Tag Archives: Economic Development

Fulfilling the Vision2 – The Cedar Valley’s Equation for Continuing Economic Growth

The work of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber (GCVAC) is to help business and institutions grow in our area, increasing economic vitality and wealth. Repositioned and growing businesses and institutions have produced significant results for the Cedar Valley economic area over the past five years, which included some of the worst years in modern US economic history. GCVAC delivered major development projects, services and opportunities resulting in healthier businesses, over $260 million in new capital investment, good jobs, and a more robust business climate. In those unfavorable times, GCVAC’s work contributed to rising wages and a modest increase in population, when similar cities around the country saw decline. It has emerged as a leader in regional economic development, building relationships with businesses and development organizations throughout the Cedar Valley economic area.

The financial investments of businesses and institutions throughout the Cedar Valley fund our work – fulfilling your vision of more economic growth and prosperity to the area. The Fulfilling the Vision2 is both a framework plan and funding campaign designed to respond to today’s quickly shifting and sometimes unpredictable economic realities. Through FtV2, the work of GCVAC is focused on: Workforce & Talent Retention, Recruitment and Development; Business Growth Through Expansion and Location in Targeted, High Value Sectors; Building a Strong Cedar Valley Brand Message to Businesses, Talent, and in Government Relations; Increase Regional Collaboration Among Business & Civic Interests; and Collecting & Reporting Useful Data on our economic base. Emphasis will shift as opportunities and need of our Cedar Valley region dictate.

GCVAC is finding strong, unprecedented regional support for FtV2 program and campaign. The campaign is now over the 50% level, with momentum building to reach successful completion near the end of 2012. To learn more, please visit www.CedarValleyAlliance.com to view a video featuring several area businesses, cities, and GCVAC work.

Your financial support – an investment in our work to expand our economy – is important to our success. It will benefit everyone who wants to strengthen our businesses, expand quality employment opportunities, and create a greater place to work, build a career, and enjoy life. To schedule an appointment with one of our FtV2Leadership Team volunteers to discuss why they are involved and how you can best assist, call Campaign Coordinator Blake Woods at 319-232-1156

Total Resource Campaign – Brings Value & Opportunity to Local Business

Be Part of Something Greater – the Cedar Valley of Iowa is more than a tag line. It is an invitation to be part of the largest business organization in Northeast Iowa. It is an invitation to leverage the reputation, opportunities, and the benefits of being an investor that the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber offers. An investment in the GCVAC gives your company the opportunity to gain exposure for your product or service, and build brand awareness through event and advertising sponsorships. Involvement helps keep you up to date with the latest public policy and legislative issues, and provides frequent opportunities to network with local business leaders who are committed to the strength and vitality of the Cedar Valley regional economy. Business services and resources are also available to help with workforce and expansion needs. Here are three ways your company or organization can benefit from investing in the GCVAC:

1. GCVAC Website/Mobile app Investor Directory

The GCVAC website is a resource for the both B2B decision makers and consumers when searching for other area businesses to work with. As an investor/member you receive an online directory listing with links to your website, videos, social media channels and coupon promotions. A directory is also printed annually and distributed throughout the community and in relocation packets. The soon to be released mobile versions of the investor directory will put your company’s contact information in the palm of consumers’ hands for convenient dialing and mapping.

2. B2B Targeted Marketing

With approximately 900 investor/member businesses and organization, promoting your company’s brand, events, or milestones through our e-newsletter, Business Monthly newsletter, mailing label or fax distribution service are cost effective ways to reach approximately 1,500 subscribers or more. Only GCVAC investor/members have this kind of access to the engaged local business community.

3. Sponsor or Host a GCVAC event

GCVAC events are wildly popular! These events often sell out. Sponsors and hosts are highlighted in various ways through promotions, print pieces and signage, and in some cases companies are given opportunity to speak or have a display table at certain events. Sponsorships come at a variety of price points to accommodate businesses large or small.

A team of GCVAC volunteers are available to speak with you about the sponsorship opportunities that best suit your marketing needs. Through the Total Resource Campaign (TRC) you can design your sponsorships to work with your annual marketing budget.

