A local construction company owner passed away unexpectedly last weekend in his Leawood home. Jim Kissick, who co-founded and owned Kissick Construction Co., was 68 years old. Visitation will be Friday, Dec. 14, from 4-8 p.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Funeral mass will be held Saturday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, followed by burial at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery. There will then be a…

A new cohort of outstanding Kansas City-area small businesses has been selected as the 2019 class of 25 Under 25 Small Business Award honorees. The selected companies embody this year’s event theme, “Go Places. Think Bigger.” Some are growing and moving into new, larger headquarters. One honoree, Mi Rancho Tequila, just signed an international distribution agreement. The cohort includes businesses all over the KC metro, from Tonganoxie to Blue Springs….

Following several policy changes, the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s programs supported 658,000 American families in 2018, and its new online Lender Match feature has accrued 3 million hits and made over 168,000 connections between lenders and borrowers. Changes to the SBA’s lending policies include a new 25-year debenture on 504 program loans, fee relief for loans up to $150,000, enhanced online platforms that make borrower-lender transactions easier and increased internal…

Joni Cobb, CEO of Pipeline Entrepreneurial Fellowship, announced she will step down from the post at the end of 2019. The program mentors entrepreneurs of high-growth companies. Cobb signed on when Pipeline launched in 2006, expecting to help with startup and pass the baton. Over the past 12 years, Cobb has led Pipeline through significant change and challenge: navigating Pipeline through highs and lows of state funding issues, moving Pipeline to…

Innovative Fulfillment Solutions (IFS), an e-commerce fulfillment and logistics company that is celebrating its 20th year in business in Riverside, Mo., has been acquired by Symbia Logistics of Edwards, Colo. IFS has been a pioneer in providing third-party fulfillment services to e-commerce companies since 1998, getting its start around the time that Amazon became a household name.  “Since launching IFS, we’ve seen explosive growth in online shopping and e-commerce services,”…