The Cedar Valley Investor Report gives a snap shot of the activities of the Alliance & Chamber, news from our investors, and informative articles selected for their relevance to economic growth in the Cedar Valley.
Author Archives: Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber
Hawkeye Community College Trustees hosts public focus groups through out the Cedar Valley.
Hawkeye Community College Trustees will be hosting public focus groups through out the Cedar Valley.
Input is being sought to know what challenges or needs that your business or organization faces in the next 3-5 years, with which Hawkeye Community College might be able to assist you. Individuals are encouraged to come from all areas: businesses, education, government, parents, students, economic developers, community support groups and faith communities.
Jay Nardini Hawkeye Community College Trustee for District 8 will host two public focus groups for community input to the trustees’ strategic visioning plan. Merged Area District 8 includes part of Waterloo north of Evansdale, all of Evansdale, and the area of Waterloo south of Evansdale to the county line.
The morning focus group will be held Wed., May 14 from 7:00-8:00 a.m. at the Evansdale City Hall Council Chambers, 123 N. Evans Road, Evansdale, Iowa. The evening focus group will be held Wed., May 14 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. at Highland Elementary School (Pre-K area), 812 Idaho, Waterloo, Iowa.
Bruce Clark, Hawkeye Community College Trustee for District 5 will host a public focus group for community input to the trustees’ strategic visioning plan. The focus group will be held on Tues. May 13 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. at Lowell Elementary, 1628 Washington Street, Waterloo. Iowa. Merged Area District 5 is in the Waterloo area and includes the following locations: George Washington Carver Academy, Allen Memorial Hospital, Lowell Elementary, and Waterloo Sportsplex.
Dave Krejchi, Hawkeye Community College Trustee for District 9 will host a public focus group for community input to the trustees’ strategic visioning plan. The focus group will be held on Thursday, May 8, 2014 from 7:00-8:00 a.m. at the Family Restaurant, 2627 Center Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa. Merged Area District 9 includes most of the Cedar Falls school district including North Cedar; west of Union Road, south to University Ave., George Wyth Park to Leversee Road, north to Fitkin Road.
For more information call the Board of Trustees Secretary at 319-296-4267.
Clayberg Joins Alliance & Chamber as Director of Business Retention & Expansion
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is pleased to announce Nate Clayberg has accepted the position of Director of Business Retention & Expansion.
As Director of Business of Retention & Expansion, Clayberg will plan, develop, and implement regional economic development initiatives to encourage and facilitate growth in targeted industry sectors. An important initiative to be lead by Clayberg is Advance Cedar Valley, local implementation of Advance Iowa, a statewide Economic Gardening program operated by UNI.
“Nate’s familiarity with the business community of the Cedar Valley economic region and the work of the Alliance & Chamber is a great asset. He will be able to provide services to growing Cedar Valley businesses immediately,” says Alliance & Chamber CEO Steven Dust, “It will be a fast transition for a talented professional like Nate. This is an important addition to our organization.”
Clayberg was previously the Executive Director of Economic Development in Buchanan County and the current Chair of the Cedar Valley Regional Partnership , an economic development marketing collaboration. In addition to his work in the field of economic development, Clayberg is known in the Cedar Valley through his work in development at the University of Northern Iowa Athletics and Sartori Hospital. He is a 2013 Cedar Valley Courier Communications 20 Under 40 honoree.
Clayberg received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma, and is in the process of attaining the Certified Economic Developer designation.
“We were looking for a candidate with strong economic development knowledge and experience who would work hard for the Cedar Valley,” says Lisa Skubal, Vice President of Economic Development. “We believe Nate will be highly effective in this role, delivering results in a very short time.”
Clayberg will assume his role with the Alliance & Chamber on May 1, 2014.
“I value the type of work I do every day as an economic developer as it contributes to the overall good of the entire community,” comments Clayberg. “I look forward to utilizing my skills to help the Cedar Valley region grow and prosper,”
Originally from Webster City, Clayberg lives in Jesup with his wife Kelly, a perfusionist with Cedar Valley Medical Associates at Unity Point – Allen Hospital and his two children Rachel, 11 and Daniel, 7.
