table of
contents

Welcome NEW MEMBERS 08

TOP INVESTORS 10

LJ Class of 2024 12

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 16

JOPLIN’S ARPA UPGRADE 24

THE CORNELL COMPLEX 28

REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN 34

ON THE COVER:

Artificial Intelligence puts the world at the fingertips of a visitor to Pennington Station.

Cover Photo courtesy of
Drew Kimble, 12EightyOnePhotography.

Chamber Spotlight

Volume 1 | Number 3

Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce

320 East 4th Street

Joplin, MO 64801

417.624.4150 | joplincc.com

This is a Town Square Publications,
formerly MetroMedia (since 1997),
publication created and produced for the
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce.

Copyright © 2023 Town Square Publications

P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006

(847) 427-4905 | tbusby@tspubsdigital.com

www.TownSquarePublications.com

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication. The Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and Town Square assume no responsibility for misinformation. Please contact the Chamber with any additions or corrections. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of the Chamber and Town Square is prohibited.

Chairman, CEO and Publisher | Douglas K. Ray

President and Chief Operating Officer | Scott Stone

Vice President / Director | Scott Ray

Managing Director | David Small

Director of Production | Ryan Moore

Sales | Tammie Easson

Editor | Chris Reardon

Design Project Manager | Sandy King

WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS

AUGUST-OCTOBER 2023

4-State Teacher Resources, LLC

Retail

2401 E. 32nd Street, Suite 12

Joplin, MO 64804

417.793.7850

4stateteacherresrouces.com

Ms. April Anderson, Owner

530 Somewhere

Restaurant / Bar

530 South Main Street

Joplin, MO 64801

417.483.5136

530.bar

Mr. Garen McMillian, Owner

Advantage Home Care

Home Health Care

4318 South Main Street

Joplin, MO 64804

417.641.0900

advantagehomecare.com

Ms. Donna Nolke, Operations Manager

Air Services Heating Cooling Plumbing and Electrical

Heating / AC / Plumbing / Electrical Services

1912 South Duquesne Road, Suite A

Joplin, MO 64804

417.866.1460

aireservicesheatac.com

Mr. Colin White, Comfort Advisor

Alchemist Haven & Rejuvenation

Health Center / Massage Therapist

1331 East 4th Street

Joplin, MO 64801

417.529.7436

alchemisthaven.com

Ms. Angela Harris, Owner/Proprietor

American Mobile Service

Mobile Auto Oil Change

Joplin, MO 64804

757.354.7512

americanmobileservice.com

Brian Jones, Director of Operations

Bridgewater Roofing

Roofing Company

712 South Willard Avenue

Joplin, MO 64801

417.623.3179

bridgewaterroofing.net

Mr. Jason Slivers, General Manager

The Clay Cup

Coffee Shop / Gifts

901 South Main Street

Joplin, MO 64801

417.389.4726

theclaycup-a-coffee-pottery

Ms. Donna Divine-Jones, Owner

Communities of Wildwood Ranch

Nursing Home / Rehabilitation

3222 South John Duffy Drive

Joplin, MO 64804

417.621.0175

communitiesofwildwood.com

Ms. Casi Berry, Director of Community Development

Doctor Deep Clean

Commercial & Residential Cleaning / Deep Cleaning / Carpet, Tile, and Upholstery Cleaning / Pressure Washing

P.O. Box 2150

Joplin, MO 64803

417.396.0132

doctordeepclean.com

Mr. Paul Wilson, Owner

Four States Women’s Show, LLC

Trade Show / Promotions

Joplin, MO 64801

620.719.0881

Cari Enayati, Co-Owner

Furry Friends Waste Removal LLC

Pet Grooming / Kennels

704 East Chestnut Street

Carthage, MO 64836

417.388.7498

furryfriendswasteremovalllc.com

Bosha Lee, Owner

Gerber Collision

1030 North Range Line Road

Joplin, MO

64801-1442

gerbercollision.com

Don Ellis, General Manager

Grand Falls Center for Recovery

Behavioral Therapy

5615 West 32nd Street

Joplin, MO 64804

855.904.5910

grandfallsrecovery.com

Mr. Josh Mercer, Business Development Specialist

Home Run Bat Co.

