New Contracts Awarded
Coleman Industrial Construction (Class of 2007) has been awarded $7.1 million in new contracts to build locomotive inspection facilities in Houston and Wichita and for fuel system containment improvements for environmental protection in Herington, Kan., and Chicago. Coleman Industrial Construction has been serving the railroad industry construction needs for 28 years from its headquarters in Riverside.

National Certification Awarded
Mike Steed, general manager, and Al Strohm, sales associate, of Steed Remodeling (Class of 2003) have earned certification from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). Certification indicates adherence to NARI's standards of practice and code of ethics, a minimum of five years continuous experience in the remodeling industry and completion of 16 hours of continuing education.
 
Marketing Agency Changes Name
Meers Marketing Communications (Class of 2002) has changed its name to Meers Advertising to clarify its mission. The change was announced in conjunction with its move to a new office at 1811 Walnut St. The agency purchased and restored the historic Stenzel Warehouse in the Crossroads.

Marketing Award to Accounting Firm
RubinBrown has been awarded the best corporate identity campaign by the Association for Accounting Marketing for its new brand launch among accounting firms with revenues exceeding $15 million.  The Marketing Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievements in the areas of accounting, marketing and communications.
RubinBrown launched its new brand in 2005, emphasizing the firm's knowledge, commitment and value. The corporate identity package includes a new Web site, brochures, RubinBrown's Horizons magazine, print advertising and other promotional materials.
 
Propane for Grills Delivered
GrillinGas.com of Mission has opened with the goal of making gas grilling more convenient. The company will deliver propane grill tanks, both for exchange and for purchase. The company offers free delivery within three days but will provide next day delivery for an additional fee. Currently the company is delivering to most of Johnson County and a small part of Missouri and plans to expand its service territory. More information is available by calling (913) 262-6331 or at www.grillingas.com.

Wellness Program Added to Benefits
Charlie Upton of Financial Benefits of Kansas City, Inc. has formed an alliance with Wellspring Healthcare Enterprises, Inc. to provide Wellspring's wellness and prevention program at no additional cost. The move is intended to help clients reduce medical and workers' compensation costs by providing prevention services.

Awards of Distinction
CCI Public Relations & Marketing Communications of Kansas City has won three Awards of Distinction in the 2007 Communicator Awards competition for designing three different communications campaigns-s a logo design for DSWA Certified Public Accountants, a poster design for the 2006 Kansas City Aviation Expo & Airshow, and for direct marketing materials for Notre Dame de Sion School of Kansas City.

Brookside Store Opens With New Owner
Fifi Wiedeman has reopened The Dime Store in Brookside. Wiedeman purchased the store after it closed in June 2006 and renovated it, while maintaining its character. The original Dime Store opened in 1940 as a general store but closed after its longtime owner died.

Home Care Assistance Available
Home Helpers, which provides assistance to seniors, new mothers and persons recovering from illness or injury, has opened a branch in Overland Park. Ben and DeAnna Boydston are owners of the franchise, which offers services such as meal preparation, grocery shopping, light housekeeping, transportation or companionship on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. More information is available at (913) 685-2273.

Celebrating 20 Years
Wellner Architects, Inc., established by Julie Wellner in July 1987, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The professional staff of 13, includes Secely Palmer and Margaret Smith, the first two architectural staff hired in 1988 and 1989. In addition, Wellner Architects' staff includes seven licensed architects, three intern architects, one interior designer, and two support staff.

Personal Trainers Available
Chris Spears has opened a Fitness Together franchise in West Plaza at 4802 Belleview Ave. The center provides private one-on-one training in personal training suites. More information is available at (816) 841-5129 or www.ftkcwestplaza.com.

Sign Company in New Space
Midtown Signs has quadrupled its size in a move to 2734 Cherry St. The company has been creating high-dimensions signs since 2003, including hand-painted carved dimensional signs. More information is available at www.midtownsigns.com.

Bank Branch Opens
Security Savings Bank has opened a branch at 7400 W. 135th St. This is the bank's fourth location in the Kansas City area. The new location features a community room available for non-profit organizations, youth groups and other bank customers to use for meetings and events.

