GROW Nebraska Women’s business center hires Eden Butler as new client coordinator/office assistant

GROW Nebraska Women’s business center hires Eden Butler as new client coordinator/office assistant

by | Oct 19, 2021 | GROW Blog

GROW Nebraska Women’s business center hires Eden Butler as new client coordinator/office assistant

OMAHA – The GROW Nebraska Women’s Business Center (GNWBC) is pleased to announce it will continue to expand services through the hiring of a new client coordinator/office assistant. 

Eden Butler joined the GNWBC team on Oct. 12, bringing years of experience in both administration and marketing to the position.

“We couldn’t be happier to have her at the WBC,” said GNWBC Director Candice Price. “She comes from a background of working with women lead organizations and is skilled in assisting business growth through branding and marketing.” 

This new role was created to support the Women Business Center’s administrative needs, including market outreach, client coordination, office supply management, records management. As the client coordinator, Butler will work with clients for registration, enrollment, and coordination of participation in programs.

Born and raised in Tulsa, OK, Eden Butler is the CEO and Graphic Designer at Phoenix Under Fire, LLC, a branding and advertising agency that has served multiple small businesses and nonprofit organizations nationwide. Phoenix Under Fire has worked with establishments such as Nebraska Democratic Party, Nebraska Douglas County Democrats, Nebraska Enterprise Fund, Omaha NAACP, and Royal Caribbean International.

Most recently, Butler also worked as an administrative assistant for Big Mama’s Kitchen and Catering, who is also a GNWBC client. Her resume also includes work as a marketing coordinator and administrative assistant for other organizations.

Butler attended Tulsa Community College from 2005-2009, studying Music and Business Management.

“The GROW Nebraska Women’s Business Center has stirred up an overwhelming interest from entrepreneurs in the Omaha area this year,” said GROW Nebraska CEO Janell Anderson Ehrke. “By adding Eden to the team, we’ll be able to help even more current and aspiring small business owners achieve their dreams.” 

About the GROW Nebraska Women’s Business Center

The GROW Nebraska Foundation launched the GROW Nebraska Women’s Business Center (GNWBC) in the Omaha Metro area in 2021 with the goal of offering support, training, and networking in an efficient and affordable manner to entrepreneurs that otherwise lack the resources and ability to access needed services. 

Powered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the GNWBC is a coordinated effort among the Nebraska Enterprise Fund and Metro Omaha Women’s Business Center that allows each organization to exude its strengths and make the GNWBC a “one-stop” coordinated program that allows small business owners to grow and learn, enhancing the local workforce with job creation, business skills, and business growth. 

 

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BC Clark joins GROW Nebraska board as newest advisor

BC Clark joins GROW Nebraska board as newest advisor

by | Oct 4, 2021 | GROW Blog

BC Clark joins GROW Nebraska board as newest advisor

The GROW Nebraska Board of Directors is excited to welcome BC Clark, a longtime champion for small businesses in Nebraska, as its newest advisor. 

Clark joined the GROW Nebraska team earlier this year, stepping in as the Program Director for the new GROW Nebraska Women’s Business Center. However, her history of helping small businesses long predates this role. 

“BC is well-known in Omaha, and we’re thrilled to bring on this local celebrity as an advisor to our board,” said Janell Anderson Ehrke, GROW Nebraska CEO. “She has a wealth of knowledge that will help guide the board, bring in new ideas, and ultimately help GROW become an even better organization.”

Currently the Director of Training and Client Development for the Nebraska Enterprise Fund, Clark has been sharing her business expertise for almost two decades. 

Most notably, Clark’s contributions include founding the Metro Omaha Women’s Business Center in 2008 and co-founding Leading Edge Consulting in 2003, where she also served as the Chief Executive Officer. 

She is also an active member of the Nebraska Business Development Center Advisory Board, a Nationally Certified SCORE Business Mentor, and certified by Credit Builders Alliance as a Master Trainer in building credit as an asset.

