A freshly hoisted sign at 11th and Douglas marks the new downtown home of a quickly growing Omaha business and signals its commitment to the community.
Upon first glance, the historic, newly renovated office building in downtown Omaha seems built to house the latest tech startup. But inside the walls of Kirsch Transportation Services Inc. are longstanding, well-respected business leaders driving the 19-year-old woman-owned logistics company toward its 20th year of operation. “We’re putting our stamp on the community and saying, ‘This is where we want to make a difference,’” said Shauna Morfeld, VP of Business Development. “It also gives us access to the people we want to bring into our fabulous company and work with us. It puts us on the map.” The company’s history is built on a strong family foundation and boasts an incredibly low rate of turnover. In its latest growth spurt, owners Camilla Moore Kirsch and Matthew Kirsch were drawn to the fresh, vibrant energy of downtown and sought to become part of the revitalization. This idea became a reality in 2018 with the purchase of a 30,000-square-foot office building at 1102 Douglas, wedged between the Capitol District and the Old Market, and just north of the Gene Leahy Mall transformation underway. Over the course of a year, Kirsch tapped local firms MCL Construction and RDG Planning & Design to restore the two-story building.
After a year of design and construction, Kirsch opened its restored doors in October 2019 to a bright, spacious office with fun and collaborative breakout areas, a gym/yoga facility, game room, and full kitchen.
“Working together with MCL was critical in terms of the vibe we wanted to create in our new space,” Camilla Kirsch said. “Combining our ideas, keeping safe some of the brick and mortar of the original building as well as repurposing some of the materials has added so much character.” The new office not only supports the company’s technology needs but provides an opportunity for the company to open its doors to talented industry professionals and partners. SEE MORE OF OUR COMMERCIAL OFFICE PROJECTS “MCL did a wonderful job exposing the cool things about being in a historic building that we wanted to preserve and then bringing in the modern pieces that reflected our young environment,” said Chief Financial Officer Kelli Gleckler. During the design process, employees weighed in at various stages, lending their opinions toward the final product. Just as would happen with any family, the company’s culture invites disagreement and deliberation, and staff aren’t afraid to voice their perspectives. In fact, owners challenged employees as to whether they would actually use the breakout spaces and, ultimately, were swayed by the possibilities of cross-collaboration between teams. “The best thing about Kirsch is that it really is the open road,” Morfeld said. “Matt and Cam allow us to explore ideas and come with new solutions and provide assistance in different areas to talk to them about the route we think we need to take. It’s a very open forum, so we’re able to spread our wings. You’re able to take off in areas where other companies may try to put limitations on you.” 
As employees embrace and adjust to their new home base, they say they’re empowered by the new energy in the office. Each gravitates to various areas of the office depending on the time of day and their mental state. But how does the new environment translate into productivity?
On tough days, time in the nap room or playing a game of Connect4 can quickly ease stress and put employees back in the game. Employees realize that owners are prioritizing health and mental wellbeing, empowering them to be the best versions of themselves whether on the phone with customers or at home with family. The very deliberation that resulted in Kirsch’s new office space is reflective of the dynamic, agile talent the team seeks to hire in the coming years. “The type of employees we hire aren’t hired because they can do a certain task,” Morfeld said. “It’s because they’ve worn multiple hats and can work in niche areas of our business successfully. They challenge us and bring new suggestions to the table that we, as existing employees, utilize to make ourselves better.”
And for the first time, the Kirsch brand is taking the forefront as the company looks to share its story and continue to build long-lasting relationships.
“With our move to this great place in Omaha, we are empowered so we actually are focusing more energy on our branding and marketing.” Expect to hear more from the brand as it continues to grow its footprint in Omaha as the business expands. The new office will provide Kirsch the ability to grow and fill additional hires as needed. “As to the future of our company, we’re putting a focus on building our partnerships,” Morfeld said. “We’re showing people our culture now more than ever, and how great of a company we are to work with.” “Our team absolutely loves our new office with its contemporary style,” Camilla continued. “This special new space will help us continue to grow our business and we couldn’t be more excited.” About MCL Construction For many businesses, navigating construction and knowing who to trust can be overwhelming. At MCL Construction, our people simplify the process by listening, planning, executing, and continuing the relationship to build their vision. 
