Read where C&A Industries and our divisions have made the news in our
industry and in our community.
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Midlands Business Journal, November 27, 2009
(Celebrity Staff)
It's an employer's market, as too many people are competing for too few jobs
and many companies are opting for temporary workers instead.While
unemployment in Omaha is below the national level, employers are still
cautious in hiring. Some employers have a misperception that Omaha has a
wealth of talented job prospects, said Patty North, regional manager of
Celebrity Staff. Companies that are hiring today - knowing that many people
are looking for jobs - are under a false assumption that they will have an
unlimited pool of talent from which to choose, North said. "Because the
unemployment rate is high doesn't mean there are lots of talented
candidates", she said. "Having lots of job seekers doesn't mean they are
talented or qualified." Many people hungry for jobs will apply for about
anything regardless of whether they are qualified, she said. Many small to
mid-size companies that don't have human resources staff are becoming
overwhelmed with the task of hiring. They may get 100 applicants for a job
and most of them may be unqualified. "It's a challenge for them to get
through the hiring process."
Midlands Business Journal, October 9, 2009
(Aureus Group)
Be prepared, keep detailed records, and be aware of tax laws which may help
you ameliorate losses in an economically turbulent year as you look ahead to
the coming tax season. The tax season can be stressful in small business
offices of accounting departments of large companies, but learning from past
experiences can help you lower the level of jitters as crunch time
approaches, said Chris Carlson, regional manager at Aureus Group. “You must
take a proactive stance to manage human capital effectively during this
time,” she said. “Use your prior year’s experiences to plan for this year,”
she said. “This sounds simple, but it’s something that is not always done
effectively.” Budgetary constraints in a volatile economy make it difficult
for some companies to hire consultants or temporary workers to help out, she
said. “Do a quick assessment of the talent you have on staff,” she said.
“There may be someone from another department who can help with tax
preparation.” Your experienced employees may be able to do short tax
training courses for newer staff, she said. “Allowing flexible work
arrangements can be helpful when your employees are being asked to do a lot
of extra things.” Carlson said. A company that finds it more economical to
hire outside help temporarily might consider the value of using retired
professionals or other accounting students, she said.
Midlands Business Journal, September 25, 2009
(C&A Industries, Inc.)
Staffing firms from around Omaha each paint a slightly different picture of
the current Omaha employment landscape, but they all report seeing that
things are starting to take a turn for the better as more companies look for
the right people to fill holes left when employees were cutback in the
recent year. When the recession started, many companies cut employes that
weren't necessarily unskilled, just bad fits for that particular company or
job. Now companies are taking advantage of the surplus of good people. C&A
Industries is an Omaha staffing and recruiting company that has seen
positive signs in recent hiring trends. Scot Thompson, CEO, said that while
businesses are still less interested in expanding, even with the large pool
of quality applicants to draw from, there is some strategic hiring of
senior-level positions taking place. "The idea of having the right people in
your organization never goes out of style," Thompson said. "Their headcounts
may not be growing, but they may be upgrading the staff that they have." C&A
has also seen an increase in demand for applicants in the light industrial
and manufacturing areas. Thompson said that while there is a very positive
and sustainable trend in Omaha, the new "normal" is yet to be seen.
Midlands Business Journal, September 4, 2009
(C&A Industries, Inc.)
Changes in the economy have created changes in many aspects of how a company
operates, including its hiring practices. Scot Thompson, president and CEO
of C&A Industries, said the company has noticed a contraction in the
marketplace. “This is logically brought on by an increased conservatism of
companies considering expanding their workforce,” he said. “This
conservatism couples with reduced shifts and right sizing has caused an
influx in the number of people looking for employment in a time which the
desire to increase headcount is decreasing. The result is a more difficult
job market.” Thompson said that while auto and financial industries are
soft, he has seen an increased hiring interest in the health care and
industrial sectors. He also said the time to find a new position is
lengthening for many job seekers. “There are more people vying for the same
position,” he said. “And companies are taking longer to make a hiring
decision, often because of the fact that there are more quality candidates
from which to choose and organizations are being much more conscious and
cautious of incremental spending.” While companies may hesitate to add to
the headcount, Thompson said, companies do have interest in upgrading
existing staff and positions. “Key managerial and executive personnel
positions remain strong relative to other opportunities,” he said.
