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NO PEEKING?: A sign teases patrons of Silver Dollar City. Behind the fencing, the makings of a new ride are visible.

Photo provided by SILVER DOLLAR CITY

Sydni Moore, Reporter
4/3/2017 12:44 PM

Two new Branson attractions are on development tracks this year.

Construction of a second mountain coaster, The Branson Coaster, is expected to be finished this summer, with a grand opening soon after, Collin Wheeler, marketing coordinator for Face Amusement.  

Gray, Tennessee-based Face Amusement is constructing The Branson Coaster at 2115 W. Country Blvd., where Cool Off Water Chute once stood, said Wheeler. The property is just down the road from Ride The Ducks and the Andy Williams theater. The company’s investment in the project is undisclosed.

“North America’s original double alpine coaster – that’s the tagline,” Wheeler said. “It’s essentially like getting two rides in one.”

This coaster is coming to Branson following the August opening of the $5 million Branson Mountain Adventure Park’s The Runaway.

To make way for the latest coaster, demolition of the old water slides began in January. Opened in 1974, the water chute operated for over 40 years, according to the business Facebook page.

Face Amusement purchased Cool Off Water Chute in 2016 for an undisclosed amount, Wheeler said. 

The mountain coaster work coincides with buzz at Silver Dollar City about a new ride that’s underway.

Nothing but a “tease sign” hangs on a fence inside Silver Dollar City to let customers know something big is in the works.

“Don’t look over this fence!” the sign says. Underneath, a web link is displayed and those curious enough to follow it find a web page that reads, “You looked over the fence, didn’t you?” Visitors can subscribe to receive updates regarding the new ride.

Lisa Rau, director of public relations and publicity for Silver Dollar City, said park patrons are welcome to come see the construction from different vantage points and take pictures, too. But whatever the construction may be, it won’t be officially announced until August. No one can even be sure it’s a coaster, but that hasn’t stopped coaster gurus and theme park fanatics from speculating. Websites, such as Screamscape, and various Facebook pages have regularly updated content regarding Silver Dollar City’s plans. On Jan. 20, Screamscape reported Silver Dollar City owners Herschend Family Entertainment filed a trademark to use the name, The Time Traveler.

ROLLING ALONG: Construction for what seems to be a roller coaster can be spotted from vantage points near Silver Dollar City’s Thunderation.

Photo by Dean Groover

Silver Dollar City concept art shared with Springfield Business Journal by John Warner, a main administrator for the CoasterNerds Facebook page, displays ideas for three rides.

Rau confirmed the legitimacy of the concepts. 

“These concepts were part of a slate of several more that have been tested over the last couple of years,” she said.

The ideas include a rodeo theme inviting cowboys and cowgirls to take on the biggest and meanest broncos. Another invites explorers to travel through the rumored “silver caves” of the Ozarks. Finally, a third concept encourages riders to, yes, time travel.

“Herschend Family Entertainment is built on guest response,” Rau said. 

“We often do online and in-person focus groups on concepts as much as two to three years before we begin the process of development.”

Warner, from Columbus, Ohio, is a roller coaster fanatic. Visiting up to 25 theme parks a year, he said Cedar Point and King’s Island, both in Ohio, are his favorites. Through March, Warner already had visited six theme parks this year. 

As for Silver Dollar City, “I have physically never been there,” Warner said. But he’s planning a trip for later this year, despite the fact the new attraction won’t be completed until 2018.

“I can’t wait for the official announcement,” he said, adding he understands the new ride will be produced by international manufacturer Mack Rides. “They’re really solid, so I think it will be a solid addition to the park.”

Rau declined to disclose if Mack Rides is the manufacturer. 

When Warner arrives at the park later this year, he plans to join in on the speculation and check out the construction for himself. 

“I’ll peek around and get a good look,” Warner said. “I will be bringing my selfie stick.”

Developers of The Branson Coaster say they won’t consider Silver Dollar City’s latest ride as competition.

“They’re a theme park and we’re a stand-alone attraction,” Wheeler said. “It’s apples to oranges.”

The Branson Coaster is Face Amusement’s first project in the Ozarks. 

Beyond the coaster, the company also plans to open a maze, arcade and shooting game at Branson Landing. 

Face Amusement co-founder Rusty Mabe started the company in 2013 with his brother Bucky, and now has operations in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, as well as Orlando, Florida. The Mabes are not connected with the Mabe family known for the long-running “Baldknobbers” show.

“We’ve always wanted to come to Branson. It’s a lot like Pigeon Forge,” Rusty Mabe said. “It’s a small town, but it’s a family environment. 

“We’re excited about bringing those family experiences to Branson.”

