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Community Leaders Team Up to Recruit Investors to Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Economic progress in the Cedar Valley is clearly visible. New development in our downtowns and business districts, industrial and technology parks, and residential construction bring daily improvements to the physical and economic landscape. The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is the driving force behind this economic and community development. The mission of the Alliance & Chamber, to increase economic vitality and wealth, is fulfilled by its many initiatives and programs focused on attracting new business, growing existing business, and talent recruitment and retention. The Alliance & Chamber is the champion for issues that foster a positive business climate for local industry and small business throughout the Cedar Valley Region.

Recent notable Alliance & Chamber accomplishments include:

  • Cedar Valley TechWorks – Designated as the Advanced Manufacturing Hub for the region and state, receiving $3.5 million for construction improvements, and purchase and installation of the largest 3D printer in North America, sponsored in part by the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
  • Leader Valley – 14 Cedar Valley schools have implemented Leader in Me™, with 30 Leader in Me™ events engaging approximately 6,900 people to increase the “soft skills” of our future workforce and talent pool.
  • 26 opportunities delivered for business expansion, retention and recruitment, at an average of $9.46M in value.  502 jobs meet the $19/hr. goal.
  • 5 projects were completed this fiscal year representing $19 million in new capital investment.
  • 504 businesses received direct, hands-on involvement services to grow, solve problems and learn.
  • 4 Cedar Valley companies received in-depth business model enhancement services through the new Advance Cedar Valley small business acceleration program.
  • Interviewed 51 firms to gather in-depth business and economic conditions data.
  • 27 Talent Recruitment events engaging 73 businesses and over 4,000 people.

To ensure this momentum continues the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is asking every member of the business community to participate in the Fulfilling the Vision 2 Campaign. Fulfilling the Vision 2 is a $4.25 million plan for regional economic growth. Funding for business development and growth will be solicited in the Cedar Valley economic area from both the private and public sectors.

Steve Dust, CEO of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber (GCVAC), along with Campaign Chair John Steen, Senior Vice President, Lincoln Savings Bank lead the Fulfilling the Vision 2 campaign leadership team.

Fulfilling the Vision 2 Campaign Leadership Team

Phil Akin; Sue Armbrecht, MidWestOne Bank;  Dave Braton, Courier Communications; Steve Brewer, U.S. Bank; Chris Fereday, PDCM Insurance; Hugh Field, Beecher Law Firm;Wade Itzen, BankIowa; Josh Hurley, First National Bank; Reid Koenig, CUNA Mutual Group; Kathryn Kunert, MidAmerican Energy; Jim McKernan, KWWL Television, Inc.; Dave Quint, Advanced Systems, Inc.; Alan Shakespeare, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.; Dustin Whitehead, Lockard Companies.

The funds raised through the Fulfilling the Vision 2 Campaign will be reinvested in the Cedar Valley economy to further improve our competitiveness, increase talent development and recruitment, and expand the business base. Reaching the campaign goal will result in $67 million of additional personal earnings and $37 million in annual expenditures in the Cedar Valley.  A full description of campaign goals and six areas of focus can be found at www.FtV2.org.

For more information or to make an investment, please contact: Bette Wubbena, Director of Investment Recruitment by sending email to bwubbena@cedarvalleyalliance.com or to Steve Dust, CEO, at sdust@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is a private, non-profit corporation representing and advocating for the interests of business, industry and institutions operating in the Cedar Valley. The Alliance & Chamber was created to coordinate the resources allocated to economic development in the Cedar Valley, and provide a platform for shared services wherever possible.

 

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Meeting in the Middle: Attracting Talent to Cedar Valley Job Opportunities

– Britt Jungck, Director of Business Services & Workforce Development

Recruiting quality employees can be one of the most stressful and competitive tasks in any company.  We have jobs in the Cedar Valley and the job seekers have choices.

So who is winning this battle for talent?  Lately, almost every company that I talk to is hiring for at least one position or projecting a hire in the next six months.  Numerous Cedar Valley companies are adding dozens to their staff teams each year; some having an easier time than others.

The biggest factor in determining a company’s hiring success is their level of engagement with the community and potential job seekers.  If we are talking about recruiting the emerging workforce (young professionals and college graduates) then this is a vital ingredient to success.  Millennials rarely apply to an unknown company.  They want to work for an organization that meets their aspirations, and if they haven’t heard of your business, they probably aren’t dreaming of working there.

Usually when I start talking about community engagement, many HR Directors begin to roll their eyes.  I’m not saying you have to pass out frisbees to every college student or offer pizza and beer to every young professional you know.  But, thinking through your recruitment strategy and whether it represents what’s effective in 2013 might be a good idea.  In fact, there are many things you could probably do to connect with more people that cost LESS money.

