Business Exchange
Springfield, Missouri
MEMBERS
Sam Baird
Sam helped open Title Title in 2008 and enjoyed working more behind the scenes until her partner took early retirement. “That forced me to become a people person,” Sam jokes. She embraced the challenge and successfully began developing relationships with clients gaining a reputation for integrity along with a growing community of repeat customers. “Whenever you start to focus on what’s important, it helps you find our purpose.”
I strive in my experience within the title industry to always make sure that my work is the best. It’s my name and the name of the company I work for that has entrusted me in my position. I don’t ever want to let anyone down. That’s why I take pride in my work and in serving my community. I believe that people who dedicate themselves to the work they do also show dedication to the people they are helping.
Sarah Bock
Since 1983, Aasby Automotive Service has provided drivers in the Springfield area with comprehensive automotive repair and maintenance services. We have years of experience working on both domestic and import vehicles of all makes and models. We strive to provide such a high level of service, that you want to refer the people you care about.
Growing up Sarah enjoyed spending time with her dad, Doug Aasby, at Aasby Automotive. She attended Logan-Rogersville High School and The University of Arkansas. Sarah and her husband Jordan stay busy with their three young children, and also raise beef cattle right here in Southwest Missouri. Sarah immersed herself in the automotive repair industry at the beginning of her professional career in 2010. She is on the board for the Springfield Chapter of Automotive Service Association and strives to help others in the automotive industry.
Josh Bryan
I am the co-founder of Napredak Builders LLC, a family owned, residential, multi-family, and light construction general contracting company. After spending more than 20 years in the construction industry managing someone else’s businesses, I, along with my brother, decided to branch out on our own.
My expertise in the field can largely be attributed to the early training of my dad where I learned the building process from the ground up. Later, I shifted gears from the building side and started working from the distributor side. My many years working in lumber yard management gave me a unique outlook on the business side of construction.
After working for decades on two different sides of the industry, I had a vision for how to provide quality homes most cost effectively. My knowledge and understanding of the complexities from not only the building side, but also the business side, enables me to benefit the customer in all ways.
What began as an idea to partner with families, is now a full-service General Contracting company that does anything from new custom builds to remodels, to multi-family apartments.
Clint Caffey
As a SW Region President of Hawthorn Bank, my primary attention is devoted to commercial finance as well as handling multifaceted commercial relationships. From the initial conversation with the client, I'm involved in the full lending process. This includes underwriting, decision making, and ongoing management of the banking relationship. I have a passion for helping small business owners obtain the necessary capital to reach their goals.
My 12 years of professional experience in banking includes Commercial and Consumer Finance, Credit Analysis/Risk Management, SBA Finance, Commercial and Consumer Real Estate Construction Finance, Tax Credit Finance, and Bank Management. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree from College of the Ozarks in Business Administration with an emphasis in Economics, and an MBA from Webster University.
I'm Past President of the Ozark Rotary Club, Advisory Member for Springfield’s Care to Learn, Campaign Treasurer for Current Mayor of Ozark, MO, Past Member of the Springfield Sertoma Club, Past Board of Director and Economic Chair for the Bolivar Chamber of Commerce, Past Board Member for the Marshfield Chamber of Commerce.
My wife Sara and I reside in Ozark, Missouri with our twin boys Joshua and Jacob.
Todd Carter
Fx Technology is an ITGC-Information Technology General Contractor. This is more than just a concept, for FX Tech customers this is a reality! We are the one point of contact that will manage and take control of the ENTIRE technology project, no matter how big or small. Having a general contractor for your IT project takes the burden away from the business owner or management and allows them to focus on running the business.
Our partnerships and relationships with key vendors give us an edge that our competitors simply do not have. At FX Tech we are capable of managing all aspects of an IT project including low-voltage backbone for the facility from the design, VOIP phone, data, security, audio & video, lighting, surveillance, acoustical treatment, and system control.
We have been involved with numerous projects from various school districts, hotel industry, training schools, sports complexes, casinos, banks, commercial projects, corporate headquarters, retail stores, credit unions and more.
Megan Creson
Lowther Johnson Attorneys at Law
Attorney
lowtherjohnson.com
417-866-7777
Megan N. Creson joined Lowther Johnson as an associate in 2016 after clerking with the firm throughout law school. Megan’s practice is both litigation and transaction-based, focusing on real estate and property law, business law, creditor’s rights, personal injury, estates and trusts, and landlord-tenant law. She was inducted into Trial Attorneys of America in 2022, selected by Best Lawyers for inclusion in the Ones to Watch category in 2021, 2022, and 2023, selected by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star Honoree in 2021, 2022, and 2023, selected by Missouri Lawyers Weekly as a Litigation Practitioner Honoree at the 22nd Annual Women’s Justice Awards in 2020, and selected by the Springfield Business Journal as a Trusted Adviser in the Up-and-Comer category in 2017.
