Dynamic Dozen companies showcase Ozarks’ spirit

Walking away from last night’s Springfield Business Journal Dynamic Dozen event, I left with a sense of pride in our community and the feeling everything was going to be OK.

Honoring six individuals and the 12 fastest-growing companies in the Ozarks, the event aims to salute business progress and spurs on healthy competition as we count down to the No. 1 company. But more than the awards, it was the words of the honorees that struck me.

In a recession, growth is rare, but it’s not unheard of. The men and women who took the stage at the DoubleTree Hotel last night know that. They know you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it and they know how hard they worked to achieve their goals.

Would you like a side of nostalgia with that?

At the corner of Chestnut Expressway and North Glenn Avenue sits a vacant lot. A few elder oaks dot the barren corner and a driveway sits to the north side, a reminder of days gone by.

Easily passed on the day-to-day commute, the story of that driveway is steeped in Springfield history. Once upon a time, that stretch of Chestnut Expressway was commonly referred to as Route 66 and that vacant lot was Red’s Giant Hamburg – which claimed to have the world’s first drive-thru window. 

Widget allows salary comparisons

I recently found out that CNNMoney offers this cool widget that allows you to compare salaries in different cities.

Springfield indie game developer meets $75K crowdfunding goal

It was a profitable weekend for Springfield indie video game developer Pixelscopic LLC.

The first lady in the Queen City

When the official hashtag for the day is #FLOTUSsgf, you know it’s going to be a long day in the office.

I first “met” Michelle Obama when she introduced then presidential candidate Barack Obama before a crowd of more than 10,000 supporters at Parkview High School during his 2008 campaign stop.

Waiting on Wal-Mart

Mark your calendars for Feb. 11. This is the day a public hearing will be held on Bentonville, Ark-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s plans to bring a fifth Neighborhood Market to town.

Swisshelm bankruptcy tops SBJ.net in 2012

Another year is gone, and with it, an interesting 12 months in business news has passed.

But the implications of the most viewed SBJ.net stories will continue through 2013 and beyond.

Furnishing joy: IKEA plans KC-area store for 2014

Each morning I grab my shoes out of Stahl, turn off Kroby and grab my coffee from Omar on the way out the door.

Sound weird?

That’s because it’s Swedish – well, sort of.

Here comes the sun: Freedom of Information Act forum serves as eye-opening event

Ever wonder what not-so-appetizing items have been reported about hotdogs during the years? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know and after hearing the report, I’m not sure I’ll ever eat hotdogs again.

Springfield goes viral with two recent videos

Two rather compelling videos made in Springfield have gone viral and garnered national attention.