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mobank News

mobank Supports Rising Entrepreneurs

The 2010 Just for Starters competition, sponsored in part by mobank, was held July 15 at the Kauffman Foundation. The KC Roundtable event allowed young entrepreneurs to present their business idea to a group of judges. The goal? Find the savviest young entrepreneurs in Kansas City.

Each competitor had three minutes to present their best business ideas and then answered rapid-fire questions from the five judges. The audience tweeted their comments and questions through a live Twitter feed and ultimately decided the winner through an audience clap-o-meter rating.

"It was a fun opportunity to hear the fresh ideas that are beginning to take flight in our community," said Grant Burcham, mobank’s president and CEO, who served as a panel judge. Other judges included Ron Kane (entrepreneur), Sam Meers (marketing expert), Grisel Wiley (angel investor) and Mark Allen (entrepreneur).

Intefy was named the winner, and five other young entrepreneurs were finalists: Centric Projects, MuslimRanch.com, the Pocket Shocker, Chat Taxi and Demand Launch. Watch for them as they begin their new business ventures in our city.

July 2010 Artboards Now Featuring Photography

New works will debut on the "artboards" atop mobank's Crossroads branch in time for the July First Friday event.

Both of the featured artists work in a variety of media but are showing photography in this exhibit.

Anne Lindberg is a longtime customer of mobank as co-owner of Derek Porter Studio. One of her pieces is owned by the bank and is on display in the downtown branch; it is the large-format line drawing against the green wall.

For the new artboard installation, she selected a pair of images, titled once a day 59 and 62, presenting two views of luminous curtains photographed in the interior of her home, at dusk. They are part of a series of photographs Lindberg takes daily of her surroundings, creating an intimate, cumulative mapping of personal space and a record of private observations.

"I wanted to lift these subtle, private images up into the public realm of the urban billboard ... transporting viewers to a different time of day, place and mood," said Lindberg.

Paul Shortt is an interdisciplinary artist who works in the mediums of drawing, photography, video and performance. Shortt's pair of images are from a larger body of recent work titled Nimby's, which feature yard signs he has made by hand and installed in undeveloped lots, empty houses, and along roadsides.

"By hand-making the signs and text, I'm throwing into question the authority of signs, while giving the locations an authority and presence to be interpreted by the viewer," Shortt said.

Lindberg and Shortt are the 11th and 12th artists to be represented on the rotating artboard display at 125 Southwest Boulevard. The artboards first debuted with the opening of the Crossroads branch in 2008, and rotate about once each quarter to feature a new display of local artists' works.

As part of the building renovation by Helix Architecture + Design, mobank donated the billboards on the roof of its Crossroads branch to the "Art through Architecture" (AtA) program. AtA is a partnership between Charlotte Street Foundation and the American Institute of Architects - Kansas City. Kate Hackman, associate director of the Charlotte Street Foundation, serves as the project's curator.

She Got It Started - At mobank

When a local television news crew wanted to film a story about Mary Pinizzotto and her "Freebox Everyday Dance Project," she needed an ideal venue for her daily public performance. So, she called mobank.

Within hours, Mary and several members of the Crossroads Branch staff were dancing in the aisles at the branch as the cameras rolled, capturing Mary's one-woman crusade to change people's lives by promoting freestyle public dancing.

In Mary's daily blog, she says, "I got a call this morning from Fox News asking if they could drop in on my dance today... I had no plan and had to quickly get one going. I called my friend Amanda who works at my bank, Missouri Bank. They have a beautiful branch in the Crossroads that looks nothing like a real bank. It is a real bank, but everything they do is geared toward creative people. She got permission for us to dance there, joined me and even helped me persuade the other employees, Cynthia, Jeri, Melvis and Heather, to join us. They were reluctant at first, but the music got the best of them! Thanks, girls, for getting down with me! How cool is my bank to support this crazy project? I think very!"

Mary and her husband, Mark Gardiner, live in a Crossroads District loft. She launched the Freebox Everyday Dance Project in late 2009. She's a former competitive ballroom dancer, but her current dances are more free form. Her goal - inspire everyone to dance, whether they know any specific steps or not.

