Insiders' Guide to Kansas City

Whether you're a Kansas City native, new resident or planning a visit to our fair city, you need to check out this teriffic new guide featuring the very best of everything Kansas City has to offer. Authored by KC Insider Katie Van Luchene, the Insiders' Guide to Kansas City features in-depth looks at accommodations, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, attractions and more in and around the greater Kansas City area. Of course you'll find Portfolio Kitchen & Home included in the Shopping section under Home Furnishings & Accessories on page 145. Click here to preview Portfoio's listing in the book online. Enjoy!

Congratulations Are In Order

Each year Midwest CEO magazine compiles their list of the Midwest's most powerful female executives and entrepreneurs in recognition of their business achievements and contributions to community. Team Portfolio is pleased to announce that Midwest CEO has named our team leader, Portfolio President & CEO, Geri Higgins as one of their Influential Women of 2009.

Click here to learn more about Midwest CEO's Influential Women of 2009.

Congratulations to Geri and all of this year's honorees!

Shake it Up!

As we are wrapping up 2008, and anticipating the arrival of 2009, we feel that now is the time to begin our campaign for The Shamrock Shake in 2009!

Here at Portfolio, we are all about things that are classic and hip. And we think the Shamrock shake is just that!

This past St. Patrick's Day, we were so upset that McDonald's had discontinued the famed holiday shake, that we went so far as to buy vanilla shakes and actually make our own (with peppermint extract and green food coloring). It took a while to match the color, but in the end, it just wasn't the same.

So, show your support for the Shamrock shake!

Some more food for thought: Mickey D's has also stopped making their cherry pies!

And P.S., forget about bringing back the McRib year after year...

Client Profile: Melissa Thompson

From time to time we will feature a Portfolio client profile here on Portfolio Confidential. Our debut profile is Melissa Thompson.

Melissa and her husband Dennis moved to Kansas City from St. Louis. They spent about nine months looking at new construction North of the river before deciding that all the houses looked too similar - the same floorplan, same cabinets, same countertop. The Thompsons ended up buying a house below what they could afford with the plan to remodel the small and outdated kitchen and master bathroom.

Melissa began by interviewing three kitchen design companies in Kansas City. Of course, the chose Portfolio, for how "at ease I felt with Kira (Portfolio design specialist) and how she looked at the whole house to get a feel for my style."

We spend some time this afternoon with Melissa getting a tour of her new Crestwood kitchen. Here is some of what she shared with us:

Portfolio Kitchen & Home: What were the most important elements to incorporate into the new design?

Melissa Thompson: I knew I wanted black and brown cabinetry, a copper sink, double ovens, a five-burner stove and lots of storage.

PKH: What about your new kitchen brings you the most enjoyment?

MT: The overall feel of it. And all my stuff fits!

PKH: Why did you choose to go with such a high-quality cabinetry company?

MT: I used to work as a Quality Engineer, so it was worth the extra money to have a higher quality.

PKH: How would you describe your Portfolio experience?

MT: I loved it! I had a lot of fun - I enjoy designing and selecting all the details. If I had to choose between all the designs again, I would still go with Portfolio.

PKH: Now that everything is complete, how do you find yourself spending time in your new kitchen?

MT: My husband's family comes over a lot; the extra space allows me to be getting stuff ready without people in the way. Our friends come over and sit at the bar and talk. And I just baked Halloween cookies last week. I had three cookie sheets in the oven at once!

Our thanks to Melissa and Dennis for choosing Portfolio!

A Dog Named Christmas

Last night we were glad to partner with Rainy Day Books to host a booksigning of author Greg Kincaid's debut book, A Dog Named Christmas. Over 130 people turned out to have their copy autographed by Greg, and also enjoyed some very tasty Christmas sugar cookies and Portfolio's signature Mulled Apple Cider.

Just in time for the holidays, Greg's book tells the story of how one very special dog changed the lives of his adoptive family and an entire town - forever. In keeping with the heart of the story, the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City sponsored an informational table about pets available for adoption.

To purchase your own copy of A Dog Named Christmas, visit Rainy Day Books in Fairway or click here to go to their product page.

Greg Kincaid is also an Attorney Partner with Norton, Hubbard, Ruzicka, Kreamer & Kincaid, LLC in Olathe, KS.

Express Yourself!

High Octane Launch

Team Portfolio was on hand yesterday for Nebraska Furniture Mart's "Ignite 2008" event at the Kansas Speedway. This annual event is a day of information and fun for clients of NFM's Contractor Sales Division. Attendees learned about all of the fantastic appliance lines available at Nebraska Furniture Mart from NFM staff and factory representatives on hand from all the major appliance manufacturers. Participants also had an opportunity to take a ride around the track in an actual Sprint Cup NASCAR race car. Very cool!

The highlight of the day, however, was the official announcement of the new alliance between Nebraska Furniture Mart and Portfolio Kitchen & Home (see the post from yesterday, October 24th for details). Team Portfolio was introduced to the Ignite participants and our own Geri Higgins gave a presentation on how this new NFM/PKH collaboration will bring added value to the builder, developer, and contractor clients of Nebraska Furniture Mart. After the presentation attendees had the opportunity to meet and interact with the Portfolio staff and learn more about Portfolio products and services.

It was an exciting day and a great way to kick off our new relationship with NFM.

It just keeps getting better...

We are excited to announce that Portfolio has begun a new collaboration with Nebraska Furniture Mart to enhance our dedication and commitment to bringing our clients the most comprehensive experience possible.

Truly a unique, cutting-edge aproach to design, this alliance will bring numerous benefits to our clients and will enhance the experience of both Portfolio's clients and Nebraska Furniture Mart's customers.

This exciting relationship continues Nebraska Furniture Mart's commitment to providing their customers with state-of-the-art, upscale appliances and Portfolio's ability to provide expertise and experience in cabinetry and award-winning design.

Click here for the full press release.