Tag Archives: employment

Paint the Cedar Valley Purple | UNI Employer Event

UNI will be hosting a morning employer event on Tuesday, August 5^th from 7:30 -8:30am, to educate employers on developing and running internship and part-time student programs. The intent will be to educate employers on how to best utilize these types of training programs to obtain (and retain) talent in the region, and there will also be a student panel there to discuss what students are seeking from employers when it comes to training opportunities. If you know of anyone who may benefit from this information or who may be looking to set up a student employee/training program, please pass the word along!

And this event, while hosted by UNI, will be run in coordination with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.

Need a creative way to find the right talent for your organization? Connect with UNI Career Services (in partnership with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber) at a Breakfast Training Session that will cover:

How to locate, hire, and keep students for part-time positions, internships and full-time positions
Learn how to create a basic internship program
Listen to a student panel on what this current group of UNI students seek from employers

Hire Smart. Hire UNI.
7:30 – 8:30 am, Tuesday, August 5
Cedar Falls Visitors Center – Continental Breakfast Included
Register Now (limited space)

Employment Opportunities: Communications Assistant and Administrative Assistant with Alliance & Chamber

COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber seeks candidates to become our full-time Communications Assistant. The main responsibility is to fulfill the graphic design and marketing needs for events, social media and website content support including analytics, and assisting with overall graphic design needs of organization and special projects.

Marketing, Communications or Graphic Design degree preferred, or experience equivalent. Must be proficient in Adobe products (InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator), website content management systems, and Microsoft Office. Candidate must be comfortable working in various forms of media including television, radio, print, social media, e-media, etc. The successful candidate will have excellent oral and writing communication skills, including copywriting and proofreading. Additional experience that will be beneficial includes photography, html coding and video production. This position will entail a heavy emphasis on graphic design, so a portfolio of previous work will be requested at the interview

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT / RECEPTIONIST

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber seeks a positive and organized candidate to become our full-time Administrative Assistant/Receptionist. The main responsibility is to provide administrative support to the office, answer multi-line phone and greet guests. Also assist with office management, membership functions, and meeting/event invitations and preparation.

Requirements include at least 2 years of related work experience and proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Outlook, mail merge and database management. Minimum typing speed of 50wpm. Additional research skills a plus. Must have proven organizational and time management skills. NCRC certification preferred.

Competitive wage and benefit package available. Please send cover letter, resume, and professional references to: SSommerfelt@cedarvalleyalliance.com. Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, 10 West Fourth Street, Suite 310, Waterloo, IA 50701. EOE

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is a private, not-for-profit corporation whose investors include businesses, institutions, local governments and professionals dedicated to continuously improving the economic environment and quality of life in the Cedar Valley. The Alliance & Chamber works to increase wealth and economic vitality through collaborative economic and community development throughout the Cedar Valley economic area.

Cedar Valley Investor Report

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.

Cedar Valley Investor Report

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.

Career Opportunities in Economic Developement & Investor Developement with Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chambe

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber has two positions available:

Job Title: Director of Investor Relations

Description: This person will be responsible for achieving revenue goals through the creation & execution of investor recruitment & retention programs. Bachelors degree with at least 3 years related experience preferred. Competitive salary with incentive structure and benefit package available.

Job Title: Director of Business Retention

Description: Seeking candidates to plan, develop and implement regional economic development initiatives for business retention and expansion. Bachelors degree required with at least 3 years related experience. The successful candidate will be part of a results driven, fast pace work and collaborative team.

Full descriptions are available at here and at www.workthevalley.org

Zuidberg to Locate First U.S. Facility in the Cedar Valley of Iowa

Officials from Zuidberg, the City of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and Iowa Economic Development Authority have jointly announced the location of Zuidberg North America, Inc. in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Zuidberg’s facility will be located in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park on Capital Way in an industrial operations building, that local developer, Brent Dahlstrom will construct this year. Zuidberg NA starts with 10,000 square feet, to establish a warehouse and distribution facility to service the North American market (USA, Canada and Mexico). Zuidberg NA, Inc. will distribute two product lines, Frontline Systems, and Transmissions which are manufactured by parent company Zuidberg Frontline Systems B.V. located in the Netherlands. Starting in 2015 a third product line, Tracks, will be added.