Every day she posts a new video of one of her public dances.

"From bikers I met in the middle of the highway in Utah, to a covertly filmed group Viennese Waltz in Wal-Mart, I've danced with all kinds of people in all kinds of situations," she writes. According to an article in The Kansas City Star, "on Easter Sunday, she convinced strangers to bunny hop on the Country Club Plaza. On Memorial Day, she performed at the Liberty Memorial."

Mary is driven by a simple philosophy we find hard to argue with, "If more people danced every day, the world would be a much happier place!"

Links:
Mary's blog showing the mobank dance:
http://thefreebox.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/day-186-lets-get-it-started-at-missouri-bank/

Article about Mary appearing in The Kansas City Star
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/14/2017301/blogger-posts-daily-online-videos.html

Mary's home page:
www.thefreebox.org

Recognition Unsought but Well Earned

No clever gimmicks. No in-house competitions. No arm-twisting.

At mobank, that's business as usual.

In this case, it was success in the bank's annual employee United Way campaign. mobank employees have participated in the annual campaign for decades, but the 2009 campaign was different - not in style, but in results.

For the first time, mobank earned the Circle of Caring award from the United Way of Greater Kansas City, recognizing a level of support "above and beyond the call of duty," based on both financial contributions and active involvement.

This happened without gimmicks or incentives beyond a few drink coupons from QuikTrip. The bank simply posted on its intranet the essential information about community needs and how United Way addresses those needs. They let the facts speak for themselves.

"We take comfort in knowing that United Way touches so many people throughout our metropolitan area - families, friends and co-workers, as well as our customers and their families," said Sharon Martin, AVP Human Resources of mobank and United Way Company Coordinator. "United Way bridges gaps in services and supports local agencies that get results."

After the Circle of Caring Award was announced, Grant Burcham, president and CEO of mobank, thanked employees for their efforts and their generosity.

"As our community, and our nation, struggled with a persistent recession, a lot of individuals and organizations had to sacrifice philanthropy. While others pulled back, mobank people stepped up," he said. "Our people really are special and different."

Recognition for LEED-Certified Crossroads Branch

mobank's Crossroads branch continues to garner attention as one of Kansas City's signature "green" buildings, and as a showcase for restoring old structures to make them environmentally friendly.

The branch at 125 Southwest Boulevard was the final stop on a June 4 Green Roof Tour organized by the Environmental Excellence Business Network (EEBN), an affiliate of Bridging the Gap. http://www.bridgingthegap.org/

Tour participants visited the branch to see and hear about the restoration of the almost century-old building and its sustainability features.

Other stops on the tour included Cosentino's Market in the Power & Light District, the Kansas City Library at 14 W. 10th St., and the 909 Walnut Complex, which includes condominiums and an office tower. Participants in the self-guided walking tour then headed to an EEBN social on the green roof of Barkley at 1740 Main St.

mobank's Crossroads branch recently won the "Green" Project of the Year award from the Kansas City Chapter of The Associated General Contractors of America.

That award came on the heels of the branch's celebrated certification as a Gold-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) award-winner - only the fourth building in Kansas City to qualify for the gold-level designation.

"We're honored to be included in EEBN's latest showcase," said Grant Burcham, president and CEO of mobank. "It was a great opportunity for us to meet people in our community who share a vision of what can be accomplished by business owners, architects and contractors who want to improve their communities."

The EEBN is a network of people who share a common goal: making sustainable business decisions that protect natural resources and make good business sense.

Green roofs are an important part of efforts to make buildings more sustainable. They provide significant help for urban storm water runoff in an environmentally friendly way.

Brookside Branch Beautifies Southtown

The Southtown Council has selected mobank's new Brookside branch as one of the 2010 Annual Southtown Beautification Award recipients. The theme this year was "Extreme Makeover".

Like mobank's Crossroads branch, the Brookside branch involved a major makeover of an older building devoted to cars, not banking - in this case, the former Star Motors building. The branch's drive-through incorporated the original design of the building, going directly through the old service garage. One major change: drive-through and walk-in customers can see each other through an all-glass wall. The other side of the drive-through features the "DREAM" wall art installation by local artist Archie Scott Gobber.

