Weekly Market Report: April 10, 2025

Nicole Buntgen, Contributing Writer

Flora Cafe, a new Mexican brunch restaurant, will soon open downtown at 1009 Farnam Street just south of Gene Leahy Mall. The space was previously occupied by Matsu Sushi. Flora Cafe is under the same ownership as Sam’s Leon Mexican Food and will feature an outdoor patio and a menu of authentic dishes. An opening date has yet to be announced.

Charred Burger + Bar has officially opened its west Omaha location at 18101 Chicago Street in the former Meatball space next to First Watch just west of Village Pointe. A grand opening event is scheduled for April 12. Charred has two existing Omaha locations and one in Lincoln.

Freddy’s will soon open in the Coventry development near 204th & Harrison Street, just south of ACX Cinema 12+ and adjacent to a recently opened Taco Bell. The Wichita, Kansas-based fast-food chain operates seven locations in the Greater Omaha area.

Wheatfield’s is tentatively set to open its express location at 18902 Evans Street in northwest Omaha by the end of April. This second location will feature a drive-thru lane and an extensive self-serve, grab-and-go section. The store will offer quiche, soups, sandwiches and bakery items. The existing Wheatfield’s restaurant is in One Pacific Place near 103rd & Pacific Street.

The Spice & Tea Exchange opened this past weekend at 17255 Davenport Street, Suite 106, in Village Pointe Shopping Center. The locally owned retailer offers a variety of fine spices, handcrafted seasonings, loose-leaf teas, salts, sugars and gifts as well as freshly brewed hot or iced tea from an in-house tea bar.

Acadian Grille & Bar is now open for breakfast Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and then transitions directly to its full lunch/dinner menu for the rest of the day. The Cajun restaurant is located at 725 North 114th Street in Miracle Hills.

The former Party City store at 12979 West Center Road has reopened as ZURCHERS Party + Costumes + Balloons. Founded in 1953, ZURCHERS is a family-owned store that now has 19 locations. All the stores had been in Utah and Idaho before ZURCHERS took over former Party City spaces in Omaha; Overland Park, Kan.; Springfield, Mo.; and Mesquite, Tex. Party City recently declared bankruptcy and closed all 800 of its stores.

Hammer & Nails, an upscale grooming concept, is set to open around July 4 at 14450 Eagle Run Drive near 144th & West Maple Road. The premier salon aims to redefine the traditional barbershop experience by offering haircuts, beard grooming, manicures, pedicures and a full bar during services—all designed with men in mind.

Midtown Smoke Shop opened April 7 at 3201 Farnam Street next to Pickleman’s near 33rd & Farnam. The locally owned shop, which already operates three Omaha locations, is offering a 25 percent off special through April and plans further expansions in the future.

Johnny’s Sortino’s Pizza is closing permanently on Saturday, May 31st after 60 years in business. The owners, who are in their 70s, plan to retire. The restaurant is located at 7880 L Street.

The “Restaurant & Retail Updates” section is sponsored by Anderson Convenience Market, featuring Quality AMOCO Fuels and serving Omaha since 1952, and proud to announce the return of Quality Amoco Fuels. Look for changes this Summer at Anderson Convenience Market – 8 Omaha area locations!

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Block 16 is a Downtown Staple Built on Innovation

Paul and Jessica Urban purchased New York Chicken and Gyro in downtown Omaha in 2010 with the intention of converting it to a fine dining restaurant. High costs and limited funding led them to make the best of the existing kitchen. They kept the gyro equipment and served many of the original menu items, including the burger recipe that later became known as the Block Burger. They got creative with daily specials, and two years later it became Block 16.

The Urbans met in culinary school and worked in various restaurants in Omaha. They spent a little time in Bermuda before returning to Omaha to forge their own culinary path. Theirs is a story of tenacity and determination.

“We’d run this place during the day,” Paul Urban said. “Then both go work night jobs–Jessica as a sous chef at a restaurant out west and me as a chef at the Omaha Country Club. We were working eight days a week, almost literally.”

Those early days of sweat equity paid off. By their fourth year, word got out about Block 16 and their place in downtown Omaha solidified. Their walls are decorated with local and national press clippings and boast a wide range of culinary recognition–including celebrity chef Alton Brown.

Brown declared Block 16’s Croque Garçon burger “the best burger I’ve ever had. Period,” during his Best Thing I Ever Ate tour in 2015. This put Block 16 in the national conversation. Being somewhat a burger connoisseur myself, it has been on my must-try list.