“It’s the combination of passion and expertise that make BC such a perfect fit for this role,” Anderson Ehrke said. “We can’t wait to see what great things come from adding her to the team.”

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GROW Nebraska® Member Meets Demand for Pandemic Baking Products

GROW Nebraska® Member Meets Demand for Pandemic Baking Products

by | May 1, 2020 | GROW Blog

GROW Nebraska® Member Meets Demand for Pandemic Baking Products

When COVID-19 forced families to stay home, many decided to roll out the dough and start baking. Shoppers hoarded baking essentials leaving many store shelves empty.

GROW Nebraska® and one of its long-time members recognized the opportunity and stepped up to satisfy that demand through online product sales. Heartland Gourmet’s online sales of flour and baking mixes reached all-time highs. The company filled more than 3,000 orders from GROW Nebraska® customers between March 15 and April 15.

GROW Nebraska® CEO Janell Anderson Ehrke said that before the COVID-19 pandemic, GROW averaged 15-17 orders per day for all members on e-commerce sites.

“During COVID-19, we are averaging 168 orders a day seven days a week,” Ehrke said.

Many of those orders were for Heartland Gourmet products, including 2,539 five-pound bags of flour, 108 beer bread mixes, 92 garlic cheddar bread mixes and 68 Mama’s scone mixes.

“The GROW team is working overtime on descriptions, keywords, Google AdWords and social media,” Anderson Ehrke said. “We are also doing three marketing emails per week featuring different products to get in front of customers. It’s working. Social media, Google Map photos, Yelp listings are helping drive traffic so that we can have success for our members. It’s our way of turning this lemon into lemonade.”

Susan Zink, manager/product development specialist for Heartland Gourmet, LLC, said her company didn’t spend much time marketing online sales before the pandemic. Instead, they focused most of their efforts on creating products for brick-and-mortar retail sales through their wholesale clients, including Russ’s Market and other grocery stores and retailers. During the pandemic, Heartland Gourmet switched gears.

“We were fortunate enough to be able to fill a need that consumers demanded,” Zink said. “I think that is the key — to keep trying things that people may want or need. Realistically, we know flour sales aren’t going to stay where they are at. However, kids are still home, people are getting used to baking at home, so we are creating items that help with that.”

Zink said when flour became scarce in stores, Heartland Gourmet packaged flour that they had on hand for their recipe mixes into 5-pound bags for consumers.

“We just shifted production lines around and everyone pulled together to get whatever was most important out the door at the time,” Zink said.

That flexibility and forward-thinking yielded amazing sales for the 20-year-old company.

About Heartland Gourmet

Heartland Gourmet specializes in gourmet baking mixes and dough, certified gluten-free baking mixes and doughs, and certified organic baking mixes and doughs. The company is based in a 54,000-square-foot production facility in Lincoln that employs 20 full-time staff.

“We pride ourselves in sourcing the finest ingredients and working with reliable suppliers,” Zink said.

The company started in 1996 as a fundraising company called Raising Dough Products. They transitioned to strictly manufacturing in 2000 and then merged a few businesses to become Heartland Gourmet in 2010. Soon after that, Heartland Gourmet bought three companies to add to their product offering:  Gluten Free Mama, Cobblestone Kitchens and Coopers Best.

“We were excited to have the opportunity to purchase Coopers out of Humboldt/Cozad and keep the legacy of the brand in Nebraska,” Zink said. “The Coopers pancakes are certainly one of our top items.”

Popular products in their Gluten-Free Mama line include the almond and coconut flour blends. Cobblestone Kitchen products are sold throughout the United States at T.J.Maxx, and their cocoas with whimsical labels are a favorite. In the Heartland Gourmet line, beer bread is one of the most popular mixes.

Heartland Gourmet releases new products each fall. They created a Unicorn Pancake Mix with “magical” sprinkles and a lemon blueberry donut mix in 2019.

GROW Partnership

Zink said she originally joined GROW Nebraska® when she was doing bookkeeping/consulting out of her home and has continued to be a part of the organization over the years.

