Author Archives: Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Encourages Shoppers to Buy Local with Contest and Annual Home for the Holidays Campaign

Home for the Holidays is a seasonal retail campaign to encourage the local community to support the retail business investor/members of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber. The Home for the Holidays message emphasizes the power local purchasing has to strengthen and enrich our community. The campaign reminds shoppers that local spending returns to the Cedar Valley in the form of critical tax revenue to fund public services, wages and benefits for our neighbors and family members, and local business to business commerce all fueling the Cedar Valley economy. Alliance & Chambers businesses will display the Home for the Holidays logo in their window and on their doors beginning this month.

New to the campaign this year is a Facebook contest. Twelve gift certificates to Alliance & Chamber businesses will be given away between Nov. 23 and Dec. 21. Shoppers are encouraged find Homer, the Home for the Holidays mascot, at participating Alliance & Chamber investor retailers. To win, shopper must look for clues found on the Alliance & Chamber website and Facebook page, then be the first to post a photo or ‘selfie’ on the Alliance & Chamber Facebook page. Posts should include the hashtag #CVHomefortheholidays. The photo must be taken at the business and include the Homer mascot. If Homer has already been found and winner identified, shoppers can still post a ‘selfie’ with Homer to be entered in a drawing on Dec. 21.

In conjunction with the annual campaign, the Alliance & Chamber coupon & specials page provides more incentives to shoppers to buy local. These coupons are in printer-friendly format or can be accessed through their mobile app Cedar Valley Connect , available on both iPhone and Android applications.

Shoppers can find a detailed Alliance & Chamber Investor Directory with links to coupons and specials at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com and on the Cedar Valley Connect mobile app. All promotions are compiled at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com/coupons/php.

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. A top priority of the Alliance & Chamber is to sustain and strengthen the retail and service sector throughout the Cedar Valley.

For more information on the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and the Home for the Holidays campaign go to www.cedarvalleyalliance.com/homefortheholidays , www.facebook.com/cedarvalleyalliance, or contact Steve Dust at 319-232-1156 or by email at sdust@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

###

Global Entrepreneurship in the Cedar Valley

Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth, and expand economic welfare. We’re celebrating all across Iowa with activities designed to reach every type of entrepreneur, from Main Street to corporate, from test lab to home office. Over 30 entrepreneur and small business related events will be happening all across Iowa during Global Entrepreneurship Week, November 17^th through the 21^st. IASourceLink has compiled these events and made them available on the Iowa Global Entrepreneurship page at iasourcelink.com/gew.

The Cedar Valley is kicking off this week with several entrepreneurial initiatives. First is the official launch of Cedar Valley 1 Million Cups (1MC), on Wednesday at 9:00am. Each week, the 1MC program offers two local entrepreneurs an opportunity to present their startups to a diverse audience of mentors, advisors, and entrepreneurs. Presenters prepare a 6 minute educational presentation and engage in 20 minutes of feedback and questioning after they present. Entrepreneurs gain insight into possible ways they can improve their businesses. More information at cedarvalley1mc.com.

The presenters for Wednesday’s event will be Trace Steffen with HowFactory, and Dan Beenken with Advance Iowa. HowFactory is revolutionizing the way manufacturers and other companies create, use and update work instructions, standard operating procedures and training. HowFactory just completed the Iowa Startup Accelerator and was chosen for a $50,000 investment from Built By Iowa at Launch Day just last week. Advance Iowa is the State of Iowa’s comprehensive consulting program designed to work with midsized companies to enhance their growth.

Thursday from 12pm-1pm UNI MyEntre.Net will host a free business webinar on “Small Business, Big Profits: Advanced Google Analytics,” made available on IASourceLink. During this online webinar, Megan Horn from Cedar Falls based Far Reach will teach participants how to optimize Google Analytics to provide data quickly, analyze visitor traffic to gain key marketing insights, run a/b testing for real results, and show how landing pages can improve conversions.

Finally we’ll celebrate the ending of Global Entrepreneurship Week in style with Startup Weekend. Startup Weekend is a 54 hour event powered by Google where developers, designers, marketers, product managers, and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, build products, and launch startups. More information at swcedarfalls.com.