August 7, 2009
(C&A Industries, Inc.)
C&A Industries, a national leader in staffing and recruitment, has named
Scot Thompson as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Omaha-based
company. Thompson succeeds founder Larry Courtnage, who will assume the role
of Chairman of the 40 year-old firm, along with his wife and business
partner, Kathy Wolf-Courtnage, who will serve as Vice Chairperson.
"We have been working toward this transition and I am very pleased to make
it official," said Courtnage. "I've spent my entire career building C&A and
Kathy and I have worked hard to make certain the company has the foundation
in place to entrust its future well beyond our involvement and lifetime.
Scot’s continued leadership and role as CEO is an essential component to
ensuring the long-term success of our organization”.
During his tenure with C&A, Thompson has been instrumental in strategically
transforming the company into one of the largest human capital management
firms in the country, earning a market-leading position in nearly every
market it serves. Under his leadership and vision, C&A divisions have
significantly expanded their market share as well as successfully entered
new niche markets, most significantly in the healthcare segment through the
Aureus Medical Group portfolio, with the addition of nursing, advanced
practice and physician search divisions, a managed services group, as well
as various modalities in the allied health field, including medical
laboratory, therapy, cardiopulmonary, and pharmacy.
“Scot’s leadership has been paramount to our significant growth over the
past decade as well as in transforming our organization into one of national
prominence”, said Courtnage. “With his guidance, Aureus Medical has grown to
be the ninth largest healthcare staffing firm in the nation, with our Allied
Health division leading the entire industry, and our Nursing division,
established just eight years ago, ranking in the top five.”
Wolf-Courtnage adds, “Scot’s contribution in building a successful and
experienced management team, in addition to molding the company’s culture
that has resulted in C&A being recognized as one of the Best Places to Work,
makes him the ideal choice to lead C&A to future levels of success."
Prior to joining C&A as Chief Operating Officer in 2000, Thompson had a
12-year career with Valmont Industries, having held various positions in
corporate finance, marketing, sales, and management.
“I look forward to continuing to build upon what Larry and Kathy have
established over the course of the past four decades, further strengthening
our reputation and market position as one of the finest and most respected
staffing and recruitment firms in the nation,” said Thompson. “With the
staffing industry projected to grow 80% faster than all industries combined
over the coming decade, we are uniquely positioned for expansive growth. We
have the infrastructure in place, significant breadth and scope of service
offerings, a commitment to excellence, and an exceptional group of employees
– all extraordinary ingredients for a very promising future.”
Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master’s of Business Administration from the
University of Nebraska-Omaha. He and his wife, Ellen, are the parents of two
daughters and are active in a number of philanthropic endeavors.
Midlands Business Journal, July 17, 2009
(Aureus Group)
Growing up in Europe, Nuria Archer enjoyed a full month of paid vacation
time in addition to a dozen paid holidays throughout the year. Thanks to her
experience placing accounting and finance professionals as a sales manager
for Aureus Group, a division of Omaha-based C&A Industries, and her
cross-cultural perspective, she understands what virtual trip planner
Expedia recently reported: Americans are the least likely of all countries
surveyed in the company’s Vacation Deprivation study to take a holiday. “I
talk to employers and employees all day long and they definitely sound
happier when they come back from vacation,” Archer said. She adds, “As human
beings we need time to revitalize and charge up batteries. I feel that
productivity and focus tend to be higher after vacation time.” According to
the Expedia study, 34 percent of Americans will forgo their vacation days
and cite increasing work-related pressures. In addition, Americans average
13 days of time off a year compared to 20 or more days in Canada and
European countries. Americans lose three days a year on average which taken
together total 436 million unused vacation days, valued at $63 billion,
according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dr. Donald Darst, internal
medicine specialist at The University Medical Center says that when the body
doesn’t get the rest it needs from breaks like a vacation, it can get worn
down, resulting in chronic fatigue, headaches, back pain and shortness of
breath. Over time people can develop hypertension, irritable colon, coronary
heart disease and daily headaches. Taking control of the situation by
finding ways to make your work environment less stressful, staying active
and fit, and using your allotted vacation time will help reduce adverse
work-related health conditions.
