Author Archives: Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Cedar Valley receives 2015 Community of Character Award

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and Leader Valley congratulate Cedar Valley Character Counts and the Cedar Valley region of northeast Iowa for being honored by the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University as its 2015 Community of Character.

The Ray Center, formerly known as Character Counts in Iowa, issues the Community of Character award annually to an Iowa community that has developed an active task force and comprehensive, sustained community-wide initiative to support good character and has integrated character development throughout the community.

A CHARACTER COUNTS! in the Cedar Valley committee has developed synergistic partnerships with groups in the Cedar Valley area, including the University of Northern Iowa and the Iowa Youth Sports Initiative, to promote the Six Pillars of Character—trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

“The values promoted by Cedar Valley Character Counts are helping to instill leadership qualities in students throughout the Cedar Valley,” says Dr. Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director. ” We are fortunate in the Cedar Valley to have organizations like this who care about preparing our students to live a life of leadership and success.”

Cedar Valley representatives received the honor during the 2015 Iowa Character Awards Dinner on Friday, July 31, at Prairie Meadows Event Center in Altoona. A volunteer selection committee of nearly 50 members selected the community for the award.

The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University promotes leadership, civility, and ethics through applied research, programming, training, and scholarly publications.

Alliance & Chamber CEO Dust to Speak at Dislocated Worker Transition Center Opening

WATERLOO–A new center to assist displaced John Deere workers will open Tuesday, August 18, with a grand opening ceremony at 10:00 a.m. on the Hawkeye Community College Main Campus.

WHAT: Dislocated Worker Transition Center Grand Opening

WHEN: Tuesday, August 18, 2015, 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Advanced Technology and Business Center, Buchanan Hall

Hawkeye Community College, 1501 East Orange Rd, Waterloo

Iowa Workforce Development received a National Dislocated Worker Grant for $3,058,322 from the U.S. Department of Labor to help displaced workers with job training and employment. More than 1,300 John Deere workers from Waterloo and Ankeny have been laid off since fall 2014, including more than 1,000 from Waterloo. The $3,058,322 grant will assist up to 650 workers with career services. The Dislocated Worker Transition Center will house staff representing IowaWORKS Cedar Valley, Iowa Workforce Development, and UAW Local 838, who can assist dislocated workers with career coaching and pursuing job retraining.

Speakers at the grand opening will include Dr. Linda Allen, president of Hawkeye Community College; Beth Townsend, director of Iowa Workforce Development, Mike Oberhauser, vice president of UAW Local 838, Steve Dust, president and CEO of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber; and other representatives

Alliance & Chamber Launches New Website to Showcase TechWorks Campus

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is pleased to announce the launch of a new website, techworkscampus.com. This new resource was developed to provide greater visibility and information about the TechWorks Campus, its properties, projects and partners. It is also a source for latest news and developments taking place on the Campus.

The site is a tool for businesses looking for a location where the latest tools, concepts and applications in manufacturing are being used and developed.

Visitors will also find information about the Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Network Hub (IAMNH) at TechWorks Campus, University of Northern Iowa Metal Casting Additive Manufacturing (3D printing) program, a virtual reality design center, Cedar Valley Maker’s club, and other emerging projects, and new tenants.

Construction progress for The Green @ TechWorks including the hotel, conference space, John Deere Training Center, and restaurant will be provided on the site as will updates for the proposed marina.

The website launch highlights a new logo for the TechWorks Campus, developed to reflect the advanced manufacturing focus of the Campus and its place in manufacturing history.

“The logo is based on a carbide, a highly specialized, precision tool used in manufacturing,” says TechWorks Facilities Manager Wes James who credits TechWorks Board Chair Tim Hurley with the concept. “Because each carbide has a unique geometry based on its application, it serves as a distinctive symbol of our mission to drive innovation and excellence in advanced manufacturing.”

Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Network Hub at TechWorks of First Projects to Receive Iowa’s New Strategic Infrastructure Funding – $2.7 Million for additional 3D Printers UNI Metal Casting Center

(Cedar Valley of Iowa) The Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Network Hub (IAMNH), at the TechWorks Campus in Waterloo, is one of the first projects in the state to be awarded funds through Iowa’s new Strategic Infrastructure Fund (SIF). The funding was approved by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board at their June meeting. The project, Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Network Hub – Phase I, Additive Manufacturing Center, will receive $2.7 million to fund additional 3D printers for the UNI Metal Casting Center, building improvements, and a design center to be operated by Hawkeye Community College.