Mid-Missouri Bank Sticking to brick-and-mortar roots in a new way

BEHIND THE WALL: Mid-Missouri Bank’s new branch concept includes community spaces in addition to technological devices.

Stevie Rozean, Reporter
via: Springfield Business Journal

A new day in banking is here.

No longer do customers have to stop at the bank and wait on a teller to deposit a check, but with the snap of a photo they can deposit multiple checks from the comfort of their homes – and that’s just the beginning. Thanks to technology, customers can digitally transfer funds, pay bills, take out loans and even pay for coffee with the flash of a wristwatch.

A 2015 study by the Federal Reserve Board found 43 percent of all mobile phone owners with a bank account used mobile banking in the past year – that’s up 39 percent. 

Industry wide, not only is mobile banking in the mix, but also bank branches are downsizing by getting rid of teller lines and replacing them with interactive teller machines, as is the case with local branches of Commerce Bank, Southern Bank and Bank of Missouri. The machines, which look like ATMs, can do nearly everything a teller would do, from performing deposits to making loan payments.

But there’s an outlier of banking, and they’re moving in a completely different direction. Mid-Missouri Bank isn’t downsizing branches or replacing tellers with robots. 

The Springfield-based bank is expanding its facilities and training personnel to bank in a new way.

Their first big step is coming in June when Mid-Missouri Bank staff plan to move into a new branch at 5419 S. Campbell Ave., immediately across the street from a smaller location in a strip center. 

On the site of the former Bair’s Grocery, the center strays from the looks of a traditional bank, featuring windows ground-to-roof windows, an electric car charging port and an area for dog owners to hydrate their pups after a long walk – but that’s just the outside. Think more community building and less banking facility.

Mid-Missouri Bank President and Chief Operating Officer Brian Riedy is the mastermind behind the project. For several years, he’s researched and developed a way to turn the mission of the bank into a living and breathing representation of it. He believes the bank’s goals are to invest in the community, build lasting relationships and better serve customers. The new location reflects that.

“We are always going to stay on the leading edge of technology. But the question for financial services: ‘What’s going to happen to brick and mortar?’” Riedy said. “We believe that facilities are very important to our model. Yes, we’re going to have a lot more technology, but when [our customers] really need assistance we’re going to provide that consultative approach to help [them] achieve their financial success.” 

Work is underway to expand the mindset across the Show-Me State. Of Mid-Missouri Bank’s 14 branches statewide, the Willard location currently is under renovation and is set to be complete in April. 

But it’s just the first; Reidy hopes to quickly renovate all 14. Marshall-Waters-Woody Inc. is the architect for the new location and renovations and Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative is handling interior design with DeWitt & Associates Inc. as general contractor. Riedy would not disclose the cost of the new facilities or renovations.

The Experience Center
Beginning with the south Springfield 5,270-square-foot flagship branch now underway, the new facilities are designed with an Experience Center featuring various electronics – iPhones, iPads, Androids – to demonstrate Mid-Missouri’s banking technologies. Think interactive Apple store. 

Bank officials have decided to name the South Campbell Avenue location’s meeting center the Bair’s Grocery Conference Room, to pay tribute to the former business on the property.

“It’s a great, iconic location because so many people were used to stopping at Bair’s and knowing where it was and hitting it on the way down to the lake,” Riedy said.

The conference room will be available to the public, he said, even in off-hours through a keypad.

Other unique attributes planned include a small cafe station with complimentary refreshments, an area for children to play, a lounge with a flat-screen TV, a study space and several meeting areas. The new spaces will offer free Wi-Fi and places for customers to charge their devices. 

“We want to be sure that we’re thought of as a place that anybody can stop, whether they’re walking their dog or riding their bike, if they need to check their email or just take a break – or if they actually have a financial need that they want to come by and talk to us about,” said Andrew Moore, Mid-Missouri Bank’s marketing director. “We want anybody to feel free to just stop in.”

Instead of traditional teller stations where customers wait in line, the center also will have computer desks spread throughout the facility so customers can sit down with tellers and discuss financial needs or make transactions. But the tellers won’t be stuck at those desks, they’ll be walking around the facility interacting with customers. 

Other local banks have made some similar changes. 

The Bank of Missouri added “teller pods,” machines that conduct a variety of banking services for the customer without the customer having to talk to anyone, and kiosks for tellers to work from if a customer needs hands-on help.     

Banking evolution
Each Mid-Missouri Bank branch also will begin providing community education courses, such as “How to pay bills through Mid-Missouri Bank,” via one-on-one appointments with bank employees trained on the topics. 