Midlands Business Journal, July 10, 2009
(Celebrity Staff)
A company can best stay away from legal claims by keeping up on law changes
and training managers on sensitivity issues. Companies have a variety of
ways to protect themselves from potentially damaging legal issues, and
working with an employment law attorney is one important step, said Patty
North, regional manager of Celebrity Staff. An employment law attorney will
help a company examine its hiring practices to ensure it is within legal
compliance, North said. Another important step is to write job descriptions
and ask employees to participate in the process so key responsibilities are
covered. A company that does not have human resources staff can outsource
the duties to a staffing or HR professional on a contract basis, North said.
Management training should be conducted on topics ranging from managing
staff to handling performance issues, she said. The entire company should be
trained on sensitivity issues, diversity and harassment. “While training may
be an investment, the return may be in the form of avoiding the expense of
defending a legal issue and those costs can grow exponentially,” she said.
Midlands Business Journal, July 10, 2009
(AurTravel)
At a time when many businesses are seeking ways to economize, using a travel
agent to arrange business travel can save you money. “Some companies have
cut back during the recession and are doing more conference calling and
webinars in lieu of travel, but we see businesses using travel agents more
than ever to make their arrangements,” said Kaylene Nienhueser, general
manager of AurTravel. “Sales people still need to get our there and meet
with people. We experienced a bit of a lull at the beginning of 2009, but
things are picking up at a good pace.” Some companies have reduced staff and
“they don’t want their employees spending a lot of valuable time searching
the Internet for airline, hotel and car rental rates,” she said. Customer
service is very important to a business traveler on the go, Nienhueser said.
“Our agency has 24/7 customer service,” she said. “If a traveler gets
stranded or needs to make a change, we will do it.”
B2B Magazine, July 1, 2009
(C&A Industries, Inc.)
Larry Courtnage draws parallels between his passion for flying and his
success in business. Just as he has navigated the skies in his private
airplane for years, he has created new paths and circumvented obstacles
along the way in building C&A Industries into one of the country's top
staffing agencies. While the journey over the past 40 years has been one
full of learning experiences along with successes and failures, Courtnage,
along with wife Kathy Wolf, daughter Vicki Witovski, stepsons Craig Wolf and
Mark Wolf, and Chief Operating Officer Scot Thompson have laid a strong
foundation for whatever comes in the next four decades and beyond.
Full story, page 8
Midlands Business Journal, June 26, 2009
(Aureus Group)
The first quarter of 2009, one Omaha company had 6000 applicants
jockeying for one of 170 positions available nationwide at any given time.
To better manage the flow of applications, some companies have brought in
other members of the HR department to help with the process. As the
recession has continued to unfold, a series of layoffs have occurred – but
some of these are not true reductions in force, said Nuria Archer, sales
manager at professional recruiting firm Aureus Group. “Some companies have
taken the opportunity to ‘trim the fat’ or letting the bottom 10 percent
go,” she said. “It is my belief that these companies turned attention to
employee performance and downsized weak producers. Desperate times call for
desperate measures and they no longer have the luxury to carry the extra
weight and the need for raising the bar is imminent.” With an overflow of
candidates claiming to be victims of layoffs, Archer said, companies turn to
firms like Aureus to investigate if the candidate was truly a layoff or part
of the bottom 10 percent. “The employer no longer has the time to qualify
countless amounts of resumes they receive per posted position and beg we use
our resources to find the top three candidates,” she said. “The position is
out there and they need to fill it quickly.” Archer said clients have also
turned to staffing firms as a way to keep their top, chose talent by
bringing in temporary “relief” staff so existing talent won’t become
overextended and start to look elsewhere for employment, she said. “Specific
projects need to be accomplished and the current workforce is not capable of
getting it done, due to the overflow they are already carrying out,” Archer
said.
Midlands Business Journal, June 26, 2009
(Aureus Group)
Every company should strive to recruit top talent and keep those
employees happy for the long haul. Pursuing these objectives helps
businesses stay strong and reach top performance goals. Chris Carlson,
regional manager at Aureus Group, believes one of the most effective
recruiting tools is a well-placed employee referral program. “Engaged top
talent referring former co-workers, employees, bosses and friends is a true
indicator of a productive and happy workforce,” she said. “Studies continue
to show new recruits, who have been referred by an employee, generally tend
to stay longer. “In my opinion, there are three commonalities that every
successful leader does to retain top talent,” Carlson said. They communicate
vision, objectives, and career path honestly, while empowering top
performers to take ownership of their function in the organization and the
compensate fairly, she said. Carlson also pointed out that the emerging
workforce is using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and similar sites, so
employers that are proactive in learning how to use these tools to recruit
and screen candidates, or even market services, will gain an edge on
competitors. “Constant and never ending improvement is an old fashioned work
ethic that is back in style,” she said. “We all need to open ourselves to
new ways to conduct business.”
