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Author Archives: Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Winnebago Industries to Expand Operation to the Cedar Valley of Iowa

Officials from Winnebago Industries Inc., the City of Waverly, Iowa, and the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber are announcing the planned location of a Winnebago production facility in Waverly, Iowa.

The Winnebago facility will locate in the Waverly’s SW Business Park on 8th St. SW in 33,400 square foot building.   As stated in an earlier press release from Winnebago Industries, the new Waverly facility will be used for wire loom assembly for the Company’s motorhomes.

The Waverly production facility is expected to employ 70 full time workers with a capital investment of $1.5 to $2 million.

The Alliance & Chamber along with the Cedar Valley Regional economic development partners, to Randy Potts, Winnebago’s Chairman, President & CEO after reading about the company’s projected growth in January.

“The announcement of Winnebago’s decision to locate their new facility in Waverly is the culmination of a collaborative effort among Winnebago Industries, Waverly Economic Development, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber and Hawkeye Community College. This effort has resulted in very positive outcome for the entire Cedar Valley Region” said Connie Tolan, Economic Development Specialist, Waverly Economic Development.

“We are very excited that Winnebago Industries has chosen Waverly as the site for their new sub-assembly facility. The addition of a quality employer like Winnebago to Waverly and the Cedar Valley will have a positive impact on the entire Region” said Bill Werger, Community Development Director, Waverly Economic Development.

“The Waverly property was the best fit for the companies immediate and long term needs,” Werger added.

Property acquisition is expected within the next 45-60 days. No timeline has been given for the start of production, but Winnebago anticipates that hiring will begin in June 2015. Those interested in employment are directed to the company website www.winnebagoind.com/company/careers.

“We are pleased to have another legacy Iowa brand locate in the manufacturing hub of Iowa, the Cedar Valley. On behalf of our manufacturers and all businesses and institutions, the Alliance & Chamber welcomes Winnebago to the Cedar Valley of Iowa,” said Steven Dust, CEO, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.

 

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Hawkeye Community College to host Advanced Manufacturing Information Session March 16

Hawkeye Community College will hold an information session on upcoming classes in Advanced Manufacturing on Monday, March 16, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Cedar Falls Center, 5330 Nordic Drive, Cedar Falls. The session will include information about the CNC Machining and Industrial Maintenance programs, a tour of the training areas, and the opportunity to visit with instructors.

Industrial maintenance workers maintain, monitor, troubleshoot, and repair equipment used in the production of goods. The Industrial Maintenance program prepares students for entry-level employment in this field. Individuals may earn $27,000-$35,000 per year. Industrial electrical maintenance personnel work overtime frequently. Starting wages do not include overtime compensation.

Industrial Maintenance classes begin April 22, 2015, and run through October 15, 2015. Classes are held Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Cedar Falls Center. Students will earn a non-credit certificate of completion.

CNC operators work in a variety of manufacturing environments and are trained to program, set up, and operate a CNC machine, inspect parts, perform production runs, and set up jobs. The CNC Machining program prepares students for an entry-level position. CNC machine operators are in high demand in the Cedar Valley. In four months individuals completing the non-credit certificate may earn $24,000-$33,500 per year, not including overtime.

CNC Machining classes begin April 20, 2015, and run through August 24, 2015. Classes are held Monday and Thursday, 5:00-10:00 p.m., at the Cedar Falls Center. Students will earn a non-credit certificate of completion.

Manufacturers are hiring in the Cedar Valley and need skilled workers to fill high-demand positions. Individuals will be able to sign-up for classes at the information session, as well as learn more about potential financial assistance for qualifying individuals. For more information about either program, call 319-296-4290 or visit www.hawkeyecollege.edu/business-and-community.

