Membership Directory and Resource Guide 2012 Membership Directory Membership Directory and Resource Guide 2012 www.kcchamber.com Business Community Profi le An inside look at the Big 5 Involvement Guide Opportunities to be better connected for maximum exposure through your Chamber membership Buyer’s Guide All the products and services you may need provided by Chamber members HCA Midwest Physicians 2012 Business Community Profi le www.kcchamber.com The World’s Symposium on Animal Health The Making of America’s Most Entrepreneurial City The KC Regional Translational Research Initiative The New UMKC Downtown Conservatory The Urban Core Neighborhood Initiative Citi Cards Kansas City Missouri School District THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2012 BUSINESS COMMUNITY PROFILE • 3 From the President From the and CEO Chairman Thank you for your membership with the Greater Kansas Now is the perfect time to be a member of the Greater City Chamber of Commerce. Thank you, too, for your Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. This will be an exciting talent, time, and commitment to the vitality and economic year for us all. Google and its ultra-high speed network growth of “Big KC.” promises new opportunities; Major League Baseball’s 2012 In 2012, The Chamber is celebrating our 125th anni- All-Star Game will be held at Kauffman Stadium; and we’ll versary. Founded in 1887, we are the oldest – and only make sure The Chamber’s Big 5 initiatives continue toward truly regional – chamber of commerce. In this publica- our goals of taking this community to the next level and – tion, you’ll find a timeline of our history, groundbreaking very important – creating jobs. moments in the region’s history, new developments and 2012 is also the 125th Anniversary of The Chamber, what to look forward to from your Chamber in the future. and we plan to celebrate in a big way. You’ll also find details about The Chamber’s “Big Meanwhile, the rest of the world is noticing what’s been 5” initiatives for Big KC. Each of the five represents an happening here in Kansas City: Forbes’ listed us as having extraordinary and exciting opportunity for our community. one of “America’s Best Downtowns;” we ranked third in Together, they create jobs and economic development, and Under30CEO.com’s “Top 10 Cities for Young Entrepre- bring our region to a new level. neurs;” and Frommer’s chose Kansas City as one of the With your help, we were able to compile 187 big ideas Top 10 tourist destinations in the world (the only U.S. city and then narrow it, through a months-long process, down to make the list). to the final five. Over time, we plan to see these ideas take Greater Kansas City is the location for opportunity and shape, building Big KC into a more competitive and attrac- growth for nonprofit organizations and businesses of all tive region for businesses, families and young professionals. sizes. Our region has become a creative hub for artists and The Chamber’s membership includes more than a destination place for young professionals. We continue 350,000 employees and 11 counties across Kansas and strategic investment in the opportunity-rich life sciences, Missouri representing more than 2500 companies. The animal health, and technology industries, as we address Chamber’s staff, Board of Directors, and Executive challenges in our urban core. Committee works to advocate for all member businesses at It’s an exciting time to be in Kansas City. all levels of government to provide you with the tools and When The Chamber was founded 125 years ago, on a resources to build and grow your organization right here in hot July evening in 1887, businessman Frank Faxon urged Kansas City. his new fellow members “to make Kansas City a good Since 1887 business and civic leaders have found being place to live in.” That has been The Chamber’s mission a part of The Chamber to be a great investment. Today, ever since. you, too, will find great benefit in being a member of I think Faxon and his colleagues would be pleased to see The Chamber. I encourage you to take advantage of the the city, the region, we’ve become. many opportunities that are available to our 2500 member Your membership, your community involvement, your companies and your employees. voice and your talent keep the momentum going and, as I wish you all the best. Thank you for your membership Chairman of The Chamber, I offer you my sincerest thanks. in the Greater Kansas City Chamber. Thank you for your membership, Jim Heeter E. Frank Ellis President and CEO, Chairman, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Chairman & CEO, Swope Community Enterprises 4 • 2012 BUSINESS COMMUNITY PROFILE THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Shook, Hardy & Bacon THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2012 BUSINESS COMMUNITY PROFILE • 5 Big 5 The World’s Symposium on Animal Health ..........................................................................................................10 The Making of America’s Most Entrepreneurial City ..........................................................................................................16 