“We have to make it a destination point because as technology has freed up our employees and they don’t have to wait on a long line of people, we want to give them the tools to be furthering their careers and knowing more about financial services,” Moore said, noting the systemwide changes would not reduce the bank’s employees count of 197 statewide. “It’s been a great way to look at how we can work with the team we have and as their load has been lightened with transactions, we can educate them and heavy their load with consultations with our customers to make our customers more informed about how to have a successful financial future.”

Dan Derges, Springfield community president for Mid-Missouri Bank, said marketing efforts for the new facility will be made through a 20-foot marquee on the bank’s exterior and continued in-person contact with customers.

“We really believe that the key to success in building long-term relationships is a combination of high-tech as well as high-touch personalized experiences on a daily basis,” Derges said. 

“Whether it’s a (Small Business Administration) loan or Linked Deposit loan or mortgage or insurance need, we have the full range of financial services to meet their needs.”

With all the changes in technology, Mid-Missouri Bank officials say they recognize the evolution.

“There’s a lot of things about the new location that help us personify what our mission really is. Banking right now is going through a pretty heavy evolution,” Moore said. 

“We’re not removing the personal touch and I think a lot of banks, both regionally and nationally, are removing the personal touch. When we talk about a personalized experience, we are insistent that we are not going to remove any of the old ways to do banking.”

CU, Kickapoo team take home construction honors

Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative principal Jon Dodd speaks on behalf of The Design Team of the Year.

Emily Letterman via SBJ

Projects multiple years in the making garnered top awards during last night’s 2016 Salute to Design and Construction banquet at the Ramada Plaza Hotel & Oasis Convention Center.

City Utilities took home the night’s top honor as Developer of the Year from the Springfield Contractors Association for the new bus transfer station on Main Street. The crews behind Phase II of Springfield Public Schools’ $10.2 million Kickapoo High School renovation received the night’s other top honor as Project Team of the Year.

The Salute to Construction council also presented five inaugural lifetime achievement honors to longstanding members of the design and construction industry. Awards were presented to Bill Adams, Elise Crain, Jack Hood, Ralph Manley and Windsor Warren. 

“Thank you for remembering me. People think I’m dead,” said Warren, president of Warren & Goodin PC, to great laughter and applause. 
 
CU’s downtown transit facility was designed to accommodate a larger fleet of buses and eliminate pedestrian crossings in front of drivers. H Design Group LLC designed and DeWitt & Associates Inc. constructed the 5,859-square-foot center at the 2.7-acre site at 211 N. Main Ave., which was built at a cost of $4.4 million. 

“This really was a team effort, from the (Federal Transit Administration) to the city’s streetscape work,” said Chris Haller, manager of facilities management for City Utilities. 

The former McDaniel Street and Patton Avenue center had been in use for nearly 30 years and the FTA contributed $3.6 million to the project since a replacement site was sought, beginning in 2006, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. 

The team of DeWitt & Associates, Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative, Toth and Associates Inc. and Malone Finkle Eckhardt & Collins Inc. were behind the Kickapoo project, which added an east entrance and 900-plus seat auditorium. 

“I like to joke that I got to play the ultimate senior prank,” said Jon Dodd, principal with Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative. “I got to tear down half of my own high school.”

Other honorees of the night were A & M Crete Inc. co-owners Kevin Scheer and Micah Stowe, who were named Craftsmen of the Year from the American Institute of Architects for Kickapoo floor installation. AIA Superintendent of the Year honors went to Dewitt & Associates’ J.D. Anthony and Alan Essary for the O’Reilly Clinical Health Science Center at Missouri State University.

The Southwest Missouri Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction also honored a female in the trade. Debi Murray with Murney Associates, Realtors took home the Vesta honor, given to a woman with over 10 years of construction experience. 

The 2016 ceremony was organized by the Salute to Design and Construction Council, which represents 23 organizations including the Springfield Contractors Association, Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the AIA, NAWIC and several unions.

Reporter Jana Bounds contributed to this story.

Vital Farms

Texas company breaks ground on first Mo. plant

Vital Farms and local officials break ground on the egg-processing plant expected to support 50 jobs in the first year of operation.

Zach Smith, Reporter, Springfield Business Journal
9/28/2016 10:27 AM

The project architect is Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative, and Branco Enterprises Inc. will serve as on-site construction manager.

Austin, Texas-based Vital Farms may not be putting all of its eggs in one basket, but it plans on putting a lot of them in a new processing plant planned at Partnership Industrial Center West.

Company officials along with representatives from the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Springfield Business Development Corp. held a groundbreaking ceremony this morning at the site of the planned 82,140-square-foot egg-processing plant. Located on 11 acres at the corner of North Alliance Avenue and Production Street in PIC West, the plant will be the company’s first in Missouri, as well as the first of its kind for Vital Farms, said President and Chief Operations Officer Russell Diez-Canseco.