Midlands Business Journal, June 12, 2009
(C&A Industries)
In 1969 the forerunner to C&A Industries was a one-person venture
specializing in matching companies with engineering and architecture talent.
How the organization’s 400 team members work for four specialized staffing
firms that match companies and talent across fields – from accounting to
nursing. It also has three staffing-related affiliates, two nonprofits and
status as one of the top 10 medical staffing companies in the country. “What
we’re proud of is that we took an entrepreneurial operation, which was a ma
and pa operation, and built it into a corporate structure that has a
national reach, a national audience, and is fairly well-known nationally,”
said founder, CEO and owner Larry Courtnage, as he reflected on the company
turning 40 this year. “That’s good for us, that’s good for Omaha, it’s good
for the economy and it proves that Omaha can do it.”
Full story
Midlands Business Journal, May 8, 2009
(C&A Industries)
No matter the economic conditions, finding great employees is never out
of style, said Scot Thompson, chief operating officer for C&A Industries.
Finding the right candidate can take time, even with a higher unemployment
rate, Thompson said. The unemployment rate in Nebraska is 4.6 percent and
8.5 percent in the U.S., according to the Department of Labor. C&A is seeing
a positive uptick of its clients’ needs, including its’ business units
serving industries in the Omaha metro, Thompson said. While great talent can
be hard to come by, Thompson said, a broader search can identify a deeper
pool of individuals that a company would not unearth on their own.
Professionals can be conscientious about keeping it confidential or are not
actively looking because they are generally satisfied, though they would
consider making a change if the right opportunity came along, he said.
Employers have even created positions or expanded positions to a different
scope for the “perfect person,” Thompson said.
Midlands Business Journal, May 8, 2009
(Celebrity Staff)
Attorneys are a necessity for any business or corporation toolbox.
Sometimes law firms need additional help temporarily, so they will hire a
contract attorney, said Patty North, regional manager of Celebrity Staff, a
division of C&A Industries. A contract attorney provides legal service to a
law firm on a non-continuing basis as an independent contractor or as an
employee represented by a staffing firm, North said. The lawyers’ fees
usually are hourly or by project. Hiring a contract attorney will allow law
firms to work multiple cases more efficiently, meet tight deadlines, and
relieve demands on overworked lawyers, she said. Contract attorneys also
enable firms to offer expertise they may be lacking to avoid referring
clients to another firm, provide access to an attorney during peak periods
without having to hire someone, and provide short-term assistance to fill
vacancies caused by illness, sabbatical, or family and medical leave.
“Contract attorneys allow for optimum staffing of specific projects without
undertaking long-term employment obligations,” North said.
Omaha World-Herald, May 3, 2009
(C&A Industries)
Think about your company’s mission statement. Then think about how it
would sound if set to music. That’s what an employee of C&A Industries did
for his employer. He sang and played his guitar in a mini-episode on a
special Web site produced by company staff. The site is modeled after the
television sitcom The Office.
Go to www.auroffice.com
and you’ll see dancing workers and accountants bobbing their heads to music.
All the performers on the Web site are C&A employees. The musical mission
statement is a mouthful: To be the staffing provider and employer of
choice by helping people and companies achieve their goals.
“If we find the perfect person for them, that helps companies achieve their
corporate goals,” says Scot Thompson, chief operating officer for C&A
Industries. “That’s powerful.”
C&A’s team spirit has created a culture that won the privately held company
a place among the top five large-size companies in the “Best Places to Work”
Omaha survey and puts it among the nation’s 10 largest health care staffing
firms.
Togetherness is nurtured in many ways — from a recognition program to an
online employee-suggestion program. C&A also offers an employee discount
program at area businesses and an in-house travel agency. Because Thompson
believes family is the priority in employees’ lives, he keeps activities
family-focused, such as the annual holiday carnival, Halloween
trick-or-treat party and a summer outing.