For more information contact Rob Williams at (319)273-4333 or by email at rob.williams@uni.edu

Cedar Valley 1 Million Cups Program to Launch

Waterloo – 1 Million Cups, a weekly event to engage, educate, and connect entrepreneurs, is set to launch during Global Entrepreneurship Week. The public is invited to attend at nine the morning of Wednesday, November 19^th at the UNI Innovation Incubator (8120 Jennings Drive in Cedar Falls).

Cedar Valley 1 Million Cups is a regional initiative where two area entrepreneurs are given six minutes to deliver a prepared presentation about a new idea or business startup. This is then followed by 20 minutes of dialog with the audience in attendance. Organizers hope the audience will be successful existing area business owners, peer startup entrepreneurs, public sector service providers, lenders, and potential investors. The location of 1 Million Cups will rotate throughout the Cedar Valley, but will start on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa.

According to Randy Pilkington, director of UNI Business and Community Services, “UNI Business and Community Services has a rich tradition of supporting entrepreneurs, both statewide and here at home in the Cedar Valley. We know that the Cedar Valley 1 Million Cups program will connect innovators in the Cedar Valley to each other and to other entrepreneurship networking events to make the region a leader in entrepreneurship support and development.”

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber supports the effort. Steve Dust, CEO 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 is excited to work with the 1 Million Cups team to enhance the strong, growing startup scene throughout the Cedar Valley economic area.”

“1 Million Cups is a program for entrepreneurs, driven by entrepreneurs,” said Alyssa Nolte, Director of Marketing for iTracking Research. “It’s a true collaborative effort of a committee comprised of 23 varied public and private sector organizations coming together to make this a reality in the Cedar Valley.” Other entrepreneurially-minded firms on the planning committee include Visual Logic Group, Monday Creations, iGus Marketing, Spinutech, Pixel Labs Creative, Sidecar Coffee Roasters, Far Reach, and Luann Alemao & Associates.

The Cedar Valley joins dozens of other communities across the US where 1 Million Cups is already in operation, including Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City. The public is invited to sign up to present startup business ideas, RSVP to attend (not required), or to learn more about the initiative via the website at www.cedarvalley1mc.com. To find other local Global Entrepreneurship Week events coming up visit www.iasourcelink.com/gew.

Unity Point Allen Hospital Statement Regarding Ebola

The news of recent deaths from Ebola in the United States has heightened awareness and concern regarding spread of the disease. Unity Point Health is taking this public health issue seriously and is prepared to address potential cases.

It’s important to remember our hospitals and clinics care for individuals with contagious illnesses every day. While Ebola is a new disease for us, the processes required to ensure patients are treated appropriately while protecting staff and the public are not unfamiliar to us. Our hospitals and staff are well-trained and ready for Ebola or any other contagious disease. We have facilities in place for individuals who contract contagious diseases and the proper protective equipment for staff, volunteers and the public.

Policies have been developed in our emergency departments to screen all patients for travel history and symptoms. Patients with suspected Ebola will be evaluated using precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta.

We have assembled enhanced isolation carts in our emergency departments with gowns, footwear, face shields, surgical masks and equipment to effectively manage a potential case. Protocols have been developed by our infection control specialists, reviewed by our medical staff and have been provided to appropriate staff.

Ebola is not a virus spread through the air, and an individual is contagious only if the infected person is having active symptoms. Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of a sick person or exposure to objects such as needles that have been contaminated. In other words, the likelihood of contracting Ebola through casual contact is remote.

The Iowa Departments of Public Health and those in Illinois and Wisconsin recognize that even a single case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States can raise concerns locally. Our state and local health departments have been and will continue to work closely with the CDC and local public health agencies to ensure the state is ready to respond should the need arise. The Iowa DPH has been working with CDC and local public health agencies in the following ways:

Enhancing surveillance and laboratory testing capacity in states to detect casesDeveloping guidance and tools for health departments to conduct public health investigationsProviding recommendations for healthcare infection control and other measures to prevent disease spreadDisseminating up-to-date information to the general public, international travelers, and public health partners

If you have specific questions or seek additional information, please contact Dr. Tim Horrigan or Michelle Heine for UnityPoint Health – Waterloo. We will share additional statements and advisories with you when there are updates to report. Thanks.

