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Kansas City Business Journal
Major Waldo apartment complex secures new financing
An upcoming apartment complex in Kansas City's Waldo neighborhood recently received a shot in the arm from new equity and debt financing.<\p> EPC Real Estate Group LLC recently secured a $12.7 million equity investment from a national fund manager for construction of Waldo District, a six-story, 283-unit community with 17,636 retail square feet on a full block southeast of Broadway and 74th streets. JLL Capital Markets this week announced its Denver office had arranged the investment on behalf of the Overland Park developer.<\p>
A popular job-posting strategy can backfire
Editor's Note: Welcome to The Playbook Edition, a look at stories, trends and changes that could affect your business and career. Want more stories like this in your inbox? Sign up for The Playbook newsletter. <\p> The hiring process sparks plenty of questions for employers and candidates alike. <\p>
Olathe aviation exec pleads guilty to smuggling tech into Russia
An aviation technology smuggling scheme operating out of New Century has resulted in its second guilty plea.<\p> Douglas E. Robertson of Olathe admitted he participated in a years-long conspiracy to skirt U.S. laws by selling “sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment” to Russia without the required licenses, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.<\p>
KC ad agencies harness AI's creative power
Generative artificial intelligence can create videos, images, poems and even novels. Advertising and marketing agencies are exploring how they can harness the technology's creative uses.<\p> Already, 61% of U.S. advertising agencies use generative AI, surpassing adoption rates from the general business community, according to a June report from Forrester, a global market research firm. <\p>
KC public company CEO's share sale yields $2.45M
H&R Block Inc. CEO Jeff Jones sold 44,975 shares as part of a trading plan, generating approximately $2.45 million.<\p> Jones sold his shares in H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) on July 1 for an average price of $54.55, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After the sale, Jones still owns 712,386 shares.<\p>
Black & Veatch gets new leader for operations arm
Black & Veatch promoted Jennifer Divito to be president of the engineering firm’s operations arm.<\p> With almost 20 years of experience at Overland Park-based Black & Veatch, Divito now leads BV Operations. The division is home to more than 12,000 employees and makes things happen as “the execution hub for the company’s broad spectrum of projects,” according to a release from Black & Veatch.<\p>
Bar K hopes new funding, execs unleash national growth
Even before Bar K was voted USA Today’s No. 1 dog bar in the U.S., the Kansas City-based company was strategizing and laying a foundation to unleash growth.<\p> It closed a funding round in June, brought on new executives — including a new CEO and CFO — and is talking to other markets about potential locations.<\p>
These are America's most-delayed flights
Airlines are expecting record-breaking traffic for the summer — and for the July Fourth holiday — but fliers on many routes would be wise to build in some extra time for their travel plans. <\p> That's according to an analysis by The Business Journals of the latest on-time data from airline analytics company Cirium Inc. The analysis looked at routes with at least 20 flights. <\p>
Lenexa sports retailer pops up in the gopher state
Rally House, a growing retail chain dedicated to sports fan gear, is expanding into Minnesota with three locations.<\p> The Lenexa-based company plans to open two locations in the Twin Cities and another in Rochester.<\p>
Former Three Dog exec cooks up new barkery of her own
Sarah Deters walked into the coffee shop sporting a T-shirt with the words: “Sorry I’m late. I saw a dog.”<\p> She joked she’d have to buy a new wardrobe if she ever left the pet industry. Although she recently quit her corporate executive chef job of 15 years at Three Dog Bakery, she’s venturing into another pet-focused business: Callie Mae’s Barkery & Bath, named after her late white boxer and “one and only foster fail.” Callie Mae was part of the family for eight years.<\p>
KC gets an answer on federal Tech Hub grant bid
Kansas City missed out on a bid to secure tens of millions of federal dollars to bolster biologics and biomanufacturing in the region.<\p> The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Agency on Tuesday announced that a dozen designated Tech Hubs would split $504 million in grants. Kansas City was one of 31 regions designated in October to compete for the grants.<\p>
Wooded area off K-7 in Shawnee could be developed
A heavily wooded property abutting Kansas Highway 7 in Shawnee could become a storage center. <\p> A real estate investment group led by Rick Lashbrook, owner of Overland Park-based Lashbrook Cos., submitted plans to build GarageSuites at 6825 Hedge Lane Terrace. <\p>
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