“With this financial support from the IEDA and Iowa Innovation Council, UNI is excited and anxious to move forward with creating a full-service additive manufacturing center to meet the innovation and technology needs of Iowa companies,” says Randy Pilkington, Executive Director of UNI’s Business and Community Services. “Thanks to support from IEDA, UNI is building on the momentum of the past 18 months of 3D printing success to create a full-service additive manufacturing center for Iowa manufacturers. Expansion into plastics, metals and ceramics will create one of the best equipped 3D printing facilities in North America.”

The Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Network Hub application for Strategic Infrastructure Fund (SIF) was completed by TechWorks staff and a team including UNI’s Randy Pilkington and Metal Casting Center Director Jerry Thiel; Hawkeye Community College President Linda Allen, and Vice President of Academic Affairs Jane Bradley; and TechWorks board chair Tim Hurley. The team worked with the State of Iowa and the Iowa Innovation Council’s Advanced Manufacturing Workgroup to finalize the application.

The IEDA funding will help to move Iowa to the forefront of technology in additive manufacturing and establish a premier center for support of its manufacturing base. This funding is a critical step in advancing the state’s technology base and providing a central location for technology advancement.

#CedarValleyMade – HowFactory wins top prize at UNI’s 2015 Dream Big, Grow Here Competition

A Cedar Valley startup, HowFactory, won a total of $15,000 in the University of Northern Iowa’s 2015 Dream Big, Grow Here competition held at EntreFEST Thursday night. HowFactory has created a digital process for manufacturers to manage training material.

Earlier Thursday afternoon, HowFactory won $5,000 in the semi-final round in the manufacturing/Bioscience/IT division then later that evening won the grand prize of $10,000 in the final round. If that wasn’t enough, HowFactory won DBGH’s People’s Choice Award with their business pitch-off.

The DBGH statewide pitch-off attracted over 110 startups and small business from Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Information Technology, Ag Innovation, Retail, Hospitality Restaurants, Pre-Revenue Start-up and Professional Services. For more information on HowFactory visit their web site http://www.howfactory.com

ConAgra Foods Announces $50M Expansion

Cedar Valley of Iowa – The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and the City of Waterloo, Iowa announce the $50M expansion of the ConAgra Foods plant located in the Waterloo MidPort Industrial Park, pending approval of state and local assistance.

Mayor Buck Clark welcomes the potential new investment and jobs at the MidPort site, thanking ConAgra’s staff and leadership, both at the Waterloo facility and corporate headquarters, for their decision to “Choose Waterloo.”

“The City of Waterloo is proud to continue our growing relationship with ConAgra Foods. This expansion is great for Waterloo’s tax base and it adds new employment opportunities for the whole Cedar Valley area,” said Clark, “Furthermore, ConAgra continues to strengthen and diversify its Waterloo location by adding yet another product line.”

The project and impact:

ConAgra Foods makes consumer snacks marketed under the Snack Pack and Swiss Miss brand names at its Waterloo facility.

This proposed project will add DAVID snack seed production to its state-of-the-art manufacturing platform in Waterloo.

“Waterloo is a great fit for ConAgra Foods and our new snack seeds facility. Waterloo has an excellent workforce and the location will allow us to meet our current and future business needs,” said Mike Tracy, Sr. Vice President of Supply Chain for ConAgra Foods. “Selecting Waterloo, pending approval of state and local assistance, for this work was made possible through great partnerships between ConAgra Foods and local officials, and we look forward to having a continued presence in Waterloo.”

The proposed expansion project will include new construction of processing, packaging, warehouse, and administrative areas to accommodate the new product. This expansion is expected to increase the plant production by 30 percent, adding approximately 99,000 square feet to the existing facility. The new production line will create a highly automated, state of the art manufacturing platform designed to offer more flexibility in packaging options as business needs change.