30 West Pershing Road, Suite 301 The KC Regional Translational Research Initiative Kansas City, MO 64108-2423 .......................................................................................................... (816) 221-2424 phone 24 (816) 221-7440 fax [email protected] www.kcchamber.com The New UMKC Downtown Conservatory ..........................................................................................................30 This is a MetroMedia Publication Copyright © 2012 MetroMedia, Inc. 4210 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Suite 314A Fairway, KS 66205 The Urban Core Neighborhood Initiative (913) 951-8440 www.metromediapublishers.com ..........................................................................................................38 Friends University 6 • 2012 BUSINESS COMMUNITY PROFILE THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Burns & McDonnell Big 5 The Big 5: From the Beginning After months of dialogue and dozens of meetings, the Greater Kansas City Chamber announced its Big 5 Ideas for the region last September during an offi cial launch of the ideas at Liberty Memorial. The “Champions” who will lead the efforts were introduced. “The Big 5 build on strengths we already have region- ally,” said Greg Graves, 2011 Chamber Chair and Chairman & CEO of Burns & McDonnell. “Taken together, they propel the community forward, enhance our quality of life, and create jobs.” A call for ideas in the summer of 2011 invited Kansas Citians from across the region to submit their “Big Ideas” for Greater Kansas City. The Chamber asked the question, “What would you do if you were CEO of Kansas City?” Submissions poured in from several mediums including The Chamber’s Web site, local radio stations, blogs, commu- nity newsletters, and emails sent directly to Chamber staff. “We started with 182 big ideas,” said Jim Heeter, Chamber President and CEO, “and now we’re down to five. It’s been an evolutionary process — and gratifying to see the passion for our community and interest in collaboration.” In a concentrated effort to build on the strengths of the Kansas City region, Chamber leaders met with a variety of constituency groups, civic and elected offi cials, and public requests for achievable ideas to move the region forward, making Greater Kansas City a competitive region, among the top locations to live, work, and raise a family. “The Chamber gave birth to the Big 5. The Cham- pions will bring them to fruition,” said Frank Ellis, 2012 Chamber Chair and Chairman & CEO of Swope Commu- nity Enterprises. “They’ll bring other folk in to help devise and implement the tactical milestones to success, and the Champions will report back on a semi-annual or quarterly basis. This is a community-wide effort — and it lights you up.” The Big 5 Ideas include creating the world’s symposium on Animal Health; urban core neighborhood revitaliza- tion; making Greater Kansas City the number one region in which to start and grow a business; establishing the region as the hub for research in the natural and biological, behavioral, and social sciences; and cultivating the Kansas City’s creative culture by relocating the renowned UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance to a new downtown location. 8 • 2012 BUSINESS COMMUNITY PROFILE THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Kansas City Chiefs THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2012 BUSINESS COMMUNITY PROFILE • 9 Big 5 The World’s Symposium on Animal Health Champion: Gary Forsee, Former CEO, Sprint; Former President, University of Missouri System Agriculture and the railroads are what fi rst built Kansas City. In 1869, city leaders completed construction on the Hannibal Bridge, the fi rst bridge across the Missouri River, and the little river town began to fl ourish. Ranchers from Texas and Oklahoma drove their cattle to the Kansas City terminus, farmers brought their grain to market, creating the stockyards, the Kansas City Board of Trade, and a thriving meat- packing industry. Today, the Kansas City region has the largest concentration of animal health and nutrition interests in the world. In fact, KC area companies account for nearly 32 percent of total sales in the $19 billion global animal health market. It was an asset just waiting to be leveraged. 10 • 2012 BUSINESS COMMUNITY PROFILE A THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE United Healthcare THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2012 BUSINESS COMMUNITY PROFILE • 11 Big 5 project organization, including development of a budget. The group is discussing the branding of the symposium, and discussing the likely timeframe. Assisting with this Big 5 initiative are Jim Heeter, Presi- dent and Chief Executive Officer of The Chamber, and Bob Marcusse, his counterpart at the Kansas City Area Develop- ment Council (KCADC). A Bovine Silicon Valley Building on Success The KC Animal Health Corridor stretches from When the world converges on Kansas City, there will be Manhattan, Kan., to Columbia, Mo., It includes St. Joseph a lot to show off.