5 p.m.
7... Great Bend Public Library Art Show “Three Generations” Reception, 2-4 p.m.
8… Back Room Concert, Kerry Kean, Barton Arts Center, 2006 Forest, 7:30 p.m.
9… Barton County Commission Meeting, Barton County Courthouse Room 106, 9 a.m.
9… New 2 Great Bend Coffee, Great Bend Coffee, 2015 Main, 10:02 a.m.
12-15… Lucas Oil Drag Races, Great Bend Expo Complex
12… Chamber Coffee & Ribbon Cutting: Image Total Fitness, 1209 Main, 9:30 a.m.
12… Ribbon Cutting: Daniel R. Trickey Memorial Life Giving Center, 2100 Broadway,
10 a.m.
12... BCC Commencement, Barton Gymnasium, 7 p.m.
14... Not Forgotten Bicycle/Walking Rally, Veterans Memorial Park, 8-11 a.m.
14… Back Room Concert, Stevie Coyle, Barton Arts Center, 2006 Forest, 7:30 p.m.
16… Barton County Commission Meeting, Barton County Courthouse Room 106, 9 a.m.
16… Great Bend City Council Meeting, City Council Chambers, 1209 Williams, 7:30 p.m.
18… Submission Deadline for June Outlook Business Journal
18… Chamber Executive Board Meeting, Spray-Holt Family Board Room, 1125
Williams, 12 p.m.
18… Beautification Committee Meeting, Spray-Holt Family Board Room, 1125
Williams, 3:30 p.m.
19… Chamber Coffee: Barton County Historical Society, 85 S. Highway 281, 9:30 a.m.
19… Job Fest, Best Western Angus Inn Courtyard, 4-7 p.m.
19… St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center Free Diabetes Class, 3515 Broadway,
Room 450, 7-9 p.m.
20… 6th Annual Gary Gore Memorial Golf Tournament, The Club at StoneRidge,
Registration 11 a.m., Tee-Off 1 p.m.
21… New 2 Great Bend Ellinwood Outing, Meet in Spray-Holt Family Board Room,
1125 Williams, 5 p.m.
23… Barton County Commission Meeting, Barton County Courthouse Room 106, 9 a.m.
25… Insert Deadline for June Outlook Business Journal
25… Chamber Board Meeting, Spray-Holt Family Board Room, 1125 Williams, 7:30 a.m.
26… Chamber Coffee: Kansas Wetlands Education Center, 592 NW 156 Highway,
9:30 a.m.
30… Chamber Office Closed
30... BCC Campus Closed
Sell Real Estate
Kim Vink - Agent
Coldwell Banker Sell Real Estate
4000 10th Street
Great Bend, KS 67530
Phone: 620-617-3886
Maytag
DELL • LG
Whirlpool
Appliances
Electronics
Furniture
4908 10th Street
Great Bend, KS
620-792-7368
Rent-to-Own, Retail, & 90
Days Same-as-Cash
We have payment plans to meet your needs!
Erin Powers
Account Executive
[email protected]
620-282-3733
Mike Hesher
Account Executive
[email protected]
620-653-4474
Put the Power of KSN to Work for You!
Heating • Plumbing
Air Conditioning
www.mfplumbing.com
Great Bend, KS
620-793-3529
Larned, KS
620-285-3966
Great Bend’s Premiere Bridal & Tux Shop for Over 30 Years
e groom presents a ring. The bride says “yes.” The bride tells everybody. The bride shops for a gown. That is one common sceTnario
that leads a woman to Beautiful Beginnings, 1523 Main. But it is only one of many.
h
Weddings, proms and other special occasions are strong points at the downtown business, but many women may not realize they can
also outfit themselves for a day at the office. “After we bought the business, we started to focus more on women’s wear,” said Jennifer
Klepper, who owns Beautiful Beginnings with her husband, Scott. “We wanted to bring something to Great Bend and broke into ladies’
business wear; and it is picking up. It is a new thing, done well.”
The large selection could best be described as “business casual,” Klepper added. “There are dresses, tops and slacks.”
Complete outfits also are available for special occasions such as Easter, Christmas, First Communion and Baptism. And, of course,
there is everything the happy couple needs for the Big Day. “We can do everything for weddings,” Klepper commented. “From the wedding gown, bridesmaids’ dresses, flower girls, the mother of the bride and tuxes for the guys. And the accessories.
“Our selection is very large and reasonably priced,” she added. “That is another strong point. We have 200 wedding dresses and
another 150 on-sale wedding dresses.”
Likewise, the in-stock selection of prom dresses totals about 150. “Recently, we have tried to build up the prom part of our business,”
Klepper noted. “We sold 50 gowns this year but it was 40 last year. We are hoping it gets even better.”
Tuxedos are the only rental items in the store.
While clothing trends come and go, there is one constant
when it comes to shopping for wedding and prom attire. “This
is one thing people don’t realize,” Klepper said. “Bridal and
prom are not the typical shopping experiences. There is so
much that plays into these times in a woman’s life.
“It is an emotional, sensory experience,” she
continued. “They have to touch the
dress, try it on - one, two, three
times - before saying ‘this is the
one.’ And we
understand
this.”
Generally, it is
the woman
and her
mom who
collaborate
with the
Beautiful Beginnings staff.
But sometimes,
grandma,
aunt and
sister join in.
May 2011 • p8
Then there are the guys. Klepper acknowledged that in most cases, men are just following
orders.
“The girls pick out the tuxes. The guys get
measured. That is all they do,” the storeowner
said. “But once in a while, a guy shows an interest.”
The Kleppers bought Beautiful Beginnings
in 2008 from Chari Miller. It had been located
north of the courthouse but Miller moved it to its
current 16th and Main location. It first opened in
1986.
“I actually worked for Chari for five years
before we bought it,” Klepper recalled. “It has
been something of a dream of mine as long as I
can remember – since high school. I
tried to align myself to owning a business someday.”
Klepper had worked for other
retailers, including Kimple’s in Ellinwood and a gift shop in Manhattan; she also interned at a Kansas
City-area bridal shop. Klepper has a
bachelor’s degree in apparel textile,
marketing and design, and a master’s
in apparel design. She also attended
any seminar, conference or market
she could.
All those experiences combine to
make for a full-service atmosphere
at Beautiful Beginnings. The store
doesn’t simply sell dresses or rent
tuxedoes and send customers on
their way.
“We want them to shop and try everything on
to make sure it looks right,” Klepper said. “We
don’t want our customers leaving for their special
event looking crumby. It reflects on us. We want
them to look as good as they possibly can.”
Anyone planning a wedding is strongly encouraged to start shopping early – real early. For
example, bridal special orders can take up to six
months to come in; so, many customers come
in nine months to a year before the event. “We
certainly sell off the rack but 90 percent of these
items have to be altered. That is a big part of
it too. With prom, it is not usually a special
order but if it is, there is a quicker turnaround time than bridal.”
Beautiful Beginnings supplies customers
with a list of local and area women who do
alterations. In addition to clothing, the boutique carries shoes, Brighton jewelry, handbags and Spanx undergarments. It offers not
only variety in styles, but also variety in price.
“A lot of people perceive that we are very
high end,” Klepper said. “But we have tried
to keep our prices in all ranges.”
Beautiful Beginnings is always up on
the latest in all things bridal and the staff is
noticing a new trend these days – a family
member buying a wedding-attire item as a
bridal-shower gift.
Continued on Pg 10
More than Bridal - In addition to their vast
selection of gowns for brides, bridesmaids,
and mother-of-the-brides, Beautiful Beginnings also offers prom and formal gowns,
dyeable shoes, tuxedo and suit rentals, as
well as casual and semi-casual women’s
clothing, children’s clothing, and special occasion outfits wear for baptisms
and first communions. The
boutique also carries Brighton and Spanx accessories.
Smiling Staff - Pictured
from left to right are bridal consultant Kris Seidel,
Howard Rogers, owners
Jennifer and Scott Klepper, and bridal consultant
Sharon Muehleisen. Not
pictured are part-time
bridal consultants Marla
Isern, Casey Roberts, and
Evelyn Mead. “We have a
small staff, but can always
meet our customers’
needs,” owner Jennifer
Klepper says. “We pride
ourselves on our service.”
May 2011 • p9
May 2011 • p7
May 2011 • p10
Cont.
from Pg 9
They may purchase the veil or shoes, for example. Another trendy choice is a solid-color wedding
dress. “We had one that was all pink, another all red,”
Klepper said. “This was a first for me this year. We are
also selling more little white dresses – above the knee,
cocktail type.”
