Author Archives: AllianceChamber

In the Media: Skubal says low water rates are “selling point” for business

“Lisa Skubal, vice president of economic development at the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber, said the price and quantity of water in the area are selling points in recruiting certain industries.

‘It is one of the top physical infrastructure selling points we use when companies are considering Waterloo, Cedar Falls and the Cedar Valley for large water users,’ Skubal said.

‘The water costs do play into the total annual cost of operation for these large water users during the site selection process.’

But cost isn’t the only factor.

‘The Cedar Valley Aquifer has a significant capacity to produce water in excess of current withdrawal rates,’ Skubal said. ‘This capacity and reliability is very attractive to companies and also affects the bottom line for companies.’

Waterloo water, sewer bills are best in state, Tim Jamison, The Courier, January 31, 2018

5 on Friday: Fuel for Thought February 2, 2018

by Steve Dust, CEO, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Fuel for Thought What's Steve Dust reading this week? February 2, 2018, 5 on Friday

5 on Friday is a two-way street: please send me recommendations on books, reports, articles, blogs, videos, or anything you’re reading or watching that impacts business and the economy.

ONE: Did that Chicken Ever Cluck? Rib Have a Rib in it? Ribeye Have a Bone in It?

This week, Tyson Ventures announced an investment in Memphis Meats, a leader in the development of cultured meats from animal cells. Tyson’s unit joins Cargill, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and others investing to explore new ways of filling the growing global demand for protein. This is a disruptor/game changer for the commodity ag and food industry that can have implications for the Cedar Valley and Iowa.

Tyson Foods Invests in Cultured Meat with Stake in Memphis Meats, GlobeNewswire, Seeking Alpha, January 29, 2018

TWO: The New Healthcare Model?

This week, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., JPMorgan Chase, and Amazon announced they would combine efforts to address satisfaction and cost in health care service delivery for their 1 million (plus or minus) employees. (Berkshire Hathaway’s local connections include MidAmerican Energy is part of Berkshire Hathaway Energy; part ownership in The Courier’s parent company, Lee Enterprises; and Wells Fargo.) The blog post link below is a combination of the joint announcement. Most of you have likely read about this with great interest, and the author’s realistic observations and projections of the potential disruption caused by an “Amazon Health Marketplace.” Here’s another big move to watch that could have real strategic impact on the Cedar Valley. There’s a lot of skepticism on the street about their ability to address such as big issue with a relatively small number of employees. That assumes it doesn’t launch into a new into Amazon Heath. That’s when it gets interesting for everyone in healthcare.

Amazon Health, Ben Thompson, Stratechery, January 31, 2018

Artificial Intelligence: Fact and Fantasy

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was reading Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Max Tegmark. It’s about what AI is, generally, and its implications for business and society. That pushed some button and ever since, I’ve been reading the quality info I can find on AI. Here are three items I want to pass along.

THREE: AI Changes Work

My suggestion is to pay a lot more attention to the Three Actions for Shaping the Future than the Five Schools stuff. The action items are more relevant to you and me today as we all figure out the pace and applicability of the early generations of AI.

How Will AI Change Work? Here Are 5 Schools of Thought, Mark Knickrehm, Harvard Business Review, January 25, 2018

FOUR: McKinsey Says AI Study/Tracking is a Time Critical Imperative

This is a very good exam of the impact on various industry sectors. Consumers seem to benefit first, and the real opportunity, to me, appears in the hardware and solutions delivery. Viva la consultants!

Artificial intelligence: The time to act is now, Gaurav Batra, Andrea Queirolo, and Nick Santhanam, McKinsey&Company, January 2018

FIVE: AI Policy

So, what are the policy implications of all this to the economy and the labor force? We’re still arguing about how to keep access to broadband, and how to distribute it. Who’s ready to talk about policy of AI? I’ve found Information Tech and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) – specifically, its president, Rob Atkinson — a very good voice in and on policy for technology topics. Here’s Rob’s recent thoughts on the implications of AI to the labor force and the economy, generally. His good advice: “take a deep breath and calm down” regarding AI’s impact on employment and humanity. Good advice.