Jesup and Independence Utilities Offering Gigabit Service

Like Cedar Falls, Independence and Jesup are communities that can offer up to 1 Gigabit broadband connections to businesses, schools and individuals.  Farmer’s Mutual Telephone of Jesup (FMT) and Independence Light and Power Telecommunications (Indytel), are investing in their communities by establishing the state-of-the- art internet backbones needed to provide this service. With a 60-day notice, 1-gig service can be established to clients in the FMT & Indytel service areas. In addition to broadband, both communication utilities provide television, and telephone services.

FMT Manager, Tony Lange, explained that all clients have a dedicated fiber connection to their home or business. FMT is a member owned Cooperative that was formed in 1902 and serves both rural and city customers.

Indytel’s service area also extends beyond city limits.  Telecommunication’s Manage Marty Diesburg said that Indytel has established “to the curb” fiber network throughout Independence and to much of the rural area surrounding Independence. Those not connected to Indytel’s broadband can be connected within hours.  Indytel is a division of Independence Light and Power, a municipal owned utility that was formed in 1893.

Redundancy of service is strikingly important to maintaining top-tiered broadband service. Farmer’s Mutual and Indytel are working to jointly develop duel broadband rings between their communities, their customers and to the world at large. Shared costs and services means that cost effective redundant broadband service is available to serve existing customers and will serve to attract new growth to Buchanan County.

Indytel’s Marty Diesburg said, “Both entities serve small communities and are overseen by locally appointed Boards. It just makes sense to work together for a common goal.”

“We must work together to survive,” chipped in Tony Lang from FMT. “Our goal is to provide world-class service and technology. This is best accomplished when we work together.”

If you have questions, contact:

Lisa Skubal, Vice President of Economic Development, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber by calling 319-232-1156.

 

 

 

 

 

 

World-renowned leaders to be featured in Leadercast Cedar Valley

Community and business leaders can access the knowledge and experience of world-renowned leaders by attending Leadercast Cedar Valley® at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cedar Falls on May 8, 2015.  The all-day event is being hosted by the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.

The Leadercast event is broadcast LIVE from Atlanta, GA to hundreds of sites around the world, including the Cedar Valley. This year’s speaker lineup includes:

Andy Stanley – Leadership author and communicator

  • Malala Yousafzai – Nobel Laureate; Founder, The Malala Fund
  • Ed Catmull – President of Pixar & Disney Animation Studios
  • Seth Godin – Best-selling Author
  • Rudy Giuliani – 107th Mayor of New York City (1993-2001)
  • Aja Brown – Mayor, City of Compton
  • Bill McDermott – CEO of SAP AG
  • CMDR Rorke Denver – Navy SEAL Commander & Author
  • Bill & Giuliana Rancic – Award-Winning Personalities & Co-Hosts of Leadercast
  • And more!

Last year, over 130,000 leaders from 35 countries attended Leadercast. Now, in its 16th year, this full day, experiential conference is on track to reach its largest audience to date.

“Leadership development is a key imperative to building a quality workforce and community leaders.  Leadercast is one of those events that we’ve heard a lot of great things about and features some of the most outstanding leaders in their areas.” said Steve Dust, CEO of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber “This is an exceptional opportunity not only for our current business leaders, but also for that group of emerging leaders and young professionals.”

Leadercast exists to positively change the way the world thinks about leadership. This year’s theme—The Brave Ones — challenges leaders to lead with a sense of Bravery, possessing a posture of unrelenting boldness. Bring your friends or team members to experience Leadercast and discover what it means to be a leader worth following.

For more information about Leadercast, visit www.leadercast.com.  For local ticketing information, call (319) 232-1156 or visit www.cedarvalleyalliance.com.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is a regional economic and community development corporation working to increase economic vitality and wealth in the Waterloo / Cedar Falls area and surrounding economic region. The Alliance & Chamber has approximately 750 members that represents over 40,000 employees.

 

 

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Upper Iowa University online bachelor’s and MBA ranked by U.S. News & World Report for 3rd consecutive year

The online undergraduate programs at Upper Iowa University and its online master of business administration (MBA) program have been ranked for the third consecutive year by U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News published “2015 Best Online Education Programs” on its website January 7.

