Meet Biz 417's 2025 Biz 100

As an owner and vice president of Branco Enterprises, Sean Thouvenot does a little bit of everything. You might find him working on equipment if the mechanic is unavailable, out in the field checking on the trades or even grilling hamburgers for teachers at a school Branco built. He has been an owner for 15 years, leading the Springfield office of the 92-year-old general contracting company founded in Neosho, Missouri.

The Jefferson Avenue Footbridge and the daylighting of Jordan Creek are two projects Thouvenot is especially excited about right now. He believes both projects will be game changers for the city. “I’m all in for Springfield,” he says. Leaving a legacy that strengthens the community drives his work, whether it’s building schools, parks or aquatic centers throughout the region.

A guiding lesson Thouvenot still follows today is to never overcommit or overpromise. “You always want to be realistic, but lean a little bit to the conservative side,” he says.

There’s a lot happening at the Springfield-Branson National Airport, and Director Brian Weiler couldn’t be happier to be at the center of it all. The airport is on track for a record-setting year with 1.6 million passengers. Major updates are underway, including replacing the iconic carpet with durable terrazzo flooring in a 42-week project, installing new automated exit lane technology with the TSA checkpoint to improve efficiency, replacing five jet bridges, adding 255 short-term parking spaces, introducing six electric vehicle charging stations, refreshing the landscaping in the front of the terminal and expanding the concrete ramp for the terminal to the north to prepare for potential expansion within the next three to five years.

Weiler has been in the industry for more than 30 years and managed five different airports. “I’ve stayed the longest at Springfield-Branson National Airport because we fell in love with the community,” he says. “As long as I’ve been in the industry, probably the most rewarding thing for me is working with young people who have a desire to get into the aviation industry.” In August 2023, Fly SPS launched, offering high school students hands-on aviation training and allowing them to earn flight hours, college credit and their private pilot’s license. This fall, Ozarks Technical Community College introduced a brand new aircraft mechanic training program at the airport. 

Michael Calhoun serves as CEO of Citizens Memorial Hospital and executive director of the CMH Foundation, overseeing the entire health system. He is currently leading a $100 million expansion in Bolivar that will transform the hospital with all-new or renovated inpatient services. The project includes a larger emergency department with 29 beds, a new dining facility and a 28-bed medical surgical unit with all private rooms. Intensive care will double to 16 beds, and labor and delivery will expand to nine rooms with a nearby C-section suite for a more seamless patient experience. Additional upgrades include two new catheterization labs, a pharmacy, laboratory, CT imaging, surgical suites and central sterile areas. Phase one is currently underway and is scheduled to be completed by March 2026. Phase two is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. “We couldn’t do the things that we do without the support of the individuals in our community and the businesses in our community,” Calhoun says.

For Calhoun, relationships are the most valuable asset in health care. Having grown up in Bolivar, he sees strengthening health care in the region as a personal mission. “It’s more than a job,” he says. “It’s a calling.”

Mercy Springfield Communities is expanding healthcare in the Ozarks in 2025. President John Myers has helped lead the charge—even before stepping into the role—to find the right partner to expand pediatric care locally. Children’s Mercy was selected. This Kansas City–based independent children’s hospital has no prior affiliation with Mercy, despite the similar names. Key hires for the pediatric expansion began this fall and will continue as the program ramps up.

Mercy is also opening a new emergency room later this month. The 17,500-square-foot building and $32 million investment is situated next to the Mercy Orthopedic Hospital in south Springfield along Highway 65.

Because Springfield is a medical hub for our growing region, the hospital is seeing more patients in its ER—patients who are sicker and in need of complex care. “The new Emergency Department is an intentional part of our regional access strategy,” Myers says.

The new facility will provide full-service emergency care with imaging, lab services and 24/7 coverage and is expected to serve 16,500 patients annually.

Cade Rogers has spent the past decade building H.C. Rogers Construction into a trusted general contracting firm in southwest Missouri. His company works across residential, multifamily and commercial projects, with a growing footprint in Springfield and surrounding communities. Currently, Rogers is developing Turner’s Ranch, a subdivision off East Sunshine that will feature 200 to 300 homes. His team also recently completed the latest phase of Turner’s Rock, a 55-plus community, and the new River Ranch Apartments in Ozark.

Rogers credits his strong team for helping him balance an expanding portfolio across multiple cities. “I’ve got awesome guys that work for me that are driven,” he says. “I can rely on them to do what needs to be done.”