"We want all of our branch buildings to be authentic, positive additions to their communities," said Grant Burcham, president and CEO of mobank. "We appreciate the recognition from the Southtown Council and the great work by our architect and construction partners, Helix and HarenLaughlin, as well as by Archie Scott Gobber."

Jack Kammerer, CFO of mobank, accepted the award on mobank's behalf at the annual Southtown Awards Dinner May 11 at Benjamin Ranch.

http://www.southtown.org/stc/missouri-bank-opens-brookside

http://www.southtown.org/stc/2010-annual-beautification-awards-dinner

mobank Named Finalist for Ethics in Business Award

mobank was named a finalist in the 2010 Heart of America Ethics in Business award program.

The award program is presented by the Midwest Christian Counseling Center in collaboration with Baker University's School of Professional and Graduate Studies. It honors businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and community leaders that stand apart in their dedication to incorporate social responsibility in their employment practices, civic activities, environmental concern, and ethical conduct.

"This recognition is special, because we were nominated by one of our customers," said Grant Burcham, president and CEO of mobank. "For us, doing business in an ethical manner is at the core of who we are and how we make a positive difference as part of this community."

The Heart of America Ethics in Business Awards annual event was held May 6 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. McCownGordon Construction, a mobank customer, was named the winner in the small, for-profit business category.

"Congratulations to our friends at McCownGordon, another organization that knows how to be the difference," Burcham said.

To learn more about the Heart of America Ethics in Business Awards program, visit http://midwestchristian.org/EthicsProgram2.htm.

mobank Crossroads Branch Earns Green Building Award

mobank's commitment to environmental stewardship continues to gain recognition. The bank's Crossroads branch recently won the "Green" Project of the Year award from the Kansas City Chapter of The Associated General Contractors of America.

The award was presented to the building's contractor, AGC member HarenLaughlin Construction, during a gala event at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Journalist and talk show host Steve Kraske served as master of ceremonies.

The award citation noted that the branch required a major overhaul for its conversion from a dilapidated 1920s mechanic's garage to only the fourth building in Kansas City to qualify for a Gold-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. It also noted that the building used reclaimed barn timbers, pine flooring and brick; that it employed window and door frames made from used vinegar vats; and that 75 percent of the materials that left the site were diverted from landfills by salvaging or recycling.

"We were particularly gratified that the award judges also noted that the design and construction helped enable our Crossroads branch to become a community gathering place. That was the most meaningful part to us," said Grant Burcham, president and CEO of mobank. "Our congratulations and thanks to HarenLaughlin for their fine work on this project."

Two projects by the JE Dunn Construction Company were named finalists in the category: the Kansas City Power & Light Headquarters Renovation, and Dunn's new corporate headquarters.

View this link to read the entire story featured in the May-June 2010 Modern Builder article.

mobank Celebrates KC Chamber's Top 10 Small Businesses

mobank enjoyed playing a central role in the annual recognition of the region's Top 10 Small Businesses, a celebration sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

To honor the nominees, mobank hosted the annual dinner in the lobby of the downtown location at 1044 Main St. on April 8. The bank, recognized as a Top 10 Small Business and the Mr. K Award winner in 1999, has hosted the dinner ever since.

Three mobank customers were among the top 10 honorees: Bishop-McCann, The Purple Guys, and The Roasterie. Two other mobank customers were involved in the dinner: Catering by Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions and floral arrangements by Studio Dan Meiners.

The Chamber's Small Business Celebration is the largest of its kind in the country. It began 24 years ago as Small Business Week and has grown to three months of activities. This year, there were nearly 1,500 nominations that resulted in 119 formal applications. Rounding out the Top 10 were Athletic & Rehabilitation Center, ColorMark, Inc., Global Medical Direct, Greenleaf Construction Co., Inc., Magic Touch Cleaning, Inc., P/Strada, LLC and Straub Construction Company, Inc.

"We were pleased to host this celebration once again, and offer our congratulations to all ten outstanding companies," Burcham said. "We are an entrepreneurial small business that specializes in helping other entrepreneurs, so this event has a lot of meaning for us."