The UIU online bachelor’s programs are ranked in the top third nationwide, coming in at 87 of 283 colleges and universities who responded to the annual online education survey.  UIU is one of only three Iowa-based, number-ranked schools on the U.S. News list.

The publication’s rankings of online graduate business programs changed substantially this year and are not considered comparable to the previous two years the magazine has done the rankings. Previously, U.S. News ranked all online graduate business programs (MBA and non-MBA) on one list.  In 2015, the publication separated the rankings for MBA online programs from those of other non-MBA graduate business programs.  U.S. News also changed the criteria and methodology for ranking of MBA programs, placing greater weight on reputation and admissions selectivity.

Under the new ranking system, UIU is ranked 123 of 223 colleges and universities that submitted data on their online MBA programs. Only 196 of those programs received a numeric ranking, and UIU is the only Iowa-based school ranked.

http://www.uiu.edu/ocm/news/2015/jan/us-news-rank.html

$12 million for the TechWorks Campus Reinvestment District

Economic Development Board approves Reinvestment District Funding for Waterloo

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) board today met to approve funding for the City of Waterloo through the Iowa Reinvestment District program.

The board  approved the maximum benefit amount of $12 million for the TechWorks Campus Reinvestment District plan submitted by the City of Waterloo. The Iowa Reinvestment District Program is designed to assist communities in developing transformative projects that will improve the quality of life, create and enhance unique opportunities, and substantially benefit the community, region and state. The program provides for up to $100 million in new state hotel/motel and sales tax revenues to be “reinvested” within approved districts. Districts cannot exceed 25 acres in size, and must be in an Urban Renewal Area.

Iowa Reinvestment District plans must include tax revenues generated by “new retail establishments” and “new lessors”. New retail establishments cannot exceed 50 percent of the total proposed capital investment. At least one of the new proposed projects within the district must reach a total capital investment of $10 million. And, the total amount of new tax revenues to be remitted to the municipality cannot exceed 35 percent of the total cost of all proposed projects in the district plan.

In 2014, 10 municipalities submitted applications, with three receiving a score in excess of 70 points (out of 100). In June, 2014, the IEDA board approved provisional funding for the projects in the City of Des Moines, the City of Muscatine and the City of Waterloo. Final application materials fully meeting all of the program’s requirements are due prior to March 1, 2015.

The City of Waterloo submitted its final application on Jan. 23, 2015, and today the IEDA board acted to award the maximum $12 million benefit amount contingent on the receipt of a fully executed, amended development agreement between the City of Waterloo, Cedar Valley TechWorks and the developer.

The TechWorks district, located at the west end of downtown and made up of land donated by Deere & Company, would have a capital investment of $74.1 million and include three projects. The first is a mixed-use development including a business-class hotel, industrial incubator, private sector lab and manufacturing maker-space, and John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum. The second project area includes commercial out-lots such as a restaurants and retailers that complement other project areas. The third project area includes a marina for boat storage, boat sales, fuel sales and a riverfront restaurant.

Final applications for the cities of Des Moines and Muscatine have not yet been submitted to the IEDA board.

Jim McKernan Vice President and General Manager KWWL Television Inc. in Support of Hawkeye Community College

HI, I’M KWWL GENERAL MANAGER JIM McKERNAN.

TOMORROW, VOTERS IN TEN COUNTIES WILL VOTE ON A 25 MILLION DOLLAR BOND ISSUE TO UPGRADE SERVICES AND FACILITIES AT HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

HAWKEYE NEEDS THESE UPGRADES TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN OUR GLOBAL ECONOMY, PREPARING IOWANS FOR THE WORKFORCE OF THE 21ST CENTURY.

UNDER STATE LAW, GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS ARE THE PRIMARY FUNDING MECHANISM FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES.