One project Rogers is especially excited about at the moment is the new Tie & Timber Beer Co. building in the Rountree neighborhood. With its brewery and community atmosphere, he sees it as a major addition that will strengthen local businesses and help define the area’s identity. Looking ahead, Rogers hopes to continue growing his business and client base, taking on even more projects across southwest Missouri.

For Stephanie Stenger, real estate development is truly a family business. She works alongside her father, Ron, and brother, Stu, leading residential projects that shape Springfield’s neighborhoods. “We’re truly a family business that works together well,” she says. “That’s my favorite part of my job.”

One of the company’s most exciting ventures is Hawkins Mill, a 100-acre development north of I-44 that was recently approved by City Council. Hawkins Mill will introduce a variety of housing types under the city’s new subdivision rules, including traditional single-family lots, cottage-style homes, mixed residential lots and apartments. The goal is to provide options that fall into the “missing middle”—housing choices between single-family homes and large apartment complexes. Springfield’s housing shortage is a driving factor in the project. “We are hoping to provide housing for people, affordable housing,” Stenger says.

“We’re looking to provide products that aren’t available right now so that people are able to live in Springfield instead of the surrounding areas.”

Creating communities is what motivates Stenger most. When it comes to shaping Springfield’s future, her advice is to get involved. “There are so many opportunities that the city of Springfield gives for people to get involved in our city government,” she says.

Since stepping into ownership at Maxon Fine Jewelry in 2023, Jessica Harmison-Olson is seizing new opportunities with confidence.

Leading a legacy company that has been in business in Springfield more than five decades, Harmison-Olson is excited to elevate the Maxon brand even further.

Maxon has contributed more than half a million dollars in jewelry and gifts to more than 50 local organizations this year alone. “It’s in our mission, it’s in our DNA, and we love doing it,” says Harmison-Olson. “We are dedicated to the community now more than ever.”

In addition to donating products to support local charities, Harmison-Olson also gives her time to organizations that build community. She is honorary co-chair of the 2025 Cattle Baron’s Ball, serves as president of her Rotary club and will chair the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce next year.

“It’s really humbling, and I’m blessed and  happy to be asked,” says Harmison-Olson.

Looking ahead, 2026 could be a transformational year for Springfield as the host city for the National Route 66 Centennial Kickoff Celebration and as momentum builds toward an event center. “I’m just really excited about 2026,” says Harmison-Olson. “I feel like it’s going to be a big year for our community.”

We are witnessing a profound evolution in business and its relationship with technology. Arguably the most significant shift in our lifetime, artificial intelligence is advancing so rapidly it threatens human jobs.

However, Mostly Serious, an AI enablement and web agency, and its consulting, training and research team, Habitat Communication and Culture, are seizing the opportunity for their industry.

“I want to help local leaders and their teams get ahead of it,” says Jarad Johnson, CEO of Mostly Serious. “Southwest Missouri is full of smart, hardworking people who care about doing good work and taking care of each other. Our goal is to make sure AI actually improves their lives and jobs.”

Mostly Serious started in 2010, and 2025 is proving to be its biggest year yet. “Our unique positioning and understanding of how to train humans matches well with our experience on the technology side,” says Spencer Harris, president of Mostly Serious.

The opportunity to offer AI training to employers began in 2023 to help teams get ahead of AI, rather than simply let it happen. To date, the Mostly Serious team has trained more than 1,500 people in AI adoption.

Mark Hecquet, president and CEO of Visit Springfield, leads the charge in showcasing Springfield as a destination for travelers from around the world. Formerly known as the Convention & Visitors Bureau, the organization rebranded in 2024.

Two major projects define Hecquet’s focus today. First, the pursuit of a new event/convention center in downtown Springfield, an initiative he says is 30 years in the making. With unprecedented state support and renewed interest in creating tourism demand generators, Hecquet believes the timing is right.

Second, the upcoming Route 66 centennial. Springfield, as the birthplace of the iconic highway, will host the National Route 66 Centennial Kickoff Celebration in April 2026. Hecquet sees it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spotlight Springfield on a global stage. His team is already working with international Route 66 enthusiasts to prepare for the influx of visitors.

For Hecquet, these projects symbolize Springfield’s future. “Anytime you have an opportunity to make a city better, it is truly exciting,” he says. “We’re already thinking of what’s next and how we can continue to evolve Springfield as one of the best destinations for visitors and residents.”