Total employment is also expected to increase by about 55 positions. Hawkeye Community College will support the proposed ConAgra Foods expansion through the Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program (260E), which provides a funding mechanism for training new employees. The value of the training incentive is estimated to be approximately $536,000.

“Firms like ConAgra Foods have many options when deciding where to make large capital investments. We are excited that ConAgra Foods again chose to invest in the economy, workforce, and business climate of the Cedar Valley of Iowa. It’s exciting to have yet another nationally recognized brand added to the Cedar Valley by a Fortune 500 company,” said Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber CEO, Steve Dust. “Combining this major investment with the recent expansion of VGM and the location of Winnebago, the Cedar Valley economy continues to demonstrate its strength as a profitable, productive location to serve national and international markets. I congratulate Mayor Clark, Noel Anderson and the Alliance & Chamber Economic Development team for this success for Waterloo and the Cedar Valley”, Dust concludes.

History

The MidPort site was originally chosen in 1997 by ConAgra Foods to build a state-of-the-art plant to produce pudding packs. The current project under consideration would be the third expansion at the MidPort plant, continuing to prove that the Cedar Valley is a prime location for quality companies with jobs like those at ConAgra Foods.

Moving Forward

ConAgra Foods officials have applied to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) for state incentives, with action on the request expected at their board meeting on May 22 in Des Moines. The Waterloo City Council will consider necessary approvals during their May 26meeting.

Pending approval of incentives, ground-breaking for this project is expected to take place in mid-June. The new operation could begin production by late 2016.

For more information about this project or the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber contact Steve Dust by calling 319-232-1156 or by email to sdust@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

Annual AMC Engineering Conference Kicks Off at TechWorks

Cedar Valley of Iowa – The 2015 AMC Engineering Conference will be held May 5-7 at the Ramada Inn and Five Sullivan’s Convention Center in Waterloo. This is the 30^th anniversary of the Annual AMC Engineering Conference which is an educational conference and tradeshow for agricultural and off-highway equipment design engineers.

AMC (formerly Agricultural Machinery Conference) is a forum for engineers, managers and other professionals in the field of agricultural equipment design to gather with the purpose of exchanging ideas, see the latest component technology, and learn new design practices, techniques and methods of importance to the industry.

Waterloo was selected because of its position in the heart of U.S. agriculture and agricultural machinery industry.

The event will include informational and technical sessions on the most important areas of equipment design and development and attendees will have the opportunity to listen in on any of nearly 50 presentations in fields as varied as engines, ergonomics and economics.

The Alliance & Chamber will co-sponsor a booth with TechWorks Campus and UNI Metal Castings Center at the Conference to showcase the cooperation between TechWorks and UNI’s Metal Casting Center’s expertise in Additive Manufacturing (3-D printing), and the resulting partnerships with industry, both within the state and beyond. TechWorks will also play host to the Conference opening ceremonies on Tuesday with a social hour, dinner & keynote presentation, and Campus tour.

“This is an excellent opportunity to show a key technology-based business audience firsthand the advanced technologies available and planned at TechWorks and share the vision for where it is headed with the startup of the Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Network Hub,” says Wes James, TechWorks Facilities Manager & Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Center Operations Director, “They will leave with the message that the Cedar Valley is a great place to develop product ideas and processes.”

More information about the conference and registration can be found here: http://www.amc-online.org/About.html

To learn more about TechWorks Campus and additive manufacturing, contact Wes James at wjames@cedarvalleyalliance.com or by calling 319-287-8149.

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ORANGE ELEMENTARY NAMED LIGHTHOUSE SCHOOL

(Cedar Valley of Iowa) – WATERLOO—Orange Elementary has been designated by FranklinCovey as only the second Lighthouse School in Iowa.

FranklinCovey visited Orange last week to confirm Leader in Me has been implemented as a whole school transformational model. It involves academics, leadership and a culture where you can see, hear and feel the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

“Our entire learning community (students, staff & parents) are honored and proud to be

chosen as a Lighthouse School. The keys to our mission, to educate, inspire and lead – make the world a better place, have been brought to life on this journey,” says Orange Principal, Teri Trask, “It has been exciting to be a part of the culture shift as we see students empowered through authentic leadership opportunities.”