Megan attended the University of Missouri School of Law, where she served as Associate Managing Editor for the Journal of Dispute Resolution, completed a Landlord-Tenant Practicum through Mid-Missouri Legal Services, interned with the Honorable David D. Noce at the Eastern District Court of Appeals, and was a recipient of the Honorable Richard E. Dorr Memorial Scholarship. Before entering law school, she graduated magna cum laude from Drury University with a bachelor’s degree in communication and with her master’s degree in communication. Throughout her higher education experience at Drury and prior to attending law school, Megan worked full-time in communications and business development in Springfield.
A Springfield native, Megan enjoys practicing law in the Ozarks. Outside of her practice, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends, running, biking, traveling, and being outdoors. She is also highly involved in her community and invested in its future, currently serving on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of Springfield and the Greater Springfield Apartment and Housing Association.
Brock Frazier
Brock Frazier (PA-C) joined the Command Family Medicine team in 2020. After working 2 years in Emergency Medicine, Brock craved a deeper connection with his patients, and desired an optimal, unhurried environment for nurturing individuals in their pursuit of a healthy life, well-lived.
A lifetime Springfieldian, Brock has undergone rigorous training in collegiate liberal arts (persuasive writing, logic, rhetoric, history, etc.) at New Saint Andrew’s College, in addition to receiving his Bachelor’s in Biology and Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies at Missouri State University. Brock is known for saying that “healthcare is 50% medicine, and 50% *empowering* patients to achieve their goals.” His education — coupled with a deep passion for understanding human behavior and empowerment — makes Brock uniquely qualified for helping you tackle life’s challenges, and has given him a true knack for developing a holistic approach to deliver real health and wellness. Plus, Brock just loves people, and sees unique qualities and promise in everyone that he meets! He thoroughly enjoys serving both pediatric and adult patients, and comes from a family of 10 children! In his spare time, you can find Brock studying human behavior, health-optimization, and business, as well as playing fingerstyle guitar and tennis, and spending time with his big family and dear friends!
Chad Gehring
My family and I proudly own Alliance Maintenance, Inc. in Springfield. We serve other businesses in the Springfield area across all industry sectors by providing janitorial services for their facilities. Our vision is to excite our customers by creating a clean and orderly place to work. We work to accomplish that vision by hiring great team members, developing effective systems and communicating and measuring high expectations for everyone on our team. We are very proud of our team, the work they do, and the high level of service we provide our customers.
We also own Legacy Management Solutions, Inc., a budding rental property business that focuses on providing quality and affordable housing in the multifamily market space. In addition to our multifamily properties, we also own four Airbnb's and look forward to growing that part of our portfolio as well.
My background is high school and college football coaching and I have a master's degree in Education Administration from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. Prior to taking the entreprenurial leap and starting Alliance Maintenance in Springfield, I spent my time teaching and coaching young people. Surprisingly, my coaching experiences have turned out to be an incredible asset for leading a business. In 2020 my wife, Emily, retired from teaching at Willard Public Schools and now works with me to help grow and guide our business. We are recent empty nesters and are enjoying watching our kids thrive in their endeavors. Our son, Chase, is now married and is living/running a business in Owasso, Oklahoma. Our daughter, Hali, is also married and living far from home in Galena, Alaska where she teaches at the local school and also serves in a church there. Our youngest son, Carson, is in the beginning stages of building a trim carpentry business. We enjoy spending time with them and other family members in our free time.
We have big dreams and ambitious goals for our businesses and our family, and we are so thankful for our like-minded network of friends at Business Exchange of Springfield.
David Hamm
David Hamm obtained his CPA license in 1996 and spent about 8 years in the finance world before becoming a business broker in 2002. During his accounting career, he worked in public accounting for a top 10 accounting firm and also in private accounting as controller of a manufacturing company. In 2002, David joined Sunbelt Business Brokers in Springfield, MO. He worked as a broker until late 2003 and then managed one of the Sunbelt offices from 2003 until 2005. He then left Sunbelt and worked on his own eventually purchasing Murphy Business & Financial Corporation - Central Region. After growing Central Region from 2007 to 2015, David and his partner sold the company to two of their brokers. David is now the owner of the Springfield Murphy franchise and continues to work as a business brokers in Springfield and the surrounding areas.
In addition to keeping his CPA license current, David has obtained a CBI (Certified Business Intermediary) certification, a BCI (Board Certified Intermediary) designation, the CMAI (Certified Merger & Acquistion Intermediary) designation and is also a licensed real estate broker in Missouri. He has participated in many different types and sizes of business transactions primarily involving existing businesses and to a lesser extent, franchises. David has also directed numerous buyer searches for corporations and individuals looking to make acquisitions.
David is very involved with Springfield Southeast Rotary, the area Chamber of Commerce and is active in support of many local charities. He is married to his wife Kim, also a CPA, and has a son 22, and twin 21-year-old daughters.
Dan Kaczynski
I work hard to provide my clients with the most positive real estate experience possible. A vital part of today's real estate industry is technology, and to that end I provide my clients with state-of-the art web tools and marketing. It's just one of the many things that has made me one of the most respected real estate agents in the neighborhoods I work!