“One of many things that makes our work force unique is they are very
philanthropic,” Thompson says. Employees hold food drives and fundraising
events that benefit various charities. They also volunteer their time. C&A
sponsors two nonprofit organizations. The Kim Foundation focuses on
improving lives through mental health. Career Outreach offers free
employment counseling and seminars to community and civic groups.
The company started a health and wellness program in 2003 and is a member of
the Wellness Council of the Midlands, or WELCOM. In 2007, the company placed
in the silver category in the WELCOM competition. C&A’s wellness program
includes an annual health fair and “Weigh-to-Goal,” a three-month
weight-loss competition that ended in April. Participating employees lost
more than 680 pounds.
Lincoln Business Journal, May 1, 2009
(Celebrity Staff)
Lincoln’s job market may look better than that of other cities, but
employment experts admit it is really slow. The city’s manufacturing sector
has been affected significantly by the recession, and that has a domino
effect on other businesses, said Elizabeth Meyer, branch manager of
Celebrity Staff in Lincoln. The city is experiencing pains from job losses.
Several well-known companies have cut jobs over the last few months.
However, some companies in Lincoln plan to add positions and haven’t been
too affected by the recession, Meyer said. The staffing industry is one that
has been affected. “If companies are downsizing and are on hiring freezes,
that affects staffing companies because there won’t be as many positions to
recruit for as there may be in a strong economy,” Meyer said. Strong
industries include the medical field and legal fields, which continue to
need skilled candidates, including candidates to fill administrative
professional jobs, she said. Due to the economy, collection agencies and
mortgage title companies are also busy. Lincoln’s unemployment rate is about
4.2 percent, which is up from 2.9 percent last fall.
Lincoln Business Journal, May 1, 2009
(Celebrity Staff)
The best way to find a job is to know someone who is looking to fill a
job, and that’s where networking comes into play. Networking is a must-do
when looking for a job, especially in a down economy. Talking with friends
and family and attending business-related events will help in the networking
process, said Elizabeth Meyer, branch manager of Celebrity Staff in Lincoln.
To begin the networking process, tell previous business contacts, friends
and family members that you are looking for a job, Meyer said. Attending
business events, such as those planned by the local chamber of commerce, is
a good idea as well. “Your odds are better if you have people out there
looking for you,” she said. It is also important to remain optimistic. That
means avoiding negative thoughts and staying away from negative people,
Meyer said. That may require tuning out the daily news. Instead, surround
yourself with professional people, listen to motivational speakers, and read
positive books.
Midlands Business Journal, April 10, 2009
(Aureus Group)
IT professionals are still in demand, but the economy and other factors
have wrought subtle changes in what employers want, staffing experts say.
"The IT job market is not as bad during this recession as it was in the
early 1990sor later when the dot.com bubble burst," said Chris Carlson,
regional manager of Aureus Group. "There is a larger contract work force and
the hiring process is getting longer as more companies require numerous
individuals, possibly including members of their board, to okay a hire. "You
have to keep in mind that the overall unemployment rate is February was 8.1
percent, but for college graduates it was just 4.1 percent according to
Bureau of Labor Statistics," she said. College students who plan a career in
IT should pursue practical experience while they complete their degrees.
Desirable skill sets for the present and the future, include programming and
applications development, Carlson said. For example, "Demand is red-hot now
for people with AJAX, .Net, Java and PHP skills," she said. "There will
always be a demand for IT professionals with core security credentials, such
as intrusion-detection capabilities and government security clearances, but
database and wireless security projects will drive that demand even higher
this year," she said. A flurry of activity among businesses to upgrade or
relocate data centers to take advantage of virtualization and other recent
data automation has resulted in more recruitment of experienced mainframe
technicians to apply the same type of industrial-strength computing
disciplines they've acquired to distributed systems, Carlson said.
B2B Quarterly, April 1, 2009
(C&A Industries)
C&A Industries, Inc., parent company to a portfolio of leading staffing
and recruiting firms, has been named among the top employment agencies in
B2B Quarterly’s
Spring 2009 issue. Based on reader’s vote, B2B Quarterly awards the
“Best of” in several categories, including professional services, business
services, financial services, building services and travel & event planning.
