If you pay $5,000-$7,000 annually to Kansas Gas Service (KGS) for natural gas, you may qualify for an optional service that provides 18-20 percent relief in your cost of gas.  Best of all, there are no changes to infrastructure or expenses to participate.  If KGS is your natural gas utility, a recent change in their tariff options opens the door for you to qualify for lower natural gas rates through a third-party supplier.  Qualifying KRHA members that have recently taken advantage of the program are seeing reduced cost for their natural gas of 18 to 20 percent.

What is the program and how does it work?

If you are paying the full retail rate, your business is classified as a “Sales Gas Customer” by KGS.  Qualified businesses may move to a transportation rate.  The program known as Transportation, is an optional service where your third party natural gas marketer is responsible to deliver gas to KGS on your behalf.  That gas is then picked up by KGS and delivered to you, as it has been in the past.  You remain a customer of KGS.  The only difference – your natural gas is supplied to KGS by a third party marketer and KGS moves that gas to you on their system.  You continue to pay KGS for the movement of the gas on their system along with the monthly meter fee.

Why do commercial and industrial customers take advantage of the program?

The savings program has been around for more than 25 years and has been available to the largest commercial and industrial users of natural gas.  Your marketer will usually charge based on a market index plus an adder to cover the cost of moving the gas to KGS on the same interstate pipelines.  The spread between the total cost of gas from KGS and the Index plus adder becomes your savings. The blue area highlighted in the table below illustrates the Base Cost of Gas from KGS along with the applicable adjustments and charges provided in their Cost of Gas Rider, Weather Normalization Adjustment Rider and Ad Valorem Tax Surcharge Rider. These charges drop off when you move to transportation service.

 Source: https://www.kansasgasservice.com/#/rateinformation-tariffs

Who may participate in the program?

Annual usage of more than 800 MCF of natural gas qualifies a commercial or industrial customer.  Meters on contiguous properties may be consolidated to qualify for the program.  The short answer, if you have paid pay $5,000-$7,000 annually to KGS for natural gas you will most likely qualify.  If you have meters that are side by side, across the street or next door to each other they may be combined to qualify for the program.

You have a member partner that has worked with other KRHA businesses.

 CenterPoint Energy, in business for 130+ years, serves a wide range of commercial and industrial customers in Kansas and Missouri along with 31 other states, with transport natural gas.  Our customers include Cessna, Spirit Aero Systems, and Wesley Hospital to name a few.  Want to know if you qualify for the program—without charge?  Reach out to Marc Caine marc.caine@centerpointenergy.com 316.312.2937 or Anne McGregor anne.mcgregor@centerpointenergy.com 816.590.4755 for details.

TOPEKA, Kansas, March 16, 2017) – Mize Houser & Company P.A., a regional accounting firm with offices in Topeka, Lawrence and Overland Park, Kansas is now ranked the 12^th largest firm in the Midwest according to Accounting Today.  The firm is also the only Kansas accounting firm in the top list of Midwestern firms.  Additionally, Mize Houser is ranked #24 in the publication’s Beyond the Top 100: Firms to Watch list.

Selection criteria are based on several factors, including performance and growth. With locations in Topeka, Lawrence and Overland Park, Kansas, Mize Houser enjoyed a 7.19% increase in growth in 2016 with total revenues of $26.4 million.

Mize Houser & Company P.A. has also received other awards, including Inside Public Accounting’s (IPA) Top 200 Firms. 

Full Press Release

New Member Benefit – Background Music and Digital Signage for Less Than $20/mo.

Most members would agree that good background music is essential to the atmosphere of any restaurant or hotel.  Most have also accepted that music isn’t free, and that the music police (ASCAP, BMI, etc.) are real and can shut you down if you play music illegally.  Fortunately, the internet has loosened the near-monopoly grip Muzak (now called Mood) had on the market for decades, and legal music no longer costs $100 per month.

KRHA has just negotiated a new member benefit for Eos business music service that’s just $19.95 per month.  All required music licensing fees are covered.  After an exclusive KRHA rebate, the required RemoteLink AV player is just $199.00, and allows you to play up to three different zones of music simultaneously (if you’d like different music in different areas of your business). 