Economic and Labor Force Implications of Artificial Intelligence, by Robert D. Atkinson, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), January 25, 2018

In the Media: Dust never settled for status quo

From an editorial in The Courier, January 28, 2018

“At the outset, Dust had more tasks than a short-order cook. The biggest was transforming some former John Deere manufacturing buildings at the company’s Westfield Avenue site into the Cedar Valley TechWorks, an ag-industrial product and business development center…

Dust couldn’t do it alone. And he didn’t do it alone. He brought people together to make it happen.”

Dust never settled for status quo, The Courier, January 28, 2018

In the Media: Ashley Furniture warehouse opens in Cedar Falls

“There’s a new neighbor in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park — a 153,000-square-foot neighbor.

Furniture Mart USA of Sioux Falls, S.D., has opened its new $7.2 million Ashley Furniture distribution center at 2615 Capital Way, between Bossard-IIP and the Target Distribution Center..

Stewart said city officials have been ‘very responsive’ with assistance through the start-up process, and the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber has assisted in recruiting employees.”

Read the entire article here: Ashley Furniture warehouse opens in Cedar Falls, Pat Kinney, The Courier, January 17, 2018

In the Media: Steve Dust to leave Greater Cedar Valley Alliance after 14 years

“‘I’m not retiring,'” Dust said. ‘I think what made me successful here, to the extent that I was, was my experience and skills in helping organizations find that vision, refine it, and create the organization and build the organization. That’s what I’ve done. That’s what I enjoy and that’s what I’m successful with.’

‘Just as I arrived at a time when the community was trying to come together to create the Cedar Valley, now we have another generation of leadership that’s emerging,’ Dust said. ‘There’s a whole raft of new business owners and senior manager who are going to be making decisions about what this economy is going to be.'”

Steve Dust to leave Greater Cedar Valley Alliance after 14 years, Pat Kinney, The Courier, January 16, 2018

In the Media: Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber CEO Steve Dust to resign

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber CEO Steve Dust to resign, KWWL, January 16, 2018

In the Media: Dust steps down from role in Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Dust steps down from role in Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, KCRG-TV9, January 16, 2018

In the Media: Dust stepping down from Greater Cedar Valley Alliance

Dust stepping down from Greater Cedar Valley Alliance, Corridor Business Journal, January 16, 2018

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber CEO Steve Dust Is Resigning

Dust Will Continue to Run Alliance & Chamber Operations and Assist the Executive Committee with the Search for His Replacement in Interim

Steve Dust, CEO Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Cedar Valley of Iowa—Steve Dust, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber (GCVAC) CEO, announced he will be leaving the organization he helped bring together 14 years ago when he was recruited to the executive role of the area’s newly formed economic development entity. Dust made the announcement at the GCVAC’s regularly scheduled board of directors meeting today.

“I’m not retiring, I’m transitioning out of my role as CEO,” said Dust. “After thoughtful consideration, I’ve come to realize that the skills needed to unify, build and develop the Alliance & Chamber over the last 14 years are very different than the skills needed to move the Alliance & Chamber to the next level. Donita (Steve’s wife) and I have decided that the best way I could serve the organization that I’ve worked to create and advance, as well as pursue the type of work that I’m best at, and most interested in, would be to leave the Alliance & Chamber.”

Dust said he notified GCVAC’s executive committee of his decision last November and they worked together on a transition plan which may run through June 30, 2018. During this interim period, Dust will assist the executive committee with the search for his replacement, while continuing to manage day-to-day operations and conduct fundraising calls for the Alliance & Chamber’s ongoing campaign. He said he and his wife hope to stay in the Cedar Valley.

“I’m so very proud of the Cedar Valley and what we’ve built together, starting with merging the Cedar Falls and Waterloo chambers together, and then merging the chambers into the Alliance,” said Dust. “The Cedar Valley is now a recognized leader in regional collaboration and impactful economic development. And, the Cedar Valley is now known for its innovation and technology-based strategies, talent recruitment and retainment initiatives, and as the center of manufacturing in Iowa.”