If a destination wedding is planned, Beautiful Beginnings
can prepare the attire for travel. And if there is a reception
back home later, it will touch up the clothing for that event.
The boutique has two full-time and two part-time employees, in
addition to Klepper. The full-timers are Sharon Muehleisen and Krisanne Seidel; part-timers are Marla Isern and Casey Roberts.
“Mom and Dad are huge supporters too,” Klepper said. “Dad
does the books and mom helps with alterations.” Her parents are
Howard and Deanna Rogers.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without our support system,”
Klepper said. “Bless their hearts.”
The employees and family members also help Klepper give that
personal touch, which is so important at the shop.
“It all falls back on service,” she said. “Our biggest competition is
Kansas City and Wichita. Women don’t seem to mind spending $100
in gas and driving for four hours.
But if they would shop locally, their
money would stay here. We can get
almost anything they can find.
“The perception,” she continued,
“is that it is cheaper in other towns.
The opposite is true. Our prices are
usually $50 to $100 cheaper. And our
local service is so important.”
Klepper has talked to women who
shopped online and learned that what
they got is not what they ordered.
For example, “they were supposed to
get a size 10 and they got a 6. There
is nothing personal about that. This
is a personal experience. We build
relationships.”
Beautiful Beginnings also does its
share of community service. It recentFamily Finances - Howard Rogers, who also
ly sponsored a fund-raiser for the Heartland
happens to be owner Jennifer Klepper’s father,
filters through the store bills and sales receipts.
Cancer Center, and participates in the High
“it’s a huge help having my family involved with
School Promenade Benefit by donating to
the business,” Klepper says. “My husband gets
schools whose students participate in store
stuck doing most of the maintenance.”
promotions.
Display Decorating - Owner Jennifer Klepper
finishes up her store window display featuring prom dresses. “It’d be great if our store
window could be the local version of Sax
Fifth Avenue,” says Klepper. “We change the
displays often and try to keep things fresh and
interesting.”
H. MIKE BOYS • H.M. Boys Agency, Inc.
P.O. Box 1648
1925 10th Street
Great Bend, KS 67530
Office: 620-792-1269
Toll Free: 800-658-1612
Fax: 620-792-1260
Email: [email protected]
1-800-MYAMFAM (800-692-6326)
Do you have a product to sell?
Call Scott Donovan at 620-617-1218
On Air & Online at KHOKFM.com
Roy or Dale Westhoff
Phone: 620-792-2558
Fax: 620-793-9245
May Calendar of Events
1… Golden Belt Model Railroad Assoc. Open House, First Methodist Church, 2123
Forest, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
1… Great Bend Community Theatre presents “Waiting for the Parade”, Crest Theatre,
1905 Lakin, 2 p.m.
1… Barton Baseball Game, Lawson-Biggs Field, 1 p.m.
1… Wings N’ Wetlands Festival, Kansas Wetland Education Center
2… Barton County Commission Meeting, Barton County Courthouse Room 106, 9 a.m.
2… Great Bend City Council Meeting, City Council Chambers, 1209 Williams, 7:30 p.m.
3… Golden Belt Community Concert: Jim Witter, the Piano Man, Great Bend
Municipal Auditorium, Lakin & Stone, 7:30 p.m.
4... Habitat for Humanity Groundbreaking, 19th & Hubbard, 5:45 p.m.
4-6… 3i Show, Finney County Fairgrounds, 409 Lake Avenue in Garden City, 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. Daily
5… Chamber Coffee: Herl Pipe & Specialties, 386 SW 20 Road, 9:30 a.m.
5… Chamber Ambassador Lunch, Spray-Holt Family Board Room, 1125 Williams, 12 p.m.
5... Relay for Life Cinco de Mayo Dinner, Great Bend Regional Hospital Cafeteria,
11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
5… Treader’s Business After Hours, 1309 Main, 5-7 p.m.
6… Ribbon Cutting: Cheyenne Bottoms Inn & Suites, 57 W. KS-Hwy 4, 4:30 p.m.
6... Chick-fil-A Leadercast Voices of Change, First Assembly of God, 601 Patton Road,
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
6-7... A Night in the Theater, BCC Fine Arts Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m.
Saturday
7... Relay for Life Bake Sale, Dominican Sisters Convent Lawn, 8 a.m.
7... Relay for Life Tastefully Simple Show, United Church of Christ in Ellinwood, 1-5 p.m.
7... Great Bend Public Library Art Show “Three Generations” Reception, 2-4 p.m.
8… Back Room Concert, Kerry Kean, Barton Arts Center, 2006 Forest, 7:30 p.m.
9… Barton County Commission Meeting, Barton County Courthouse Room 106, 9 a.m.
9… New 2 Great Bend Coffee, Great Bend Coffee, 2015 Main, 10:02 a.m.
12-15… Lucas Oil Drag Races, Great Bend Expo Complex
12… Chamber Coffee & Ribbon Cutting: Image Total Fitness, 1209 Main, 9:30 a.m.
12… Ribbon Cutting: Daniel R. Trickey Memorial Life Giving Center, 2100 Broadway,
10 a.m.
12... BCC Commencement, Barton Gymnasium, 7 p.m.
14... Not Forgotten Bicycle/Walking Rally, Veterans Memorial Park, 8-11 a.m.
14… Back Room Concert, Stevie Coyle, Barton Arts Center, 2006 Forest, 7:30 p.m.
16… Barton County Commission Meeting, Barton County Courthouse Room 106, 9 a.m.
16… Great Bend City Council Meeting, City Council Chambers, 1209 Williams, 7:30 p.m.
18… Submission Deadline for June Outlook Business Journal
18… Chamber Executive Board Meeting, Spray-Holt Family Board Room, 1125
Williams, 12 p.m.
18… Beautification Committee Meeting, Spray-Holt Family Board Room, 1125
Williams, 3:30 p.m.
19… Chamber Coffee: Barton County Historical Society, 85 S. Highway 281, 9:30 a.m.
19… Job Fest, Best Western Angus Inn Courtyard, 4-7 p.m.
19… St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center Free Diabetes Class, 3515 Broadway,
Room 450, 7-9 p.m.
20… 6th Annual Gary Gore Memorial Golf Tournament, The Club at StoneRidge,
Registration 11 a.m., Tee-Off 1 p.m.
21… New 2 Great Bend Ellinwood Outing, Meet in Spray-Holt Family Board Room,
1125 Williams, 5 p.m.
23… Barton County Commission Meeting, Barton County Courthouse Room 106, 9 a.m.
25… Insert Deadline for June Outlook Business Journal
25… Chamber Board Meeting, Spray-Holt Family Board Room, 1125 Williams, 7:30 a.m.
26… Chamber Coffee: Kansas Wetlands Education Center, 592 NW 156 Highway,
9:30 a.m.
30… Chamber Office Closed
30... BCC Campus Closed
Sell Real Estate
Kim Vink - Agent
Coldwell Banker Sell Real Estate
4000 10th Street
Great Bend, KS 67530
Phone: 620-617-3886
Maytag
DELL • LG
Whirlpool
Appliances
Electronics
Furniture
4908 10th Street
Great Bend, KS
620-792-7368
Rent-to-Own, Retail, & 90
Days Same-as-Cash
We have payment plans to meet your needs!
Erin Powers
Account Executive
[email protected]
620-282-3733
Mike Hesher
Account Executive
[email protected]
620-653-4474
Put the Power of KSN to Work for You!
Heating • Plumbing
Air Conditioning
www.mfplumbing.com
Great Bend, KS
620-793-3529
Larned, KS
620-285-3966
May 2011 • p11
May 2011 • p6
Great Bend Coffee Company Adds
Second Location Inside St. Rose
When Paul & Barbara Wagner moved to Great Bend from the
state of Washington in 2008, they had no idea that their Seattlestyle coffee shop would evolve so quickly into the popular bistro
and restaurant that it has become. “Since we opened, we’ve quickly
adapted based on our customers’ requests,” says owner Paul
Wagner. “We added lunch and catering services, and then quickly
expanded to now offer fine dining on Friday and Saturday evenings
now that we acquired our liquor license. It’s been immensely popular, so we’re excited to expand yet again on this new venture.”
After working with several local restaurants and coffee shops, St.
Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center notified the Wagners in midApril that they were being chosen as the only food service provider
for the medical facility after it completes its transition to an emergency/surgical center this month. “We were given a few weeks to
get our new operation up and running. It’s challenging, but we’re
making it happen,” Wagner says. “The new location will be in the
former gift shop space in the St. Rose lobby, and will be open for
business on May 2nd.”
St. Rose will still have a gift shop, but in a different part of the
building. The new Great Bend Coffee Company location will be
open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., featuring
a full espresso shop and a full kitchen for breakfast and lunch.