“We’ve operated our own much smaller plants, and currently we rely on other companies to co-pack for us,” said Diez-Canseco, noting Mid-States Specialty Eggs serves in that capacity from a facility in Sedalia. “We’re excited to bring that in and do it ourselves in a full-scale plant.”

The plant would serve as a processing facility for the company’s supply chain of 100 farmers who provide eggs from pasture-raised hens, involving grading, quality inspection, sorting, packing and transportation of the eggs to over 6,000 U.S. grocery stores, including The Fresh Market, Whole Foods Market, Target and Kroger.

Company officials declined to disclose the planned investment for the Springfield facility, which has an estimated completion date of September 2017. The project architect is Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative, and Branco Enterprises Inc. will serve as on-site construction manager.

“We project that by the end of the first year we’ll have created more than 50 full-time jobs with benefits,” Diez-Canseco said, adding about 40 positions would be related to production with about 10 employees performing management and analytical support duties.

It’s not the company’s first look at southwest Missouri.

The groundbreaking ceremony comes roughly nine months after the Austin American-Statesman reported the company had selected a site in Joplin for a planned 65,000-square-foot, $11.5 million plant. The company chose Springfield, Diez-Canseco said, after evaluating other sites in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, and meeting with members of Springfield’s business community in January.

“When we first met, they brought an entire team of people from the chamber, the city, the utility district and we felt really overwhelmed by the amount of support,” Diez-Canseco said. “We were convinced we could make things happen quickly.”

Diez-Canseco also pointed to Springfield-Branson National Airport as a deciding factor.

"One of the things that was helpful to come to Springfield was the number of flights," he said. "Joplin, at the time, was at two and Springfield was at 40. It's easier to get in and out of."

Progress Update - Loren Cook Company Expansion

Installing the original Loren Cook Company truck into the new expansion.

Progress Update - Parkcrest Dental

IntrinsiQ begins move into Heer's Building

Kelly Quigg, IntrinsiQ's director of technical software support, gives Springfield Business Journal a tour of its first-floor space inside the Heer’s building downtown.

Geoff Pickle, Web Editor via Springfield Business Journal

Photo Credit: Wes Hamilton

What was once a graffiti-ridden shell of the former Heer’s department store has been transformed into one of two primary offices for a national health care information technology firm.

Some IntrinsiQ LLC employees are moving in today to 17,700 square feet on the first floor of the downtown building anchoring Park Central Square. Spokeswoman Lauren Moyer said the full 90 employees would be in the building by next week.

“We’re extremely excited,” said Kelly Quigg, IntrinsiQ's director of technical software support, who this morning gave Springfield Business Journal a tour of the office space. 

She noted the average employees at the Springfield office would be young professionals, though a few actually worked in the Heer’s building when it was still a department store.

At the office, IntrinsiQ will develop medical software, including electronic medical records and a chemotherapy dosing application called IntelliDose. IntrinsiQ is a division of Fortune 16 company AmerisourceBergen Corp. (NYSE: ABC).

The space is roughly double the size of IntrinsiQ’s existing Springfield office at 1701 S. Enterprise Ave., which is consolidating operations in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Colorado into the downtown building. With the consolidation, Springfield and a Frisco, Texas, office become the two main IntrinsiQ sites, Quigg said.

A handful of out-of-state employees chose to move to Springfield, but the majority sought other positions, she said, noting around 20 local new hires joined the team.

Quigg said IntrinsiQ has until the end of the month to move out of the South Enterprise Avenue building owned by Scott Opfer via Wescott Enterprises LLC, according to online filings with the Greene county assessor and Missouri secretary of state.

IntrinsiQ officials announced the company would lease the first floor of the downtown building during an August ribbon-cutting ceremony for Heer’s Luxury Living LLC. At the time, the move-in date was estimated at Nov. 1.

“That Nov. 1 was very aggressive,” Quigg said, noting the move-in date was urgent before a lease extension was granted at the current office.

Morelock-Ross Builders Inc. served as general contractor for IntrinsiQ’s space. 

At the downtown office, workers this morning were wrapping up site work, including painting and installing fixtures. The space, which is split by a common hallway shared with upstairs loft tenants, is packed with cubicles, offices, co-working spaces, and meeting and break rooms. Each workspace was earmarked with specific employees’ names. 

The Heer’s original ceiling and second-story railings were worked into the design of IntrinsiQ’s office, and on the upper floor, a server room and a few IT employees will be in place.

Progress Update - Nixa Fire Station #5

Progress Update - Parkcrest Dental

Progress Update - Kickapoo High School Phase II

Beautiful progress on Phase II of Kickapoo High School Auditorium & East Lobby