HAWKEYE SERVES MORE THAN 18-THOUSAND PEOPLE ANNUALLY, HAS 50 CAREER PROGRAMS AND HAS BEEN NAMED A “MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOL” SIX YEARS RUNNING.

THE COLLEGE IS A RESPECTED COMMUNITY PARTNER – IT HELPS ITS GRADUATES OBTAIN JOBS IN THEIR FIELD OF STUDY.. AND MOST IMPORTANT – 94% OF HAWKEYE GRADUATES STAY IN IOWA.

WE BELIEVE HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO BE A VITAL ASSET TO OUR REGION.

AN EXISTING LEVY IS ENDING AND THIS MEASURE DOESN’T INCREASE THE OVERALL TAX RATE OF THE COLLEGE.

SO I HOPE VOTERS IN BLACK HAWK, BENTON, BREMER, BUCHANAN, BUTLER, CHICKASAW, FAYETTE, FLOYD, GRUNDY AND TAMA COUNTIES GIVE IT THEIR FULL CONSIDERATION.  VOTE YES.

 

Jim McKernan

Vice President and General Manager

KWWL Television Inc.

Nationally Recognized Education Reformer, Geoffrey Canada to Speak to Cedar Valley Business Leaders & Educators

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, in partnership with FranklinCovey’s 2015 Leader in Me Symposium, invites business leaders and educators to an opportunity to synergize as author and children’s advocate Geoffrey Canada brings a keynote address on education reform. Mr. Canada’s speech is the keynote presentation of the FranklinCovey’s 2015 Leader in Me Symposium.

The presentation will take place on April 24, 2015, at 2:30PM in Lang Hall Auditorium on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls.  The cost for the event is $25.00. Registrations for the keynote event are being taken through the Alliance & Chamber website, cedarvalleyalliance.com, or by calling the Alliance & Chamber at 319-232-1156.

The opportunity to hear Canada’s presentation is made possible through Leader Valley, a 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, based on the Steven CCovey’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. The unprecedented scope and success of the Cedar Valley initiative has drawn attention from FranklinCovey who chose this area for one of 18 regional symposiums. Symposiums are traditionally held in larger cities. Cedar Valley Leader in Me schools will be showcased to educators from around the Midwest during the three day event at the University of Northern Iowa with tours and demonstrations across the Cedar Valley April 22-24.

For more information about the Leader in Me Symposium, visit www.theleaderinme.org/events/symposium. You can also learn more by contacting 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.

The Alliance & Chamber is taking registration for Geoffrey Canada’s keynote session only. Registration to this session does not provide access to any other portions of the Leader in Me Symposium. To register for the Iowa Symposium, please visit http://www.theleaderinme.org/events/symposium.

 

 

 

About Geoffrey Canada

In his 20-plus years with Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc., Geoffrey Canada has become nationally recognized for his pioneering work helping children and families in Harlem and as a passionate advocate for education reform.

Since 1990, Canada has been the President and Chief Executive Officer for Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), which The New York Times Magazine called “one of the most ambitious social experiments of our time.” In October 2005, Canada was named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by US News and World Report.

The work of Canada and HCZ has become a national model and has been the subject of many profiles in the media. Their work has been featured on 60 Minutes, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightline, CBS This Morning, The Charlie Rose Show, and NPR’s On Point, as well in articles in The New York Times, The New York Daily News, USA Today, and Newsday. Most recently, Canada can be seen prominently featured in the Davis Guggenheim documentary Waiting for Superman.

Canada grew up in the South Bronx in a poor, sometimes violent neighborhood. Despite his troubled surroundings, he was able to succeed academically, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowdoin College and a Master’s in Education from the Harvard School of Education. After graduating from Harvard, Canada decided to work to help children who, like himself, were disadvantaged by their lives in poor, embattled neighborhoods.

 

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The Cedar Valley Economy – Strong and Growing!