“We’ll be carrying over some of the same menu items from the other
location, but expanding the breakfast offerings,” Wagner says. “St.
Rose has been great to work with, and has done a lot to help us get
settled in our new location. We couldn’t be more excited for this
next phase of our business.”
The new restaurant’s business will be made up primarily of the
numerous nurses and doctors who will be working in the medical
facility, but outside customers are encouraged to come in as well.
For more information about the new coffee shop/bistro inside St.
Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center, stop by at 3200 Broadway or
call Great Bend Coffee Company at 620-603-6465.
Maximum Impact Simulcast Returns May 6
On May 6, 2011 experience a one day leadership event that will
inspire you to be the one to make a difference - at work, at home
and in your community. This live simulcast actually takes place in
Atlanta, Georgia but listeners all around the country tune in from
host sites just like the one here in Great Bend. This dynamic seminar is definitely worth attending. Featured speakers for the 2011
event include Seth Godin (Entrepreneur, marketing expert, and
best-selling author), Robin Roberts (Anchor of ABC’s emmy-award
winning show, “Good Morning America”), John C. Maxwell
(Leadership expert and best-selling author), Sir Ken Robinson
(Best-selling author and leader in the development of creativity,
innovation and human resources), Dave Ramsey (Best-selling
author and nationally syndicated radio personality), Dan Cathy
(President and COO of Chick-fil-A, Inc.), Mack Brown (Head Coach
of the Texas Longhorns, 2009 Big 12 Coach of the Year), Suzy
Welch (Best-selling author, television commentator, and noted
business journalist), Muhtar Kent (Chairman of the board and
CEO of the Coca-Cola Company), Erin Gruwell (Founder and president of The Freedom Writers Foundation), Frans Johansson (Bestselling author).
For more information or to get registered, visit www.greatbendfamily.com.
Platinum Salon Welcomes New Stylists
Platinum Style Salon, located just east of Main Street on 12th Street in
Great Bend, is pleased to welcome two new stylists, Melanie Lightfoot,
Mallory Ehrlich, and Shanon Rziha. All three women are 2009 graduates
of Sidney’s Hairdressing College in Hutchinson, KS. Owner Karen Crane
and veteran stylist Sandy Clanton are excited about the expansion. “We
have been open for two years now, and have found several creative ways
to give back to the community,” Crane says. “Hopefully with three more
stylists, we can do even more to serve our clients and the community.”
Melanie Lightfoot and Mallory Ehrlich offers perms, highlights/color
treatments, facial waxing, and specializes in haircutting and updos.
Lightfoot can be reached at 620-282-0832. Ehrlich can be reached at
620-617-0482.
Shanon Rziha also offers cuts and colors, facial waxes, and perms. In
addition, her
clients can receive pedicures,
manicures, or
acrylic nail sets.
For more information or to
take advantage
of the numerous
beauty treatments available
from the five
stylists at Platinum Style Salon,
Smiling Stylists - Pictured from left to right are owner
stop by 1908
Karen Crane, and styllists Mallory Ehrlich, Shanon Rziha,
12th Street.
Melanie Lightfoot, and Sandy Clanton.
Sunflower Diversified Employee Receives Award
Cathy Soeken and Connor Robl have developed such a good rapport and reached so many milestones that they are sharing the Focus
on Abilities recognition at Sunflower Diversified Services. Soeken,
Sunflower children’s case manager, has been collaborating with the
Robl family of Ellinwood for two years to help young Connor use his
abilities to the fullest.
Sunflower is a non-profit agency that serves people with developmental disabilities in Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush and Stafford counties.
Connor relies on a wheelchair for mobility, and requires speech,
physical and occupational therapies. In addition, he has a hearing
impairment. He will be 6 years old April 22 and attends kindergarten
at Eisenhower Elementary School. “Connor is a trouper who is up for
anything and wants to be part of everyday life,” said Soeken, a
licensed social worker. “He enjoys interacting with his peers at school
and his four brothers at home. He may be small but he is tenacious.”
Soeken is also tenacious, said Glennda Drescher, Sunflower director
of service coordination and chief marketing officer. She has worked
with many organizations and businesses to supply Connor with special equipment. “Thanks to Cathy’s creativity and enormous help from
Connor’s parents, the youngster now has a Youth Suspension Walker
that gives him more freedom at school and home,” Drescher said. “It
allows him to be closer and more personal with others.”
Soeken collaborated with Children’s Miracle Network, the
Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the Kansas Society for Children with
Challenges in her efforts to help Connor. In addition, she worked
with Lowes Inc. and secured a grant, which paid for the materials to
construct a ramp at the Robls’ home.
Barton MLT Students Earn State Awards
The Kansas Society of Clinical Laboratory Scientists (KSCLS) presented awards this month to two Barton Community College students
enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Technology program. Barton’s
Maria Mayta received the KSCLS “Outstanding Student” plaque for
this year. Her classmate Laura Thompson earned the KSCLS
“Outstanding Student” scholarship for $500.
The “Outstanding Student” awards are based on completion of first
year MLT classes, overall GPA, employability, leadership demonstrations, community participation and program recommendations.
“Everyone involved with Barton’s MLT program is very proud of
these students for their excellence and personal responsibility in the
pursuit of their education,” said MLT Program coordinator and
instructor Cheryl Lippert.
With on-campus, hybrid and online options, Barton is currently
educating more than 30 MLT students across Kansas and western
Missouri. Find out more about Barton’s MLT program at mlt.bartonccc.edu.
KSCLS is an organization comprising laboratory professionals committed to improving clinical laboratories across the state. KSCLS is an
affiliate society of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
(ASCLS). Besides Kansas, ASCLS Region VI comprises Illinois, Iowa,
Missouri and Nebraska.
Big Bend Bike Rally Returns to Great
Bend Bigger & Better Sept. 23-25
Every year since its creation in 2008,
the Big Bend Bike Rally has grown more
and more popular. The motorcycle community is attracted for obvious reasons:
all-day beer garden, live music, and
motorcycle attractions and racing. But to
the surprise of some, many of the annual event’s followers don’t own
a motorcycle.
This year’s festivities will include a regional all-Harley drag race
coordinated by the nationally infamous All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA). The Big Bend Bike Rally is an annual motorcycel rally
organized by a committee of volunteers and Chamber staff persons.
For more information or to keep up with developments regarding the
Big Bend Bike Rally, visit the event web site at www.bigbendbikerally.
com, or follow the event on Facebook.
Clara Barton Benefit Golf Tournament
Registration Now Being Accepted
The 18th Annual Clara Barton Hospital Foundation Golf Benefit is
looking to hit a “big drive for Cardiac Equipment”. On Friday, June 17,
2011 the Foundation will hold its annual event to raise vital funding to
replace aging cardiac equipment in the Emergency Room. Cardiac Care
equipment is vital to the monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of our
cardiac patients and is extraordinarily expensive. The Golf Tournament
will be held Friday, June 17th at Lake Barton Golf Course with tee time
at 8 a.m. Organize your 4-person team and participate in a fun-filled golf
scramble. The cost to enter the tournament is $90 per player, or $360
per team. The registration fee covers: green fees, cart rental (sponsored by AlternaCare Home Medical Equipment, lunch on the course
(sponsored by Claflin Pump and Supply), and a ticket to the dinner and
auction that evening.
Mulligans are available for $5, paid the day of the tournament.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams in two flights: First Place:
$200 cash and monogrammed polo shirt from “In Stitches Custom
Embroidery”; 2nd Place: $100.00 cash and 1 dz. Titlist Pro V Golf Balls
sponsored by State Farm Insurance Agent, Kathy Burt and 3rd Place: 1
dz. Titlist DT Golf Balls sponsored by State Farm Insurance, Kathy Burt.
In addition, Manweiler Chevrolet, Inc is giving away a brand new 2011
Chevy vehicle to anyone who can score a hole-in-one on the 5th hole.
There will also be a 5-hole putting contest sponsored by First Kansas
Bank with 50% of all money received being paid back to top two contestants (60% to 1st Place and 40% to 2nd place). There’s a $5 per entry
fee to participate in the putting contest.
The dinner and auction will be held at the Knights of Columbus in
Hoisington starting a 6:00 PM. Dinner and auction tickets may be purchased for $15.00 each from the Foundation and Hospital. Nex-tech and
Nex-Tech Wireless are once again sponsoring the Auction dinner. This
year’s theme, “There’s No Place Like Clara Barton” was chosen in honor
of the growth and pride the Hospital has experienced since the violent
2001 F4 tornado that ripped through Hoisington 10 years ago, leaving
behind extensive damage to the hospital and destroying the clinic.