The celebration ends with the annual awards luncheon May 19 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center, where one of the Top Ten companies will be named winner of the Mr. K Award, named after famed Kansas City entrepreneur Ewing Kauffman. Details and ticket information are available at
https://www.kcchamber.com/Calendar/ChamberEvent.asp?IdS=007123-52CDE40&Id=6686&~=.

mobank's 1st Annual Pace for the Place

mobank and its customers, friends and neighbors celebrated their new Brookside branch by raising nearly $3,000 for The Children's Place with a festive fund-raising walk.

About 130 people gathered on a bright, sun washed Saturday morning for the first annual Pace for the Place, a 2.5-mile stroll along the Trolley Track Trail. They enjoyed a pancake breakfast from Chris Cakes and Roasterie Coffee, along with a beautiful spring day; but the real purpose of the gathering was to make a difference for children in need.

"The walk was great fun today," said Roxane Hill, vice president of development for The Children's Place. "It was wonderful seeing the community pull together. And, it was good to have Missouri Bank partner with The Children's Place. It takes everyone in the community to help us do what we do - healing the youngest survivors of abuse, neglect and trauma."

As a newcomer to Brookside, mobank wanted to make a difference for this vital local resource. George Satterlee, chief administrative officer of mobank, serves on the board of directors of The Children's Place.

"We are a community bank, and our people are passionate about the citizenship role that entails," Satterlee said. "We like to have a good time as much as anybody, but a good time that has a positive impact on people is what really motivates us."

In addition to the walk and the breakfast, participants also had an opportunity to check out mobank's newest branch, including the glass-walled drive-through and "dream" wall. The circular walk began and ended at the branch, 7 W. 62nd Terrace, directly across the street from the Brookside market.

Satterlee expressed gratitude to the community for the great turnout. "What's really special about being a community-based bank is being part of a caring community like this one," Satterlee said.

mobank Walks for Kids

On April 17, 2010, neighbors of mobank's Brookside branch will stroll through the heart of the Brookside neighborhood to raise money for The Children's Place. The fundraiser, started by mobank, is called Pace for the Place.

Since 1978, The Children's Place has been committed to meeting the developmental and mental health needs of the very youngest victims of child abuse, neglect and trauma. mobank wants to make a difference for this vital local resource.

"Having just opened a new branch in Brookside, we decided to focus on what we could do to make a positive difference in the community to make it stronger and more successful," said Grant Burcham, president and CEO of mobank. "So rather than throwing ourselves a traditional, boring grand opening event, we thought this could be a great way to get to know our new neighbors and be a part of a fun and exciting community event."

All Brookside residents are welcome to attend; and even if they can't be part of the walk, they are welcome to enjoy Chris Cakes pancakes and Roasterie coffee on mobank. They can also check out the new Brookside branch, including the glass-walled drive-through and the "DREAM" wall.

The 2.5-mile walk through the center of the Brookside community begins and ends at mobank, 7 W. 62nd Terrace, directly across the street from the Brookside Market. Start time is 8:30 a.m., Saturday, April 17. Entry fee is $25 for adults and kids are free. Complete details and sign-up are available here.

mobank Opens New Branch in Brookside

Missouri Bank opened a new branch, its fourth location, in the Brookside neighborhood on Monday, March 1. Located at 7 W. 62nd Terr., Kansas City, Mo., the Brookside branch occupies the former Star Motors building. The bank drive-through is in the old car garage, from which customers will see the bank through an all-glass wall.

"We look forward to being a good neighbor in the Brookside area, a community whose retail and commercial business we've long served at our other branches," said Missouri Bank president and CEO, Grant Burcham. "We want to positively impact the community and support Brookside's local businesses."

Brookside Branch "DREAM" Art Installation Earns "Gold Level" Recognition

mobank, along with BKS Real Estate and Helix Architecture + Design, received a "Gold Level" Art Achievement award from Art through Architecture (AtA) for the "DREAM" wall art at the bank's new Brookside branch. The "DREAM" wall artist is Kansas Citian and mobank customer, Archie Scott Gobber.