Specialty Sporting goods

523 North Schifferdecker

Joplin, MO 64801

479.287.6734

homerunbat.com

Mr. J.D. Anderson, Owner

Honey Bee Tax Solutions, LLC

Tax Preparation / Bookkeeping Services

2501 North Range Line Road, Suite 6

Joplin, MO 64801

417.986.4287

honbee-taxes.com

KSS Cleaning Services

Cleaning Services for Residential and Commercial

407 South Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 130

Joplin, MO 64801

417.825.6055

ksscleaningservices.com

Amy Scholfield-Ellis, COO

Lion Stop

Convenience Stores

3525 Newman Road

Joplin, MO 64801

417.437.5097

Facebook

Mr. Mack Lalani, Owner

Maddox Studdard

Individual membership

Marti Enterprises, LLC

Real Estate Management

16643 West Fairview

Carthage, MO 64836

417.214.8185

Mr. Kaleb Marti, Owner

Martin Law Office, P.C.

traceymartinlaw.com

2024 South Maiden Lane, Suite 102

Joplin, MO 64804

Tracey Martin, President

McDaniel Family Enterprises, LLC

Commercial / Residential Cleaning

P.O. Box 251

Saginaw, MO 64864

417.353.2288

thefreshstartcleaningservices

Mr. Robert McDaniel, Owner

Millennium Family Fitness

Fitness Center / Tennis Club

1227 North Range Line Road

Joplin, MO 64801

417.206.0202

millenniumfamilyfitness.com

Mr. Dustin Carpenter, General Manager

MTM Millwrights

Millwork, Hardware, Metal Specialist

Pierce City, MO 65723

417.592.8089

mtmmillwrights.com

Mr. Troy McDaniel, Co-Owner

Power Sync Solar, LLC

Solar and Electrical Energy

4609 North Black Cat Road

Joplin, MO 64801

417.262.6500

powersyncsolar.com

Mr. Jonathan Arzet, Owner

The Real Healing Institute

Mental Health Services

5594 West Junge Boulevard

Joplin, MO 64801

306.485.7401

therealhealinginstitute.com/

Ms. Michelle Sinclair, Certified Consulting Hypnotist

Republic Services DBA Allied Waste

Trash Service Commercial/Residential

1715 East Front Street

Galena, KS 66739

620.210.1106

republicservices.com

Mr. Bob Wentworth, Division Sales Manager

Social Climber Pro (SCP)

Marketing Research/ Digital Media Solutions/ Graphic Design

499 West Fountain Road

Joplin, MO 64801

877.439.4224

socialclimberpro.com

Robin Wilson, Owner and Visionary

Spencer Jones Foundation

Nonprofit Organization

2424 East 11th Street

Joplin, MO 64801

417.768.9548

spencerjonesfoundation.org

Ms. Dawn Jones, Founder/President

Sunshine Beverage LLC dba Alps Liquor & Smokes

Liquor Store

2602 South Main Street

Joplin, MO 64804

417.659.8884

Mr. Mike Patel, Managing Member

The Swanky Frank

Food Truck

Joplin, MO 64801

417.438.9318

theswankyfrank.org

Mr. Conrad Webster and Mrs. Carley Webster, Owners

Union Station Deli

Caterers / Restaurant / Meeting Room

705 South Illinois Avenue, Suite 11

Joplin, MO 64801

417.624.3354

unionstationdeli.com

Michael Johnson, Owner

VYPE High School Sports Media

swmoprepsports.com

4900 North Indian Oak Street

Bel Aire, KS 67226

Michael Cooper, Owner/Publisher

Sponsor: Reggie Powers. JACC

The Chamber’s Board of Directors and staff are pleased to welcome our newest Chamber Members.
Please keep these and all Members in mind when looking for goods and services.