The menu will consist of Woodies Smokehouse beef brisket, pulled
pork, sweet baked beans, potato salad and home-style bun and Made
from Scratch assortment of fruit and crème pies. The Foundation has
set a goal of $35,000 to purchase three bedside cardiac monitors.
For more information call Michelle Moshier, Executive Director at
620-653-5012 or e-mail: [email protected]. Look for
the insert in this month’s newsletter! Deadline to register a team is June
13th.
Brining Farms Featured in Kansas Farmer
JC Penney Hangs New Exterior Sign
Local farmer Roger Brining is no stranger to attention from
agriculture media. His industry-leading ventures into no-till farming and wind energy have earned him notoriety in the agricultural
community. Recently, Kansas Farmer magazine took note of Brining’s
no-till practice of utilizing cover crops. The two-page spread takes
an in-depth look at the relatively new concept of planting a second
crop on the same field as a cash crop, with the sole purpose of putting
nutrients back into the soil and avoiding wind erosion. In the article,
Brining says, “Basically, I see in cover crops several goals,” Brining
explains. “Prevent both wind and water erosion, capture nutrients remaining in the soil from the previous crop, fi x nutrients and nitrogen,
and add organic matter, which, of course, helps for water-holding
capacity and prevents leaching of nutrients.”
JC Penney, located at Broadway & Kansas in Great Bend, recently upgraded the sign on the east side of their retail location. “We
desperately needed new signage,” says store manager Mary Foley.
“The new sign is a huge improvement from what was there before.”
To read the feature story, go to www.greatbend.org/PressReleases/
BriningFarms_KSFarmerFeature2011.pdf.
The Great Bend JC Penney’s location has been open for 75 years,
and there are 1,100 JC Penney
department stores across the
country.
For more information
about JC Penney, visit www.
jcp.com. Local store hours are
Monday through Friday from
10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and
Sundays from 12-5 p.m.
May 2011 • p12
- Economic Development Update -
KDOL to Visit Great Bend in June as Part
of National “We Can Help” Campaign
KDOC Hosts Local Consultations
for International Exports
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis recently used the historic setting of Chicago’s
famed Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, on the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois, to unveil the U.S. Department of Labor’s “We Can Help” campaign.
Solis committed to helping the nation’s low-wage and vulnerable workers, and
reminded them that her agency’s personnel will not waver in protecting the
rights guaranteed by law to every worker in America.
The Kansas Department of Commerce, Trade Development
Division, will be visiting Great Bend on Thursday, May 26th
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to meet with local businesses regarding
the numerous services provided through the KDOC for exporting and international trade.
“I’m here to tell you that your president, your secretary of labor and this department will not allow anyone to be denied his or her rightful pay — especially
when so many in our nation are working long, hard and often dangerous hours,”
Secretary Solis told an energized crowd of workers, community advocates and
leaders. “We can help, and we will help. If you work in this country, you are protected by our laws. And you can count on the U.S. Department of Labor to see to
it that those protections work for you.”
Today’s event marked the beginning of the “We Can Help” nationwide
campaign. The effort, which is being spearheaded by the department’s Wage
and Hour Division, will help connect America’s most vulnerable and low-wage
workers with the broad array of services offered by the Department of Labor.
The campaign will place a special focus on reaching employees in such industries
as construction, janitorial work, hotel/motel services, food services and home
health care. It also will address such topics as rights in the workplace and how to
file a complaint with the Wage and Hour Division to recover wages owed.
Through the use of Spanish/English bilingual public service announcements
— featuring activist Dolores Huerta and actors Jimmy Smits and Esai Morales,
the launch of a new Web site at http://www.dol.gov/wecanhelp and a toll-free
hotline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243), the department is renewing its emphasis on
reaching and assisting workers who often find themselves denied the pay legally
guaranteed to them by law. The campaign also underscores that wage and hour
laws apply to all workers in the United States, regardless of immigration status.
“The nation’s laws are for the protection of everyone who works in this
country,” said Secretary Solis, speaking from the site where President Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s Labor Secretary Frances Perkins once worked. “It is appropriate and
correct that vulnerable workers receive what the law promises, and that no employer gain a marketplace advantage by using threats or coercion to cheat workers from their rightful wages. I have added more than 250 new field investigators
nationwide – an increase of a third – to help in this effort. If you are a worker in
America, on this day, we promise you a new beginning and a new partnership to
ensure you receive the wages you deserve.”
Any businesses in question about whether or not they are currently compliant
with KDOL labor standards can rest at ease. Watch your email inbox for upcoming issues of the Chamber’s email Updates, where we will provide our members
with links to numerous resources that will educate business owners on the
rules and regulations enforced through the Department of Labor. If you are not
currently receiving the Chamber’s email Updates and would like to subscribe,
contact Chamber Marketing Coordinator Rachel Mawhirter at rmawhirter@
greatbend.org.
Greg Call with the Kansas Department of Commerce and
A.J. Anderson with the U.S. Commercial Services Department
will be available to help local businesses learn how to minimize
their exporting risk and maximize their exporting potential.
This visit is a follow-up from the Chamber’s manufacturers
roundtable meeting late last summer. If your company is not
exporting, you may be missing out on connecting your goods
or services to the ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers
that live outside the United States of America.
Surprising Exporting Facts:
•
95 % of the world consumers live outside the USA
•
Exporting enables companies to diversify the customer base
and to weather economic storms
Barriers to Trade continued to erode, it’s never been easier.
More than two-thirds of exporters have fewer than 20
employees
Small and medium sized companies account for the vast
majority of growth in new exporters
•
•
•
For more information or to set up an appointment with the
KDOC representatives who will be visiting Great Bend, contact
Greg Call by phone at 316-771-6808 or by email at [email protected].
Income Statistics for State of
Kansas Now Being Made Available
The Kansas Department of Labor recently made available
their most recent statistics on the state’s average wage information. Two sets of data will soon be made available to all
Chamber members by way of the weekly email Updates. These
sets of data include the average wages by county and the per
capital income by county. Barton County came in higher than
many similar rural counties, to the delight of local officials.
Watch your email inbox for these statistical comparisons. If
you are not currently receiving the Chamber email Updates
and would like to be, contact Chamber Marketing Coordinator
Rachel Mawhirter at [email protected].
Chlumsky
Liquormart
“Serving Great Bend Since 1968”
www.kelleragency.com
620-792-2128 or 1-800-281-2181
1101 Williams, P.O. Box 945
Great Bend, Kansas
2204 Kansas
Great Bend
620-792-1929
Let Ours Be Your
Favorite Store
May 2011 • p5
Schumacher Named Corporate
Trainer for Farmers Bank & Trust
All About You Event Planning
Moves to New Location
As Farmers Bank & Trust, NA continues to increase in size the
need to designate an official corporate trainer has become a major focus. The bank is pleased to announce that Maryln Schumacher has been chosen to lead this effort bank wide. Maryln has
enjoyed her career in banking and is anxious to share her 30+
years of experience. She began at a local bank as a teller and
quickly moved into various areas of the bank. She has prior experience on the deposit, operations and lending sides of banking
as well as within supervision and leadership. Maryln’s new title
will be Assistant Vice President Corporate Training. She will also remain the bank’s data
processing coordinator. Maryln and her husband Larry reside in Great Bend.
All About You Event Planning, formerly
located inside Vines & Designs at 2009 16th
Street in Great Bend, has moved locations.
Tara Russell, owner of All About You Event
Planning has decided to move her shop to
Ellsworth where she currently resides. The
demand for her services has grown over the
months in the Salina other Eastern Kansas
communities. “Having my shop in a more central location will allow me to better serve my
clients all over Kansas.”
Farmers Bank has been in business for 104 years and has locations in Great Bend, Albert,
Lacrosse, Bazine, Kinsley, Overland Park, and Liberty, Missouri. The bank’s newest facility is
located in Larned, Kansas.
To best serve local brides, however, Russell
will still maintain an office space in Great
Bend. “I will have rental items on display in
hopes of making it more convenient for brides
living in Great Bend and other parts of
Western Kansas,” Russell says. “The new
office space in Great Bend will be located
inside Shelter Insurance at 1922 Main Street
and will be open soon.”
Treader’s Deli Debuts “Argonne” with After Hours May 5th
Treader’s Deli, located at 1309 Main Street in Great Bend, celebrated its grand opening in
November of last year. As the seventh of the MyTown stores to open, the restaurant serves
soups, salads, sandwiches, and snacks from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. “The MyTown project has seen continuous growth and
improvement since its launch in 2008,” says general manager Tina Mingenback. “We are very
pleased with our progress, and know that the community will love the latest expansion inside
of Treaders.”