Job Fairs-Starting with the obvious, job fairs are a great way to meet a large number of potential candidates in one day.  However, you have to carefully plot how your image plays to the attendees when planning your booth.  This does not mean simply dusting off the old bowl of butterscotch discs.  Today’s employers need to be engaging.  Props, displays, games, surveys, thoughtful giveaways( instead of consumables), music, computers, bright colors, and representatives that fit the same demographic as your potential candidate(s) are all a great start.

The Cedar Valley needs to have a greater, more active and engaging, presence at our local job fairs, especially those on college campuses.  Why?  Because rumors determine image.  If they see you and like you, they may want to be you.  If they see you and are bored with you, they may spread the word.  If they don’t see you at all, you’re invisible.  As a community, we have such a breadth of successful businesses, we should never settle with giving a lackluster impression of the Cedar Valley.  And other towns are showing up to compete!

Strategic involvement-What’s your market?  Go there.  If you need to hire 30 software developers and technical sales professionals, you can’t just put an ad on Indeed.com and hope someone stumbles upon your company.  Where do the best people come from?  Offer internships (that pay).  Where do software developers hang out?  Offer coupons or Groupons for their favorite coffee shop or bar.  Do they have kids?  Get your brand at all the soccer tournaments and talk about your flexible schedules.  You have to maneuver the market to be successful.

One local company is showing great promise with this, wanting to connect with college students, they decided to help on move-in day at the dorms.  Free labor?  That makes an impression!  Another had free cocoa available at the first, cold outdoor football game.  Yet another is using an “office decorating allowance” to cater to those who feel their work environment is important in their decision.  The point is, be unique.  Don’t be another empty table or desperate plea in an advertisement.  Be something positive that is going to inspire your future employee to apply.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is committed to both providing recruitment ideas to its investors through career fairs and panel discussions (see our event schedule!), but we are also working with young professionals to get to know their community.  We will be sponsoring five bus tours, featuring more than 60 companies and organizations, to help foster ideas for job seekers.  These events have an added bonus of being able to show off our gorgeous community to those who might not venture around as often.

The truth is, we have a lot to offer.  Hundreds of job opportunities.  Fast succession potential. Creative, growing employers.  We just have to reach out with new methods, as talent and as employers,  to connect the dots and get (people) hired.

Skilled Iowa Testing Month Set For October

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, Hawkeye Community College and Iowa Workforce Development are partnering to host Skilled Iowa Testing Month for Cedar Valley employers.

Last November, Governor Terry Branstad visited Waterloo and designated the Cedar Valley as the first Skilled Iowa region in the state.  Since that time, the number of employers who have signed letters of commitment supporting the program has risen to over 520 across the region.  This means that over 29% of Cedar Valley employees are currently working in a Skilled Iowa firm.

After signing the Skilled Iowa commitment form, employers are eligible for an array of complimentary services including access to National Career Readiness Certification testing for their employees at no cost.  This exam, tests an individual’s skill levels in applied mathematics, reading for information, and locating information.  Hawkeye Community College, a partner and supporter of the Skilled Iowa program, has contributed several of their locations as testing sites including the main, Independence, and Waverly campuses and the MLK and Cedar Falls centers.  Additionally, Skilled Iowa employers can send individuals to the Hawkeye Community College IowaWORKS Center on University Avenue or they can contact anyone on the IowaWORKS Business Services team to get access to a mobile lab to visit their facility.

As further incentive to take part in these services, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is encouraging our investors to test at least two individuals in the month of October, declaring it “Skilled Iowa Testing Month.”  This push, aimed at increasing the data available concerning the skills of our area workforce, will help local economic developers market our community and employers plan for future hiring needs.

“Skilled Iowa is another tool Cedar Valley businesses can utilize in their efforts to grow and sustain their workforce,” commented Steve Dust, CEO of the Alliance & Chamber, “Talent is a key factor in a business’ ability to grow and our role is to provide solutions to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce to meet their needs.  NCRC certifications, especially for our employers with Baby Boomer retirements and succession planned in the near future, can be a great resource for workforce development planning.”

An added benefit to the test takers is a chance to win a gift certificate, valued at $50, to any member-investor business of any Chamber in the Cedar Valley region for any individual who earns a “Platinum Certification” on their NCRC exam.

Employers and job seekers can contact the Hawkeye Community College IowaWORKS office for questions about the NCRC exam and the testing times available to earn an NCRC certificate by calling 319-291-2546.