Invite your clients or vendors to join the Chamber. Contact Jesse Grace at 417.624.4150 or jesse@joplincc.com.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN IT HELP YOUR BUSINESS?

by Marc Sheforgen

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved from a futuristic concept to a practical business tool. Two Joplin entrepreneurs, Ben McNelly of Full Bore Studios and Pennington Station and Andy Griffith of SOLO LINK IO, are on the cutting edge of helping companies of all sizes discover the new opportunities that AI presents.

Full Bore Studios and Pennington Station offer services ranging from I.T. support to software development and virtual reality game design. SOLO LINK IO provides automation solutions for businesses.

Both McNelly and Griffith say that business has been booming since ChatGPT was launched in November 2022 by the AI research firm, OpenAI. Not since the advent of the internet has a technological advancement garnered this much attention. And both McNelly and Griffith say that smart business owners will adapt to use this new technology to their advantage.

“It’s here, and it’s not going anywhere,” Griffith said. “It’s time for people to figure out they can apply AI to make their jobs easier and more efficient.”

McNelly echoed that sentiment.

“AI is not something to be afraid of,” he said. “What you’ll find if you embrace the change is it will grow your business. Every business, small and large, has got to be looking at how to leverage these tools.”

By this point, anyone paying attention to the news has heard plenty about AI. Yet not everyone has a clear understanding of what AI is and when it actually began.

So, what is AI? Here is how ChatGPT itself answers that question: “Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think, reason, learn, and solve problems like a human. It aims to create systems that can perform tasks that would ordinarily require human intelligence, such as understanding natural language, making decisions, recognizing patterns, and learning from experience.”

While it may feel like AI has come out of nowhere and become a major topic seemingly overnight, Griffith said people may not realize how long AI has been a part of everyday life. Software like Google Maps, autocorrect text, and email inbox filter systems are examples of AI that are regularly used in our everyday lives.

“It’s been around us, kind of unknown, for longer than we realize,” Griffith said. “But now we just have so much better access to tap into it.”

McNelly and his 12 to 15 employees help businesses solve complicated problems by developing customized solutions, often writing code tailored to very specific applications. AI can enhance those solutions and increase efficiency in businesses’ daily operations, he said.

“We can do some really innovative things that people aren’t really doing right now,” McNelly said.

He gave the example of a large project for a client that had hundreds of millions of inventory items. McNelly’s team designed an AI-driven solution that significantly simplifies the process of cataloging, warehousing, and listing those items for sale. He said before AI, it may have taken an employee several minutes to add each item. Now, AI reduces that process to about three seconds.

“Now, one intern can enter tens of thousands of items in an hour,” McNelly said. “Things like that are how AI is helping people.”

Griffith said top-line revenue at his business SOLO LINK IO is up 400% since December of last year, after ChatGPT went mainstream. Suddenly, more and more businesses are reaching out to learn how AI can help their operations.

Griffith helps companies put AI-driven systems in place for tasks such as generating auto text messages to customers.

“If you can’t get to the phone, you can set up a system that can text the customer back,” he said. “We can train AI to learn about your business and then have a conversation with customers on your behalf.”

Answering frequently asked customer questions, scheduling appointments, generating social media post ideas and images, transcribing audio, editing video, and writing code can now easily be automated with AI, Griffith said. This frees up businesses to pursue growth opportunities and to focus on refining processes that increase efficiency and profitability.

Both McNelly and Griffith said they do not view AI as an overall threat to human jobs. It is inevitable that some roles will change, and people may need to learn new skills to continue to provide value to their employers, they said. But both agreed that AI’s potential is much more about augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them.

“If you’re already good at what you do, you will not be replaced,” McNelly said. “You will be better. It will increase your capability and make you better at what you do.”