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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Sue Beach Joins Alliance & Chamber as Director of Investor Relations
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is pleased to announce that Sue Beach has joined the Alliance & Chamber as Director of Investor Relations.
The Director of Investor Relations is responsible for investor recruitment and retention. Beach will work collaboratively with Bette Wubbena, Director of Investor Services.
“Sue has served as a volunteer on Alliance & Chamber committees and as an Ambassador for both the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and the Waverly Chamber,” says Cary Darrah, Vice President of Community Development, “Her knowledge of our services and the return on investment available to investors will be a major benefit to our existing investors and to other businesses and institutions in the Cedar Valley economic area looking to give their operations a competitive advantage through the Alliance & Chamber.”
Beach has over 20 years of sales, marketing, fundraising, and management experience. Most recently, Beach led the Cedar Valley through the adoption and implementation of the Blue Zones Project of Waterloo and Cedar Falls as the Program Manager.
Beach is a graduate of North Iowa Area Community College and Hamilton College.
“Sue is a respected leader in the community with extensive expertise in building relationships and generating revenue, volunteer support and action,” says Alliance & Chamber CEO Steven Dust, “Her business and non-profit experience is a good match for this new role in the Alliance & Chamber. Our investors can expect the same kind of enthusiasm and energy to ensure they’re receiving maximum return on their Alliance & Chamber investments.”
Beach resides in Cedar Falls with her husband Sean and has an adult daughter Cheyenne. She will begin her duties with the Alliance & Chamber on May 12,2014.
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.
Alliance & Chamber Investor Bossard NA Receives Contract with American Electric Auto Manufacturer
Steen Hansen, President, Bossard North America announces that Bossard NA has received a contract to supply American electric vehicle manufacturerTesla with fasteners, engineering and logistics. This contract is significant to Bossard and the strength of the Cedar Valley headquarter operations. All parts of the work – engineering, planning, administration, logistics support – will be fulfilled in the Cedar Valley with warehousing in California. (Read More)
Three-Year Contract with Tesla Opens Up New Opportunities
Zug, March 12, 2014 – The Bossard Group is strengthening its collaboration with the American electric vehicle manufacturer, Tesla. Tesla awarded Bossard with a three- year contract with a total volume of around USD 140 million to provide production fasteners, engineering and logistical services. The importance of this co-operation has prompted Bossard to open a new distribution center near the Tesla factory in Fremont (California).
For more than four years, the two companies have collaborated in the design and development of the cutting edge Model S, including engineering, prototyping and ultimate delivery of production fasteners utilizing Bossard’s globally unique inventory management system, SmartBin®. Bossard Group has proven to be the preferred fastener supplier for Tesla while offering exceptional engineering and design services. This collaboration is reflected in sharply increasing sales volume for Bossard in support of the California based auto manufacturer: “Bossard considers it an honor that the existing successful collaboration is now solidified with a three-year contract with an estimated value of USD 140 million for this period” explains CEO, David Dean. Opening the new distribution center near the Tesla factory in Fremont will allow Bossard to provide valuable and quick customer service coping with the increasing demands. Bossard has steadily expanded its market share in the past few years in the United States; in part due to the intensified collaboration with Tesla.
Tesla’s goal is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transport with a full range of increasingly affordable electric cars. Founded in 2003, California-based Tesla designs and manufactures electric vehicles (EV), as well as EV powertrain components for partners such as Mercedes and Toyota.
For further information:
David Dean, CEO, E-mail investor@bossard.com www.bossard.com
Alliance & Chamber Announce 2014 Annual Award Recipients
WATERLOO, April 2, 2014— The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber (GCVAC) is announcing their 2014 Annual Award recipients. These awards recognize Cedar Valley individuals, organizations and businesses and were presented to a record setting crowd of 580 investors and supporters at the Alliance & Chamber Annual Celebration on March 27 at the Park Place Event Centre, Cedar Falls. Master of Ceremonies was Kathy Flynn of Hawkeye Community College with KWWL Television’s Ron Steele presenting the awards.
The Annual Celebration’s premier sponsor was University of Iowa Community Credit Union. Gold sponsors were HGS, Kirk Gross Company, and KWWL Television.
