Ingram’s September 2022

Paul Malir PRESIDENT/COO, TRANSYSTEMS

Peter Mallouk CEO, CREATIVE PLANNING

In early 2021, Paul Malir worked with a New York private equity firm, Sentinel Capital Partners, to restructure finances after years of comparatively flat revenues at infrastructure engineering firm TranSystems. The goal was to produce growth, and guess what? By the end of that same year, revenues had popped 25.7 percent over 2020’s numbers, setting the firm up for additional upward moves going forward.

Peter Mallouk has had some big years since acquiring Creative Plan ning in 2004, but none bigger than this past one: He more than doubled the size of his nationally acclaimed wealth management firm and soared past venerable American Century as the region’s largest, now with assets of $235 billion. The big move came last fall, with the ac quisition of Lockton Retirement Services, which added $110 billion to assets under management or administration for the Overland Park firm.

COLLEGE: B.S., Civil Engineering, Kansas State University; MBA, University of Kansas UP THE LADDER: He joined TranSystems after earning his graduate degree and has steadily ad vanced in leadership roles, serving as chief operating officer and, since 2009, president, and now oversees a company with more than 700 employees overall and about 115 at the Crown Center complex headquarters. ABOUT THE FIRM: Founded in 1966, the company also offers architectural planning, design, and construction services, all with the goal of moving goods and people from Point A to B. The company is 100 percent employee-owned and has about 750 on staff, roughly 150 of them in its Crown Center headquarters. EXPERTISE: If it’s a platform to move traffic, TranSystems has the skill sets—aviation, bridge design, freight rail, ports and waterfronts, highway, and public transit all fall within the firm’s portfolio.

COLLEGE: B.A., University of Kansas; MBA, J.D., University of Kansas RECESSION OUTLOOK: “I think a mild recession is likely, especially given the Federal Reserve’s efforts to soften the economy up a bit. It’s impossible to predict, though, and I always recommend people invest as if they have no idea what will happen over the short run.” DEFENSIVE POSTURE: “The best investment plan assumes that downturns will happen regularly and can’t be predicted.” RETAINING TALENT: “Give people a caring culture, opportunities to work with other people, surround them with talent, offer supportive leadership and competitive pay, and the labor market won’t feel tight.” ACCOLADES: Mallouk is perennial No. 1 on Barron’s “Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors” list, and Worth magazine featured him in back-to-back years in its “Power 100.” He also a past winner of EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Matt Malott PRESIDENT/CEO, MULTIVAC U.S.

Mark Mathes EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, VANGUARD PACKAGING

Kansas City native Matt Malott joined the packaging-production company Multivac in 1988, then worked his way through package design, manufacturing, sales, and marketing, on his way to vice president of sales and marketing. That set the stage, in 2018, for him to assume the leadership at this subsidiary of Multivac Group, a German conglomerate.

Perhaps you don’t hear much about them because the compa ny’s operations are tucked away in SubTropolis, the underground business park north of the River. But Vanguard packaging, owned by the Mathes family, is huge in serving the retail sector with merchandising displays and other products. Mark Mathes took the reins from his father, Jack, in 2007, and last year hired a CEO so he could focus on long-term growth and expansion.

COLLEGE: B.S., Marketing Management, Park University JOB DUTIES: Malott oversees a corporate workforce of 400, slightly more than half of which, 230, are attached to the Northland headquarters and production facility. BOOM: It wasn’t just a good year; it was a great year for Malott’s team in 2021, as sales rocketed 33 percent year-over-year to hit $349 million. ABOUT MULTIVAC: The German parent provides industrial packaging systems for companies around the world, food-production sites in particular. The Kansas City site is its only North American production facility, but it has regional offices throughout the U.S.

COLLEGE: B.A., Marketing, Sales & Communications, William Jewell College THE LADDER UP: Mathes started in sales with Vanguard back in 1981, then moved through the leadership ranks as sales manager, president, and CEO. ABOUT VANGUARD: The company was founded in 1975, and among the products it manufactures for retailers are point-of-purchase displays, signage, retail packaging, and corrugated boxes. DOWN BELOW: From its underground location, the company operates a 600,000-square-foot facility that handles manufacturing, assembly, and fulfillment. Other offices in St. Louis and Arkansas deal with sales and design functions. KEY LOCATION: Vanguard has an office in Bentonville, Ark., so that should give you a clue as to the kinds of companies it’s able to serve—and the scale.

John McCarthy FOUNDER, M C CARTHY AUTO GROUP

Ken McClain PARTNER, HUMPHREY, FARRINGTON & MCCLAIN

Now with 11 locations with diverse brands spanning the metro area on each side of the state line, from Lawrence to Sedalia, John McCarthy has spent four decades creating one of the re gion’s leading vehicle-sales companies. His growing family of dealerships sells thousands of new and used cars every year, employs more than 700 people, and you can find most major brands of vehicles under the McCarthy umbrella.

He might not be the mayor of Independence itself, but it’s no stretch to call Ken McClain the mayor of Independence Square. Thanks to the infusion of capital he’s brought to that Downtown area, there’s a commercial buzz that rivals what Harry and Bess Truman might have experienced half a century ago. At least 20 buildings and businesses have been restored or funded through his successful law practice.

LIKE FATHER: McCarthy’s son, Ryan, has been with the group since 2000 and has joined father in the ownership. FULL SERVICE: The dealerships combined offer more than 1,000 new and used vehicles, parts and service, plus assistance helping buyers secure loans. THE BRANDS: The company’s dealerships include Chevrolet sites in Olathe, Lee’s Summit and Overland Park, Honda in Overland Park, Nissan in Lawrence and Olathe, Hyundai in Olathe and Blue Springs, Subaru in Lawrence, and Toyota in Sedalia. GIVING BACK: The company has long been known for supporting local organizations, formalizing that commitment in 2017 when it established the McCarthy Family Foundation as the organiza tion’s charitable arm, providing a more structured philanthropic strategy.

COLLEGE: B.A., Graceland College; J.D., University of Michigan Law School WINNER: As a trial lawyer—and a highly regarded one, at that—McClain specializes in complex toxic and mass tort litigation. In six of the past 10 years, he has secured a Top 100 verdict somewhere in the country. Over his career, his clients have been awarded verdicts and negotiated settlements totaling more than a billion dollars. ON THE SQUARE: His real-estate projects that have brought new life to the square include restau rants, boutique retail shops, service enterprises, and the renewal of the historic Harry Truman neighborhood corridor. UNFORGETTABLE QUOTE: The best part of his job, he once told us, is “trying cases.” And the worst part? “Not trying cases.” Bah-rump-bump …

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I n g r a m ’ s

September 2022

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