Orange is now one of only 123 Lighthouse Schools in the world. The official announcement will be made at the Leader in MeR Symposium at UNI this week where Sean Covey, Senior Vice President of Innovations and Products at FranklinCovey will address educators and congratulate Orange on their achievement.

Orange will have a special celebration when the banner is presented.

The Leader in MeR Lighthouse School title is awarded by FranklinCovey to honor the attainment of a well-rounded leadership model. Lighthouse Schools serve as models of leadership and mentors to other schools by meeting these standards:

Lighthouse Team
Leadership Environment
Integrated Curriculum and Instruction
Staff Collaboration
Student Leadership
Parent & Community Engagement
Leadership Events
Goal Tracking

Currently, there are 122 Lighthouse Schools internationally which serve as models of leadership and mentors to other schools. Orange Elementary is the first Cedar Valley school to receive the designation, the second of the forty-four participating schools in Iowa.

Orange Elementary is one of the first 17 schools implementing the Leader in MeR through the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber’s Leader Valley initiative. Leader Valley is the talent development initiative of the Alliance & Chamber. Leader Valley’s primary focus is implementation of Leader in Me across school districts in the Cedar Valley. The Leader in Me R, based on the Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is creating leadership cultures in schools and instilling 21st Century soft skills of effectiveness in Cedar Valley students.

Trask adds that she believes the Cedar Valley will be celebrating more Lighthouse Schools in the near future thanks to the support of the Leader Valley. “We truly appreciate the positive synergizing with so many other Cedar Valley schools who are focused on improving academics, leadership and culture and empowering students with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st Century. Leadership is definitely a TEAM SPORT in the Cedar Valley! ” says Trask.

For more information on Orange Elementary and the Waterloo Schools implementation of the Leader in Me, contact Tara Thomas, Communications Director by email to thomast@waterlooschools.org.

For more information on Leader Valley initiative and the Leader in MeR, contact Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director at the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber by calling (319)232-1156 or by email at mreade@cedarvalleyalliance.com. You can also visit

www.leadervalley.org.

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Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Business Education Series

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is hosting three seminars for business professionals during the month of May. The Business Education Series is a local link to information on timely issues that influence the business bottom line. May seminars will focus on simple office changes that save money and improve the work environment, data security to mitigate exposure, and employee wellness. These seminars will give attendees instant access to “do it now” business growth tools. Each program will feature experts and a question and answer period.

The May 13 session “Solutions That Improve Your Business Environment Inside & Out” will be presented by Pete Olsen, Energy Services Manager at Cedar Falls Utilities, Dan Channer, Partner at StruXture Architects. The focus will be on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and water conservation. Additionally, Ellen Woods, Director of Sales at Integrated Interior Solutions Group Kirk Gross Company, will address creating an environment and culture in which employees can thrive.

The May 20 session on “Data Security” will be presented by Chris Fereday, President of PDCM Insurance, and Dave Wyant, Account Manager of Sales at Networking Solutions. They will present information to help area business leaders understand how to navigate the complexity of privacy/cyber liability exposure and provide valuable insight about how to mitigate exposures.

On May 27 the topic will be “Business Sense of Wellness.” Liz DeJoode, Wellness Consultant at PDCM Insurance, will speak on their approach to help employers win the battles against increasing healthcare costs. Additionally, learn from UnityPoint/Allen Hospital, Veridian Credit Union and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare on how they implement wellness programs on site.

Each seminar will take place at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in downtown Waterloo, IA, from 7:30-9:00 AM. The cost is $25 per seminar for Alliance & Chamber investors and $45 per seminar for non-investors and includes breakfast. Please register one week in advance of each seminar by calling (319) 232-1156 or email bwubenna@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

The premier sponsor is PDCM Insurance and the gold sponsors are Around the Corner Productions and First National Bank.

The mission of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is to increase economic vitality and wealth by leading collaborative economic and community development. The Business Education Series is one of many initiatives of the Alliance & Chamber designed to sustain and strengthen businesses and organizations in the Cedar Valley Region of Iowa. Details about the many programs and initiatives of the Alliance & Chamber can be found at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com or by calling Steve Dust, CEO at (319) 232-1156.

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Grow Cedar Valley