The Cedar Valley Economy – Strong and Growing!

The strong and growing Cedar Valley economy contains the right conditions for business and career success. Current economic growth and its demand for quality talent is benefiting manufacturing, business services, retail, housing, education, healthcare and other enterprises that contribute to the vitality of the region.

Strong Cedar Valley job market is creating opportunity and raising income.

According to Smart Solutions Group, employment in the Cedar Valley Region Labor Market grew by 7.4% from 2003 to 2013, slightly above the State of Iowa during the same period. As of November 1st, Iowajobs.org, the web-based job board of Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), shows 1,504 positions currently available in the Cedar Valley. Many of these jobs are in the advanced manufacturing sector. Welders and CNC operators are among the many positions available in advanced manufacturing operations in the Cedar Valley.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber recently surveyed Cedar Valley employers regarding their immediate employment needs. “We’ve identified businesses in the Cedar Valley region with immediate openings,” reports Danny Laudick, Talent Solutions Coordinator with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.  “We are coordinating efforts to match available talent with these companies or with training in the fields where there is greatest demand.”
Connecting to training

The Alliance & Chamber collaborates with Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) and Hawkeye Community College (HCC) and other agencies to connect talent with employment and training opportunities through career and resource fairs, data collection and sharing.  There is ongoing collaboration between employers and agencies to design programs to stay ahead of shifts in demand and provide rapid response to immediate workforce needs. The Alliance & Chamber identifies the specific employment needs in the Cedar Valley business community and acts as the voice of business. The Alliance & Chamber develops innovative solutions to solve talent issues. They use their network of partners and affiliate to bring others into the process.

In response to local demand, Hawkeye Community College now offers short term certifications for industrial maintenance and CNC machining programs. The CNC Machining Program prepares students for high demand, entry-level positions as a CNC machine operator or general machinist, one of the most demanded skills by area employers in the Cedar Valley. Both programs are designed to create a pipeline of available talent with new skills to fill these high demand jobs in a short amount of time.

The Department of Industrial Technology at the University of Northern Iowa also offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the areas of: Construction Management; Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Technology, Technology Education, and Technology Management. The UNI Metal Casting Center, offers students practical hands-on experience in concepts in additive manufacturing with modern well-equipped facilities and cutting edge technology. At the Additive Manufacturing Center, located at the Cedar Valley TechWorks, students operate a variety of 3D printers, including the ExOne, the largest of its kind in North America.  Students are producing products and part prototypes for manufacturing clients across state.  UNI students are ‘floor ready’ upon graduation having had real world experience working with private sector businesses on actual projects. The Center also provides manufacturers affordable access to research and development and rapid prototyping. The Department of Industrial Technology currently enrolls over 500 students annually.

K-12 Career Training

Cedar Valley school districts are making sure their students are prepare for success beyond graduation through a variety of initiatives and partnerships with the business community.

In the Waterloo Community School District, Career Academies give students the opportunity to choose an area of interest, such as construction, business and finance, marketing, engineering, healthcare, etc. Students then take a sequence of classes to prepare for the real world of work in that field. Waterloo also has an International Baccalaureate Program which is an intensive, two year academic program in the high schools that prepares students for success in higher education and for effective participation in global society. The program includes writing an extended essay (similar to a doctorate thesis, but at high school level), a focus on critical thinking as well as creativity, action, and service activities. Waterloo’s West High and East High are two of only three schools in Iowa to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.

Both the Waterloo and Cedar Falls school districts have embraced the Leader in Me initiative championed by the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber. The Leader in Me is based on Stephen Covey’s book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The initiative teaches students 21st Century soft skills for success in college, career, and citizenship. Through authentic leadership opportunities and daily practice of the habits, participating schools are transforming their school cultures into proactive, leadership focused communities of learning and development.