It gets even better!  Many members have noticed the increasing popularity of digital signage in our industry.  Unfortunately, the cost has been prohibitive for all but the largest operators.  Not anymore!  The RemoteLink AV has digital signage capabilities built in.  Restaurants can use it for a digital menu board or to promote specials or new menu items.  Hotels can display daily events and promote property amenities.  The uses for digital signage are limited only by your imagination.  Upload your own content or have the vendor create it for you, and manage it from your cloud-based account.  You can also do telephone on hold messages (a must for hotels and any restaurant that takes reservations or does takeout).  Normally these extra features add $9.95/mo. to the service, but KRHA members get them free for the first year.

For more information, contact Joshua Pedecone at Applied Media Technologies Corporation at (800)741-AMTC(2682) Ext. 181.  AMTC has been in business since 1992 and is the third-largest player in business music, so you can be confident that you’ll get excellent service in addition to the best value in the market.

Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the new regulations on how overtime is going to be addressed and the equal pay issue has been looming as a political and legal touchpoint for a couple of years.  For restaurateurs, these changes are only magnified as they strike at the very core of your business structure.  Here are two areas that you should be reviewing so that you have a plan in place to address these issues

New Overtime Regulations:

When the USDOL announced the new rules concerning overtime in May, it automatically extended overtime potential to more than 4.6 million workers that were previously exempt.  The new rule will go into effect on December 1, 2016.  The first question that I am sure most of you are asking is, “How does this impact me?”.  The governing legislation for the overtime rules is the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Generally speaking, any employer who has annual gross sales in excess of $500,000 is covered by the FLSA and there is no small business exemption.  As a result, most employers would be required to show that their exempt employees meet the minimum “duties test” in order to avoid paying those employees overtime.  It is very important to remember that job titles do not determine an employee’s exempt status.  In general, the employee must meet the following criteria:

•       Be salaried and not subject to reduction based on quality of work

•      Under the new rules be paid in excess of $913 per week ($47,476 annually)

•      Meet the duties test required for exemption for executive, administrative, or professional duties.

The very first thing we encourage you to do, is to review your management employees duties and ensure that they meet the duties test.  When I was in the retail industry, we used to have several “quasi-management” positions that required a great deal of care when it came to overtime.  These individuals supervised other employees, but supervision alone is not a guarantee of successful application of the duties test.  In some cases, you are going to find that people that you currently consider exempt do not meet the exempt criteria. The US DOL website has the current duties test for each of the three “white collar” areas (executive, administrative, or professional) that can receive an exemption.

After reviewing the duties of each of your management employees, the next issue becomes their salary. When you start paying overtime on even a $15.00 hourly rate, it is going to add up quickly. Remember, if the employee’s weekly wages are in excess of the $913.00 threshold they will be exempt.  In some cases, the obvious solution will be to increase the salaries above the threshold.  However, for other employees the pay gap will be too wide to make them exempt with a salary increase. This will require a more intensive review of your management structure if you want to avoid paying overtime. 

Equal Pay Issues:

Recently there have been several stories in the news media concerning employees who have been terminated for discussing or comparing salaries.  The most recent Kansas story covered two employees who were dismissed for discussing their hourly wage.  One employee was male and the other female, with the male employee being paid $.25 more for what has been reported as same employment experience and job duties.  The single biggest lesson learned is that it is illegal to reprimand or dismiss employees who discuss their salaries.  It is also illegal to maintain a policy that speaks to this issue as well.  The National Labor and Relations Board has consistently ruled that such policies violate the employees’ right to “perform concerted activities for the betterment of working conditions or worker representation.”   The NLRB has ruled on this topic going back as far as 1980 and as most recent as 2014.  The rulings have been near unanimously in favor of the employee.  Keep in mind that this is not the same as an employee who divulges confidential information without consent.  This covers employees who willingly divulge their own information to other parties.

The more abstract issue contained in these various stories is the equal pay issue.  While this story involved gender, the same scrutiny is going to be applied to other social areas, including race and potentially sexual orientation.  If you have not already, you should communicate clearly to your hiring managers what parameters are allowed to deviate from a starting salary.  You want to be competitive and get the best people, but you also want it to be defensible if challenged.  The equal pay issue is going to be a major talking point in the upcoming Presidential election and it has already become a growing source of new labor litigation.