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Construction Starting on $45 Million Complex in Levi Carter Park

Local officials held a groundbreaking ceremony this week for a $45 million City of Omaha community and athletic complex in northeast Omaha.

Construction will begin next month on the Levi Carter Park Activity and Sports Complex inside Levi Carter Park along the north shore of Carter Lake. The site is just west of Eppley Airfield.

The 114,625 sq. ft. building will include the largest basketball facility in Omaha with 10 indoor courts that can be converted into 14 volleyball courts. The center will also have a computer lab, classroom, medical exam and tele-health rooms, community meeting space, a fitness facility and a wrestling room.

The outdoor space includes four artificial turf soccer fields, picnic shelters, a grand lawn and a designated food truck area.

“This is an investment in youth and families, offering access to services and programs, and creating new tourism and development opportunities surrounding Levi Carter Park,” said Mayor Jean Stothert.

The complex is completely grant-funded. In 2023, the city applied for and received a $35 million Capital Projects Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Treasury as well as $10 million from the State of Nebraska’s North and South Omaha Recovery Program. Both funds were created to support communities following the pandemic with investments in qualified census tracts.

More than 100 community organizations have been invited to participate in planning for programs to be offered at the complex when it opens in late 2026.

The complex will be the first tournament-style facility in northeast Omaha, creating opportunities for local youth organizations to host regional basketball, volleyball and soccer tournaments. It will expand Omaha’s network of competition-grade sports venues to accommodate the growing interest in Omaha as a youth sports destination.

Schemmer Architecture was selected as the designer. Hausmann Construction is the general contractor. The facility will be owned by the City of Omaha and managed by the Parks and Recreation department.

Levi Carter Park will remain open during construction.

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Isaiah Ang, Contributing Writer

The Nebraska Department of Transportation has started a major project to widen Interstate 80 between Q Street and Highway 50 (“Sapp Bros. exit”). The project is adding an additional westbound lane from Q Street to Giles Road and an additional lane at the Highway 50 exit. The project also includes bridge repairs in both directions. To accommodate construction, capacity has been reduced from three lanes to two in both directions, resulting in significant delays. Lane restrictions will be in place until this fall.

Project Game ON, a redevelopment initiative near 35th & Ames Avenue, will include a new football stadium for Omaha North High School and a completely rebuilt Butler-Gast YMCA building. After years of community discussion and anticipation, both the YMCA and stadium will be ready for the public in the summer of 2027. The current YMCA building will be torn down to accommodate construction. The new one will be attached to the future football stadium.

The Blackstone District will have a new bookstore and coffee shop at 3925 Farnam Street next to the original Coneflower creamery location. The previous tenant was Pranam Yoga Shala. The submitted permit for bathroom and plumbing renovations for the 1,800 sq. ft. space does not indicate the name of the new business.

The City of Council Bluffs will host the official grand opening of Valley View Dog Park on April 28 at 1300 Franklin Avenue. “This park has already seen great use by the community, and we are pleased to officially recognize its opening and the start of the busy season,” said Mayor Matt Walsh. As part of the event, the city will host an Arbor Day tree planting at 5 p.m.

The prominent health facility at the southeast corner of 144th & West Center Road will have a new tenant, Blue Cloud Pediatric Dentistry. A building permit is filed for $1.12 million renovations of the previous Ambulatory Surgery Suite at 2727 South 144th Street. Blue Cloud has locations in 12 other states, the nearest in Kansas City. It is the largest operator of pediatric dental ambulatory surgery centers.

Wood framing has started on the second floor of the NOVA Apartments southeast of 12th & Nicholas Street in North Downtown. NOVA will be a 5-story building with street-level retail and 74 apartment units. The building will include 20,000 sq. ft. of street-level retail space for lease. The first floor has been framed with steel beams. Floors two through five will be wood framed. It’s one of several new buildings planned for the Millwork Commons district north of Charles Schwab Field.

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Omaha Contractor Bays, a business that offers commercial suites tailored to small and medium businesses, is under development northwest of 156th & Highway 36 in Bennington. Opening is scheduled for December. The 1,250 sq. ft. flex suites will have glass storefronts with 11X14 power overhead garage doors in the back. Each bay features 16-foot ceilings and clear-span space with no interior columns.

Valmont Industries, Inc. will release its first quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Consumer prices declined month-over-month in March for the first time in nearly five years, according to the Wall Street Journal, but trade tariffs are likely to drive it back up next month. The Consumer-Price Index fell 0.1 percent in March. Year-over-year inflation cooled to a 2.4 percent CPI increase, below the 2.6 percent rise that economists expected.

Loving Home Services purchased a 3,470 sq. ft. building at 220 East 22nd Street in Fremont, according to Brian Thomas of NAI NP Dodge, who represented the buyer in the $675,000 real estate transaction. The home health care service currently operates Bellevue and is expanding its services and educational programming to adults with developmental and physical disability living in and around Fremont.

Mutual of Omaha this week released information about construction progress on its future 44-story headquarters building at 14th & Farnam Street downtown.

The top of the self-climber, the yellow box at the top of the structure that facilitates the concrete construction of the shear core, has reached the 32nd floor, approximately 425 feet high. The self-climber is being reconfigured to suit the core layout for the remaining high-rise portion of the building. The east portion of the self-climber is being disassembled and brought down as that portion of the building will be structured in steel for the remainder of its height. The west portion of the core construction will continue to use the self-climber to form and pour concrete.

Additionally, crews have now begun the steel construction phase, which will move more quickly than the concrete phase and continue to reveal more of the building’s form. The first glass glazing panels have been hung on the east side of the building. As more of the glass panels are installed over the coming months, the building will begin to take on the appearance of the project’s renderings.

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Cole Young, Contributing Writer

Creighton Volleyball’s Kirsten Bernthal Booth abruptly stepped down Sunday after 22 decorated seasons leading the program. She will join League One Volleyball in an administrative position. Booth departs Creighton with a 502-92 (.723) record and 11 straight Big East regular-season titles after taking over a program that was 3-23 in 2003. She is a three-time National Coach of the Year and six-time Big East Coach of the Year, leaving big shoes to fill for her successor.

2024 AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year, Brian Rosen, will attempt to fill those shoes. Rosen, who joined the program in 2022 after a successful three-year head coaching campaign at Division II Nova Southeastern, is accustomed to and has been instrumental in the success of the Bluejays over the past three seasons. This was surely in the works for some time, as he has turned down numerous head coaching jobs the past two off seasons and was immediately named as Booth’s replacement Sunday.

Speaking of heirs, Creighton Basketball seems to have found its next bench leader despite head coach Greg McDermott still at the helm. There has been chatter the past few off seasons that is now confirmed. McDermott is expected to retire within the next two seasons as reported by The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman. Former assistant Alan Huss is reportedly stepping down as head coach at High Point University to rejoin the Bluejays as head coach in waiting.

Huss, a Creighton alumnus, left the program after six years as an assistant to be High Point’s head coach in 2023. He immediately found success, leading the Panthers to a Big South regular season championship behind a 27-9 record, the most single season wins for the school since 1978-79. High Point also reached their first-ever NCAA Tournament this year after going 29-6 and winning the Big South Tournament. In Huss’ two years as a head coach, he won two conference regular-season titles, one conference tournament (in a one-bid league), and two conference coach of the year awards.

Take a bow, Ryan Kalkbrenner. The four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year will need to make more room in the trophy case, if any remains. Saturday, he was awarded the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year trophy after a dominant senior season in which he started all 35 games and set career highs in points and rebounds per game. To follow that up, he won his second National Defensive Player of the Year award in a week Sunday, this time taking home the Naismith after being named the NABC Defensive Player of the Year last Tuesday. If that’s not enough, he was named to the Wooden Award’s All-America team, recognizing him as one of the best 10 players in the country this season. Well-deserved for the latest Creighton great.

Former Bluejay Trey Alexander earned some hardware for himself last weekend as well, being announced as the NBA G League Rookie of the Year. After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft, he played this season on a two-way contract. Alexander split his time between the Denver Nuggets and their G League affiliate Grand Rapids Gold allowing for more opportunity to develop. Develop he did, averaging 25.8 points (second in the G League), 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting over 46% from the field and 42% from 3-point range. Appearing in 22 games for the Western Conference’s fourth-place Nuggets this season, he will have more opportunities to make his name, likely in the playoffs starting April 19.

Twins Maddia and Rylinn Groff made history Monday as the only siblings to win the Summit League’s Softball Pitcher and Performer of the Week honors. Pitcher Maddia has been nothing short of commanding this season and is the Summit League’s leader in wins, strikeouts and ERA. Last week she went 3-0 allowing one run in 16.1 innings and dealt 26 strikeouts, resulting in her fourth Summit League Softball Pitcher of the Week honor this season. Sister Rylinn, who has started every game at catcher this season for the Mavericks, posted a .461 batting average and scored five runs in the 4-0 week for Omaha. She earned her first Summit League Softball Performer of the Week honor in exchange.

League One Volleyball announced the 2025 LOVB Icons Monday, the all-star roster for the new league. Omaha libero Lexi Rodriguez earned first-team honors and teammate Jordan Larson was named a second-team Icon. Fourteen total players were named to the first and second teams that were determined by a weighted scale of players (25%), coaches (25%) and fan votes (50%) with more than 74,000 fan votes received.

Creighton Baseball dropped a home game Tuesday to North Dakota State. The Bison were on layover from a weekend series against Omaha and improved to leave town 2-2 on the week. The game was knotted 2-2 until NDSU scored on an RBI single in the top of the ninth. Creighton failed to answer, losing the game 3-2. Next is a weekend series at Seton Hall with first pitch at 3 p.m. Friday.

Union Omaha fell last night to the Richmond Kickers, 1-0 surrendering the lone goal in the 82nd minute. That loss brings the club to 1-2 on the year with one regular season match remaining prior to the home opener one month from today on May 10. The club will be hosting a Championship Celebration in honor of last year’s squad that was USL League One Champions during the home opener against Portland. The Owls’ next match is Tuesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. against San Antonio FC in the U.S. Open Cup third round. That game can be streamed on Paramount+.

Creighton Softball dropped another game to in-state rivals against Nebraska last night, 8-2. The sellout crowd in Lincoln provided a tough atmosphere where the Jays could never get it going. Nebraska grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first and never looked back, extending the lead to 6-0 in the second, effectively subduing Creighton for the rest of the game. The 15-20 Jays have an opportunity to get right with a home series vs. Butler this weekend. First pitch is 4 p.m. Friday at the Creighton Sports Complex.

Baylor Scheierman made his first NBA start last night for the Boston Celtics, as the Eastern Conference’s second-place team rested their starters in preparation for the playoffs, starting April 19. The rookie from Aurora, Neb. tied for a team high in points with 15 on an uncharacteristic 6-for-14 shooting performance. The Celtics have two more regular season games, both against the second-to-last-place Charlotte Hornets this weekend, so Scheierman may get some more starting experience heading into the playoffs.

The LOVB Finals begin tonight in Louisville, Ky., and Omaha will face Madison at 6 p.m. That game can be streamed on ESPN+. The winner of tonight’s match will face Houston in the semifinals tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. The LOVB Championship game will be held Sunday, April 13 at 3 p.m. Semifinal and championship games will air on ESPN2.

The Omaha Storm Chasers are playing a series at the Saint Paul Saints this week. Noah Cameron tossed six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win for the Chasers Tuesday before Saint Paul evened the series last night with a narrow 3-2 victory. The series will be played through Sunday, and first pitch tonight is 6:37 p.m.

The Omaha Supernovas won their lone game last week, defeating the Orlando Valkyries in four sets. This was former Bluejay Nora Sis’ second return to Omaha this season after being drafted third overall by Orlando in the 2024 PVF Draft. She faced former Creighton teammates Kendra Wait and Allison Whitten for the Supernovas. Omaha is now 15-5 and in first place in PVF standings, with its next match tonight at 9 p.m. against the Vegas Thrill. The match can be streamed free on the Roku Channel and is broadcast locally on KCRO 660 AM.

Upcoming Games

• LOVB Omaha vs. LOVB Madison | Tonight, April 10 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha Storm Chasers at St. Paul Saints (April 8-13) | Tonight, April 10 | 6:37 p.m.
• Omaha Supernovas at Vegas Thrill | Tonight, April 10 | 9 p.m.
• Creighton Baseball at Seton Hall (April 11-13) | Friday, April 11 | 3 p.m.
• Omaha Baseball at South Dakota State (April 11-13) | Friday, April 11 | 3 p.m.
• Creighton Softball vs. Butler (April 11-13) | Friday, April 11 | 4 p.m.
• Omaha Softball at Kansas City (April 12-13) | Saturday, April 12 | 12 p.m.
• Omaha Beef at Beaumont Renegades | Sunday, April 13 | 5 p.m.
• Union Omaha vs. San Antonio FC (U.S. Open Cup Third Round) | Tuesday, April 15 | 7 p.m.

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LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

The average person has more than 1,000 unread emails, according to a study by All About Cookies. Seventy-seven percent of people say that digital clutter impacts their lives. Nearly one-third of people have paid to upgrade a device to one with more storage because of digital clutter.

If you don’t want to feel like a slacker, don’t read this. Jonny Kim, 41, was a U.S. Navy SEAL, and then graduated from Harvard Medical School. Pretty impressive right? No, he was just getting started. Last week, he went into space as an astronaut. The son of South Korean immigrants, Dr. Kim is also the father of three kids and a Navy pilot.

Blue-collar workers are markedly less satisfied with their jobs than other workers, according to the Pew Research Center. Forty-three percent of blue-collar workers say they feel extremely or very satisfied with their jobs; by comparison, 53 percent of other workers express that level of satisfaction. And 15 percent of blue-collar workers are not too or not at all satisfied, compared with 10 percent of other workers.

We keep hearing that accountant is one of the professions most vulnerable to being replaced by Artificial Intelligence. That day is apparently still quite a ways off. According to The Hustle, 2024 saw a 74 percent increase in the hiring of accountants. Accountant salaries grew 15 percent last year.

SALES

The typical sales pro is gregarious and extroverted. They love to talk. That trait is useful at the prospecting stage but can be a problem at negotiation time. Failing to remain silent is one of the most common negotiation mistakes according to sales expert Kelley Robertson. If you have the discipline to stay quiet longer than is comfortable, you might get a concession without even asking.

Sixty-two percent of B2B buyers say a web search was one of the first three resources they used to learn about a solution, according to Spotio.

Most sales pros have many prospects in their pipeline who are stalled, inactive and just kind of sitting there in limbo. To remedy that, Jessica Stokes, a master trainer at Sales Gravy, recommends you take the “Next-Step Challenge.” Reach out to every deal in the pipeline and secure a next-step. Give yourself a three-week deadline. Successful sales pros proactively manage their pipelines.

WISDOM

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” – Issac Asimov

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Did you know the City of Omaha issued more than 19,000 building permits in 2024 for a total valuation of $1.5 billion?

Did you know some of Sarpy County’s major employers include Offutt Air Force Base, Werner Enterprises, Northrup Grumman, Amazon, Kiewit and Oriental Trading Company?

Did you know Nebraska’s agricultural sector supports more than 244,000 jobs statewide and contributes $97.4 billion in sales output? The industry also generates more than $6 billion in tax revenue

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Operation: Easter Egg Hunt happening on April 13th: The SAC Aerospace Museum invites families to embark on Operation: Easter Egg Hunt, a top-secret mission packed with fun, surprises and sweet rewards. Guests can snap a photo with the Easter Bunny, explore the museum’s hangars and participate in age-specific egg hunts designed for toddlers and older children alike. With 12 hidden golden eggs offering special prizes and a festive closing ceremony, there’s excitement around every corner. It’s a can’t-miss Easter adventure for recruits of all ages!

Reimagining Omaha: Car-Centric Documentary & Community Conversation happening on April 14th: The Omaha Downtown Improvement District presents Reimagining Omaha: Car-Centric Documentary & Community Conversation, an event exploring the impact of car-centric planning on the city’s future. Attendees will enjoy a special screening of Car-Centric, a documentary by local filmmaker and ODIDA Activation Committee Chair Joseph Giitter, which examines how transportation and urban design shape Omaha’s growth. The film sparks important questions about safety, sustainability and economic development in one of America’s most car-dependent cities. A post-screening panel will feature local experts in urban planning and transportation, inviting the community into a meaningful conversation about what comes next.

ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference 2025 happening on April 16th: On April 16, the 32nd Annual ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference invites attendees to embrace their value, own their voice and lead with purpose. This empowering event is designed to help professionals reflect, grow and take bold steps in their career journeys. Through dynamic speakers and a uniquely supportive atmosphere, participants will gain tools to strengthen their influence and create new opportunities. Whether attending individually or as a team, it’s a day to invest in leadership development and unlock true potential.

Spring Bling 402 Comedy Festival happening on April 17th: Get ready for a night of non-stop laughs at the Spring Bling 402 Comedy Festival in Omaha! Headlined by the legendary trio Karlous Miller, Chico Bean and DC Young Fly of the “85 South Show,” this high-energy event brings raw, unscripted comedy and wild crowd interaction. With Money Bagg Mafia also bringing the heat, expect outrageous jokes, quick improv and unforgettable moments. It’s the ultimate comedy experience you don’t want to miss!