Jim Waterbury

VP Institutional Advancement

UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital

CEDAR FALLS NAMED 2014 GOOGLE eCITY for IOWA

On October 15, Cedar Falls was named the 2014 eCity of Iowa. The eCity Awards recognize the strongest online business community in each state – the digital capitals of America. These cities’ businesses are embracing the web to find new customers, connect with existing clients and fuel their local economies. Cedar Falls joins the ranks of America’s leading cities in the digital economy. Google recognized the city’s innovative businesses by holding a community celebration with Sen. Chuck Grassley, Mayor Jon Crews and other community representatives on Wednesday, on Main St. in Cedar Falls.

Senator Grassley presented the award to Mayor Crews, who credited the citizens of Cedar Falls for passing the community broadband referendum 20 years ago this month, and credited CFU will building and continuously updating the community’s broadband infrastructure.

Local partners include:

City of Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls Utilities
Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber
Business and Community Services at UNI
Small Business Development Center at UNI

GREATER CEDAR VALLEY ALLIANCE & CHAMBER NOW ACCCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR ANNUAL DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AWARDS

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber announces nominations will be accepted now through the end of Oct. 31, 2014 for Diversity & Inclusion Business Awards to be presented during the 2015 Annual Celebration on Thursday, March 26th at the Park Place Event Centre.

This recognition is given for outstanding contribution by a business or organization for leadership in creating and strengthening an environment of diversity and inclusion in the workplace culture, business practices and in the community.

Nominations can be made through the nomination form on the Alliance & Chamber website, www.cedarvalleyalliance.com/diversity through the end of October. Nominees will be invited to complete an application and interview process to determine winners.

Past award winners from the 2014 event include Allen College Unity Point and Veridian Credit Union. Past award winners from the 2013 event include Em’s Coffee of Independence, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Iowa, Inc., and Wartburg College.

The Cedar Valley Diversity and Inclusion initiative is designed to strengthen the Cedar Valley through promoting diversity, full inclusion, and cultural competencies in business, and to focus on the importance, impact and benefits to business of effective diversity and inclusion practices. The partnership also hosts an annual educational summit in the fall and two multicultural receptions throughout the year. The next reception will be Oct. 28^th at Hawkeye Community College from 4:30-6:30pm.

Descriptions of the awards, nomination forms, and application form are available at the Alliance & Chamber offices or online at www. cedarvalleyalliance.com/diversity . For additional information, please contact Alliance & Chamber Vice President of Community Development, Cary Darrah at cdarrah@cedarvalleyalliance.com or 232-1156.

###

Multi-Million Dollar Federal Grant to Support Iowa’s Community Colleges and Job Training Efforts

WATERLOO—An innovative plan developed by Iowa’s community colleges to train thousands of workers in high-demand fields is being recognized today with a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

A consortium, consisting of all 15 community colleges in Iowa jointly applied for funding to build training capacity in the areas of Information Technology, Healthcare, Utilities, and Manufacturing – also known as the “IHUM” Network. Grant funds will be used statewide to create more than 45 additional training certificates in the IHUM targeted areas.

“The 15 members of the Iowa community college consortium are honored to be named as recipients for this federal grant. This truly was a collaborative effort and we would like to acknowledge our business partners – as well as our state and federal officials for their full support of this statewide workforce initiative. The focus of this initiative is to connect people to jobs and ultimately to expand our skilled workforce,” said Dr. Linda Allen, president of Hawkeye Community College. Hawkeye had an opportunity to lead the consortium of 15 Iowa community colleges to develop and submit this proposal. The College will use its portion of the grant funding to expand its credit and non-credit Industrial Maintenance program offerings.

The IHUM consortium project was one of 71 awarded nationwide under this year’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grants. Created in 2009, this is the fourth and final round of TAACCCT grants. The awards are used to support community colleges in developing partnerships with employers to educate and train individuals for in-demand jobs. The IHUM consortium project award is believed to be the largest TAACCCT grant awarded to the state of Iowa from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Through this project, Iowa’s community colleges will be aligning the state’s Information Technology, Healthcare, Utilities, and Manufacturing training programs with industry recognized credentials – such as those contained in the National Association of Manufacturer’s endorsed Skills Certification System. The programs will assist a number of workers including those that are TAA-eligible, veterans, and other adult workers in need of training.