We encourage you to contact a KRHA Allied partner if you have specific questions regarding either of these topics or would like to see the relevant laws and regulations.

Unemployment  Insurance Services A nationwide provider for outsourcing unemployment claims and human resource consultation Jeff Oswald - President 816-524-5999 jo@uiskc.com www.unemployment-serives.com

 This year the firm, which now has more than 225 employees and offices in Topeka, Lawrence and Overland Park, is expected to post revenues of $25,000,000 with continued growth from the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) industry where Mize Houser provides payroll, accounting and financial assistance to over 1,500 franchise owner operators in over 35 states. 

Recognizing that leveraging technology was crucial, Bob Mize and Ralph Houser committed to integrating technology into the practice in the 1960s when other firms were hesitant to make the investment of people and resources. As word spread about the firm’s success, a Topeka boutique firm called Cobler Consulting LLC approached Mize Houser about providing technology services for Cobler’s accounting practice that was primarily serving McDonald’s franchisees. Ironically Mize Houser had recently acquired the National Franchise Association’s account to service Burger King franchisees. With both firms working in the industry, a merger was completed in 2003. 
With newfound investment dollars and resources, Mize Houser’s shareholders continued the commitment to innovate with the creation of EZAccess, a cloud-based application for busy QSR (Quick Serve Restaurant) clients to manage payroll and financial information.
“As we quickly expanded our technology services, our web applications eliminated the distance gap between what a client needs and how we serve them. Accessing data is a 24 hour/7 day a week need for busy owner-operators who don’t have the luxury of waiting to hear back from their accounting or payroll firm. We create fully customizable solutions so the client has it at her or his fingertips at any time,” says Linda Hauschild, CFP ® and Shareholder. 
As the firm’s client base grew, so did the EZAccess technology. 
“EZAccess allows us to help our clients as much (or as little) as they like. For example, if a client only needs monthly financial statements, they can easily access it. Or, if they need us to run payroll, financial statements or other more sophisticated reporting, we can easily accommodate them via the cloud, “adds Hauschild. 
While EZAccess is available from an iPad or desktop, soon clients will soon be able to take EZAccess with them as a mobile app. 
“We are very focused on continuing to build technology for our clients who are very good at telling us what additional solutions they need to better operate their restaurants,” adds Hauschild. 

ANNIVERSARY EVENTS PLANNED FOR SUMMER 2016

Gifts of 60
Mize Houser shareholders recognize the opportunity for employees and staff to celebrate the anniversary with the Gifts of 60, a unique program for each office to identify a charitable organization to donate 60 items to their charity of choice.

Spirit Summer
Firm employees have formed 20 teams to show off their #TeamMize spirit by volunteering for area charities and supporting client businesses in Topeka, Overland Park and Lawrence.

Firm Picnic
A picnic for all employees, shareholders and firm friends is planned in July at the Circle S Ranch in Lawrence, Kansas.


ABOUT MIZE HOUSER

National Awards: Inside Public Accounting Top 200 Firms 2015; Firm to Watch (Accounting Today 2016); ACUTE 1996 (Accountants Computer Users Technical Exchange)

Timeline:

1956 – Bob Mize and Ralph Houser form Mize Houser & Co.

1967 - The firm purchases its first computer.

1978 – Firm installs first telecommunication lines and starts doing online processing for clients.

1982 - Isenhower & Farrell joins Mize Houser, providing an Overland Park office for the firm.

1987 – Barrand and Eagan, CPAs joins Mize Houser, providing a Lawrence office for the firm.

2000 – Data center is constructed in the Topeka office location.

2003 – Cobler Consulting, LLC joins Mize Houser.

2013 – Lowenthal, Webb and Odermann join Mize Houser in the Lawrence location.

Utility Sales Tax Exemption

People are pleasantly surprised when I explain they likely qualify for a ‘tax refund’ from the state for the energy they use, or that they may qualify to purchase natural gas at wholesale price. 