AtA is a partnership between the American Institute of Architects - Kansas City and the Charlotte Street Foundation. The "Gold Level" award is AtA's highest level of "Art Achievement" to recognize new architectural projects that allocate a certain percentage of the construction budget toward collecting or commissioning artwork or including artists on design teams.

Gobber received this commission, funded by mobank and BKS Real Estate. Clients and architects first selected finalists from AtA's curated database of artists and then reviewed Gobber's proposal for the Brookside branch project. He worked with Helix and HarenLaughlin Construction to integrate the "DREAM" wall into the design and construction.

For more information and photos, please visit: http://image.exct.net/lib/ff321d737464/d/1/Scott%20Gobber%20Brookside%20press%20release.pdf.

Crossroads Branch to Debut New "Artboards" in March

Coinciding again with First Friday in the Crossroads Arts District, mobank will unveil new "artboards" atop its Crossroads branch roof. Kansas City artists Michael Sinclair and Allan Winkler are the artists whose works are featured in the new "artboards," a Missouri Bank Art Through Architecture (AtA) project.

Sinclair's east-facing images are photos taken at Blue Valley Park and Loose Park in Kansas City. These images are part of a larger body of work in which Sinclair focused on local, urban parks.

Winkler's west-facing billboards will feature his "Community Meeting" paper-cut, black-and-white works.

Stop by to see these new "artboards" that will be on display until June 2010.

mobank Hosts "25 Under 25" Pre-Gala Dinner

For the third year in a row, Missouri Bank hosted the "25 Under 25" pre-gala recognition dinner at the bank's downtown location. Steve Metzler, of Metzler Bros. Insurance, co-sponsored the event with mobank.

The annual Kansas City Small Business Monthly awards honor 25 area small businesses that are outstanding in financial stability, community involvement, company vision and other criteria.

Missouri Bank customers were part of the celebration - Lon Lane with Inspired Creations catered the event, Dan Meiners of Studio Dan Meiners did the floral and décor, and John McDonald of Boulevard Brewing Co. was the featured keynote speaker.

"We are proud of our customers - Aurora Plastic and Hand Surgery, Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions and Travois - who were honored as a '25 Under 25' business," said mobank president and CEO, Grant Burcham. "It's always fun for us to congratulate our customers' success and celebrate their business achievements with them."

For more information about the awards, please visit http://www.ithinkbigger.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=80&Itemid=97.

mobank's 1st Annual Rock. Paper. Scissors. Tournament!

mobank hosted its first Rock. Paper. Scissors. Throwdown Tournament on First Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 at the Crossroads branch. David Morris Photography's Cara Dunsmoor was the overall champion! Phil Kinen emceed the event, co-sponsored by the Crossroads Community Association, which featured more than 25 Crossroads-area business representatives. Each Rock. Paper. Scissors. participant was the winner of his or her company's own contest. Acoustic guitarist and singer, Sean McNown entertained the crowd of spectators, along with The Roasterie, which served hot coffee from its cool, retro RV for the chilly First Friday. Check out Missouri Bank's Facebook Page for more details on participating businesses and photos from the event.

Cara at the Bat

The outlook was uncertain for the last 28 that day
Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament was the game they came to play

They gathered at the Crossroads branch of their Missouri Bank
With steely eyes and faces grim, to show 'twas no mere prank

Pale Ale was quaffed to steady nerves and bolster player's spines
While Sean McNown of grand renown played folky guitar lines

Champions all were they when the fateful day began
The winners of the prelim rounds within their workplace clan

But only one would get to claim the shining winner's belt
So, carefully they countered the "hand" opponents dealt

One by one the valiant climbed into the ring to vie
But then threw scissors against rock, and had to say goodbye

The music played, the beer did flow, the noise reached fever pitch
All crowded 'round to see who would emerge without a glitch

SMG came oh-so-close but fell just short of glory
Their run was strong and proud, the end a wee bit gory

At day's end one competitor stood tall above the rest
Of all KC's RPS champs, Cara Dunsmoor was the best

A festive time was had by all as Dunsmoor they did hail
To be a part of next year's games, just respond to this e-mail

Crossroads Branch Marks First Year of "Artboards" with New Exhibit

On Friday, Oct. 2, mobank displayed the fourth installment of "artboards" on the roof of its branch at 125 Southwest Blvd. The artboards first debuted with the opening of Missouri Bank's new Crossroads branch in fall 2008. The artboards rotate about once each quarter to feature a new display of local artists' works.

