Lee Beaman was appointed in December to serve on the Missouri Leadership Council, a 26-member panel that represents the state in the National Federation of Independent Business.
Q: What is the Missouri Leadership Council, and how did you get involved?
A: The council is the Missouri voice for NFIB. We started Beaman Electric, (my wife) Vanessa and I, in 1993, and we joined NFIB shortly after that. As far as getting on the leadership council, I got a phone call asking me if I was interested in being on it - it's not something I necessarily pursued, but I was glad to join.
Q: What does NFIB do?
A: The NFIB will survey all its members, and then it takes the results of those surveys - small-business wants, needs, fears, concerns - to legislators. (Last month), there were 25 of us up in Jefferson City (advocating for House Bill 191). We act as a voice to go in front of legislators and tell them what our concerns are; we advocate for small business.
Q: Why is NFIB in favor of HB 191, which would extend and expand the Quality Jobs Act?
A: If the bill is passed, when businesses employ people, they would get back a certain percentage of their payroll on taxes as an incentive to hire. If I would need one more employee, but I'm borderline whether I'm going to hire or not, this bill would mean that if I pay him 'X' amount of dollars - you have to pay him above the local mean - I get a little bit of tax write-off because I hired that person. It's just an incentive for businesses to hire people - the thought is that all we need is some small positives to happen so we can get some business going out there.
Q: What's the biggest issue facing construction businesses or small business in general?
A: The biggest is ... keeping the work force we (have now) so when things get better, those people are there. It's difficult if you don't have enough work for them to keep them, but you have to keep them so that when you do have the work for them, you have the people there. Balancing work force and work is tough. We have more work force right now than we have work, but if the scales tip the other way, it's just as bad.
Q: What are your spare-time interests?
A: I have two different horses: One is a quarter horse and one is a Mustang. The quarter horse is flesh and blood, and the Mustang is the metal variety - it's a '67 Mustang coupe. That's kind of my thing - playing around with old cars. But for Vanessa and me, our release from stress is going out to ride. We have a living-quarters trailer, and we'll drive up to Colorado, up on a mountaintop, and just ride for a couple of days. Best thing in the world.Interview by Jeremy Elwood.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