In addition to the Kidz Zone, an indoor playground available for customers and party renters, Treader’s Deli will now also feature another new play area for kids (and kids at heart).
The “Argonne” is a new arcade and game room on the south side of Treader’s that features an
internet juke box, pool tables, and all sorts of arcade games. The expansion also includes outdoor seating for when the weather is nice and an enormous 82” high definition television visible from all the seating at Treader’s. “By adding the game room, we’re hoping to turn Treader’s
from a great place to grab a bite to eat to a fun environment for families to hang out,”
Mingenback says. “Treader’s will also now be serving fat free frozen yogurts with toppings.”
MyTown would like to invite the business community to come to a Chamber Business
After Hours event on Thursday, May 5th from 5-7 p.m. to celebrate the grand opening of the
Argonne inside Treader’s. There will be adult beverages and appetizers, as well as door prizes.
For more information or to make a reservation, contact Treader’s Deli at 620-786-2337.
EarCare Promotes Hearing Checks During Better Speech & Hearing Month
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, dedicated to educating consumers about the need to assure that their hearing is healthy. This year,
EarCare Hearing Aid Centers is joining the Better Hearing and Speech Council in promoting the Across America Hearing Check Challenge – an online
hearing test that lets individuals quickly and confidentially determine if they need a comprehensive hearing check by a hearing professional. Visit www.
hearingcheck.org, and walk through a simple, 15-question self-screener in the privacy of your own home. “We know that unaddressed hearing loss seriously undercuts a person’s quality of life and has a tremendous impact on relationships,” says AJ Chrest, the Hearing Consultant at EarCare. “We see it
every day in our practice and hear it from our patients and their concerned family members and friends.” For more information, call 620-603-6445.
r’s
Tim Mille
Our new shop is located 3/4 mile
west of Great Bend and has double
the service space!
Excellence in Paintless Dent Repair
620-791-7002
The address for the Ellsworth shop has not
yet been determined, but will be announced
later this summer. All About You Event
Planning has grown significantly since its
grand opening in 2010. Russell has 18 weddings on the books for this year, with more
scheduled for 2012. In addition to wedding
and event planning services, Russell also specializes in custom invitations and rental
items. If you need assistance planning a wedding, graduation party, fundraiser, or even an
office party, All About You Event Planning
can help you make it one to remember. For
more information, contact owner Tara Russell
at 785-640-0616 or [email protected].
Follow All About You Event Planning on
Facebook!
Beer • Wine • Cocktails
CHARLIES
PLACE
Your After Hours Hang-Out
- No Memberships 1109 Main Street, Great Bend
620-793-8668
May 2011 • p13
May 2011 • p4
5th Annual Job Fest Event May 19th
Employer Booths Still Available
Gore Golf Tournament Tees Off May 20th
The Sixth Annual Gary Gore Golf Tournament will be held May 20 at
The Club at StoneRidge with a 1 p.m. start slated. Members are encouraged
to sponsor and participate in a fun-filled event. The tournament is a way
to link business with pleasure, and provides an opportunity for participants to network with other business professionals in a casual and relaxed
environment.
JobFest 2011 will be Great
Bend’s fifth annual concerted job
fair effort as employers gather to
provide information about jobs
available at their businesses. This
year’s event is set from 4-7 p.m.
Thursday, May 19th, at the Best
Western Angus Inn Courtyard. By having a large contingent of
employers signed up for JobFest, organizers expect to attract a
large number of diverse job seekers for the three-hour event.
The tournament memorializes former Chamber President and CEO Gary
Gore, who died in a watercraft accident at Wilson Lake in 2005. Gore was
serving as Chamber president at the time of his death, a position he held
for five years.
Cost to enter the tournament is $85 per player, or $340 per team. Mulligans are is available for $5, paid the day of the tournament. Prizes will
be awarded to the top three teams. A dinner will be sponsored by CPI
Qualified Plan Consultants Inc., following the tournament. A beverage cart
is also available for the tournament, sponsored by St. Rose Ambulatory &
Surgery Center. In addition, Dove Buick Pontiac Chevrolet is giving away a
brand new truck to anyone who can score a hole-in-one on the sixth hole.
Organizers will serve refreshments, and provide several professional door prizes to attract job seekers. Booths are being offered to employers for $100 each. Registration deadline is May
7th. Employers who register by the May 7th deadline will be
entered into a drawing to win their booth fee back. Electricity
and wireless Internet will be provided. For more information
or to register, contact Amanda Brack, 620-792-9349, at Barton
Community College.
Look for the insert in the May Outlook Business Journal, to be delivered
next week. Registration forms to enter the tournament and for businesses
to sponsor the tournament are available at the Great Bend Chamber of
Commerce and Economic Development, 620-792-2401, lwaters@greatbend.
org. Sponsorships are $100 per hole.
WELCOME to these
NEW Chamber Members
Great Bend Zoological Society
Scott Gregory
2123 Main
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 786-5420
Category: Non-Profit Clubs/
Organizations
Daniel R. Trickey Memorial Life
Giving Center
Michell Conner
2100 Broadway
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 603-6283
Category: Women’s Transitional Living
Largest • Cleanest • Coolest
Salon in Town & Open 7 Days a Week!
Spray Tans in
Under 5 Minutes!
Where the sun always shines.
2011 Job Fest Sponsors include the City of Great Bend, CPI
Qualified Plan Consultants, Best Western, Doonan GMC,
Farm Bureau Insurance, and Barton County.
Heritage Refinishing and Repair
Michael & Sandra Smith
731 B Ave.
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 617-5368
Category: Wood Furniture Refinishing
Jensen Associates, Inc.
Rob Fisher
16 N Main
Ellinwood, KS 67526
(620) 564-2020
Category: Insurance
Stone Waste Management, LLC
Nelson Stone
P.O. Box 872
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 793-8853
Category: Trash/Roll-Off Containers
JRZ Enterprises, LLC
Jeffrey R. Zoller
P.O. Box 30
Hoisington, KS 67544
(620) 653-2464
Category: Geology
Chet Cale, Sculptor
Chet Cale
510 Stone St.
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 282-0160
Category: Artist/Sculptor
S & S Digital Designs
Steven Seems
P.O. Box 33
Phillipsburg, KS 67661
(785) 302-0143
Category: Website Design
Gift Certificates Available!
When she caters for weddings, Randall will do as much as she can
in advance to prepare and she scales back on all other events, except for
pharmaceutical sales luncheons, which are a constant part of her catering
business.
“The week of a wedding, I’m cooking night and day,” she said. “But
for all the work, I still love catering. I’d miss it if I weren’t doing it about
every day.”
EVENT PLANNING –
Tara Russell acknowledges she’s generally the last person in the process that people call during their wedding planning. Russell, owner of All
About You Event Planning, readily meets those challenges.
“I am usually one of those afterthoughts because usually I’m contacted
when they start to feel overwhelmed and the wheels start turning in their
minds,” said Russell, who has operated her business for more than four
years. “I get frantic phone calls at times.”
Russell estimates that wedding planning is about 80 percent of her
business. She has 18 weddings scheduled this year and she could have easily had three more in July, except that she is getting married and then will
be honeymooning during those weeks.
Though she has offices in Great Bend and Ellsworth, Russell isn’t tied
to any particular location. She operates All About You Event Planning all
over the state and even has a wedding scheduled in Texas in September.
“I will go most anywhere to meet with clients,” said Russell, who described herself as a traveling wedding planner. “You’ll see my full capacity
wherever we meet, whether it’s at a mall or a restaurant.”
Russell said that many clients discover her from bridal shows, but others come to her as word-of-mouth referrals from previous clients or from
her website, allaboutyouevent.com.
“I do bridal shows in Great Bend, Salina, Hays, Concordia, and I’ll soon
do a Manhattan bridal show,” Russell said. “And I’m in the process of trying to put an ‘All About You’ bridal show together in Hutchinson.”
All About You Event Planning offers two main wedding-planning
packages. Day-of-Services packages comprise four consultation meetings, a list of recommended vendors, 10 hours of coordination, weddingday itinerary, a “wedding day emergency kit” and set up and clean up of
decorations. Russell does every aspect of the wedding planning for the
full-service packages, from booking vendors to going on appointments,
making invitations, assisting with guest accommodations, and choosing
decorations. There are ala carte services offered, too. Those include any
services from the main packages, in addition to planning bachelor and
bachelorette parties, or bridal showers.
