Ozarks Profile

President and owner of Ozark Mountain Interiors Inc., 1010 W. Chestnut Expwy. Clifton and his father began OMI Inc. as a retail infill construction company out of Clifton's father's garage. OMI got its start in 1986, when retailers in Branson's first outlet mall recommended its services to other retailers around the country, and the company soon outgrew the garage. After leasing a building in the heart of Springfield for a few years, OMI built its facility on Chestnut in 1996, which is now expanding to more than double its size. With more than 60 employees, OMI provides turnkey construction services nationwide, including general contracting, design and architectural work, millwork, store fixturing and signs and graphics. Clifton is a member of the Retail Contractors Association, Springfield Contractors Association, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Missouri. Clifton serves on the Southwest Missouri State University Foundation Board of Directors, the Curriculum Development Committee for Vocational Technical Education in the State of Missouri and the Ozark Technical Community College Advisory Board. He is a board member of the Downtown Springfield Association, a former member of the SMSU Athletic Advisory Board and has been featured in Who's Who in American Business.

Age: 55

No. of years in Springfield/area: Clifton has lived in the area all of his life.

Education: Clifton graduated from Republic High School in 1961 and has attended classes at SMSU and Drury, but most of his training has been on the job.

Early career: Clifton grew up on a farm and spent summers baling hay. He also milked cows and bought his first car with money he earned working on the farm. "My first job away from the farm was sweeping floors at the Royal McBee plant. By the time the plant closed, I had moved up to the position of credit manager," Clifton said. About that time, Clifton began building houses. "I found my niche doing retail infill construction in the first outlet mall in Branson. I was fortunate to associate with a few customers in the beginning who had a great deal of work around the country. We established a good rapport, and they began to recommend our company to other retailers, and we were off and running."

Current projects: "We are aggressively working toward increasing our market base in the Springfield area. Until now, 98 percent of our work has been out-of-state."

Management philosophy: "Teach people how to treat each other how they want to be treated, and empower each employee to provide the best in customer service. My company's mission statement reflects my philosophy: OMI employees define the Midwest work ethic across the country by exhibiting integrity, positive attitudes and consistency."

Spare-time pursuits: Clifton is involved in activities at University Heights Baptist Church and actively supports the SMSU athletic program by serving on the Papa Bears Board. He also enjoys spending time with his four grandchildren and playing golf with his family.

Family data: Clifton and his wife, Grace, have been married more than 35 years. His son, Sam, is vice president of OMI and has worked with him from the company's beginning. Sam's wife, Michelle, is part of OMI's design department. Clifton's daughter, Lori, is OMI's marketing director, and her husband, Todd, is a project manager supervisor for OMI.