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Midwest Maintenance Company, Incorporated, one of Omaha's largest building service contractors, was founded in 1965 by Paul and Alice Gutierrez. Today, Midwest Maintenance stands as a leader in the Industry and maintains in excess of servicees. This reputation has led to relationships with customers that have lasted for more than 15 and 20 years. Midwest Maintenance has been named the "Largest Minority Owned Business in Omaha" and employs over 300 people. We are members of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Great Plains Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc., as well as the Building Service Contractors Association International(BSCAI).
Jamie Gutierrez Vela, President and CEO of Midwest Maintenance Company and an active member of the community, directs all aspects of the company, with emphasis in administration and finance. Her college career began in 1984 at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences and continued graduate work at Creighton University until 1991. Ms.Gutierrez Vela supports a number of local programs and agencies such as Nebraska Children's Scholarship Fund and Our Lady of Guadalupe/St. Agnes Mission School. Jamie is a member of Offutt Air Force Executive Advisory Council, Governor's Minority Affairs Advisory Cabinet, University of NE at Omaha Chancellor's Advisory Council, as well as the Greater Omaha Workforce Investment Board. She was given the Archbishop Elden F. Curtis Award last year and is finishing training for Family Ministry at her parish.
John Sehi's 24-year career as a certified public accountant has included 21 years as a partner or shareholder in CPA firms. In July of 1986, Mr. Sehi co-founded the accounting firm Auten, Gaines & Sehi, P.C. He served as president of the firm and its successor, Auten, Sehi, Pruss & Beckman, P.C. until June of 2001 when he formed his new firm, Sehi & Associates, P.C. His career has included auditing, litigation support, corporate, partnership, trust, estate and individual tax planning and preparation. A great deal of his time has been spent in small business consulting services including business start-ups, acquisitons and sales, and succession and retirement planning. Sehi & Associates, P.C. currently employs six accountants and has offices in Norfolk and Clearwater, Nebraska. Mr. Sehi has also been involved in many civic organizations, endowment boards, and professional societies. Some of these include: The Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants, The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Board of Directors for the Norfolk Arts Center, Prime Time Toastmasters Club, University of Nebraska Alumni Association, and a life member of Optimist International. He and his family are members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Norfolk.
Michael Green is President and Chief Investment Officer of EverGreen Capital Management, which he established in 1989. EverGreen is a registered investment advisor a specializing in managing equity portfolios individual and institutional clients. Michael attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Marketing in 1970. In 1970, he began his career as financial analyst and Loan Officer at the Omaha National Bank(now US Bank). During his eight years at the bank, he held several management positions. Also during this time, he completed his Masters Degree in Business Administration in 1977. Mr. Green remained at the bank until 1978. From 1978 until 1987, he held several managerial positions including the position of Finance and Acquisitions Analyst at InterNorth(now Enron Corp). From 1987 until 1989, he worked as an Account Executive at Kirkpatrick, Pettis, Smith, Polian, Inc. It was during this time that he decided to start EverGreen Captial Management. Mr.Green realized that blacks, women or Hispanics owned fewer than 100 of the nation's 16,000 registered investment advisors. EverGreen would be and is still Nebraska's first and only minority owned registered investment adivisory firm, specializing in managing assets for institutional and individual clients. EverGreen manages nearly $150 million for private corporations, public retirement systems, and foundations nationwide. The company uses a value philosophy for investing portfolios. Mr.Green has always been involved in many civic activities. He currently or formerly has served on: The Executive Committee of the Mid-American Council of the Boy Scouts, the University of Nebraska Medical Center Board of Governors, the North Omaha Business Development Corp., the Foundation for Educational Funding, the Nebraska Judicial Nomination Commission, and Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority.
Paul Sandall began Advance Services, Inc., a staffing company, in May of 1994 in Norfolk, Nebraska. Since the opening, Paul has opened 21 more offices throughout Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa.
Paul's first fiscal year in business generated $320,000. In 2001, that number grew to $44,600,000. Advance services has grown from a staff of 2 employees to over 60 employees. In 2000, the company had a total of 10,000 employees that worked for the company with many of those eventually being hired by Advance Services' customers.
Paul grew up on a farm near York, Nebraska. He went on and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska. This is where he met his wife Gretchen. Paul and Gretchen have two children, Allison and Nathan. Paul got his start in temporary staffing as an Accountant Specialist with a company in Omaha, Nebraska. Within 3 years, he was promoted to a position where he oversaw the operations for 3 branch offices. This is where Paul recognized the importance of temporary and seasonal employment. When starting Advance services, he wanted to focus on developing long-term relationships with both customers and employees.
Paul is also active in many activities and Boards. He is an active member and leader of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Norfolk, where he serves on several Boards and committees, including Board of Stewardship; All Boards-Leardership; 40th Anniversary Committee; and Strategic Planning Committee.
Advance Services will continue to grow and expand upon Paul Sandall's dream of "doing staffing right", benefiting its employees, customers and communities that they serve.
Since his company's beginning in 1975, Tom Lauvetz has undertaken 14 commericial real estate development projects totaling over $20 million of new investment in Hastings, Nebraska. During the same period, Tom and his company have owned and managed a wide variety of businesses including two wholesale beer distributors, four different theatres, two travel agencies, restaurants and other retail businesses.
The keystone or common theme of his real estate development projects has been to revitalize a declining property by making it attractive to new business while at the same time preserving its original character and design. Some of these projects include: The Imperial Mall, The Imperials Plaza and Theatre, The Burlington Center, and most recently the conversion of the 16 acre Crosier Monastery into the Crosier Park Professional Center. This 112 year old building is now the new home of 21 businesses.
Tom graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1967 and worked for Internorth, Inc.(Enron) for over 16 years. Currently, he is involved in many projects and organizations directed at growing the community and improving family quality. He is Chairman of the Adams County Convention and Visitors Bureau, a board member of Wells Fargo Bank in Hastings, and a board member of the Downtown Business Improvement District among other things.
Few grandmothers may live to fully realize the heritage they leave. Two Cherry County women, however, watched their grandson take what they taught him as a youth and rapidly develop a successful business. At the age of twelve, with his grandmother's guidance, he began working with fabric soft sculpture. Then as an adolescent, Cody began to experiment with making figures out of cloth. He soon began to realize that other people enjoyed and valued his work. These early successes eventually led to a regional popularity of his figures. Which in turn led to the creation of a company. In 1993, working out of his parents' basement, Cody started a wholesale company called "Backporch Friends". To keep up with the demand of orders Cody's mother, Diane Foster, quit her day job and helped with the business aspects of the company. Today Backporch Friends is located in a 5000-sq foot manufacturing building including a retail storefront. Currently the company employs eight people.
Cody's designs have become nationally recognized. His work has been featured in "Country Living" magazine, the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City, and in high-end boutiques, museum shops, and department stores across the country. His work is prized by designers and collectors alike, for their unique and whimsical charm.
Cody and Diane both feel that the ability to change and evolve with the demands of an ever-changing market place is very important. Cody introduces new ideas and display concepts twice a year to keep customers coming back. Just this year he has licensed a new collection of designs that are being produced by a company overseas. Also in the near future a new collection of ornaments, and smaller pieces will be produced.
Current Award Winners