As 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, special commemorations and recognitions were made throughout the evening, including the presentation of the Legacy Award.
The Legacy Award recognizes an individual or business for their continued leadership and noteworthy contributions to the Cedar Valley through philanthropy and volunteerism, working to create a positive environment for business expansion and community, and enhancing the quality of life for talent recruitment and retention. This year’s recipients are three men considered the founders of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber retired UNI president Bob Koob, former John Deere Waterloo Works General Manager Barry Schaffter, and local business man Ken Lockard. This award is sponsored by Bertch Cabinet Mfg.
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance was formed when Mr. Lockard, Mr. Koob, and Mr. Schaffter began meeting with area leaders to find ways to move to a more regional and collaborative approach to economic development in the Cedar Valley.
This is the second year the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber presented Diversity & Inclusion Awards. This recognition is given to two businesses or organizations, of varying size, for leadership in creating and strengthening an environment of diversity and inclusion in their workplace culture, business practices and in the community. This year’s recipients are Allen College – Unity Point Health and Veridian Credit Union. This award is sponsored by Courier Communications.
The Fulfilling the Vision of One Award recognizes an outstanding contribution by an individual in the private sector for leadership in creating and strengthening regional collaboration and cooperation for economic and community development. This year’s recipient is Tim Hurley. This award is sponsored by PDCM Insurance.
The Business of the Year Award recognizes the efforts of a Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber investor in promoting the quality of life and offering leadership within the Cedar Valley, achieving a major business accomplishment, or making an outstanding contribution to the Cedar Valley community, economy, and citizens. CUNA Mutual Group is this year’s recipient. This award is sponsored by Community Bank & Trust.
The John Deere Treating Capital Well Award recognizes the efforts of a private sector firm for a significant investment in the Cedar Valley that most emphasizes the attributes of the Cedar Valley. This year’s recipient is Hydrite Chemical. This award is sponsored by John Deere Waterloo Operations.
The Harold Brock Innovation Award recognizes the efforts of a private sector firm for innovation in technology, advanced manufacturing, or talent development. This year’s recipients are Kryton Engineered Metals and Schumacher Elevator. This award is sponsored by ACES.
The Cedar Valley Partner Award recognizes the efforts of an educational institution, non-profit organization, service club, or human service agency in promoting economic growth and employment, quality of life, offering leadership, or making an outstanding contribution to the Cedar Valley and its citizens on a continuing basis or with a specific project. This year’s recipient is Blue Zones of Waterloo & Cedar Falls (BZP). This award is sponsored by Wartburg College.
“We were very pleased with the reaction of our investors and friends who attended, and gratified with how many of our Cedar Valley businesses came out to celebrate the strength of our Cedar Valley economy, the free enterprise system, and our award winners,” commented Steve Dust, CEO of the Alliance & Chamber.
Videos featuring each of the award recipients and more information about the Alliance & Chamber can be found at http://cedarvalleyalliance.com/video-gallery.php?id=9.
Photos from the evening are available at https://www.facebook.com/cedarvalleyalliance or by contacting Communications Director Wendy Knapp at wknapp@cedarvalleyalliance.com.
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Leader Valley and the University of Northern Iowa to Cosponsor 2015 Franklin Covey Leader in Me Symposium
WATERLOO & CEDAR FALLS, IOWA –The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and Leader Valley, in partnership with the University of Northern Iowa, announce that the Cedar Valley has been selected as a 2015 Leader in Me Symposium Series site by FranklinCovey. The Leader in Me Symposium will be held April 22-24, 2015 on the UNI Campus. An estimated 400 people are expected at this regional professional learning conference. Attendees will be introduced to the advancements of Cedar Valley schools implementing Leader in Me, FranklinCovey’s whole school education transformation process, which teaches leadership principles to students in K-12 schools and embeds leadership as a core within their school culture.
Leader Valley Director, Melissa Reade, is particularly excited about this opportunity. “We’ve gone through an extensive vetting process to be selected as a Symposium site and we are thrilled for many reasons. This professional learning conference is world class. To be able to host it here in the Cedar Valley is a unique opportunity and honor.”
