Who we are

“The Chairs”

I founded Anlab in 1992 to honor a personal debt — to my grandparents, parents, and my mentors who sat in these 2 chairs.

Those chairs once seated wealthy businessmen while my father (1895–1989) shined their boots at the Union Stock Yards in Omaha — a major financial hub that was once comparable to Wallstreet. Farmers from across the country brought livestock to the Yards, where animals were bought, sold, processed, and shipped to grocers nationwide.

In the summer of 1962, at age six, I sat in one of the chairs while Don Mactier (Mactier Bros) sat in the other. After his boots were shined, he told my father, “Dave, when Bobby is with you, drop him off at my office in the mornings so he can work with me”.

For seven years, my summers were filled with learning the business process from Don and eventually others by attending meetings, learning how to negotiate sales transactions, structure contracts and the crucial roles of banking and finance. Admittedly, as a young kid, I found this “schooling” rather boring but mandatory if I wanted to do what I loved, directing cattle and hogs from one area of the Yards to the other. After my “graduation” several of my mentors became my family and made it possible for me to graduate from private institutions, Creighton Prep Highschool and Creighton University.

At the Yards, I learned about business from men engaged in an industry where fortunes were made and lost, overnight, and my Parents taught me about Life. My mother pushed me to study hard and taught me the value of keeping my word. I watched my father work relentlessly and listened to stories about my grandparents, born in 1865 and 1867, and the sacrifices they made.

In 1989, after a career in Sales at Fortune 100 companies, I walked away — despite having no background in science. For three years, I worked hands-on in this industry, learning it from the ground up. In 1992, I used my savings to launch Anlab with one mission: Earn Your Business.

The Chairs represent how the poorest (Grandparents) to the wealthiest (Mentors) shared a common belief in the need to give a 6 year old kid an opportunity to succeed.