Cedar Valley West’s School to Work program brings together students from four Cedar Valley school districts (Aplington-Parkersburg, Dike-New Hartford, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, and Grundy Center) to provide valuable career information and connections to area businesses. Businesses are asked to provide speakers, offer internship and job shadowing opportunities, give worksite tours and contribute financial support.

Through the School to Work program, students throughout the Cedar Valley are becoming more prepared for the local job market. Businesses are molding potential employees by creating hands-on ways for students to explore careers while still in high school. Business – education partnerships like these are helping to bridge the talent gap and produce individuals prepared for employers across sectors in the Cedar Valley.

Diverse Economic Base
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and the Cedar Valley Regional Partners have placed diversifying the economic base as a top priority of business attraction . . . and it has paid off. The diversified economic base has created jobs and helped the region weather the last recession far better than most parts of the country earning the Cedar Valley the title “Recession Busting” by Area Development Magazine, a leading executive magazine covering corporate site selection.  The Cedar Valley is not reliant on one sector to maintain the health of the economy.

Since 1996, 76% of new jobs created in the Cedar Valley have not been tied to a single industry, specifically agricultural manufacturing. Likewise, 81% of the new capital investments in the Cedar Valley were equally diversified during the same time. This diverse industrial base provides increased opportunities for wealth creation and employment in the event of a downturn in one sector.

“Most new capital investment has come from companies who have expanded existing operations here or established new locations in a broad spectrum of industry sector. This is consistent with new construction and new jobs created,” notes Lisa Skubal, Vice President of Economic Development with the Alliance & Chamber.

Adding to the industry mix is the growing Information Technology (IT) sector. In the Cedar Valley, IT consists of local start-up web product and software companies, and is among the fastest growing sector in percentage of current workforce in the Cedar Valley market area. Enterprises also see internal IT operations increasing and contributing to the growing demand for highly skilled programmers, engineers, coders, and designers in the Cedar Valley.

Conversations with technology leaders in the Cedar Valley suggest that IT employers are increasing their employment by up to 50% or more over the next few years.  This makes availability of trained/educated individuals critical. The Alliance & Chamber, Kate Washut of Far Reach Inc., and Linda Allen of Hawkeye Community College (HCC) convened a discussion between Alliance & Chamber investors in the IT sector and HCC academic and career education teams. The group discussed courses, training, and programs available through Hawkeye, and the expectations of the employers. Dialogs like this, between business and education, are vital to better understand of specific skill demand in order to offer training programs that are most relevant to industry needs.

 

“The strong job market is creating opportunities for individuals to take advantage of an increase in training opportunities and raising personal income,” says Steve Dust, CEO of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber. “We see growing demand across industry sectors. IT related fields, advanced manufacturing, higher education, healthcare, logistics, and business service markets make up the employment landscape of the Cedar Valley.  The competitive wage scales being offered go much further here than in most areas of the country thanks to our low cost of living.”

The cost of living in the Cedar Valley is 8.1% lower than the national average according to third quarter 2014 Cost of Living Index prepared by The Council for Community and Economic Research. Utility costs are an even greater value, at 10.4% below the national average – a key factor for companies looking to locate or expand their operations.

While the cost of living is low, prosperity is on the rise in Cedar Valley. According to the new US Cluster Mapping website launched by Harvard Business School and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Cedar Valley Region is one of a handful of regions with growth in prosperity from 1998 -2012. Our economic region ranks 7th among 170 economic regions in the country for prosperity growth. The scorecard is based on three categories of data: performance (the economic activities of the region), business environment, and demographics & geography. The Cedar Valley is also in the top 20 regions for growth in annual personal wages at 3.49%.  This outpaces the national average of 3.16% during the same period.

Low cost of living and strong personal wages may contribute to an increase in spending. In September of 2014, the latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers were released showing considerable growth in the Cedar Valley. The Waterloo/Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area (GDP) grew to $8.7 billion from 2012-2013. This is up 5.6% from the previous year, according to data released in September from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.  Collectively, real GDP for U.S. metropolitan areas increased 1.7% during the same period. The Waterloo/Cedar Falls metro area had the second highest percentage increase in GDP compared to other Iowa metros.