Currently on the west-facing boards are May Tveit's "Color Field" featuring mirror photographs of brightly-colored hay bales on the beach. Tveit attended the Rhode Island School of Design and Domus Academy in Milan, Italy, and she is currently a resident artist at Review Studios.

On the east-facing boards are Grant Miller's work from his recent acrylic-on-wood paintings. Miller's installation depicts the information overload we constantly experience in an array of mediums. Miller attended the Kansas City Art Institute and Washington University and is now represented by Byron Cohen Gallery. Both artists boast an impressive list of solo exhibitions and honors, which you can read more about here: http://www.artarch.org/cgi-bin/projects.pl.

As part of the building renovation by Helix Architecture + Design, mobank donated the billboards on the roof of its Crossroads branch to the "Art through Architecture" (AtA) program. AtA is a partnership between Charlotte Street Foundation and the American Institute of Architects - Kansas City. Kate Hackman, associate director of the Charlotte Street Foundation, serves as the project's curator.

To read about one of this installment's artists recently featured in The Kansas City Star, please visit http://www.kansascity.com/974/story/1524523.html.

mobank in the Media

Earlier this year, Missouri Bank’s Crossroads branch created a Facebook page to foster an online community. mobank wanted its customers, prospects and community organizations, many of which already have a presence on Facebook, to be able to connect with the bank and each other.

“mobank never wants technology to replace face-to-face customer relationships,” said Grant Burcham, Missouri Bank president and CEO. “We hope our Facebook page, which has been a blast, is one way we can enhance these relationships.”

Facebook and other social media have changed the way people communicate, even in the banking and finance industry. Facebook is the third most popular Web site on the Internet, and it’s adding more than 700,000 new members each day.

Recently, an article for Mashable.com featured mobank’s Facebook page in the article, “5 Ways Banks are Using Social Media.” Mashable, “The Social Media Guide,” is one of the top three most popular blogs with more than 5 million monthly page views. In addition, Mashable founder and blogger Pete Cashmore tweeted a link to the story through his @mashable Twitter profile, which reaches 1.5 million followers.

Thank you to everyone who has become “a fan” of Missouri Bank on Facebook! To read “5 Ways Banks are Using Social Media” and comments posted to the article, please visit http://mashable.com/2009/09/11/banks-social-media/. In addition to mobank, the article also cites social media examples from Wachovia and Bank of America.

A Strategy You Can Bank On

This story appears as written by Cindy Hoedel of The Kansas City Star, with permission from the The Star.

Grant Burcham is president of Missouri Bank. When his family bought the bank at 910 Walnut in 1984, it was worth $13 million.  Today, the value has grown to nearly $400 million. A Crossroads coffeehouse his bank helped finance was the venue for this conversation.

What was Missouri Bank like when your family bought it in 1984?

It had no parking, no drive through, no ATMs. We quickly learned there were a lot of barriers to getting new business.  We weren't convenient. You made a deposit, you got a parking ticket. It really drove home for us the importance of differentiation and just plain and simple great service. It's all the little things. It's not rocket science by any means.

View this link to read the entire story featured in the April 19th Star Magazine article.

Missouri Bank Coming to Brookside

In early 2010, Missouri Bank will open its fourth branch location at 7 W. 62nd Terrace in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City, Mo. The full-service branch will occupy the former Star Motors Ltd. building and will have two drive-through lanes that actually go right through the building. Initial plans include a lobby with floor-to-ceiling glass on one side, so drivers will be able to see mobank's lobby through its glass walls.

East Facade

East Façade

East Facade

North Façade

"Brookside is a great urban neighborhood and a place where we've wanted to have a location for a long time," said President and CEO Grant Burcham. "We're not a huge branching bank and are very deliberate about where we want to go. We've identified certain areas in Kansas City that fit well with our brand and demographic. We like the sense of community in Brookside and want to be a part of it."

The new branch will open in early 2010.