There are additional advantages to using All About You Event Planning: Discounts with other vendors, and a wide range of inventory to
choose from that won’t have to be purchased and then indefinitely stored
HONEYMOONS –
Much like wedding planning,
there are hassle factors involved with
choosing honeymoon destinations. Typically, travel agent Christi Penka
will get the call after overwhelmed clients have perused vast selections on
the web and their heads are swimming with too much information.
“They don’t know which direction to go after looking at all the information,” said Penka, owner of First National Travel Agency’s satellite
office in Great Bend. “Even with young people who have always had the
Internet in their lives, there is still a trust factor. Is it safe? Am I entering
the information correctly? Are there flight schedule changes? People don’t
want that stress, so they turn it over to me.”
Penka estimated that honeymoons account for about 40 percent of her
business.
“Easily, every third phone call is for a honeymoon,” Penka, who opened
up the Great Bend satellite office six years ago, after working 16 years in
the industry.
Most First National Travel honeymooners opt for tropical destinations. All-inclusive resorts are most popular because couples pay one
price up front and everything is included, including the gratuity, Penka
explained. Cruises are second on the popularity list, followed by Hawaii.
Still, a small portion of honeymooners go other directions, such as Alaska,
Disneyland and even places in Europe, she added.
Penka also handles travel for destination weddings. Again, most destinations are warm and tropical in those instances. She has two planned
this summer and one includes booking for an aunt and uncle in Kansas
City. Booking for customers from other locations is common when coordinating travel arrangements among groups, said Penka.
“When you do a destination wedding, there are extra promotions and
extra discounts that are all tied in with the destination wedding,” she
explained. “It’s beneficial to go through the same agency and much easier,
even if person lives in some place like Connecticut. Usually we are successful in tying flights together. We can even get it as detailed as getting
people seated next to one another. That way, there are no questions;
everyone has the right dates booked and the correct resort.”
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Great Bend, KS
620-796-2133
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“I started my business with a motto of, ‘Saying
I do has never been so simple’ because it’s possible for people to do it themselves, but then
they don’t think about what they will do the
actual day. … For some brides, I’m their life
saver. A lot of times, it’s the moms who hire
me because they want someone to put out the
fires and clean up the messes. They generally have guests who travel miles that they
may never see again. They don’t want to
be stuck in the kitchen, not enjoying the
day.”
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Teresa Malone, PT
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TURKEY SEASON IS APPROACHING!
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Phone: 620-792-7868
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Part of the NEW Outlook Business Journal
format are the high resolution ad spaces
from supporting member businesses. The
revenue generated from these ad spaces
helps keep our costs down, so that we can
continually improve the look and feel of the
publication. If you would like to see your
business’ advertisement, contact Rachel
Mawhirter at 620-792-2401.
May 2011 • p3
May 2011 • p14
Farmers Bank Celebrates Hanhardt’s 50th Anniversary
Don Hanhardt, loan officer at the original Farmers Bank in Albert, Kansas,
recently celebrated his 50th anniversary with the financial institution. “Don’s loyalty to our bank is a perfect reflection of this bank’s commitment to the communities we serve,” remarked CEO WR Robbins. “Don has seen a lot of changes over
the last fifty years, and has continually adapted to his customers’ needs.” Don
demonstrates stability as a pillar of the Albert community, where he has spent his
life and developed relationships with many of the children and grandchildren of
the founding fathers of the bank established 103 years ago right here in Albert, KS.
“ This is the philosophy that has made Farmers Bank so successful, demonstrating
stability as it adapts to meet customer needs,” according to Robbins.
After graduating from Otis High School, Hanhardt knew that finance was his life
calling. After working for another financial institution for ten short months,
Hanhardt started at Farmers Bank as a teller in 1961 at the age of 18. After being
promoted through the positions of bookkeeper, loan assistant, and loan officer,
Hanhardt now holds the title of Assistant Vice President, assisting customers with
their lending needs.
“When I started at the bank, our total assets were right around $2 million and
we did things a lot differently,” Hanhardt says. “This was due largely in part to the
lack of modern computer and communication systems. We were still hand-writing
transactions in ledger books. As our bank grew, we experienced changes in technology, who dreamed we would be offering banking by phone when I first started!“
Over the course of five decades, much has changed in the way that Hanhardt
and the rest of the Farmers Bank team do business. Since the bank was purchased
by W.R. Robbins in 1971, Hanhardt has seen assets grow from $4 million to $650
million through four major technology upgrades with lots of incremental changes
along the way. Each one of these technological upgrades was geared toward making the customer experience more enjoyable and more convenient. “ No matter
the advancements in technology, though, banking still revolves around relationships maintained between a bank and its customers,” bank President Gene
Prairie Enterprise Business Tip of the Month
Provided Courtesy of Karmi Green, Director
One of the biggest complaints of business owners
in small towns is the lack of local support. While
there are many reasons residents should shop locally,
the fact remains that many do not. Instead of complaining, take time to evaluate their reasons. Are your
hours convenient? Many people run errands before
and after work or on their lunch break. If you’re open the same hours they work
and close for the lunch hour, you’ve made it difficult for them to support your business. What about customer service? Are you grateful for their business or do you
show contempt because it’s been over a month since they were last in? Brainstorm
ways to draw in your local crowd. You’re here for them, not the other way around.
This tip was brought to you by Prairie Enterprise Project. This non-profit organization offers free and confidential business consulting to Barton, Russell and
Edwards counties. For more information or to set up an appointment, contact
Karmi Green at 620-617-1555 or e-mail [email protected].
Chamber Connect Show Airs May 5th
Tune in to Eagle Radio's 1590 KVGB on the first
Thursday of each month to hear Eagle Radio's Patrick
Burnett discuss the latest Chamber happenings with
Chamber Marketing Coordinator Rachel Mawhirter.
The May edition of Chamber Connect will air on
Thursday, May 5th at 11:35 a.m.
News from Cheyenne Travel/
Please Go Away Vacations
Axman Receives Travel Award
Paula Axman, Vice President and co-owner of
Cheyenne Travel/Please Go Away™ Vacations, has been
notified of her selection as one of the nation’s major
producers for Travel Guard Insurance Company, the
leading provider of travel protection for travelers as they
journey throughout the world. As part of her recognition she was presented with a Flip HD Video Camera.
Travel Guard Insurance Company has been providing unmatched protection for travelers for more than 20
years. Unlike many programs, including those of major
cruise lines and tour operators that only provide for partial reimbursement and/or reimbursements in the form
of future travel credits, Travel Guard’s protection is in
place before and during one’s travels and policy limits
are always paid in the form of actual cash payments for
100% of the claim value.
In commenting on her recognition Axman stated,
“We recommend Travel Guard without hesitation to all
travelers, whether an individual traveler or a member
of one of our many personally hosted groups. We
have found their service to be superb, regardless of the
circumstances. They also have provisions to protect
against pre-existing conditions and are on call 24/7/365.
Our travelers and travel hosts can literally reach them
anytime day or night from anywhere in the world and
immediately receive personalized service, ranging from
weather delay assistance and rerouting to handling the
details of tragedy, such as personal injury or even death.
We believe so strongly in the service and protection
Travel Guard provides that we include the protection on all of our personally hosted travel experiences
throughout the world, without exception. Underscoring the importance of this protection, Travel Guard has
paid approximately $200,000 to our clients, providing
them protection against incurred travel losses.”
Boxberger Joins Travel Staff
As part of an overall long-range expansion plan,
Cheyenne Travel/Please Go Away™ Vacations is pleased
to announce the addition of Laura Boxberger to its
professional travel team.
Boxberger, a native of Gorham, has experience in
business management and event planning in the bridal
catering field. She also has experience in group travel
business incentive operations, with an emphasis on
cruising.
Marilyn Kopke, President of Cheyenne Travel, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Laura. Her
background and pleasing personality blend nicely with
our committed personal service business credo of “Small
Town Caring – Worldwide”. In addition to relieving
the increasing work loads of other team members due
to expanding business growth, she will also head up our
Destination Weddings travel department.”
Laura and her husband Tim reside in Great Bend. She
can be contacted at [email protected]; and
either 800-362-9347 or 620-792-2458.
Full-Time Firefighter Launches Heritage Refinishing as Part-Time Business Venture
Between his hectic 24-on, 24-off work schedule, local firefighter Michael
Smith somehow found time over the last eight years to perfect his woodworking
skills. Now, his hobby is going to become his business. “After helping local
antique businesses refinish some of their wood pieces, I started refinishing wood
furniture in my garage at home,” Smith says. “But my projects quickly outgrew
that workspace.”
Smith recently completed a fully functional work space near Fuller Grove Park
just west of Great Bend. The new shop space features a properly ventilated
“stripping room” for the complex chemical processes it takes to refinish antique
furniture.