“Iowa and the Cedar Valley are very central within the USA, and have an excellent reputation for global manufacturing including a hardworking and reliable workforce,” said Rudolf de Jong, President, Zuidberg North America Inc. “This fits with the Dutch and the Zuidberg mentality in particular,” de Jong stated.

“Also, we wish to be in the heartland of America’s agriculture and agricultural machinery industry.” de Jong added.

“Zuidberg appreciates the great and inspiring help the State of Iowa, the Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and local business leaders offered which helped to make the decision easier.” de Jong said.

Zuidberg was first introduced to the idea of an Iowa location after meeting representatives from IEDA’s European office at a 2011 trade show in Germany. After continued contact with Iowa officials, Zuidberg executives traveled to Iowa this past summer to visit several suitable locations for their North American project.

“Through our focus on recruiting supply chain companies to Iowa, we’ve been courting Zuidberg for a few years now,” said Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). “We are so pleased this advanced manufacturing company ultimately chose Cedar Falls, Iowa to call home.”

Several Iowa communities and multiple states were considered during the process. The Cedar Falls site was selected for its location and the ability of Zuidberg to work with the developer to design the building before construction began.

“It is significant that Zuidberg makes their first North American investment in the Cedar Valley. This decision again affirms the Cedar Valley as a location to manufacture and serve global markets, and we deliver a quality of life that persuades young professionals like Rudolf de Jong and his family to relocate here from the Netherlands,” said Steven Dust, CEO, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.

“On behalf of our manufacturers and all businesses and institutions, the Alliance & Chamber welcomes Zuidberg to the Cedar Valley of Iowa and North America.” Dust added. The Cedar Valley must also recognize the hard work of Lisa Skubal, Alliance & Chamber Vice President of Economic Development and her project team that sold Zuidberg on a superior Cedar Valley location,” Dust concluded.

Zuidberg North America will take occupancy of the facility in June 2014 and be fully operational by July 1, 2014. Zuidberg will be hiring in-house sales and technical positions this spring.

“The City of Cedar Falls is extremely pleased that Zuidberg North America, Inc. has selected Cedar Falls and the Cedar Valley as its home for the company’s first facility in North America. We appreciate the efforts of all involved to make this project a reality including the IEDA, GCVAC, City staff, Cedar Falls Utilities, Brent Dahlstrom, and of course Rudolf de Jong.” said Cedar Falls Mayor Jon Crews.

“We are glad to welcome Zuidberg as our newest member of the Cedar Falls Industrial Park and look forward to a successful long term partnership.” said Bob Seymour, Community Service Manager, City of Cedar Falls.

Zuidberg is a family owned and managed company based in Ens, The Netherlands, dedicated to serve the world-wide agricultural industry. Since 1982, farmers all over the globe rely on Zuidberg to make their businesses more efficient by making use of the Zuidberg front hitches and front PTO’s, transmissions or rubber track systems. Zuidberg‘s products are sold by importers in over 45 countries worldwide. The remarkable quality and performance of the Zuidberg products has as well been recognized by many OEM’s, more than 40 manufacturers of tractors and harvesting equipment around the globe make use of Zuidberg’s unique knowledge and experience. www.zuidberg.com

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

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber announces nominations will be accepted now through the end of January 2014 for a variety of business awards to be presented during the 2014 Annual Celebration on Thursday, March 27th at the Park Place Event Centre.

Do you know of an individual who should be recognized for their contributions in creating a strong business climate and enhancing the quality of life in the Cedar Valley by continued service and leadership? Has a business or organization, made an outstanding contribution to the Cedar Valley and its citizens on a continued basis or with a specific project? You are encouraged to nominate them for recognition of their contributions.

“The strength of the Cedar Valley is a result of visionary, innovative leadership – individuals, businesses and organizations who are investing capital, creating jobs and making things happen in the workplace and the community. It’s important to tell their stories and recognize them for their contributions,” says Alliance & Chamber CEO Steve Dust.