Billy Kimmons
Architecture is my passion and I am fortunate to do what I love every day. That passion translates into each project and each client relationship. My goal is to build trust between the project team for the best possible project and the best possible results for my clients. This begins with a commitment to always do what is right. Hood-Rich has been in business over 60 years and we have experience in numerous project types. That collective knowledge is an asset to our clients. From site selection to the design of interior signage, we have fun with every stage of the design!
Our values at the Madura American Family Insurance Agency starts with customer service is our way of life. My goal is to lead our clients with a heart of a teacher and handle every transaction with honesty and integrity so that every policy is completely transparent. I’m striving to become the insurance leader in the communities I serve with our humble, yet confident approach, because our clients have a choice, and they’re choosing to come through our doors. There, they’ll be greeted with respect, enthusiasm, and compassion while we learn about their insurable needs and how our agency can thoroughly educate them on how to protect their assets and loved ones.
I was raised in the Ozarks and call this portion of the world home. I reside in the city of Fremont Hills with my wife Brianne, our three girls Madison, Emma, and Chloe, and our two dogs Bacon and Queso. Individually, I enjoy the outdoors and all it has to offer specifically fishing of all sorts, many types of hunting, and anything boating and water related. Other things that keep me busy are woodworking, and learning new and random skills. As a family we enjoy traveling, pickle-ball, taking the dogs to the river, going on trips with neighbors and friends, hanging out on the lake and dock, and playing card games. We also enjoy attending our children’s sporting events, basketball, cross country, golf, and tennis. I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere but the Ozarks.
Matt Madura
Lora Newman, M.S., LPC, US Army Veteran, Author, Speaker, Business Leadership and Mental Fitness Coach, Trauma Therapist, Mental Health First Aid Trainer
She is the owner and founder of Zero2Sixty Performance Coaching and HorseBusinessWhisperer.com.
Lora’s expertise at coaching business owners on how to breakthrough barriers, increase thinking performance and confidently make decisions that pull them forward results in leading teams with ease, increased revenue and freedom. Her work catalyzes wholistic leadership, which aligns key areas in business with culture so strategies are accelerated.
Lora holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Missouri State University, Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Drury University, as well as an Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology from Northwestern Louisiana State University and ran a veterinary hospital for over 4 years.
In addition, she is: a graduate of Coach U, E3A and Eagala Advanced Certified and Corporate Certified, Certified Money, Marketing, & Soul Coach, Money Breakthrough Method Coach, and Sacred Money Archetypes Coach.
She runs a full-time practice with her horses, serving both the corporate and entrepreneurial business sectors.
Zero2Sixty Performance Coaching
Owner and Founder
horsebusinesswhisperer.com
417-844-6283
Lora Newman
Reese Commercial Real Estate
As a commercial investment real estate agent, I work with commercial real estate clients in all aspects of the business including acquisition, disposition, site selection, relocation, and development. I enjoy helping people through this process by building meaningful relationships and become a resource for their commercial and investment real estate needs.
My wife, Angie, and I enjoy spending time at the beach, traveling and Table Rock Lake.
Mark Patrick, CCIM
Commercial real estate appraiser, Missouri Licensed Broker (Joe R. Roberts, managing broker), and developer/licensed contractor. Specializing in managing and leasing industrial property in southwest Missouri that includes office, warehousing, manufacturing, distribution and outside storage. Originally a farm-boy from Bolivar, Missouri.
Eric Roberts, MAI
The Permit Shop has been an important asset to companies in the transportation industry since 1978. The Permit Shop helps businesses stay on top of licensing, compliance, and everything in between.
In June of 2020 Paul Jarvis retired, turning the business over to Padgett Smith. Padgett has an extensive background in the industry.
The Permit Shop is based in Springfield, Missouri, a trucking hub. This keeps the staff quite busy throughout the year.
When prospective clients first meet with The Permit Shop, they are educated about all the services that Padgett and her team offer. They teach customers the rules of the game. Services are offered a la carte, so a motor carrier can choose assistance with all compliance requirements even if they are unable to fulfill in house.
Clients come to The Permit Shop through word-of-mouth. They provide a broad range of services, expert support, and top-quality customer service. They take care of all the details so drivers can stay on the road. Their exceptional service has opened the door to referrals which have allowed the business to grow.
In addition, as the client’s business grows, education in all services offered by The Permit Shop is important. The busier the client gets, the more they outsource to Padgett and her team and focus on their core business. Padgett and her team rely heavily on technology to be able to effectively service the large number of clients they have. Her team’s experience, friendly attitude, and straightforward service model have also encouraged growth and upsells.
Padgett is working on a blog and podcast (YouTube & Apple). This initiative is intended to be a conversational way of reaching clients with educational and informative material.
Padgett graduated with an accounting degree from Missouri State University. She has one son and 3 fur babies.
When Padgett is not working, she enjoys travel and hanging with friends.
Padgett Smith