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Alliance & Chamber Seek Investor Input to 2014 Legislative Policy Agenda

As the Government Relations Committee begins deliberating on the 2014 GCVAC Legislative Policy Agenda, I want to extend a special invitation to an Investors’ Legislative Issues Forum on Monday, September 16, 2013 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cedar Falls from 8:00-9:00 am. This year, the Alliance & Chamber is offering an opportunity for investor involvement in legislative priority identification through this forum. Please come to hear from other investors what is on their minds as we begin crafting our 2014 agenda. Our hope is that this forum will give us an important head start and strengthen our efforts in identifying and prioritizing issues important to business in the Greater Cedar Valley as we build the Alliance & Chamber’s legislative agenda for the next session.

The October 11 Friday Forum will be at the Five Sullivan Bros. Center and the November 8 event will be at the Waterloo Center for the Arts.

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Announces New Roles, Promotions

“It helps a very talented professional team do our jobs more effectively and increase the competitive stance of the Cedar Valley in a global economy.” This is how Steve Dust,  CEO of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber describes his motivation for announcing recent promotions within that economic and community development corporation.

The announcement describes a realignment of existing staff. No new hires were made, and no compensation adjustments were included in the process, Dust emphasizes. “We did this to operate more efficiently as a combined economic development, redevelopment, and community development organization, he says.  Team members who do similar things are grouped by related functions, yet it allows us to remain flexible to very quickly attack any opportunity or issue in our economic area.”

In the new alignment, Dust is supported by four vice presidents, including Lisa Skubal, CEcD, who was named Vice President of Economic Development. Lisa oversees all business expansion and recruitment programs, marketing and project management, talent recruitment and retention, and business and economic information gathering. “Lisa enjoys a statewide reputation as one of the best in our field. Her professional growth has given her the skills to lead the team that helps wealth creating businesses and institutions locate and expand in the Cedar Valley of Iowa,” explained Dust.

Dust also named Cary Darrah as Vice President of Community Development. “Cary was brought into the Alliance & Chamber structure to manage the TechWorks Campus redevelopment, in large part because of the marvelous job she did in Cedar Falls Main Street organization, said Dust. “She has the Campus on a good trajectory with The Green @ TechWorks project getting underway in Tech II, and several good manufacturing technology-related opportunities exploring space commitments in Tech I. As I looked at the skills necessary to deal with our Competitiveness and Amenities work, which includes things like networking and events, local issues management, improving our infrastructure for business growth, and Leader Valley educational programs, it matched up nicely with Cary’s organizational skills and interests,” concluded Dust.

“In many regards, the Alliance & Chamber is a growing, entrepreneurial small business,” explains Dust. “We’re growth-oriented, and focused on doing what’s expected of us by our customers and clients, our investor-members, and this team faces the same kind of challenges our investor-members do in handling all the human resources, IT, facilities, and administrative tasks, and holding each other accountable for the wise use of our talents and resources. We take this very seriously, and to oversee the administrative components of the Alliance & Chamber, we have elevated Sandi Sommerfelt to Vice President of Operations. Sandi was in a similar VP role at another business, and she’s demonstrated that she can effectively lead and keep us well organized.”

At the same time, the CFO role held by Sue Hansen, CPA, becomes a part-time position. “Sue has worked very hard to bring us to an even higher level of management reporting and compliance with changing requirements. Sue will remain focused on our financial reporting and major HR issues, where she also has deep experience and knowledge, while having more time for family pursuits and personal interests.” said Dust.

“As we looked at the goals we expect to accomplish for  the Cedar Valley business community and economic area this fiscal year (which began on July 1), and the number of complex and sometimes new challenges we’ll face, it became obvious to the senior team a realignment was necessary to get it all done effectively. It also permits me to spend more time on strategic business development, regional issues, and investor relationships.  We’ll still be stretched, but this arrangement of duties and leadership will help relieve that challenge”, claimed Dust.

Dust concludes, “I think the most important thing to communicate to our investor-members, the business community in general, and all of the partners we rely on in accomplishing our work is that there is a team of highly talented, motivated and enthusiastic economic and community development professionals working every day in the Alliance & Chamber to increase wealth and economic vitality in the Cedar Valley economic area.”

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is a private, not-for-profit corporation whose investors include businesses, institutions, local governments and professionals dedicated to continuously improving the economic environment and quality of life in the Cedar Valley.  The Alliance & Chamber works to increase wealth and economic vitality through collaborative economic and community development throughout the Cedar Valley economic area.

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The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Launches New Data Tool Resource

As part of its portfolio of business services, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, in partnership with Far Reach of Cedar Falls, introduces the Cedar Valley Data Portal.