It’s always good to hear someone is looking out for your best interests. Now, as an additional KRHA member benefit — we're offering a free, no-obligation assessment to help its members optimize their energy needs. KRHA Allied Member, Phil Barrager of BlueMark Energy is ready to help. Here’s one example:
 

 Phil,

I wanted to let you know how much my business appreciates your support. I would gladly refer anyone to you because your service is accurate and friendly, and the price is always market-based and very competitive.

You also make the complicated business of natural gas deregulation a fairly simple process. I know when I’m dealing with you, I have a reliable supply of gas at a reasonable price.

We’ve tried using an “energy consultant” in the past because, like every business, we are always interested in saving money. The consultant was happy to save us money on sales tax exemptions, but then took 50% of the savings. When I contacted you about the exemptions, you forwarded me the appropriate paperwork and I received the same exemptions at no cost.

 I can say with confidence, I look forward to a long business relationship with you and wish your business even more success in the years to come!

Doug Maryott
Managing Partner – Hospitality

In coordination with KRHA, BlueMark Energy is ready to help:

• Explain the state’s requirements
• Aid in identifying exempted processes
• Provide pages/tools to assist in researching/applying for your exemption
• Connect you with utility and state personnel

Don’t think you have enough time to spare? Bluemark Energy also offer a turnkey contingency-based approach. We’ll do the work while you focus on your business.

Let’s Get Started! Return the information form and one month’s energy bills to:

Phil Barrager

BlueMark Energy

pbarrager@bluemarkenergy.com

316.269.9802

Founded in Omaha, Nebraska in 1954, Retail Data Systems (RDS) is   now the nation’s largest POS company with nearly 500 employees and coverage throughout the United States.

Their extensive list of industry leading POS hardware and software products provide a variety of solutions for companies large and small. If your business is in search of Point of Sale (POS) hardware, software, training, maintenance or system upgrades, then look no further. Keep your eyes peeled for exciting updates with RDS’s integration of GPS and beacon technology

	Retail Data Systems Paul Baumgartner: pbaumgartner@rdspos.com 316-943-9374 www.rdspos.com
	Hospitality Management Systems/Micros Barb Young: BYoung@hmskc.com 913-438-5040 www.hmskc.com

National Catastrophe Restoration, Inc. is locally owned and has been serving Kansas for over 44 years with fire and water damage restoration services.  As a Class “A” General Contractor, NCRI has the ability to reconstruct commercial and residential properties to original condition.  NCRI is women owned and offers 24/7 emergency services and turn-key restoration of damage caused by fire, smoke, water, wind, and all types of natural and man-made disasters.  In any disaster situation, mitigating the loss and reducing business interruption are of utmost importance.  It is the goal of NCRI to achieve these objectives through prompt, professional, efficient and effective service.  When you call NCRI, your emergency turns into our emergency.  Visit NCRI online at www.ncricat.com

What tips would you give an operator that will help them better prepare for a disaster?

In the event of a disaster, at times you’ll face challenges your company is simply not prepared to handle alone.  To lessen the loss and restore your operations as quickly as possible, you’ll need a partner able to command a comprehensive response and recovery effort unique to your business.  NCRI is a total disaster restoration company, helping corporate and commercial clients restore operations and piece of mind.

It is important to think ahead and be prepared in the unfortunate case of a disaster.   NCRI offers a free of charge Pre-Event Agreement which offers your company priority services in case of a disaster.  NCRI also provides their clients with a toll free 24/7 emergency dispatch card.  This card can be kept at the front desk or with whoever would be responsible for engaging NCRI’S services.  For more information please contact your NCRI Representatives Katy or Michelle at 316.636.5700.

What services do you provide restaurants and hotels?

NCRI offers free of charge…

A Pre Onsite Assessment in preparation for any future disaster

A Pre-Event Agreement giving priority services to your company in the event of a disaster

Free estimates for services for mediation, mitigation, remodeling, ect. (excluding mold)

Other than disaster restoration, what other services do you provide to the hospitality industry?

NCRI offers …

Air Duct Cleaning

Carpet Drying and Cleaning Services

Remodeling

Deodorization

New Carpet, Pad and Installation

Mold and Mildew Remediation

Upholstery Cleaning

Doors/Windows Repair & Replacement

Disinfectant/Antimicrobial Cleaning

Project Management

One Call to NCRI

…Will link you to one of the largest catastrophe restoration companies in the United States.

