Features Region: Midwest

Jeff Beckmann had a straightforward, comfortable life ahead of him. He was working at the big four accounting firm KPMG, and he was about to be promoted to manager. It was an enviable position; no one could have accused him of settling if he stayed.   But Beckmann couldn’t forget a lesson someone had taught him […]

Chris Lehman grew up watching his father, a Church of the Brethren pastor, following his calling. The younger Lehman, who launched his career as a stockbroker, took longer to find his path. But once he got into human resources, he knew it was special.  “My mom and dad kind of thought I would get into […]

It’s a tight labor market in the Heartland as in much of the country. No matter, Greater Omaha Packing Company has been on a hiring spree with the U.S. Department of Agriculture watching.   Last summer the federal agency granted this meat packer $20 million toward its $100 million investment in capital projects that will allow […]

With 125,000 global clients and an annual business volume of $65 billion in transactions, Payroc has provided payment processing services for almost 20 years. Yet despite that size and influence, and despite having acquired 14 other payment processing companies, it didn’t have a dedicated HR leader— Chief Operating Officer Matt Austin previously had the role […]

While he grew up in the agricultural state of Kansas without ever farming, Andy Bullroch says his career could still be measured in kernels as much as dollars. That may be especially true now he’s chief financial officer for ICM. In this role, he provides financial forecasts that help customers sell their corn which later […]

Looking to finance a car? Or maybe refinance one you already own? Given how expensive vehicles are, many consumers can’t just buy one outright. And many such consumers can be vexed by subjective credit ratings that preclude them from low interest rates even if their scores improve. Thus, says Gary Jeter, their best option would […]

Retirement seemed beckoning two years ago for Al Carlson, but the amiable grandfather has been reenergized since his college football coach introduced him to Charlie Nelson, the third-generation owner of KLN Family Brands in the western Minnesota community of Perham. Nelson wanted to grow the family’s confectionery and pet food business into a billion-dollar company […]

When tap water comes out murky or has a strange taste, people are often afraid of what’s in it. Some of the most dangerous contaminants can’t be seen, smelled or tasted, though. That’s why Culligan International products are certified for invisible toxins, such as lead and arsenic. “Fortunately, the U.S. has standards, but it is […]

For Brian Svestka, describing the process of building a road comes as naturally as slipping on a pair of well-fitting work gloves. First, there’s the demolition and removal of old highway, followed by grading and sloping, he says. Then it’s time to add the subbase of crushed stone before the road pavers finish the job. […]

He completed an internship with NASA the summer after his junior year of college. Within a month of graduating—the first in his family to do so—he landed as an engineer at Ford Motor Company. Three years later, at the age of 24, he was overseeing all exterior, interior and chassis warranty claims at the company’s […]