For more information about GCVAC investor/membership and sponsorships contact Bette Wubbena, Director of Member Services or Business Manager, Kim Schleisman by e-mail at bwubbena@cedarvalleyalliance.com, kschleisman@cedarvalleyalliance.com or call 319-232-1156.

GREATER CEDAR VALLEY ALLIANCE & CHAMBER and the CEDAR VALLEY REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCE DREAM BIG GROW HERE CEDAR VALLEY $5,000 WINNER

Cedar Valley of Iowa -The 2nd Annual Dream Big Grow Here Cedar Valley contest concluded on the evening of October 18th, 2012 with a “pitch-off” by five finalist of the online popular vote portion of the $5,000 grant contest.

The winner of the pitch-off, Lizzy Mae’s Cupcakes & Sweets – pitched by Dawn Pursell of Waverly, was chosen by a panel of business entrepreneurs and experts from the fields of law, technology, finance and entertainment. Twenty-one start-ups and small businesses participated in the popular online voting generating over 9,300 votes, from 44 states and 16 countries.

The Dream Big Grow Here Cedar Valley competition provides early stage and emerging small business an additional financial boost to accelerate the growth of their business. The contest was open to start-up and small businesses in the Cedar Valley Economic Area comprised of Butler, Bremer, Buchanan, Black Hawk, Chickasaw, Grundy, and Tama counties.

“This year we saw more businesses competing in the contest take advantage of the free business services available through the University of Northern Iowa, MyEntrenet and the Small Business Development Center” commented Steve Dust, CEO, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber.

“This is the whole point of the contest…helping these individuals take their business idea to the next level.” added Nate Clayberg, Chair, Cedar Valley Marketing Partnership.

Both the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber and the Cedar Valley Regional Partnership were regional sponsors of the statewide contest. Lizzy Mae’s Cupcakes & Sweets will compete March 7, 2013 for a chance to win $10,000 at the statewide pitch off sponsored by MyEntre.net during their annual conference. Pursell plans to use the prize money to expand her baking operation and open a store front in Waverly.

Other event sponsors for the Dream Big Grow Here Cedar Valley Pitch-Off event included, MyEntre.net, UNI’s Business Incubator, Point Builders and PDCM Insurance.

Other finalist included:

Computer Troubleshooters Computer Service and Sales(Cory Vieth) – Waterloo, Eat Cakes Cakery (Elizabeth Wilson)– Hudson , Watapri (Jane Zehr)– Waverly, and Recycle Rite Inc. (Brian Hoyer)- Cedar Falls.

Kate Washut of Far Reach Technologies moderated the Pitch-off. The judges panel included; Wade Arnold CEO of Banno; Darin Beck CEO of Barmuda MMC; Eric Johnson of Beecher, Field, Walker, Morris, Hoffman & Johnson, P.C.; Mark Stewart of Prime Logic Partners and Nick Evens of The Veridian Group.

Returning to the Dream Big Grow Here Cedar Valley Pitch-Off event and delivering the keynote was author Sarah Miller Caldicott, great grand niece of Thomas Edison. Caldicott’s presentation How Collaboration Drives Innovation: A Midnight Lunch with Thomas Edison, was based on a soon to be released book. Co – author of the book Innovate Like Edison, Caldicott has recently released an e-book titled Inventing the Future: What Would Thomas Edison be Doing Today.

Dust added, “Cedar Valley Innovation Day is one way to celebrate the strength and vitality of the individual entrepreneurial drive in the Cedar Valley economic area, and the improvements it brings our businesses and lives.

The contestants of Dream Big Grow Here-Cedar Valley have taken the first steps to growing the next dominant business with whatever product or service improvement they have put into the marketplace. These aren’t hobbies, or businesses that plan to remain garage-based operations. DBGH-Cedar Valley contestants are in the mold of many, many other Cedar Valley dreamers who started with a vision to help businesses and consumers to do something better – innovating. Their success at innovation has earned them a place among the best in the nation in their industries. Remember, the innovation of John Froelich and his partners in the Waterloo Gasoline Traction Engine Co. – introducing gasoline powered traction – changed agriculture around the globe. It’s that commitment to find new, better ways to produce and provide in America’s Free Enterprise system – innovation – from the Cedar Valley – that is celebrated in this event.