Manufacturing Hub

According to Tim Hurley, TechWorks board chair, Dust was instrumental in re-establishing the Cedar Valley as the center of manufacturing, by securing funding for TechWorks and receiving legislative designation for TechWorks as the Manufacturing Hub.

“Steve pursued The Iowa Reinvestment District Program as a funding tool to execute the TechWorks vision,” said Hurley. “The program provides for new state hotel/motel and sales tax revenues to be re-invested within urban renewal areas—and with Steve’s leadership we received $12 million in funding.”

TechWorks Campus is an advanced manufacturing, research & development, innovation, education, commercial and manufacturing center located in downtown Waterloo, Iowa. The campus is comprised of 20 acres of development sites and 180,000 square feet of flex space for innovation and development.

The TechWorks Campus is home to many entities including the University of Northern Iowa Metal Casting Additive Manufacturing Center and Design Lab, Hawkeye Community College Design Lab, the Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Network Hub, John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum and the newly opened Courtyard by Marriott, soon to be joined by the John Deere Training Center and Blue Iguana Restaurant in what has been known as the Tech 2 building.

“Steve was honored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry at its 2016 Advanced Manufacturing Conference largely for not only being a vocal advocate for TechWorks and the Cedar Valley, but for bringing Iowa business issues to the statehouse in Des Moines and to Washington,” said Hurley. “And, Washington took notice of the Cedar Valley too.”

Technology Infrastructure

Dust created the Gigabit Valley concept, emphasizing that broadband is the infrastructure of the future. He worked with the City of Waterloo to conduct studies of business and institutional broadband use which led to the creation of the Waterloo Municipal Telecom Utility. Google also recognized Cedar Falls with a 2014 eCity Award which is given to the strongest online business community in each state – the digital capitals of America.

In 2015, President Obama visited the Cedar Valley to applaud broadband leadership.

“It was a very proud day when President Obama came to the Cedar Valley to recognize CFU and the City of Cedar Falls as Iowa’s first gigabit city—and a leading broadband city in the U.S.,” said Dust. “From gaming companies to the many IT firms that make up our economic base, we’re truly a region focused on innovation and technology.”

Talent Recruitment and Retention

Bob Smith, chairman of the GCVAC board and president of Lockard, noted several successful milestones under Steve’s leadership over the Alliance & Chamber’s first 14 years, including a regional alignment calling for one voice for the Cedar Valley and a well-known and well-marketed Cedar Valley economic area, supported by a strong economic base. According to Smith, with great progress toward these initial milestones achieved, the GCVAC shifted its focus in 2014 to developing and funding long-term programs for talent recruitment and retention.

“We emerged from a board planning session, knowing the Cedar Valley’s current and future growth was directly related to the GCVAC’s success as the connector between workforce needs and talent development, recruitment and retainment,” said Smith. “We needed to begin work right away to establish programs for lifelong learning, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, as well as enhance quality of life by developing attributes, including a strengthened retail and service sector. We must make the Cedar Valley an inviting place to enjoy life, enhance a career, operate a business and retire.

We saw Steve bring business, higher education and community leaders, as well as educators and students, together to collaborate in forming the Inclusion Partnership, #LivetheValley, #WorktheValley, Leader Valley Foundation and more. Steve has many talents including being a great builder, inclusive collaborator, and program and initiative developer—and the Alliance & Chamber board is most appreciative of his leadership. We now need to find the next CEO for Steve to pass the baton to lead fundraising efforts, develop new funding mechanisms and champion our vision to make the greater Cedar Valley, even greater.”

About the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is a private, not-for-profit corporation working to increase wealth and economic vitality through collaborative economic and community development throughout the Cedar Valley economic area. Details about the many programs and initiatives of the Alliance & Chamber can be found at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com.

# # #