Symposium participants will learn in a high-powered environment that hosts an impressive lineup of inspirational thought leaders on education leadership topics. Participants will observe students demonstrating their leadership mind-set and skill-set through public speaking, practitioner sessions, talent presentations, and assigned leadership roles. Participants will also visit Leader in Me schools throughout the Cedar Valley to learn first-hand how leadership is infused into all facets of school life, including relationships, environment, curriculum, instruction, systems, and traditions of each school. Lastly, participants will engage in dynamic breakout sessions on developing leadership cultures and building family and community partnerships, as well as providing students with authentic and meaningful leadership opportunities.
CBE Companies CEO and current Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber Board Chair Tom Penaluna accepted a congratulatory call from FranklinCovey’s Sean Covey, during which Penaluna was informed of the Cedar Valley’s selection as a Symposium site. Covey reiterated the significance of the work that Leader Valley is doing to collectively support all of the students and schools in Waterloo-Cedar Falls. Dustin Odham, Leader Valley’s assigned FranklinCovey Education Practice Leader went on to say, “Leader Valley is creating a community unlike any other. The school and community leaders involved in this leadership work are doing it for the right reasons and have the heart and desire to do this well. I leave more inspired every time I visit and I want many more people to have the same opportunity. That is why I fought to ensure this community hosted a Leader in Me Symposium.”
UNI College of Education Dean Dr. Dwight Watson expressed his excitement about the announcement by saying, “It is an honor to host the 2015 Leader in Me Symposium. I have been a fan of Covey’s work since the beginning of my professional career. I celebrate the fact The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has been transferred into K-12 practices for children and youth because these habits are important elements in their leadership and character development. Our hope is that the Symposium will showcase how engaged the Cedar Valley is in the work of Leader in Me and that we can perfect what we do by learning from others.”
Reade says, “It is reflection of the great leadership work being done collectively in our Cedar Valley schools. When you consider that the Symposiums are typically held in larger cities like St. Louis, Chicago, Denver, and Brooklyn, FranklinCovey believes we are doing something right. The Symposium provides an opportunity to not only showcase student leadership from the Cedar Falls Schools, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools, and Waterloo Schools, but also highlight our higher-education partnership in this leadership work, as well as bring attention to the Cedar Valley.”
“As we learn more about the preparation process for the Symposium, we are confident there will be ample opportunities for Leader Valley and UNI to synergize with other education and community organizations, as well as Iowa Leader in Me schools outside the Cedar Valley and businesses to make this Symposium one of the best,” said Reade. Hawkeye Community College and CBE Companies have already committed as awareness partners for the upcoming promotions of the Symposium.
Leader in Me has been adopted as a core operating system in 1,500 schools in more than 35 countries, with more than 600,000 students and 50,000 staff having been trained worldwide. Across the Cedar Valley, there are 14 Leader in Me schools, with 6,075 students and 842 educators already trained and embarking on their leadership journey. Within the Waterloo Community School District, Dr. Walter Cunningham Elementary, Fred Becker Elementary, Kittrell Elementary, Orange Elementary, Poyner Elementary, George Washington Carver Academy, and Hoover Middle School are implementing Leader in Me. Cedar Falls Community Schools implementing Leader in Me include North Cedar Elementary, Orchard Hill Elementary, Southdale Elementary, and Lincoln Elementary. Cedar Valley Catholic Schools infusing Leader in Me include Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta Middle School and St. Edwards Elementary.
For more information on the Leader in Me Symposium, visit http://www.theleaderinme.org/events/symposium or http://cedarvalleyalliance.com/cms/220/Leader_Valley.You can also learn more by contacting Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director at (319) 232-1156 or at mreade@cedarvalleyalliance.com.
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Alliance & Chamber Investors/Leaders Expand Market Reach with Recent Acquisition & Merger
ME&V has announced it is merging with Cedar Rapids advertising agency Henry Russell Bruce (HRB) as of April 1. The new organization’s name is “AMPERAGE.” The branding line for the new entity is “Move the Needle.”
The merger of two of Iowa’s top agencies will broaden the scope of services and expand areas of expertise. Founding partner and former Alliance & Chamber board member Dee Vandeventer will retire as partner, but will remain on staff working full-time in the area she is most passionate about—fundraising. ME&V partner Brian Earnest will serve as president of the new company.