Cedar Valley Innovation Day is a way to inform and demonstrate why it’s critical to create a welcoming place for people to innovate. We need that brainpower – continually striving to find the next better way to do something – create – make – or deliver something – to expand our economy. Encouraging, welcoming and celebrating innovation is still another way to Be Part of Something Greater – the Cedar Valley of Iowa.”

More information about Lizzy Mae’s Cupcakes & Sweets can be found at www.facebook.com/LizzyMaes Cupcakes Sweets.

Plans are already underway for the 2013 Dream Big Grow Here Cedar Valley & Cedar Valley Innovation Day. Businesses and individuals interested in participating or sponsorships should contact the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber at 319-232-1156.

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber sets date for Pre- Legislative Reception

The GCVAC Government Relations Committee, chaired by Mike McCrary, Lincoln Savings Bank, and GCVAC Director of Director of Government Relations Steve Firman have set December 5th, 2012 as the date for the Cedar Valley Pre- Legislative Reception. The event will take place at the Isle Casino and Hotel Waterloo, 77 Isle of Capri Blvd., at 4:30 pm.

The Pre-Session Legislative Reception is a two hour meet and mingle with area leaders from across the Cedar Valley region. Only brief introductions of the legislators in attendance, along with brief comments from each sponsor, make up the program. All area senators and representatives are invited. Investors/members should attend to indicate broad-based support for pro-market, pro-business policies and the projects and programs that will make the Cedar Valley an even better place to live and operate a business.

Sponsors for the event are the Cedar Valley Manufacturers Association, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, and the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.

More information and registration can be found here.

Technology and Innovation based ED through Ecomomic Gardening

I’ve attached a whitepaper on the economic development strategy which encompasses what is usually known as economic gardening. The paper is somewhat broader, addressing the overall system of support and action that should be led by the economic development/chamber entity.

The point made by the author is that smaller, younger businesses have always been a very large source of net new jobs on a national level, and that is certainly the case in most regional economies, too. You’ll recall the David Birch work in the 80’s on the importance of gazelle firms. The concept of economic gardening implements a strategy that recognizes that ED delivery systems, and chamber support for the targeted, growth oriented smaller businesses in the basic and service sectors are different than the location and major expansion process focused generally on capital investment, and the systems of communications and networking we’ve become accustomed should by adjusted, too.

The relationship between ED/chamber and the target firms must also be different today than in the past, as is pointed out early in the whitepaper. This is a shift that your GCVAC team has been and is continuously working on.

This approach is entirely consistent with GCVAC’s strategic goal of Implementing Technology and Innovation Based Economic Development. You will see our version of economic gardening implementation starting about January 1. It will be the topic of a board meeting this fall.

Finally, the publisher of the whitepaper –EvisThrive – is a firm that delivers a service that organizations like GCVAC can use to create the systems and connections to implement an entreprenuerial growth strategy. Very good thinking has gone into it and it’s worth study.

Steven J. Dust CEcD
CEO
Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Download whitepaper – “How Entrepreneurs Will Power the Economy”

GREATER CEDAR VALLEY ALLIANCE & CHAMBER LAUNCHES

Tuesday, July 17^th, The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber hosted a Campaign Kick-off event to launch their Fulfilling the Vision2 campaign and to unveil their five-year Plan for Regional Growth . The event, held at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, was hosted by Campaign Chairman Thad Nevitt of Deere & Company. A broad-based program celebrated recent accomplishments and Alliance economic development activities presented by Alliance & Chamber CEO, Steve Dust. A presentation of The Plan for Regional Economic Growth was given by Alliance & Chamber Board Chair -elect Kris Hansen. Outgoing Alliance & Chamber Board Chair Hugh Field also made comments.