Meal Preparation Company Launched
Richard Armstrong has opened Entrees Made Easy franchise at 12250 W. 135th St. The company provides a kitchen where customers assemble their pre-selected meals in one to two hours. Proceeds from the grand opening were donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Mid America.

Restaurant Opens in Shawnee
Brothers Ryan, Nathan, Andrew and Tony Toubia have opened Rockrose Grill & Bar at 22730 Midland Dr. The restaurant's menu has traditional grill fare with a Mediterranean influence. Nathan Toubia, who has been a sous chef for Lidia's in Kansas City, is executive chef. The brothers, who are sons of Antoine Toubia, who operated restaurants in Wichita until his death in 1996, have grown up in the restaurant business. Another brother is helping with development of the restaurant's Web site.

New Coffee Shop Location
Scott and Angie Schulze have opened It's A Grind coffee house at 7929 W. 151st Street. The coffee house serves specialty coffee, traditional espresso and iced-blended coffee drinks as well as tea and tea-based drinks.  Seven varieties of coffee blends are on tap daily including its specialty, coconut crunch.

Customer Furniture Store
Carlos Salazar has opened Casa Bonita de Guadalajara Gallery at 14869 Metcalf Ave. Salazar, who has operated stores in Guadalajara, Mexico, has hand-crafted custom furniture for several years in Mexico. The Overland Park outlet, which he operates with his brother, Ricardo, will feature his work, including waterfall patio marble tables with matching chairs, nautical accent pieces, and custom bar and bedroom designs.

Mobile Media & GPS Alliance
Handmark, which develops and distributes mobile media, and Garmin International Inc. have formed a strategic distribution agreement under which Handmark will distribute Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry GPS-enabled devices. Garmin Mobile is a subscription-based, feature-rich application that delivers maps, directions and turn-by-turn navigation on mobile phones. With the agreement, Garmin Mobile will receive prominent placement within Handmark distribution channels.

New Restaurant in City Market
Bo Lings Fine Chinese Cuisine has opened at 20 East Fifth Street. Owners Richard and Teresa Ng, celebrating 25 years as supporters of City Market merchants and local growers, plan to feature menu items using the fresh produce available nearby in the market. The City Market restaurant is the sixth Bo Lings restaurant in the city.

New Bank Branch
A 4,200 square-foot branch of First Community Bank has opened at 6200 N.W. 63rd Terrace in the Tuileries center. The bank interior features an old world look following the French architecture of the Tuileries. It is the second branch for First Community Bank in the Northland.

New Bakery in Shawnee
Barbara Vratanina has opened Barb's Kolache Bakery at 22354 W. 66th St. specializing in kolaches, a Slovakian sweet bread rolls Slovakian sweet bread roll that is baked and has two-thirds less sugar than doughnuts. Fillings for the rolls include fruit, cream cheese, cheese, sausage, bacon or ham. The bakery has a dining area that is open for breakfast or lunch. For more information, contact (913) 422-8300.

Downtown Association Fundraiser
Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street, a nonprofit organization that has been implementing revitalization strategies for 18 years, has planned a Piccadilly Gala for  September 6. Piccadilly is a ladies-night auction and benefit for Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street with proceeds from the event to be used toward the revitalization and marketing of our downtown corridor. More information is available at www.downtownls.org or at 816-246-6598.

Author for Dummies
Michael Maher, head of the Maher Team at the Realty Executives office in Leawood, has recently been published as part of popular book series "For Dummies." Maher was a major contributor to "Foreclosure Investing for Dummies," written by Ralph R. Roberts and Joe Kraynak. The book covers foreclosure rules and regulations for all 50 states. He also contributed to "Flipping Houses for Dummies."

Shawnee Businesses Recognized
The Shawnee Economic Development Council presented three special awards to businesses in Shawnee as part of its business appreciation awards. Lane Cleaning, a janitorial maintenance company that has been in Shawnee for 16 years, received the Downtown Impact Award. Lane, which recently remodeled and expanded its facility, was chosen by the Shawnee Downtown Partnership. The new design uses a coach house design to help it blend in with the surrounding neighborhood. Shawnee Mission Ford was named the Distinguished Corporate Citizen of the year as the business that has gained positive publicity for Shawnee in the last year and the Downtown Revitalization Award, which recognizes the business that has made the most significant improvement to its exterior, was awarded to Shawnee Car Wash.