These gauges of economic health demonstrate the strength and continued growth of an already stable Cedar Valley economy and instill confidence both in consumers and business leaders. Recent announcements of business expansions reflect confidence and optimism in the region.

Business Confidence and Private Investment

Cedar Valley businesses across the region are making investments in their companies. Increasing exports, and hiring talented, productive people demonstrates their confidence in the strength of the Cedar Valley economy.

CBE Companies, with international locations, chooses to keep their corporate headquarters here in the Cedar Valley where their success started over 80 years ago. “We continue to tap into a rich talent pool in our own backyard to fill a variety of positions and levels – from contact center associates to fraud service representatives to IT, Analytics, Finance, Marketing and HR professionals,” says Mary Phillips, Chief Human Resources Officer for CBE Companies.

Based on a variety of regional data, CBE has determined that the Cedar Valley has the talent resources available to expand their staff considerably.  “We use information from both the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and Iowa Workforce Development when considering expansion.  We evaluated unemployment rates, education levels, Spanish speaking population, underemployment, average wages, and average ages.”  Over the last year, CBE has had two major surges in hiring making them one of the top ten major employers in the Cedar Valley.

Mark Hanawalt is the CEO of United Equipment Accessories, Inc. (UEA) in Waverly, Iowa and the current chair of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI). He often shares with peers from around the state that the Cedar Valley is a great place to do business. “They know about the Cedar Valley and never disagree,” notes Hanawalt. UEA has found that being part of a regional economy driven by advanced manufacturing has contributed to their growth. “Because of the presence of very large manufacturers in the area, we can utilize a common vendor base with tremendous capabilities without having to go outside the area.”

UEA invests in training and development opportunities that contribute to the personal and professional growth of their employees.  UEA provides training for new hires, development opportunities with specifically designed skills enhancement training, job cross-training, as well as a Tuition Assistance Program for employees. Highly technical positions, such as CNC programmers, machinists, engineers and IT professionals regularly participate in training opportunities relating to technology advancements and developments, job knowledge enhancement, computer software and system developments and updates.

“United Equipment Accessories, Inc. has been a Cedar Valley manufacturer for over 60 years.  Even as we have grown substantially over the years, we have never felt the need to expand outside this area,” says Hanawalt. “Our pool of labor talent is very high.  Employees are well educated, trained, and motivated to be productive employees.”

Start-up Momentum

While long standing businesses continue to expand, the start-up community in the Cedar Valley is picking up momentum at a rapid pace. ‘Serial’ entrepreneurs and young visionaries are gathering in coffee shops, bars, and meeting rooms around the Cedar Valley to share ideas and connect with resources in hopes of launching the next big thing. Start-Up Drinks, Start-Up Weekend, BarCamp, One Million Cups, Cedar Valley Opencoffee, and Cedar Valley Makers are a few of the organized efforts to support a young and energetic start-up community.

Steve Dust, CEO of the Alliance & Chamber, believes that “the prosperity of the Cedar Valley still depends on fostering, growing, and attracting entrepreneurship in all types of businesses. We want to encourage more people to build on our history of successful entrepreneurship, and the Alliance & Chamber supports efforts to enhance the strong, growing start-up scene throughout the Cedar Valley economic area.”

The Cedar Valley is thriving

With an abundance of good paying jobs and access to higher education, the Cedar Valley offers a wealth of opportunities for individuals to grow their careers. Businesses are thriving and making significant investments in the region by expanding their operations through building projects, new processes, equipment, technology, and talent. The lower cost of living, excellent school districts, and overall safety make it a desirable place to live, work, and raise a family.

The mission of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is to increase economic vitality and wealth by leading collaborative economic and community development. 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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