“GROW Nebraska® has always been there when I needed an opinion or advice, to help with social media, website, etc. It doesn’t matter how big you get, there are always things you don’t know,” she said.

Zink said she has participated in many GROW Nebraska® trainings and sales opportunities throughout the years. The trainings involving social media tips and Google have been most helpful to her.

The company’s recent successes include securing the business and trust of some large private label accounts and some entrepreneurs who have great products in the market place. 

“To have someone trust you with their business, their livelihood (their baby) is, to me, the ultimate success,” Zink said.

In the coming years, Zink said her company goals including expanding their reach and becoming more efficient.

She has operated Heartland Gourmet with her husband, Mark, since 1996.

“It’s not always easy working, raising a family, and living together,” she said. “No matter what the partnership, what kind of business, being a business owner isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a sacrifice, but it is also rewarding. You can’t be everything to everyone in your business. Find a part of it you are passionate about, and find good people to help you with the rest.”

Shop Heartland Gourmet Products HERE
Learn more about Heartland Gourmet HERE
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Nebraska Chamber’s Leadership Nebraska Announces New Class

Nebraska Chamber’s Leadership Nebraska Announces New Class

by | Jul 5, 2019 | GROW Blog

Janell Anderson Ehrke, Represents Orleans as Nebraska Chamber’s Leadership Nebraska Class XII

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry has announced the members of its new Leadership Nebraska Class. This year’s class is the twelfth in the program’s history. Leadership Nebraska was founded in 2006 to identify current and emerging leaders throughout the state, enhance their leadership skills and deepen their knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing Nebraska. Participants have been selected from different regions of the state and possess varied backgrounds and diverse talents. All candidates have demonstrated an abiding interest in Nebraska and its future. The program consists of six sessions covering a broad range of key Nebraska issues including economic development, health care, education, agriculture, government and policy development. Class XII begins with an orientation in June and will conclude in February 2020 with a commencement in Lincoln. Sessions will be conducted throughout various locations of the state. Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber, said:

“Nebraska faces complex challenges in this new economy. To maintain and enhance our state’s competitiveness, we need well­ informed, connected leaders who are ready to serve their fellow Nebraskans.”

Listed below are the 30 Nebraskans selected to participate in Leadership Nebraska’s Class XII, along with the class member’s employer and city.

AURORA: Wade Regier, Pinnacle Bank

BEATRICE: David Verkler, Exmark Manufacturing

BLAIR: Justin Suhr, Great Plains Communications

GRETNA: Angie Lauritsen, Lauritsen Ventures/City of Gretna

KEARNEY: Dustin Favinger, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Justin Gould, Black Hills Energy
Derek Rusher, Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce
Melissa Scott-Pandorf, KBR Wyle-Houston
Marsha Wilkerson, BD Construction, Inc

LINCOLN: Misty Ahmic, Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska
Benjamin Baumfalk, First Five Nebraska
Edward Boone, State Senator Tom Briese’s office
Jennifer Heaton, Nebraska Bankers Association
Peggy Reisher, Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska

NORTH PLATTE: Jarid Childears, First National Bank

OMAHA: Norine Howard-Domenge, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska
Travis Flodine, Mutual of Omaha Bank
Curtis Johnson, DLR Group-Architecture Engineering Planning Interiors
Deborah Neary, MENTOR Nebraska
Heather Siebken, Omaha Public Power District
Paul Ternes, Peter Kiewit Foundation,
Steve Wobken, Ash Grove Cement Company

ORD: Rebecca Ries, Valley County Health System Foundation

ORLEANS: Janell Anderson Ehrke, GROW Nebraska Foundation

SCOTTSBLUFF: Jordan Colwell, Regional West Physicians Clinic

ST. PAUL: Caitlin Jerabek, Beyond Blueprints

STROMSBURG: Barbara Fowler, Polk County Rural Public Power District

WEST POINT: Emma Stokely, Franciscan Care Services

YORK: Patrick Hanrahan, Nebraska Public Power District Mark Way, York State Bank

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