…Will put an entire network of disaster recovery resources at your disposal.

Emergency Services

Business Recovery Management                              Emergency Cleaning

Dehumidification                                                        Electronics Cleaning

Water Extraction                                                        Document Drying

Temporary Roofing                                                   Shrink-wrap Protection

Board Up                                                                   Content Protection and/or Storage

Odor Removal                                                            Mold and Mildew Remediation

Equipment Corrosion Control                                     Dry Ice Blasting

Emergency Generator Power

Reconstruction/Restoration Services

Carpet                                                                                  Furniture

        Carpet Drying & Cleaning                                              Wet or Dry Cleaning

        Removal of Wet Carpet                                                 Upholstery

        Repairs and Patching                                                    Repair and Touchup

        Mold & Mildew Remediation                                          Refinishing

        Deodorization                                                                Fabric Protection

        Scotchgard                                                                    Deodorization

        New Carpet, Pad and Installation                                  Wood Restoration

Wet Carpet                                                                         Fire Restoration

        Take up, Relay, Clean and New Pad                             Video Inventory

        Treatment of Bacteria                                                    Smoke Odor Removal &                   Deodorization

        Odor Inhibitor                                                                   On-Location Restoration

                                                                                                        Pack-Out and Delivery

    Wind & Storm Damage                                                 Wall and Ceiling Cleaning

        Roofing Repairs & Replacement                                Duct Cleaning and Sealing

        Doors/Windows Repair & Replacement                 Electronic Equipment Restoration and Siding                                                                                                                       Cleaning

        Document Restoration                                                  Painting

        Document Drying                                                             Vault Storage

                                                                                                        Anti-Corrosion Treatment

       Vinyl/Wood Floors – Repair                           Structure Repair

Have Questions?  Contact your NCRI-National Catastrophe Restoration, Inc. Representatives

Katy Timken                k.timken@ncricat.com                       316.218.7331             

Michelle Skeeters       m.skeeters@ncricat.com                    316.617.4087

Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates

Beth Tully

The story of Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates has its origins in the dreams of its founder, Beth Tully.

Initially trained as a speech and language pathologist holding both a bachelor's and master's degree, Tully changed career paths several times, working in communications, marketing and sales before launching Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates in Wichita, Kansas, in 2005.

"I couldn't be dishonest with myself anymore,” Tully expressed to The Wichita Eagle. “When I turned 50, I had this epiphany. I realized that up until that point in my life I'd never really done anything that I love to do. I was just punching the clock and moving through life instead of really living it."

Tully knew she had a choice to make. She could continue the course she had traveled up to this point (sacrificing her dream to provide financial security for her family), or she could take the risk and do something she truly loved. And so her journey began.

After completing training at Ecole Chocolat's Professional Chocolatier program and receiving her Master Chocolatier certification, Tully’s previous experiences served her well as she started Cocoa Dolce.

"I'd been making chocolate from the first holiday in 1979,” Tully explained, “and I made it every year after that for my friends and family. I realized that was the best time of my year, every year."

After the opening of her first location in Siena Plaza at 37th North and Rock Road, with one employee, Tully’s product was immediately recognized as exquisite and she quickly gained respect as an entrepreneur and Master Chocolatier.

Tully’s vision, combined with her passion for handcrafted natural chocolate, led to rapid expansion. In 2008, she opened an 1,875 square-foot, off-site production facility and only four years later, moved into Wichita's upscale Bradley Fair development.

In May, 2014, Cocoa Dolce opened its second store at Prairiefire, a mixed-use development in Overland Park, Kansas.

“Don’t limit your thinking,” Tully expressed to the Wichita Business Journal. “Be open to opportunities. What we all have to do is be present and aware of the things that we love to do. There's always value in pursuing what you're passionate about and what makes your heart happy."

As the nation’s second largest private sector employer, restaurants are driving our nation’s economic recovery, and women are leading the way with more than half of U.S. restaurants owned or co-owned by women.

Tully is a member of the Board of Directors of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce and is a founding member of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association. She is also a member of the Kansas Restaurant & Hospitality Association, a former Board member of the Wichita State University Alumni Association and is very active with Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas.