Ozarks Profile: Mike Bennitt

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What is your job?|ret||ret||tab|

President, Great Southern Investments.|ret||ret||tab|

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Tell us about your organization.|ret||ret||tab|

In 1982, Great Southern Bank became the first bank to offer retail investment services in Springfield. Great Southern Investments, now housed on the third floor of Great Southern's main bank on East Battlefield, will move into its own facility at 3609 E. Sunshine in January 2001. Great Southern Investments offers virtually any investment product, but specializes in retirement funding, college education funding and tax-advantaged investments, Bennitt said. Bennitt joined Great Southern's investment department in 1987, which was at that time run by an Oregon-based company called Marketing One. In 1988, Great Southern Investments began operating independently of Marketing One. The same year, Great Southern Investments became a National Association of Securities Dealers broker/dealer.|ret||ret||tab|

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What is your educational background?|ret||ret||tab|

Bennitt holds a bachelor of science in accounting from Northeast Missouri State University, which is now Truman State University, in Kirksville. He is a Certified Financial Planner, and holds Series 7 and Series 24 securities licenses. |bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

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What jobs led you to your current one?|ret||ret||tab|

"I've been in sales for more than 20 years and sales management for 18 years," Bennitt said. His first job out of college was as a store manager for Zales jewelry stores in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Wichita, Kan. Bennitt then began selling office equipment in Joplin, then moved to Springfield in 1982 and ran an office equipment business for seven years. He was then recruited by an insurance company to manage 120 agents in a five-state area. "That was my wilderness experience, where nothing I was promised was delivered. It was a bad deal, but it was probably the most valuable experience of my life I learned a lot from it." From that experience, Bennitt came to Great Southern's investment department in 1987. "(The insurance position) is the one that catapulted me into this one Great Southern was looking for someone with some understanding of the investment/insurance business, as well as someone with a lot of sales management experience, which I had."|ret||ret||tab|

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What is the best part of your job?|ret||ret||tab|

Bennitt said there are three aspects of his job that he considers equally gratifying. "I love to help people reach their financial goals, I have the best staff around and I work for a company that has just begun to scratch the surface of its potential in the marketplace."|ret||ret||tab|

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Give us some personal information.|ret||ret||tab|

Bennitt is 45 and grew up in Joplin. He has lived in Springfield nearly 20 years, and is married to Debbie. They have three children: Breanna, 16, Benjamin, 13, and Justin, 10. Bennitt and his family attend James River Assembly, and he serves on the state advisory board to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He said he enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf at Millwood.|ret||ret||tab|

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What is your favorite business lunch spot?|ret||ret||tab|

Thai House.|ret||ret||tab|

by Melissa Wilson |bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

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