“I used to dip furniture, but that process destroys the wood glue,” Smith says.
“Having the stripping room allows me to use a special, chemical spraying and
rinsing process to prepare the furniture for refinishing. I also use the ventilated
work space to spray lacquer.”
Owner Michael Smith and his wife, Jo, cut the ribbon with the assisThe stripping room uses a high volume, low pressure (HVLP) spray system,
tance of Chamber Ambassadors during the Heritage Refinishing ribbon
and is also equipped with an extinguisher system. “Being a firefighter doesn’t
cutting in early April. Also pictured are Smith’s parents, Gary and Janice
mean I get to cut any corners when it comes to safety,” Smith told Ambassadors
Smith. Not pictured is Michael’s 9-year old daughter Hallie.
during his ribbon cutting. “This shop is about as safe as they come.”
Heritage Refinishing, Smith’s business, specializes in furniture repair, touch-ups, and refinishing. In addition to projects for consumers, Smith
has also taken on commercial projects repairing gouges and nicks for hotels, banks, restaurants, etc. “I will drive anywhere in Barton County to
do free in-home estimates,” Smith says. “I also pick up and deliver using an enclosed trailer to ensure that the furniture stays safe and that the
customer has to do as little work as possible.”
For now, Smith primarily handles the bulk of his projects alone. However, long-time friend Don Summers also helps out when needed. For
more information or to schedule an estimate, leave a message for Michael Smith with Heritage Refinishing at 620-617-5368 or email him at
[email protected].
Farmers Bank Celebrates Hanhardt’s 50th Anniversary
Don Hanhardt, loan officer at the original Farmers Bank in Albert, Kansas, recently celebrated his 50th anniversary with the financial institution. “Don’s loyalty to our bank is a perfect reflection of this bank’s commitment to
the communities we serve,” remarked CEO WR Robbins. “Don has seen a lot of changes over the last fifty years,
and has continually adapted to his customers’ needs.” Don demonstrates stability as a pillar of the Albert community, where he has spent his life and developed relationships with many of the children and grandchildren of
the founding fathers of the bank established 103 years ago right here in Albert, KS. “ This is the philosophy that has
made Farmers Bank so successful, demonstrating stability as it adapts to meet customer needs,” according to Robbins.
After graduating from Otis High School, Hanhardt knew that finance was his life calling. After working for
another financial institution for ten short months, Hanhardt started at Farmers Bank as a teller in 1961 at the age of
18. After being promoted through the positions of bookkeeper, loan assistant, and loan officer, Hanhardt now holds
the title of Assistant Vice President, assisting customers with their lending needs.
“When I started at the bank, our total assets were right around $2 million and we did things a lot differently,”
Hanhardt says. “This was due largely in part to the lack of modern computer and communication systems. We
were still hand-writing transactions in ledger books. As our bank grew, we experienced changes in technology, who dreamed we would be offering banking by phone when I first started!“
Over the course of five decades, much has changed in the way that Hanhardt and the rest of the Farmers Bank team do business. Since the bank
was purchased by W.R. Robbins in 1971, Hanhardt has seen assets grow from $4 million to $650 million through four major technology upgrades
with lots of incremental changes along the way. Each one of these technological upgrades was geared toward making the customer experience
more enjoyable and more convenient. “ No matter the advancements in technology, though, banking still revolves around relationships maintained between a bank and its customers,” bank President Gene Dikeman noted.
“A bank can only grow if the community and environment it is in also grows,” explained Dikeman. “It’s a partnership and the bank’s responsibility to be a good partner with the community because we both win.”
Hanhardt lives with his wife, Marty, in Albert. When Don isn’t at the bank assisting his customers, he enjoys yard work and spending time
with his six grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Hanhardt currently serves as a volunteer fire fighter and as the treasurer for the Peace
Lutheran Church. In the past, he has also served as Albert city treasurer, as a volunteer for the annual fire department pancake supper, and on
various church committees.
Farmers Bank & Trust currently operates banks in 9 locations, Great Bend, Albert, Kinsley, Bazine, LaCrosse, Overland Park, Liberty, MO and
the newest location in Larned, KS. For more information about Farmers Bank & Trust, visit www.farmersbankna.com, or contact a member of
the Farmers Bank staff at 620-792-2411.
May 2011 • p15
May 2011 • p2
“Outlook Business Journal”
A monthly publication of the
1125 Williams,
Great Bend, KS 67530
Phone: 620-792-2401
Fax: 620-792-2404
Web address: www.greatbend.org
Rachel Mawhirter, Writer & Editor
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chairman
Ron Straub, Straub International
Vice Chairman
Chad Somers, Benefit Management Inc.
2nd Vice Chairman
Erika Brining, CPI Qualified Plan Consultants
Immediate Past Chairman
Gene Dikeman, Farmers Bank & Trust NA
Treasurer
Jason Mayers, Adams Brown Beran & Ball Chtd.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tatum Dunekack
Tatum Dunekack, DDS
Mary Foley
JC Penney
John Francis
Francis Financial
Brady Gros
Fuller Brush Products, Inc.
John Jackson
Agricultural Management Group
Julie Kramp
Barton Community College
Curt Mauler
L&M Contractors
Sally Mauler
The Buckle
Dr. Russ McCaulley
10th Street Eyecare Center
Rick Nulton
Eagle Radio
Kyle Roberts
Schendel Pest Control
Chris Shepard
Watkins Calcara Chtd.
Kenny Vink
Office Products, Inc.
Kim Vink
Coldwell Banker Sell Real Estate
Lance Walters
McDonald Tank
Jan Westfall
Great Bend Regional Hospital
EX-OFFICIO
The Industry of “I Do”
Cont. from Page 1
Dale has traveled (courtesy of the wedding party) as far away as Jamaica and Alaska to capture wedding
images.
Digital photography has changed aspects of the business, but not the artistry of the craft, said Dale,
a graduate of Brooks Institute, one of the premiere photography schools in the world. It’s increased the
amount of work for him, rather than turning the film over to a lab. Still, he is adamant it has not changed
the essence of portraiture and wedding photography.
“Is it film or digital?,” he asked, gesturing to his work hanging on the wall. “You don’t know whether it’s
film or digital. That’s the mark of a good photographer. Whatever medium he’s using, it’s not detectable.”
CATERING –
Kim Randall is so serious about catering that she had her husband build a commercial kitchen in her
basement where she has operated Baked Blessings from her home for the past seven years.
Most every day, Randall single-handedly cooks and delivers for her catering business. She doesn’t do
many weddings, just because of the scale of them. On occasion when she does cater a wedding, family and
friends will assist at the larger scale events.
“If I do weddings, I try to keep
them on the smaller side,” said Randall, who attended culinary school in
Kansas City before moving back to
her hometown of Great Bend. I have
one coming up (this month).
Related to weddings, Randall
enjoys catering bridal showers and
rehearsal dinners. Those two events
are a steady part of her business.
“I like doing the rehearsal dinners
and bridal showers because you can
put so many specialty touches into
each one and make it extra special for
your clients,” she explained.
Whatever the event, there are no
standardized menus for customers
of Baked Blessings. Each menu is
unique to the customer’s requests,
even going as far as using customer
recopies, said Randall. She has an
interesting menu for a wedding this
month – a pasta bar with chicken,
meatballs, along with different ItalWedding Women - Pictured are (top left) Paula Storm - owner of Vines
ian salads and breads.
& Designs, (top right) Kim Randall - owner of Baked Blessings, (bottom
Continued on Page 13
left) Christi Penka - owner of First National Travel, and (bottom right) Tara
Russell - owner of All About You Event Planning.
Randy Bahe, Ambassadors Chairman
Cris Collier, Great Bend CVB
Dr. Carl Heilman, Barton Community College
Ken Roberts, City of Great Bend
Great Bend Bark Park Celebrates Grand Opening
After over a year in the works, the Great Bend Bark Park officially celebrated its grand opening in mid-April with a Chamber ribbon cutting.
The project initially started in September 2009 under the direction of Great Bend resident Mindy Hickel. With the help of other dog-lovers and
the private donations of numerous individuals and businesses, the community can now enjoy this wonderful addition to Veterans Memorial Park.
“The dog park is an amenity that a lot of small towns don’t get to enjoy,” Hickel
says. “A lot of people have pitched in to get the project this far, but it’s going to
take the help of everyone using it to keep it nice.”
The fenced, off-leash running area features a fire hydrant, a shade structure,
and a watering fountain. There are also four waste receptacles in the dog park
for owners to clean up after their pets, as required by city ordinance. “Eventually
we’d like to add more receptacles all over the many City parks, but for now this is
a good start,” Hickel says.