“People are what makes everything work,” Griffith added. “This isn’t trying to replace someone in that job or role. It’s to enhance them.”

McNelly and Griffith both stressed that the individuals who are most likely to face AI-related problems are those who are resistant to adjusting. This goes for business owners as well because the businesses who are best at leveraging AI tools in the future will become the top competitors in their industries.

“Instead of feeling threatened by it, use it,” McNelly said. “Learn how to interact with it now. Learn how to prompt, just like you learned how to use Google.”

While AI may have been in our everyday lives for longer than many realize, that does not mean that this technology is not still in its infancy. McNelly and Griffith have both said that AI has many more business uses have not been conceptualized yet.

“We’re just kind of starting to understand how to use these things effectively and appropriately,” McNelly said. “It’s hard to imagine how this ends up. It is a tool that makes good people great and great people even better.”

Ben McNaley can be reached at ben@fbstudios.com. Andy Griffith can be reached at andy@sololink.io.

JOPLIN TO UPGRADE THANKS TO ARPA

FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, AND RECREATION

Under the combined direction of the mayor and council, and with some help from the federal government, the City of Joplin has turned the challenges created by COVID into an opportunity to revitalize the community. Officials have big plans to use funds from the American Rescue and Response Plan Act for improvements in public safety, housing, infrastructure, and even recreational opportunities in town.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government passed the CARES Act and the American Rescue and Response Plan (ARPA). CARES funding was granted to counties while ARPA funds were granted directly to state, county, and city governments to aid in the recovery from the pandemic.

“After COVID, the City followed the conversations about ARPA and the opportunities that the legislation would offer local communities,” said City Manager Nick Edwards. “Mayor Doug Lawson and the City Council have been strategic in making sure that we as a community are able to take advantage of those opportunities without putting an additional burden on taxpayers. We have a lot of improvements planned that would have traditionally been paid for by taxpayers, but these grant opportunities allow us to fund these improvements without needing additional tax revenue.”

The City has received a total of $30 million across separate grants. By using the pandemic relief funding toward matching fund requirements, the City will be able to reap the benefits of $80 million in improvements.

The community will now be able to address long-standing needs that range from public safety to infrastructure. Ultimately, the funds from these grants will improve the quality of life for businesses and residents in and around Joplin.

“These grants provide much needed resources for projects that couldn’t get done otherwise,” Edwards said.

Overall, these financial allocations will improve communications, collaboration, and the overall efficiency of the city, ultimately making Joplin a safer and more pleasant place to live and work.

For example, the City received $637,000 to upgrade its Missouri Statewide Interoperability Network (MoSWIN), allowing Joplin’s public safety departments to communicate more effectively within the community and with state departments. The City also received a $1 million grant to improve Joplin’s Justice Center, including upgrades to the building’s HVAC and electrical systems, which will make the facility safer, more energy efficient, and more comfortable.

Residents and visitors will also see improvements to local infrastructure, as well. Jasper County awarded Joplin a $4 million ARPA grant to widen 20th Street from Schifferdecker Avenue to the Kansas state line, also adding curbing, guttering, and a shared-use path. This grant will address safety improvements and lay the groundwork for future development in southwest Joplin. Another $10 million ($5 million from both ARPA and the City) will benefit the area by upgrading Joplin’s water infrastructure, including new water lines to underdeveloped areas of the community. These types of projects are significant to expand residential development into outlying areas of Joplin.

Additionally, the City is planning to introduce a $7 million community revitalization program that will provide down payment assistance, fund major home repairs and maintenance, and demolish dilapidated homes in Joplin. This will improve neighborhoods’ appearances, expand access to affordable homeownership, remove homes in disrepair, and reduce hazards, making neighborhoods more inviting and secure. This improves the quality of living for residents and creates a sense of belonging in the community.