“We’ll be hiring,” said Earnest in a Corridor Business Journal interview. “We are positioned for growth and we plan to merge with two more agencies in order to accelerate growth and enhance our capabilities.”
Local start up, Banno, a developer of banking technology, has been acquired by Jack Henry & Associates (OTC: JKHY). According to JKHY, The deal follows a July 2013 partnership in which Jack Henry’s ProfitStars division sold Banno’s Grip mobile application under the name Andiamo, according to the release. The deal brings another S&P 500 operation to the Cedar Valley.
Banno Chief Executive and Alliance & Chamber board member Wade Arnold, says operations and management teams will continue working out of the company’s locations in Cedar Falls and Des Moines.
Founded in 2008, Banno serves more than 375 financial institutions. The company’s other core services include a targeted online advertising platform and a responsive-website design and development tool. It was named one of American Banker‘s “Top 10 Tech Companies to Watch for 2012.”
These two announcements are excellent examples of the deepth and breadth of Cedar Valley startup and entrepreneurial community.
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ADVERTISING AGENCIES HRB AND ME&V ANNOUNCE MERGER New corporate name is AMPERAGE
Cedar Rapids and Cedar Falls, March 3, 2014—Henry Russell Bruce (HRB) and ME&V Advertising + Consulting today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to merge two of Iowa’s top advertising agencies on April 1. The merger will create a combined company of more than 50 people with offices in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Bettendorf, Iowa.
Joining the firms brings together Jim Thebeau, CEO at HRB and Steve Erickson, President and Executive Creative Director at HRB, with Bryan Earnest, ME&V Partner and President, Jim Infelt, ME&V Partner and Creative Director, and Mark Mathis III, ME&V Partner and Director of Cool. Dee Vandeventer, ME&V Partner and Director of Operations and Fundraising, will retire as a partner and continue working as a fundraising advisor for the new organization.
“Business is moving toward more integrated marketing and communications,” said Earnest, who will serve as president of the new company. “This merger empowers us to better execute traditional and digital communications with clients who need deep expertise and expanded bandwidth to stay competitive in this cluttered marketplace. It also allows us to target prospects outside our current markets.”
The alliance will create one of the largest advertising agencies in Eastern Iowa and the largest fundraising-consulting firms in the state with more than $100 million raised for nonprofits (including the recent Cedar Rapids Library 3.0 campaign) over the last 15 years.
“This alliance allows us to leverage skills and talent in ways that will greatly benefit our clients,” said Thebeau, who will serve as chairman of the board for the new company. “Key strategic benefits of the merger include accelerated technology and new media integration, increased content development and deployment, and video in cross-platform applications.”
On April 1, 2014, the merger will take place. The new company will not retain either of the existing names. The new organization’s name is “AMPERAGE.” The branding line for the new entity is “Move the Needle.”
“Our new name represents the cross-platform strength of signal or message for any business or organization. We want to forge a powerful connection for clients to energize business growth,” said Mathis. “Today there is no middle ground—you’re either moving the needle or you’re not.”
This alliance of the two well-known agencies brings together high-end strategic marketing, design, video production, crisis communications, research, brand development, public relations, social media, APP development, website building and consulting, search engine optimization, and capital campaign fundraising consulting all under one company banner.
“Our shared vision for AMPERAGE is the need to discover the connection between our clients and their audiences, then, what motivates them in ways that can be measured,” said Erickson.
Even though a major benefit of merging is economies of scale, the new company is positioning for growth and future expansion.
“We are not planning any down-sizing due to the merger. In fact, if anything, we’ll be hiring,” said Earnest. “We are positioned for growth and we plan to merge with two more agencies in order to accelerate growth and enhance our capabilities.”
According to Infelt, “Marketing is changing so much that new-age agencies need to be able to integrate messaging on all platforms from television to smartphones. If you want to see results, you need to embrace all media and consider your brand and content across all platforms.”
For more details about the new company formed by the merger, or to hire us, visit www.AmperageMarketing.com or call 800-728-2656.
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