B2B Quarterly is Greater Omaha’s premiere business publication,
featuring the latest business developments as well as features on Omaha’s
most prominent business leaders.
Midlands Business Journal, March 13, 2009
(Celebrity Staff)
Media has popularized the trial attorney, but in the day-to-day business
world, an attorney is essential to sidestepping a court proceeding in the
first place. Not all lawyers are created equal, starting with their breadth
of knowledge. "A generalist would deal with any aspect of the company that
has a tie to legal processes or regulations - they are typically referred to
as general counsel," said Monica Fuehrer, an account manager at Celebrity
Staff, who focuses on facilitating the screening and hiring of attorneys for
firms. "A specialist would handle one specific aspect of the business such
as an attorney at a major insurance or financial services firm who may be an
expert in ERISA regulations, whereas an attorney working for a
transportation company may focus on the law governing international trade of
products." Just as the depth and breadth of knowledge differs, not all
lawyers' experience and ability is equal either. Martindale-Hubble Peer
Review Ratings are a good resource for the professional on the hunt for an
attorney. The old-fashioned way of referrals from contacts you trust is
always a good way to find the right attorney for you. Besides referrals,
Fuehrer recommends partnering with a staffing firm that has expertise in the
legal staffing arena. "A professional staffing firm will not only identify
candidates who are in alignment with the profile of the position, but will
also save the business a tremendous amount of time and effort," she said. "A
staffing firm will market the position to a network of exceptional
candidates and uncover those who may not otherwise come to the forefront
through traditional hiring methods." Time is also on the staffer's side,
Fuehrer said. "Many attorneys who are open and interested in pursuing new
opportunities don't have the luxury of time to actively seek them out," she
said. "A specialized attorney recruiter with an established network can find
those who are currently working and very successful in their current roles
yet passively seeking a change. A staffing firm will also field resumes,
handle the follow up phone calls and conduct initial screening and
interviews, only presenting the client with the very best and most qualified
candidates."
(AurTravel)
WOWT
This time of year, many have a case of the winter blues and for some that
may mean hopping on a plane to a warmer climate. There are good deals if you
find the right place and month to go.
Over the next few weeks, college students will be trading in their books for
sunglasses and a beach chair. Karen Kunkel, a travel agent with AurTravel,
says within the U.S., flights may not be drastically lower, but flights to
other countries continue to fall. "Airfare today for Europe came down
tremendously." Even popular spring break locations like Mexico and Jamaica
are offering specials. Kunkel found a flight for just under $280 per person
to Cancun. With the current economy, it's not just college students hunting
for a good deal on a vacation. "Families that like to get away this time of
year, just to get out of the cold, I've seen a huge increase in that,” said
Kunkel. Those willing and able to travel right now will find great deals.
That's partly due to airplane fuel prices dropping and airlines competing
for customers. "People just quit traveling and the airline industry has
finally figured out that we need to reduce prices if we want to fill our
planes," said Kunkel. AurTravel says airfare for the summer is still more
expensive, but given time, it believes the peak season prices will fall as
well.
(C&A Industries, Inc.)
Midlands Business Journal, February 27, 2009
When OPPD explored creating its own young professionals group, it looked
no further than the YPC. A gold level sponsor at this year's summit, OPPD is
supporting this signature event a number of ways. Some of C&A Industries'
young professionals will also be on hand for the summit. Employees aged 18
to 40 make up 70 percent of the company's total workforce, according to COO
Scot Thompson. "So we are very cognizant of what's important to this
particular age group from an employer stand point," he said. Due to the
company's young culture, there isn't an internal young employee
organization; instead, Thompson said, there are many young professionals
involved with company groups - such as the wellness committee or
professional development board. Employee-driven philanthropic initiatives
are also encouraged, he said. "We have a wonderful holiday giving program
during the month of December where employees donate, volunteer hours, adopt
families and hold their own events, such as volleyball tournaments, raffles,
and breakfasts to raise funds for a variety of worthy and important causes,"
Thompson said. Training is also a priority. "When companies demonstrate a
commitment to their employees and to their futures, employees will be more
loyal in return," Thompson said.