“It’s a significant time for Joplin, with many projects underway to improve our community with new amenities, housing, and infrastructure,” said Mayor Lawson. “The City staff, along with our consultant Guidehouse, have worked diligently to bring new funding to Joplin for programs and services that will benefit residents, enrich our quality of life, and provide community development. We are proud to enhance Joplin through these efforts and avoid additional tax burdens on our residents and business community. These are substantial gains in making Joplin even better.”

TAKING CENTER STAGE: THE CORNELL COMPLEX

JOPLIN’S NEW HOME BASE FOR THE ARTS

by Marc Sheforgen

Joplin’s arts and cultural community took a monumental stride forward with the Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex, which opened in November 2022. This cutting-edge facility brings together visual and performing arts in a space that now serves as something of a cultural headquarters for downtown Joplin.

“It’s a destination,” said Emily Frankoski, executive director of Connect2Culture, a nonprofit organization that promotes the local arts and organizes performances by national and international artists who perform at the Cornell Complex. “There really is something for everyone to enjoy at the Complex.”

This includes visual art, indoor and outdoor concerts, workshops, classes, space for meetings and parties, and so much more.

The 37,000-square-foot building was funded by more than 350 private donors who contributed more than $17.5 million, as well as $1.5 million from the State of Missouri. The building is named for the project’s primary benefactor, local business leader and philanthropist Harry M. Cornell, Jr., who passed away in May 2022.

In addition to being a home for Connect2Culture, the Cornell Complex is also the new headquarters for the Spiva Center for the Arts, a nonprofit that provides visual arts experiences through art galleries, workshops, and more. Heather Lesmeister, Spiva’s executive director, said the new state-of-the-art space allows her and her staff to showcase multiple art shows simultaneously in a way that had not previously existed in Joplin.

“We now have so much more dynamic art gallery spaces that are expandable and flexible,” Lesmeister said, noting that the buildings that have previously housed Spiva throughout its 75 years of existence did not feature the room or amenities that they have now, which includes four galleries and ample workshop space. “Our hope is to educate, enlighten and entertain while attracting more activities to downtown Joplin.”

The Cornell Complex’s first year has already featured non-stop activity. And Frankoski said much more is still to come. Connect2Culture kicked off its 2023-24 season of live performances on September 30. This year’s lineup includes 19 different performances at the Complex’s indoor Beshore Performance Hall, which is flexible enough to accommodate 435 attendees or be transformed into a meeting or event stage. Additionally, the stage opens from the back to create an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and plays, which can be enjoyed by more than 1,500 people in an open green space.

Frankoski said that the Cornell Complex also has spaces of various sizes available for rent. The building can host a variety of events like wedding receptions, company meetings, baby showers, birthday parties, and many other types of gatherings.

The Cornell Complex, Connect2Culture, and Spiva are each separate nonprofits that rely on revenue from the building’s available rental space, performance and admission tickets, donations, grants, and sponsors. No part of this cultural hub is publicly funded. Yet, the economic benefit for the community is tremendous. Frankoski said that a 2016 study showed that Joplin’s arts and culture nonprofit sector had a $5.4 million annual impact on the city. Now, with the opening of the Cornell Complex and all the additional attractions it brings, that number is expected to grow.

Lesmeister pointed out that the economic benefits will likely extend beyond measurable metrics.

“It really is helping downtown thrive even more,” she said. “New businesses are coming in around where we are. And it also helps recruitment for some of the bigger entities in the area.”

Beyond economics, both Lesmeister and Frankoski agree that the Cornell Complex tremendously improves the overall quality of life for Joplin residents, who now have access to national touring musicians, internationally renowned artwork, opportunities to learn and practice new art forms, and space for local artists to display and sell their creations. Frankoski added that she grew up in Joplin and had an interest in the arts but did not have access to this kind of facility. She says that she is extremely excited for, and maybe a little envious of, the options now available to future generations.

“I feel jealous because I did not get to visit someplace like this probably until I went off to college in St. Louis,” Frankoski said.