Operator to CEO: Karen Borchert on Building & Leading Startups happening on April 17th: Scale Omaha, powered by the Nebraska Startup Academy, welcomes Karen Borchert, CEO and founder of Alpaca, for a conversation on startup leadership, growth and impact. Karen will share insights from her journey founding Alpaca, a company transforming school culture and teacher wellbeing through innovative feedback and recognition tools. With a track record that includes scaling Flywheel to acquisition and leading operations at several high-growth companies, she brings deep expertise in product, leadership and execution. Attendees will gain a unique Midwest-rooted perspective on building impactful, scalable startups.

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RENZE, a provider of exhibits, branded environments, event graphics and point-of-purchase solutions has appointed Scott Buchanan as president, while current president Doug Buchanan will become Chief Executive Officer. Scott Buchanan becomes the fourth generation of the Buchanan family to lead the 130-year-old company. Doug Buchanan, who has been president for 39 years, will now focus on long-term strategic initiatives as well as the leadership of its Garage Graphics powered by RENZE brand.

Mutual of Omaha has promoted Jamie Fichter to vice president of enterprise technology services. He joined Mutual in 2019 as a business systems architect and was promoted to information services director in 2020. Before joining Mutual, he served as a vice president at West Corporation and an engineer at MCI WorldCom.

Rocket Equipment has named Aaron Caughey as general manager. With 18 years of experience in the equipment company, he has a background in mechanical equipment, engineering, product management and operations.

The Omaha Press Club will honor long-time WOWT-TV reporter John Chapman as its 181st Face on the Barroom Floor. Chapman has been with the Omaha television station for 39 years. Before moving to Omaha, he was a television reporter in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry has named Todd Bingham as CEO. He most recently led the Utah Manufacturers Association. Bingham replaces Bryan Slone, who led the state chamber for seven years.

The Greater Omaha Chamber is a catalyst and connector, advocating for businesses small and large. Learn, share and grow with more than 12,000 professionals from 3,000 member businesses across Greater Omaha. Click HERE to see our latest events.

The noble and esoteric profession of stockbroker was born on May 17, 1792 when 24 professionals gathered under a buttonwood tree in lower Manhattan and signed an agreement outlining how they would conduct their business. It’s prophetic that the only item mentioned in the agreement were the fees they would charge for their services.

The profession of stockbroker died the early 2000s. It had been in hospice for more than a decade, but no family member was there to record the exact time the deceased took its final breath.

After earning a graduate degree in finance, I became a member of this elite group when I joined a local brokerage firm. Because of its diminutive size, the firm lacked a training program. Everything I learned about the business came from my senior colleagues. At that time, the regulations were much more loosie goosy then they are now. Brokers were able to construct their own buy/sell lists. It didn’t take long before I figured out that the best stocks to recommend were those with the biggest commissions.

Somewhere in the 1990s, things began to morph. Several of my colleagues became financial planners and spent more time on taxes than stock picking. I thought to myself, “I don’t wanna do that s***. I’m a stock broker, not a bookkeeper.” But in spite of my protestations, the profession moved on without my consent.

Then next nail in the coffin arrived when a widow and her son came to me and wanted to move from Merrill Lynch to my firm. Her late husband had created a stock portfolio, and she just wanted a place to park it. Merrill told her that in order to do business with them, most of her money had to be in a Merrill-managed account. The big boys declared, “No more stock picking!”

The final blow to the stockbroker profession came when 401(k) accounts became the core of mom and pop’s stock holdings. American workers were introduced to the 401(k) plan in the mid-1970s. Then, after three decades of investing, their asset base exploded to more than $10 trillion – an amount that brought tears to the eyes of every broker. The kicker was that all the broker had to do was to pick a menu of mutual funds for the plan participants to choose from, then sit back and watch the fees roll in.

So, by 2005, all these elements had converged on the broker fraternity, causing them to rethink how they would ply their trade. And voila! Like the Phoenix out of the ashes, the RIA (broker 2.0) emerged.

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The Grow Omaha radio show broadcasts live every Saturday morning at 9:00, but now you can watch videos of each episode instead of just listening.

Grow Omaha’s brand-new website features video footage shot inside the radio studio during each week’s show!

Videos include News of the Week, Lightning Round, guest interviews, and “Grow Omaha Uncut,” a behind-the-scenes look at what happens during commercial breaks.

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