Business in brief: Ozark announces new city admin, cold storage warehouse breaks ground

City of Ozark announces Johnson as new city administrator

The Ozark Board of Aldermen voted at the June 17 meeting to approve the appointment of Eric Johnson as city administrator. Johnson brings more than 35 years of local government experience to the City of Ozark. He previously spent 16 years as city administrator of Blue Springs.

"I am very excited to serve the great community of Ozark as the next city administrator and look forward to working with the mayor, board of alderman, and community to realize their strategic initiatives for Ozark,” Johnson said

Johnson will begin his duties as Ozark City Administrator on July 15. He will take over the role from Ben DeClue, who has served as interim city administrator since January. Johnson is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where he holds a master's degree in public administration.

Cold Zone breaks ground on new cold storage warehouse in Springfield

The Springfield Business Development Corporation, the economic development division of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, has announced a $57 million expansion from Cold Zone, a leading provider of cold storage logistics solutions. Cold Zone is a subsidiary of the Erlen Group.

The company broke ground June 20 on a 170,000 square-foot facility in Springfield's Partnership Industrial Center West. The project is expected to bring "numerous" job opportunities, according to a chamber press release. The state-of-the-art facility will feature temperature zones for both frozen and cooler products.

The Cold Zone development marks the fourth site in PIC West to sell in the last 12 months, with more than 95 acres sold by SBDC over the period. About 80 acres across six sites remain in PIC West's original 388 acres.

Arvest Opportunity Fund names MSU’s Hart to advisory board

Arvest Bank has announced Algerian Hart, assistant to the president for inclusive engagement at Missouri State University, has been named to the advisory board of the Arvest Opportunity Fund. The board was recently created to support the mission of providing products, services, and financial education opportunities to communities lacking enough banking resources.

A non-bank subsidiary of Arvest Bank, the Arvest Opportunity Fund was created in 2022 and began offering loans, lines of credit, and lending-related financial education to small business customers that fall below existing bank credit requirements. The program acts as a bridge that allows customers to fully access traditional bank services.

Hart, also a member of the Arvest Bank board in Springfield, is one of six members to serve a three-year term on the Arvest Opportunity Fund board. Other members include:

• Kate Bulger, vice president of business development for Money Management International;

• Mary Beth Brooks, director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the university of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas;

• Chris Benge, vice president of operations at OSU Institute of Technology;

• Brennan Crawford, executive director of Community Housing of Wyandotte County in Kansas.

Lake Regional Health System elects Hulett as president

The Lake Regional Health System Board of Directors has elected Jason Hulett to serve as president and Alan Mead, M.D., as vice president. The uncompensated 15-member board provides governance and oversight of the health system's strategic initiatives.

Hulett has been a Lake Regional board member since 2020 and has served on several committees, including finance and strategic planning. A graduate of Camdenton High School, he earned a bachelor's degree in business marketing from Truman State University. His experience includes 30 years at his family business, Hulett Chevrolet Buick GMC in Camdenton, where he serves as president and dealer principal.

Mead has been a board member of Lake Regional Health System since 2015 and has served on several committees. This year, he celebrated 30 years of service on the Lake Regional medical staff.

Springfield Police Department announces three promotions

On June 10, the SPringfield Police Department recognized the promotions of two sworn officers and one professional staff member.

Promoted to corporal were:

• Cpl. Nathan Davis

• Cpl. Brad Southard

Promoted to Investigative Service Specialist Supervisor:

• Wendy Gouty

Apply now for the 2024 Citizens Police Academy

Citizens interested in the behind-the-scenes look at the Springfield Police Department's practices and policies can apply now for the 2024 Citizens Police Academy beginning in August.

The program curriculum covers a variety of topics including police policies, organizational structure, investigative processes, and policing tactics. Participants complete 30 hours of instruction over 10 weeks, meeting every Tuesday beginning August 6.

The academy’s goal is to give citizens a better understanding of how the police department functions and an inside look at the challenges officers face when working to serve the community.

Applications must be received by July 15, 2024, at 5 p.m. Late applications will not be considered. Interested Springfield residents can apply online.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Cold Zone breaks ground on Springfield cold storage warehouse