Other plans for expansion in the future may include some additional landscaping, play features, and of course more donor bricks. “Much of this project was
funded by the purchase of the bricks which are engraved and displayed in the
park,” Hickel says. “Bricks are still available for sale for $100 each, and can be
purchased by businesses, individuals, families, or in memory of someone else.”
Bricks are available for sale at Coldwell Banker Sell Real Estate, located at 4000
10th Street in Great Bend, 620-792-2566. “This park is a work in progress, and
anyone wanting to get involved with the project is more than welcome to take the Picture for Pets - Dog park project coordinator Mindy Hickel cuts the
lead on future expansions,” Hickel says. “Our City’s parks belong to the people, so ribbon during the Great Bend Bark Park ribbon cutting in mid-April. The
it’s our job to do what we can to keep them nice for future generations.”
project was funded entirely by private donations, but the City of Great
Bend will maintain the facility. However, residents who utilize the free
Park hours are 6 a.m. to midnight daily. For more information or to see park
dog park are required to clean up after their pets.
rules, visit the City of Great Bend’s web site, www.greatbendks.net.
Natural Extremities Celebrates Business Launch with Ribbon Cutting
After a decade in the restaurant management profession, Lori Stafford was ready for a shift of pace. “The restaurant business leaves very little time
for family activities,” Stafford explains. “With three daughters and grandkids, I wanted something a little more flexible.”
After nearly a year of juggling cosmetology school in Hays during the week with family activities in Great Bend on the weekends, Stafford is pleased
to finally be settled in to her new profession as a natural nail technician. “I specialize in all sorts of natural nail treatments,” Stafford says. “This would
include spa manicures and pedicures, gel sculpted nails, nail wraps, paraffin wax dips, polishes, and other services upon request.”
The reason Stafford sets herself apart as a ‘natural’ nail technician is because all of her techniques leave the natural nail intact. “I won’t do acrylic
nails, because you have to file down the natural nail to apply the plastic product,”
Stafford says. “The chemicals can be harmful, and the nail bed is essentially
destroyed. I much prefer the natural products.”
Natural Extremities is located inside EZ Tan in the Westgate Shopping Center on
K-96 Highway in Great Bend. Stafford’s niche services are pedicures, primarily
because of the pampering treatment her clients receive. While enjoying the spa pedicure, they are seated in a massage throne that has vibrating and heat settings for
optimal relaxation. Stafford takes extra care to make sure her clients are happy. “A lot
of nail technicians don’t enjoy doing pedicures,” she says. “I just love making my customers feel better about themselves by pampering them for an hour. I’m a people
person, and this career is well-suited for me.”
In addition to nail treatments, Stafford has plans for expanding her business to
include retail sales of a line of bath products and essential oils that Stafford has created herself. “I am very flexible with my work schedule as well,” she says. “I am availBusiness owner Lori Stafford cuts the ribbon with the assistance of
able for emergency fixes or last-minute appointments.” For more information or to
Chamber Ambassadors at her grand opening ceremony in April. Stafford
schedule an appointment, contact Lori Stafford with Natural Extremities at 620-617provides her clients with a wide variety of natural nail treatments.
6876.
Dr. Tom Vernon, USD #428
Jennifer Schartz, Barton County Commission
Sen. Ruth Teichman
Rep. Bill Wolf
CHAMBER STAFF
Jan Peters, President/CEO
[email protected]
Lacey Oetken, Office/Business Manager
[email protected]
Lori Waters, Membership Services Director
[email protected]
Rachel Mawhirter, Marketing Coordinator
[email protected]
Coming Soon!
Nex-Tech Local Telephone Directory
for Great Bend & Surrounding Areas!
Fun, Unique,
& Interesting
Gifts &
Accessories!
Rana Luna Boutique
1910 Broadway • 620-792-5850
Open Mon - Fri 10-8 & Sat 10-6
May 2011 • p16
Chamber Coffee Schedule
Thursdays at 9:30 am
May 5, 2011
Herl Pipe & Specialties • 386 SW 20 Road
Located just north of Straub’s.
May 12, 2011
Image Total Fitness • 1209 Main Street
IMAGE Total Fitness is Great Bend’s only exclusive personal training studio! Our private atmosphere allows you to get the most out
of your workouts without the distractions of typical gyms.
May 19, 2011
Barton County Historical Village • 85 S US-281
Highway
Located just south of the Arkansas river bridge, the Barton County
Historical Society is the area’s largest collection of local history, featuring a 19th century school house, a post office, a Lustron home, a
church, and a museum featuring numerous exhibits.
May 26, 2011
Kansas Wetlands Education Center • 562 NE K-156
Highway
Joanne Wondra
Sales Director, May Kay Cosmetics
www.marykay.com/joanneh
Office: 620-792-2778 Cell: 620-786-4624
June 2, 2011
Clara Barton Foundation • 250 W 9th Street,
Hoisington
Clara Barton Foundation is dedicated to building strong relationships within the Hospital’s service area and providing opportunities
for investments in the future of health care for Clara Barton
Hospital, a not-for-profit community hospital. Clara Barton
Foundation is led by a full-time executive director and dedicated
volunteers, who are committed to preserving, enhancing, and
advancing the quality of health care in the area.
®
3307 10th Street • Great Bend, KS 67530
McDonald’s
Economic Outlook
is providing coffee for Chamber of Commerce coffees.
Employment – Barton County
February 10
15,587
14,601
986
6.3%
7.5%
February 11
15,903
15,016
887
5.6%
7.2%
per and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bold; Independent
oint Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light.
auty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may be utilized.
Labor Force
Employment
Unemployment
Unemployment Rate
KS Unemployment Rate
City/County Local Sales Tax
Distributions Report
February 10
Sales Tax for Barton County at 1.00% $387,890
Sales Tax for Great Bend at .75%
$201,753
February 11
$382,554
$210,826
Permits
Commercial – GB
Residential - GB
Cars - County
Trucks - County
February 10
February 11
5
2
14
18
23
12
9­15
Great Lakes Airlines Flights - February 2011
Flights from Denver
Flights to Denver
NA
NA
www.greatbend.org
A Monthly Publication of the Great Bend Chamber
of Commerce and Economic Development
May 2011 • Volume 90, No. 5
The Industry of “I Do”
Wedded Bliss Ushers in Steady Business for Professional Vendors
There’s more to saying “I do” than saying “yes” to the dress. (See pages 8-10 for this month’s business story featuring Beautiful Beginnings Bridal Boutique). Those two affirmatives generally set in motion a sequence of events.
From booking the church and the hall, to ordering flowers, catering meals, organizing entertainment, decorating,
and even planning the special getaway – the desired effect is for all facets to be in synch and in seamless flow.
Luckily, there are professionals who know how to make that happen. Weddings are a steady stream of business
for area vendors as they work to ensure that each of their customers achieve wedded bliss on their magical and
memorable day.
FLOWERS On average, Paula Storm, owner and florist of Vines and Designs, Great Bend, prepares flower arrangements for two or three weddings month. But she may have as many as six weddings to prepare for in a
month. That’s what she is facing in June. That seemingly impossible accomplishment is possible because
of the popularity of silk flowers, which can be scheduled simultaneously with fresh-flower weddings.
“I’ll do a fresh and a silk on one weekend,” explained Storm, who has operated her business for seven
years. “The fresh one is done the day before the wedding and the silk one can usually be done two weeks
before the wedding.”
The quantity of flowers varies for each wedding. Some weddings only have flowers for wedding party and parents; others add flowers to the
church and reception. That could mean as many as 30 tables, she said.
“Some don’t want to decorate, or don’t have the time, they just want it there,” said Storm. “I do the arrangements, put them on the table and there’s
an instant decoration. They are done.”
Making Vines & Designs even more convenient, Storm offers free delivery in Great Bend to her customers. Storm said the flower of choice currently is the callas lilies, but of course, roses are always popular.
PHOTOGRAPHY During 33 years of operation, Riggs Studio and Camera Shop, Great Bend, has seen many changes in wedding photography. The business used to
photograph up to 60 weddings a year, but now it handles about half of that amount. Thirty weddings a year is “about perfect,” said owner and photographer Dale Riggs. He estimated wedding photography accounts for about 15 percent of his business now.
“But our wedding orders are way up – double of what they used to be,” said Betty Riggs, co-owner and wife of Dale. “It’s nothing for people to
spend $2,000 on photos nowadays, so it evens out.”
Business for Riggs comes primarily from a 60-mile radius, due to connections made three decades ago
Continued on Page 2
when the bulk of the couple’s business was photographing students at 45 of area schools. But on occasion,