2/11/2020 CHI Lakeside Breast Health Center
When you first walk into the new Breast Health Center at CHI Lakeside, you know that you’ve arrived at something exceptional. That’s exactly what Kate Hunley and Mary Bailey had envisioned for the new space that the MCL team guided to fruition. Mary, Director of Imaging Services, helped oversee the creation and implementation of the new Breast Health Center with the functionality and layout of the space directed by Kate, the center’s lead Nurse Practitioner.
“Patient-centered” was the goal and the team wanted additional space overall, ideally another exam room and new consulting area. Previously, the waiting area felt outdated and uncomfortable which, unfortunately, could set the tone for a visit. Now, bright but warm, complete with stunning lighting and a beautiful fireplace, the updated waiting room almost feels more like a spa than a hospital which is really refreshing. The word “swanky” kept coming up and, according to Mary, “Women come in and take selfies in this area because it’s so pretty. They’re literally standing in line to take pictures to send to their friends!” 
Breast Health Consultation Room
Aesthetics aside, the biggest impact comes from their new Consult Room, which enables them to bring the entire health care team into one space to inform and empower their patients. Since the new space opened last September, they’ve been able to launch their new Multidisciplinary Care Clinic which really streamlines patient care. Within the new private consult area, there is comfortable seating and two large monitors so they’re able to bring doctors in virtually if need be, as well as other imaging, sometimes showing the patient slides of their breast cancer. Now, instead of requiring multiple appointments with multiple specialists, the patient now can walk out with a complete care plan and all of the answers they need after just one visit. Kate is excited about the new expanded capability of the multidisciplinary team, “It’s intended to be all encompassing and now it really is. Patients have been so grateful.”
Kate also explained that the extra exam room allows for better flow for the physicians. “It’s funny that one more room makes such a difference! It’s now meeting our growth; we were really busting at the seams.” She went on to say that the expansion really is changing the care they’re able to provide and improving what was already a nationally renowned clinic. As a Triple Accredited Center of Excellence, they are part of an elite 1% of breast centers across the country that have achieved this significant accomplishment. With the modernized new home of the Breast Health Center, they feel that the space matches, and even elevates, the care they provide. It’s also allowing them to hold their place in the local market in providing more competitive care. “This is part of the expansion of our awesomeness,” Kate laughed.
This project was only a dream for about six years but was spurred into action after receiving that award. From the initial design to the construction itself, the Breast Health team was appreciative of the guidance from MCL. Mary emphasized that they were so inclusive and creative with the process, “Since we wanted to create something unique, they were very open to different ideas.” Kate agreed and added, “They had great feedback and were able to show us how they could make it all work. They were really flexible and realistic. Very kind and respectful and had great communication. They never flinched.”
Even though the construction happened while they were seeing patients, she was impressed that “they were very conscientious of the fact they were in a hospital and they were always cleaning up and making sure everything was tidy. That was something that was pretty outstanding.” About MCL Construction For many businesses, navigating construction and knowing who to trust can be overwhelming. At MCL Construction, our people simplify the process by listening, planning, executing, and continuing the relationship to build their vision.
 Excitement at Clarkson College Space is getting tight on the campus of Clarkson College . . . students and faculty are about to get a lot more room. To celebrate the start of construction on the new Clarkson Commons and Education Center, Administration and staff swung a hammer for a ceremonial "wall-breaking." "I have been with the college a long time and we have been talking about this project for the last 10 or 15 years," said Interim President Dr. Aubray Orduña. "We have really been looking forward to it." Clarkson College is taking over the former Clarkson Family Medicine Building, a primary care facility operated by Nebraska Medicine. The complete remodel of the building, which includes two floors and a basement, will give faculty much needed office space and students quieter, more collaborative, and more spacious areas to study. "Students are going to have a place to go and talk to their faculty in confidence. They will have places to study where it's quiet. The faculty will now have the facilities they need to get the job done that they need to do and feel good about it," said Clarkson College Board Chair Dr. Steven Black. Clarkson College partnered with MCL Construction and Schemmer for the project that will be complete in the fall of 2020. About MCL Construction For many businesses, navigating construction and knowing who to trust can be overwhelming. At MCL Construction, our people simplify the process by listening, planning, executing, and continuing the relationship to build their vision. |
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