Nominations are being accepted through January 31st for the following awards:

Business of the Year Award
Harold Brock Innovation Award
John Deere Treating Capital Well Award
Fulfilling the Vision of One Award
Cedar Valley Partner Award

Past award winners from the 2013 event include H.D. “Ike” Leighty, Reid Koenig, Steve Tscherter, Mudd Advertising, GMT Corporation, John Deere Waterloo Works and Build Our Ballpark.

Descriptions of the awards and nomination forms are available at the Alliance & Chamber offices or online at www. cedarvalleyalliance.com/programsandevents . For additional information, please contact Bette Wubbena at bwubbena@cedarvalleyalliance.com or 232-1156.

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Hawkeye Community College to Showcase Expanded Services for Veterans New Center to Honor Veterans Will Be Unveiled on Veterans Day – November 11

WATERLOO—On Veterans Day, Hawkeye Community College will unveil and showcase its new “Military and Veterans Resource Center” as part of its commitment to veterans and military personnel. Hawkeye has been in the forefront addressing the military students’ needs for many years. This includes hosting career fairs and resource events, providing faculty and staff training on veteran’s issues in the classroom, creating a task force, and hosting the Cedar Rapids Vet Center Mobile Unit on campus.

The college has greatly expanded resources and services for veterans and military students, as well as their spouses and dependents. Services offered by the college include career counseling, orientation, and student health/mental health services. A full-time veteran’s coordinator, Robin Knight, has been designated to assist military and student veterans returning from service to transition to a college lifestyle. Knight’s position ensures each student has the services necessary to achieve their academic goals.

On Monday, November 11, beginning at 1:00 p.m. interested individuals can preview the new Military and Veterans Resource Center, which is located in the Brock Student Center until 4:00 p.m. In addition, a Veteran’s ceremony will take place from 12:15 – 12:45 p.m., in Tama Hall, during which time there will be a presentation to the family of Phil Thomas in honor of his military service. Thomas was a Waterloo veteran and served in the U.S. Navy. He passed away in March of this year and was a member and chaplain of American Legion Post 138. All events are open to the public.

This year Hawkeye made the coveted “Military Friendly Schools” list for the fourth year in a row. The 2014 Military Friendly Schools® list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities, and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.

The common bond of those on the list is their shared priority of providing educational services and training to students with military experience. Tens of billions of dollars in education benefits are available for veterans and in some cases, their dependents. The percentage of veterans who use their military benefits to attend college has increased dramatically in the past years. The past year, Hawkeye served 354 students, which represents a growth of more than 25 percent over the last couple of years.

For additional information, contact Robin Knight at 319-296-2320, ext. 1212.

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Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber seeks Director of Business Services

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SERVICES

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber seeks candidates passionate and skilled in helping businesses become more successful in the Cedar Valley economic area to become our Director of Business Services. This person will plan, develop and implement economic development initiatives for business retention & expansion; including create, lead and execute workforce development initiatives and events that promote job creation, and workforce recruitment & retention in basic industry sectors and related value-added industries. Also, this person will help businesses overcome barriers to expansion in the Cedar Valley, collect and report information regarding the plans, opportunities and barriers for growth of our wealth creating businesses and targeted institutions as well as deliver “economic gardening” services to growth-oriented basic businesses. They will also provide a critical feedback from business into programming and government relations.

Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree with specialization in economic and community development or business and at least 3 years of related experience; computer skills, including Microsoft Office; and social media knowledge. Knowledge of Synchronist and client management software helpful. Comprehensive knowledge of business development, factors affecting business and community vitality, as well as community and economic development required. Problem solving in ambiguous situations, ability to maintain confidentiality and a passion for the success of free enterprise are all required skills and talents for success in this role. The successful candidate is expected to be part of a fast pace work and collaborative team that is results driven. Competitive salary and benefit package included. Please send cover letter, resume and references to:

SSommerfelt@cedarvalleyalliance.com. Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, 10 West Fourth Street, Suite 310, Waterloo, IA 50701.

To see the full description and instructions click here.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber has two positions available:

Job Title: Director of Investor Relations

Job Title: Director of Business Retention

Grow Cedar Valley