In addition, the IHUM consortium project will incorporate evidence-based strategies taken from a review of best practices from previously-funded TAACCCT projects. Those strategies include comprehensive career pathways, use of simulation and technology, intensive student support services, and statewide data related to employment opportunities.

The project was supported by more than 30 businesses and business associations in Iowa. The funding will be allocated over a four-year time period beginning on October 1, 2014.

Additional information on the TAACCCT grant program and the awarded funds is available in the White House news release: www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/29/fact-sheet-vice-president-biden-announces-recipients-450-million-job-dri.

-END-

KWWL to Broadcast Three Iowa Debates Governor, Senate and 1st Congressional District Debates Scheduled

As a critical election day approaches for the state, KWWL stays on top of the important races. The station will be broadcasting debates for the Governor’s, Senate and 1^st Congressional district races in October.

“Iowans take their politics very seriously,” said Jim McKernan, Vice-President and General Manager of KWWL. “Broadcasting these debates provides viewers the opportunity to hear the candidates without the spin and make an informed decision.”

The Senate debate will be broadcast on Saturday, October 11^th at 7pm. KWWL’s Ron Steele will be present as one of the debate moderators.

The governor’s debate will be broadcast on Tuesday, October 14^th at 7pm. Ron Steele will be present as one moderator.

KWWL will host the 1^st Congressional debate in their studio on Saturday, October 18th at 7pm. Ron Steele and Amanda Goodman will act as moderators along with reporters from the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier and Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, KWWL’s coverage partner.

“Covering state politics is critically important,” said Shane Moreland, KWWL News Director. “As journalists, it’s our obligation to provide this important service to voters. Having local anchors and reporters involved as moderators ensures that the concerns and questions of Iowans will be addressed.”

KWWL also plans to solicit questions from voters via social media. Those interested in submitting questions for consideration during the debates should closely monitor the station’s Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Complete rules and guidelines for the KWWL hosted debate can be found on the station’s website, www.kwwl.com.

QNI is a privately held family owned company with roots in the newspaper business dating back to 1835. Quincy Newspapers, Inc. was formed in 1926 with the merger of The Quincy Herald and The Quincy Whig-Journal.

The company owns and operates NBC affiliates in Quincy and Rockford Illinois, Waterloo and Sioux City, Iowa, Rochester, Minnesota and Bluefield, West Virginia. QNI also operates ABC affiliates in Madison, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Wausau and Eagle River, Wisconsin and a FOX affiliate in South Bend, Indiana. QNI operates another FOX affiliate in Rochester, Minnesota under a shared services agreement. QNI also owns and operates an AM-FM radio combination in Quincy and daily/Sunday newspapers in Quincy, Illinois and Newton, New Jersey.

Waterloo/Cedar Falls Metropolitan Area produces second highest percentage increase GDP gain in Iowa

CEDAR VALLEY OF IOWA (Sept. 2014) The Waterloo/Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area gross domestic product (GDP) of $8.7 billion from 2012-2013. This is up 5.6% from the previous year, according to data released last week from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Collectively, real GDP for U.S. metropolitan areas increased 1.7% during the same period.

The Metro Area had the second highest percentage increase compared to other Iowa metros. The largest percentage GDP increases by industry were: Information (7.5%); Real Estate, Rental, Leasing (11.9%); and Finance, Insurance (10.3%). Manufacturing and Retail grew 3.3% and 3.7% respectively.

“These numbers support what our businesses have been saying all along: the Cedar Valley is strong and growing,” comments Steve Dust, CEO of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber. “These gains reflect the confidence of Cedar Valley businesses across the valley who are making investments in their companies, increasing exports, and hiring talented, productive people.”

Other IA metros GDP growth from 2012-2013:

Ames: 5.4%

Cedar Rapids: 3.1%

Des Moines: 4.5%

Dubuque: 1.3%

Iowa City: 4.4%

Quad Cities: 2.8%

Sioux City: 7.3% (25.2% construction led growth by industry sector)

Omaha/Council Bluffs: 3.9%

The complete data can be found here.

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.

###

Grow Cedar Valley