Lesmeister said the space also serves as an introduction opportunity for people who may not know they would appreciate a certain type of art.

“We want people, whoever they are, to come in and say, ‘Oh, my goodness, there’s something for me here,’” Lesmeister said. “It becomes a great place for families, for date nights, for kids, for adults, for everybody. There is truly something for everyone here.”

To learn more about all of the activities, exhibits, performances, and rental spaces at the Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex, visit www.cornellcomplex.org.

REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN JOPLIN

A JOURNEY FROM NEGLECT TO BEAUTY

by Marc Sheforgen

Downtown Joplin is undergoing a remarkable transformation that bridges its rich historic past with a future full of promise. At the heart of this revival are several organizations and individuals who are dedicated to revitalizing downtown, including Neal Group Construction. Twenty years ago, they took the lead in reviving downtown's vitality, breathing new life into its century-old structures and creating the momentum that is changing downtown today.

In 2004, Jeff and Carolina Neal, owners of Neal Construction, purchased the Columbian Building at 418 S. Main Street and began an arduous historic restoration process. According to Carolina Neal, at the time, many downtown buildings had fallen into various states of disrepair and there was little or no interest in investing in the area.

“When we started, most of the citizens saw downtown as a dead zone,” she said. “That is not the case today.”

That is because the Neals, even after being rejected by nine banks before securing a loan for the Columbian Building renovation, continued to take on downtown revitalization work. Since then, Neal Group Construction now has completed more than 100 projects downtown, either for clients or on buildings the Neals purchased themselves. Their business model centers on utilizing state historic preservation credits, which require the buildings be restored to their original condition.

Lori Haun, the Executive Director of the Downtown Joplin Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to reviving downtown’s relevance, said the area’s transformation to an activity hub is now a point of pride for local residents.

“I have recruiters for large companies here who say 15 years ago, they avoided showing people downtown,” Haun said. “Now it is a centerpiece.”

With so many buildings being restored to their original condition, and with more dining and shopping options, residents are becoming more interested in living downtown. Haun said there are about 320 living units downtown and 96% of them are occupied. About 200 additional units are in development or construction.

In 2018, a Downtown Joplin Alliance survey revealed that 25% of Joplin residents said they would consider living downtown. Last year, that number exceeded 50%.

“It feels like overnight change, but it’s actually been coming for 20 years,” Haun said.

Before that spark created by the Neals, downtown Joplin had a vacancy rate of about 75%, according to Haun. Now, new businesses are cropping up all the time and only about 10% of the available space is empty. More than 80 new downtown businesses have opened in the past five years. There are also now 80 days of live events on the downtown annual calendar, including popular attractions such as Third Thursday, Joplin Arts Fest, loft tours, and a weekly farmer’s market.

Many of these new living options and activities have been spurred by more than $60 million that has been privately invested in the downtown area over the past five years. In that same period, sales tax revenue has increased by 32% while downtown building prices have doubled and even tripled in some cases.

Haun said that reestablishing downtown as a community gathering place is critical to a town like Joplin.

“Downtown is the heart of this community,” she explained. “It’s where the community started and grew from. It’s where you can look back and learn the stories. Downtown and the small businesses there offer an experience that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Carolina Neal can remember when she first arrived in Joplin, which is her husband’s hometown. She grew up in Costa Rica and lived in California before moving to the area, and the overall condition of downtown made an immediate impression on her.

“When I walked the main street in 1999, people did not believe in Joplin,” Neal said. “And now they do. People are proud to be from Joplin.”

The work of the Neal Group continues with a full schedule of projects in the works. Each job requires craftsmanship, expertise, and materials that are not always simple to source.

“When I see people finding new ways to be part of the community, engaging in different projects, I can tell you there is hope and that is the legacy that I am proud to be part of,” Neal said. “It has been a hard journey in many ways. But when I see that Jeff and I have played a part, I feel like this is my home now.”