Through the Cedar Valley Data Portal website, statistics and data about the Cedar Valley, from a multitude of sources, is collected and routinely updated in one convenient location. Data available on the site includes general demographic, economic, social, and housing statistics along with a variety of additional information regarding Cedar Valley cities, seven county economic area and the state of Iowa. The site offers data comparisons through easy to create, customizable reports.

As an economic development organization, the Alliance & Chamber is the primary agent for the demographic information on the entire Cedar Valley region. It is a priority of the Alliance & Chamber to distribute this information and business intelligence in the most efficient and effective way possible. The information provided in the data portal presents the Cedar Valley as one economic region, positioning the region competitively for new jobs and investment. Site selectors from outside the region will especially appreciate the comprehensive economic and talent information available through the data portal.

“ Most companies and site selection influencers are conducting community data and property searches 24/7 and look to organizations like the Alliance & Chamber as a source.   If this information isn’t readily available on our web site, we risk a lost opportunity,”notes Alliance & Chamber Economic Development Marketing Director, Lisa Rivera Skubal. “Companies and site selection influencers don’t call economic developers until they have already made a short list of potential sites.  This interactive data portal complements our available property data base, further setting us apart.”

The data portal is also an avenue to support retail and service business with access to current information for planning.

Project History

A survey to Alliance & Chamber partner organizations such as utility partners, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and the Cedar Valley Regional Partners showed need for such a system. From there, Far Reach developed the system for the Alliance & Chamber.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is responsible for updating the information provided on the data portal. Alliance & Chamber staff  use national reporting sources, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research and Iowa Workforce Development to aggregate data. Far Reach Technologies will continue to providing reporting and analytics to guide the growth and enhancement of the site.

“The Alliance & Chamber works with these stats every day. The ability to collect, update, and distribute this kind of comprehensive business intelligence is bedrock to what our organization does. This is not only a value added benefit to our investors, the Cedar Valley Data Portal is a critical resource for attracting new business and talent to the Cedar Valley,” comments Steve Dust, CEO of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.

The Cedar Valley Data Portal can be found by going to www.cedarvalleyalliance.com,  http://data.cedarvalleyalliance.com/DataPortal.aspx. For more information on the Cedar Valley Data Portal and other information services provided by the Alliance & Chamber, contact Taylor King at tking@cedarvalleyalliance.com or 319-232-1156. Far Reach can be found on the web at www.farreachinc.com.

 

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Assists Black Hawk Engineering, Inc. in Acquiring Expansion Funding

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is proud of their role in the State of Iowa’s $137,000 incentive package award to Black Hawk Engineering, Inc. The incentive package, awarded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, helps fund a 40,000 square foot expansion at the firm’s facility in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park. This project will create 16 new jobs and add capacity to support their work as a supplier of custom drive train components.

Alliance & Chamber staff assisted Black Hawk Engineering through the entire application process which resulted in the state approving 100% of the application request.

The Alliance & Chamber helps Cedar Valley businesses and the local economy grow through: workforce & talent initiatives, business growth services, advocacy, Cedar Valley regional marketing collaboration, and collecting and distributing business intelligence & economic performance data.

For more information on the Alliance & Chamber business services can be found at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com or by contacting, contact Britt Jungck, Director of Business Services at (319)232-1156 or email bjungck@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

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“College Planning Open House” for Veterans and Military Members at Hawkeye Community College

WATERLOO—Hawkeye Community College is hosting a College Planning Open House for veterans, military members, and their families on Thursday, May 23, from 4:00-6:00 p.m.  The event will focus on providing information to help military personnel and their families transition into college life in order to build careers through education.  The Open House will be held in Tama Hall on Hawkeye Community College’s main campus, located at 1501 East Orange Road.

Participants will learn first-hand about the more than 45 programs offered at Hawkeye, financial aid options, student support services, and career planning.   Attendees will be able to talk with Robin Knight, Hawkeye’s Veteran Services coordinator, about the educational benefits earned through military service.  Hawkeye has more than 300 student veterans, current military, and dependents and was named a Military Friendly School by Magna Publications, G.I. Jobs Magazine.

“Leaving military service and coming to college can be a daunting process.  Many times the application processes for education benefits can be overwhelming.  Our goal is to make that transition easier,” explains Robin Knight.

If you or a family member are a veteran or an active duty member of the military, explore your education options at Hawkeye.  Stop at the college anytime between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. for more information and one-on-one assistance.  For more information, contact Jason Streed at 319-296-4206 or jason.streed@hawkeyecollege.edu.

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Dust Optimistic About Cedar Valley Economy – Part 2

View the three part video of Steve Dust, CEO of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber on KWWL’s Steele Report.

Click Here.

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