(AurTravel)
Midlands Business Journal, February 6, 2009
Sluggish economy or not, Valentine's Day is still a good time to boost
the winter doldrums for your spouse or partner, and even some favorite
clients. The prospect of getting away form the household and work grind -
even if the weather is still wintry - is an ideal Valentine. Kaylene
Nienhueser, general manager of AurTravel, said Kansas City getaways are
popular last-minute travel gifts and ideal for couples who can't easily take
vacation time. "This year we have Valentine's Day on a Saturday followed by
President's Day on Monday, so there's a little more flexibility for those
who get that day off," Nienhueser said. A hotel at Kansas City's Country
Club Plaza is about $150 a night through AurTravel, Nienhueser said, and
more extensive packages also can be arranged. "There are so many restaurants
it's easy to choose one and have a lovely meal." Similar Omaha packages can
be prepared for those who prefer to stay close to home, she said.
Valentine's Day is also a perfect occasion to present a vacation package,
like an all-inclusive cruise to Mexico, to be used later in the y ear. "We
can create a gift certificate customized for the recipient for a special
vacation," Nienhueser said. "If you were planning to take a vacation this
year, this is a good way to make a special gift of it. Most people like to
have some time to plan their trip, clear the calendar at work and shop for
new clothes. Preparation is half the fun."
(Aureus Group)
Midlands Business Journal, January 30, 2009
Business successions may result in disruption of a company's operation, but
the operation can continue smoothly with careful planning and communication,
experts say. Authentic communication is essential to managing any changes, said
Chris Carlson, regional manager of Aureus Group, a division of C&A Industries.
The one common thread of successful succession planning and leadership change is
clear, concise, consistent and genuine communication, Carlson said. Leaders are
given more leeway when their team trusts them and understands the direction.
"Leadership matters. It motivates people beyond their limitations, unleashes
energy, and gives people direction, synchronizing their efforts," Carlson said.
The quality of leadership at every level has a huge impact on everyday
operations and determines every worker's level of engagement. Communicating
honestly will give employees a clear understanding of the direction of the
company. "Employees will work smarter and harder when they align their work with
the vision of the organization," Carlson said.
(AurTravel)
Midlands Business Journal, January 16, 2009
Recently Paul Haggas secured airfare to Africa for less than $2,200 per
person, while planning a trip for a humanitarian group. That fare was more than
$600 less than the published airfare, said Haggas, a travel consultant. "A
travel agent can save you time and money - time by having the resources
available to search a multitude of destinations and the many properties and
activities offered at various destinations," he said. Not all travel agencies
are the same, said Kaylene Nienheuser, general manager and certified travel
counselor at AurTravel. "Full service travel agencies do everything, including
airline tickets, cruises, hotel reservations, car rental, vacation packages and
shuttle services," she said. "There are some agencies that are cruise-only
agencies, for example, and they just sell cruises - not airline tickets or
anything else." Ideally, agents should have nine months to plan for a holiday,
Nienheuser said. "We can keep an eye on rates and maybe they will go down," she
said. "Also a good travel agent can watch to see if things are starting to sell
out. If they are, it's time to get things booked before the prices get higher
because of sell-out situations." Nienheuser could go on and on with the benefits
of selecting a travel agent, as opposed to planning a trip on one's own - from
tapping into the agent's knowledge and experience to customer service and
service after the sale. "Travel agents have knowledge about the destinations
that you can't find on the Internet," she said. "In our office, for example, the
four agents have nearly 70 years of travel experience, so between all of us,
chances are we've been to the place our clients are asking about, and if we
haven't we know people who have."
(C&A Industries)
Omaha Magazine, January 5, 2009
C&A Industries, Inc., parent company to a portfolio of leading staffing
and recruiting firms, has been named among the top employers in Omaha
Magazine.
C&A made the exclusive list, along with PayPal and First National Bank of
Omaha. The announcement is featured in the magazine’s January/February 2009
“Best of Omaha” issue.
Since 1992, Omaha Magazine has been awarding, based on public vote, the
“Best of” in a wide variety of categories, including restaurants, arts &
culture, retail, and more.
Omaha Magazine is a regional lifestyle publication that serves a readership
of more than 100,000. For more than 20 years, Omaha Magazine brings its
readers captivating stories on area politics, home and garden, leisure life,
food and dining, style, the arts, entertainment and travel, as well as
service articles and compelling features on the area's most interesting
people and places.