Among those in attendance were regional businesses and institutions who have already made commitments to the current campaign, those who have participated in the past as well as potential investors in the campaign. The Fulfilling the Vision 2 campaign funds the ongoing efforts of the Alliance & Chamber to support existing local business, attract new business, and aid in the retention, development and attraction of talent to the greater Cedar Valley Region of Iowa.

FtV2 is the follow-up campaign to the successful Fulfilling the Vision initiative of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber. With this new campaign, the Alliance & Chamber will be raising the Cedar Valley to a greater power.

Goals of the campaign are as follows; to develop and strengthen a technology and innovation based regional economy, to act as a catalyst and focal point of effective regional action on economic issues of importance to businesses and institutions throughout the Cedar Valley economic area, and to increase the effectiveness of Alliance organizations.

These goals will be reached through focused efforts in six areas: Workforce and Talent, Business Growth, Advocacy for the Cedar Valley, Increasing Cedar Valley Regional Collaboration, Cedar Valley Business Intelligence and Economic Performance Data, and Reporting Our Success.

The FtV2 Campaign Goal

The goal to raise $4.25 million through the FtV2 campaign will be invested over the next five years in our work to attain the business development goals.

FtV2 ROI Estimates

Most importantly, The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber estimates that their efforts will generate 100 opportunities for business expansion, retention and recruitment, at an average of $5 million in value. They are also projecting new jobs with a target floor rate of $19 an hour. These jobs should influence produce $66,975,00 in annual total earnings adding $37,021,302 in annual area consumer expenditures and up to $5,787,220 in annual deposits for area banks.

A website and video have been produced for the campaign and can be viewed at www.FtV2.org.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber (GCVA&C) is a private, not-for-profit corporation whose investors and members include businesses, institutions, governments and professionals dedicated to continuously improving the economic environment and quality of life in the Cedar Valley.

The Cedar Valley-generally encompassing a 30-mile radius around the Waterloo/Cedar Falls metro-is one economy comprised of thriving corporations, enterprise-level institutions and locally owned businesses, as well as talented, skilled people pursuing careers and enjoying life.

UNI Business Incubator Company, TargetClick Purchased by Mudd Advertising

Cedar Falls, Iowa – June 19, 2012 – Mudd Advertising, the nation’s leading full-service automotive advertising agency headquartered in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has acquired TargetClick Marketing Solutions, a strategic innovation-focused online marketing company.

Through this acquisition, Mudd Advertising strengthens its digital offerings with search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM) and reputation management. TargetClick employs a holistic online marketing strategy of organic and paid search drivers that build the foundation needed to turn visitors into leads.

“I have always believed clients deserve to ask for and expect immediate results. It’s a core principle that drives everything we do, and it is exactly why we brought on TargetClick – to ensure our clients can continue to expect immediate, great results across every advertising channel,” Mudd Advertising Founder and Chief Spiritual Officer Jim Mudd Sr. said.

Joining the Mudd Advertising team are Doug Drees, Director of Search Engine Marketing; Greg Jass, Director of Search Engine Optimization; and Therese Kuster, Director of Digital Reputation. Their track record will play a key role in defining Mudd’s ongoing commitment to the integration of both digital and traditional media strategies that produce return on investment.

“There has been a huge shift in how businesses market themselves, and online marketing is at the forefront of that. Online marketing is not an option anymore for businesses – it’s essential,” Drees said.

“TargetClick fits seamlessly into our overall strategy of being a one-stop media integration company. Speed to market is mission critical in the automotive retail world and having all services in-house gives our dealers a distinct marketing advantage. It is essential that Mudd Advertising keeps a strong hold on being the leader in marketing innovation for our dealers. When our dealers win, Mudd wins and in that order,” said Rob Mudd, President – Digital Media.

The TargetClick acquisition was effective June 1, 2012. While TargetClick will maintain all client relationships, they will operate under the name TargetClick – Powered by Mudd Advertising.

Cedar Valley of Iowa -The 2nd Annual Dream Big Grow Here Cedar Valley contest concluded on the evening of October 18th, 2012 with a “pitch-off” by five finalist of the online popular vote portion of the $5,000 grant contest.

Grow Cedar Valley