b'ALUMNI & FRIENDSWhen he was a boy, Madays family didnt have a tele- Maday has also given back to his community by vision. He can vividly remember racing to a neighborsserving on boards that support the Kemper Museum house in the summer of 1969 to watch Neil Armstrongof Contemporary Art, UMB Bank, The American Royal take the historic first steps on the moon. He alsoAssociation, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and remembers drinking powdered milk and riding thethe Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. He city bus on a regular basis.has also served for more than 10 years on the Trulaske Growing up, I always felt loved and didnt realize thatDeans Advisory Board for the Trulaske College of we didnt have much, because it was all I knew, MadayBusiness. said. But when we moved to a new neighborhood, II think its important to step up and serve as leaders saw that the bankers kids had nice things, and thatsin the community, he said.when I learned something important: If you get a job,The Golden Rulework hard and have a little luck, you can have thoseThroughout his career, Maday has remained steadfastI remember things, too. I had a little hunger to succeed.in his belief that relationships are essential in busi- when I sold my When it came time for college, Madays father andness, especially when choosing the right partners. Its stepfather agreed to split the cost. There was neverfirst business, I also important to offer a product that people truly any doubt about where he would go: Mizzou. want and need. As his old friend and former Sportingwas told I was I thought it was the coolest school, and my friendsKansas City partner, Patterson used to say: Be surepaying my were going there, Maday said. He joined the Phi Deltathe dogs will eat the dog food. people too Theta fraternity, which he credits with providing himWhenever someone pitches me a new deal, I ask:much. I wouldnt valuable guidance. The fraternity was good for me BUILDING A LEGACY because older students gave me advice, and we hadWill the dogs eat the dog food? Maday said. Itschange that. study hall every night. I still remember our study hallbest business advice I ever got. Its important monitor from my freshman yearan engineeringFinally, he believes in the Golden Rule: Treat people in the same way that you would want to be treated. to treat people student who helped me with algebra, calculus and trigonometry. It was in college that I really learnedIts important to do the right thing by people,with respect and how to study, and as a result, I did much betterMaday said. I remember when I sold my first busi- dignity.academically than I ever did in high school. ness, I was told I was paying my people too much. I How Kansas Citys entrepreneurialconcrete-related building products based in KansasMaday knew early on that he wanted to major in busi- wouldnt change that. Its important to treat people Greg Madaygiant, Greg Maday, B.S.B.A. 86, builtCity. He co-founded the company nearly 20 yearsness and eventually focused on finance. Throughoutwith respect and dignity.success on relationships and trust. ago with his friend and prior associates Mike Shull,his time at Mizzou, he worked various jobs, includingHe also values surrounding himself with talented Mike LeMark, John Love, Colin Buchanan and Frankat the Missouri Theatre and the now-defunct Eastgateindividuals. BY SARA DIEDRICHLichtenaur. Shull currently serves as the companysliquor store.For Greg Maday. B.S.B.A. 86, business has alwayspresident. Madays influence extends beyond Spec- Some people get intimidated by hiring people who Chem, as he is also a co-owner of Sporting KansasThe best part of my time at Mizzou was the friend- are smarter than they are, he said. Are you kidding been about the relationships.City, the professional soccer club he acquired inships I made, he said. me?! I have limitations, but I still have this insatiable People doNot long after graduating from college, Maday took a2006 alongside Cliff Illig, the late Neal Patterson, PatMake your own luck desire to work and compete. So, I hire great people, business withjob as a commercial mortgage broker, serving as theCurran, Robb Heineman and fellow Mizzou alum, DaveMadays first job after graduating from college wasgive them credit and pay them responsibility.intermediary who helped individuals and investorsFrench. Formerly known as the Kansas City Wizards,Mizzou madethose they trust,secure loans for their business or commercial uses.the club has flourished under their leadership andas a runner, trading winter wheat at the Kansas City and trust comesHe excelled at his role. Yet, once a loan was finalized,Kansas City has become a global center for soccer. Board of Trade. He landed the role thanks to a connec- Today,MadayschildrenworkforSpecChem, the relationship endedleaving Maday yearning fortion his parents had with the president of the KCincluding his son Max, a graduate of the Trulaske from strongAdditionally, Maday co-founded and co-owns Home- Board of Trade. However, the job only paid $8 an hour,College of Business. As a family, they share a love relationships. deeper, more enduring connections with his clients. field Kansas City, state-of-the-art sporting facilitiesand the wheat pit was only open for six hours a day. for golfing, attending sporting events and traveling Everything shifted when he transitioned into a manu- that serve local athletes and are at the heart of anI was earning just $48 a weekday, and after sixtogether. In the evenings, when Maday returns homeGreg Maday facturing company. There, he found himself not only$838 million redevelopment project at the formerfrom work, he often fires up the grill to unwind and selling business supplies but also building long- Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Wyandotte County. Hemonths on the job, I couldnt afford my rent, Maday lasting bonds with a loyal customer base. It was thealso remains a founding member of Rock Islandrecalled. enjoy barbecuing. ongoing engagement he had been craving. Capital, a private equity firm he co-founded in 2005. His fortune began to change when he accepted aMaday credits his experience at Mizzou with laying Thats when I hit my sweet spot, Maday said. MyRelationships are everything, he emphasized.position with a manufacturing company. By his latethe foundation to pursue his dreams and instilling a customers are my best buddies. If you do it right,People do business with those they trust, and trust30s, Maday and his wife of 33 years, Liz, had alreadydrive to never give up.working doesnt feel like work. comes from strong relationships. grown one company tenfold, sold it and launchedTrulaske taught me how to learn and think for another, earning a spot in Ingrams 40 Under Fortymyself, he said. It also showed me that it was my Those enduring relationships became the corner- A hunger to succeed Class of 2002. In the years that followed, Madayresponsibility to seek out opportunities and turn them stone of Madays successful career as an entrepreneurMaday, the youngest of three, grew up in a modestlaunched several businesses, in some of which heinto something positive. It was a place where you and businessman.duplex in St. Joseph, Missouri. His parents, havingremains actively involved, including SpecChem,created lasting relationships which connected you Today, he is the long-serving chairman and CEOmarried young, divorced when he was four. Both laterSporting Kansas City, Homefield KC and Rock Islandto the real-world workplace. As a fresh graduate, the of SpecChem, LLC, a leading manufacturer ofremarried, and each welcomed a daughter to theirCapital.world didnt owe me anything, but it offered me a new families.door to endless opportunities.40 | TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS TRULASKE MAGAZINE 2024| 41'