Iowa Cultural Affairs – State Historic Preservation Office has notified FDP, developer of The Green@TechWorks that $8.8 Million of Historic Tax Credits have been awarded to the project. The state office made the award based on a design that honored the industrial past of the Tech II structure while incorporating the features of the modern …business hotel, and office and educational spaces of The Green@TechWorks project. In addition to the work of Waterloo-based InVision architecture, FDP relied on Tallgrass Historians of Iowa City. Tallgrass Historians also assisted the developer in the process of nominating the site for the National Register of Historic Places.
Tag Archives: iowa
UNI to launch Iowa’s virtual food waste reduction center
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Through the University of Northern Iowa’s Business and Community Services, the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC) is set to launch a new food waste reduction project on Tuesday, Jan. 1. The goal of the project is to launch a new educational campaign and a website that will act as a virtual food waste reduction center.
The new campaign seeks to provide the public with new resources and educational materials. Project goals include educational workshops, materials and webinars on different food waste reduction topics. The project is funded through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Solid Waste Alternative Program.
The IWRC assists small businesses in complying with environmental regulations through free education and consultation. The center also conducts research and develops technologies for more efficient and environmentally friendly production processes.
For additional information, contact Joe Bolick, communications and grants specialist at the IWRC, at 319-273-6577 or mjbolick@uni.edu.
Branstad to Visit Cedar Valley to Promote Local SkilledIowa Campaign
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is hosting Governor Terry Branstad and Teresa Wahlert, Director of Iowa Workforce Development to promote the local SkilledIowa campaign aimed at creating a robust talent pool for the 21st century workforce.
Cedar Valley of Iowa (Nov. 8, 2012) All Cedar Valley businesses are encouraged to attend a SkilledIowa presentation featuring Governor Terry Branstad and Teresa Wahlert, Director of Iowa Workforce Development. They are in the Cedar Valley in support of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and Hawkeye Community College’s partnership to develop a SkilledIowa Communities program and promoting involvement of local employers. The presentation will include information on how Cedar Valley business and industry can become a Featured Employer, the positive impact of the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) testing system and how to gain access to job profiling advice from workforce professionals.
The GCVAC is promoting the SkilledIowa program as a tool for our employers to attract and retain quality talent. Representatives from the GCVAC and Hawkeye Community College’s IowaWORKS division will be available to answer questions.
“The supply of high quality talent is a key component to economic growth,” states Steve Dust, CEO of the Alliance & Chamber, “Our role is to encourage and facilitate the participation of Cedar Valley companies and institutions so they can fill their positions with skilled job seekers.”
The event is free, but seating is limited. The program will begin at 3pm in the auditorium inside Barrett Forum Auditorium on the Allen College Campus (1990 Heath Street, 50703.
Top ED Recommendations to the Obama Administration
As part of their Winning the Race 2012 series of policy briefs, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) offers this policy brief titled: TOP POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO HELP THE UNITED STATES WIN THE RACE FOR GLOBAL ADVANTAGE. The brief addresses five key areas; Trade Sector Competativeness, Taxes, Science and R&D, STEM, and Skills Digital Economy.
ITIF is a non-partisan think tank whose mission is to formulate and promote policies to advance technological innovation and productivity internationally. For more information on ITIF, go to www.itif.org.
Vote for job creation, favorable business climate and prosperity
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is proud to participate in the Iowa Prosperity Project (P2) sponsored by Economic Progress for Iowa ‘s Citizens (EPIC), a not-for-profit entity founded in 1991 by a number of businesses and statewide business associations. EPIC is a non-partisan organization dedicated to research and the dissemination of data on the attitudes of Iowa ‘s citizens, legislators, and legislative candidates on matters affecting business.
Like the GCVAC, EPIC believes that Iowa and its citizens will benefit from a “pro-business” environment. The resources found on the P2 website neither endorse nor oppose any candidate for public office, rather, it is a resource to inform the electorate by publicizing issues and factual information on those issues, and to be active participants in the political process.
The GCVAC encourages you to subscribe our Legislative Relations blog where we will be providing local insights and links to resources including P2 .
Use the link in the right side column to subscribe.
With all the political messages filling the media, it can be confusing whose name will be on your local ballet.
Find your candidates by entering your full street address below. You may also enter just your zip code if you wish.
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Election Insights is a political analysis publication of the Business Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC). BIPAC is an independent, bipartisan organization, that is supported by several hundred of the nation’s leading businesses and trade associations.
“The importance of election at the state level cannot be emphasized enough. While most of the focus and attention revolves around the tightening presidential race and a few contests for the U.S. Senate, what happens at the state level is typically more relevant to our daily lives and the pocket book issues Americans rate as the most important issue facing the country.” – By Michael R. Davis
“. . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Encouraging Young Professionals to Work the Valley
As part of an overall strategy to develop, recruit, and retain talented people in the Cedar Valley economic area, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is launching Work the Valley, a talent retention program targeting college students and young professionals (YPs). Work the Valley encourages YPs to stay in the Cedar Valley by showcasing appealing work places, careers, great company cultures and local life style amenities attractive to their demographic.
Work the Valley engages students and YPs with tours of Cedar Valley employers, business districts and cultural & entertainment venues, discussions & informative presentations, and specialty job fairs.
GCVAC Director of Business Services, Brittany Jungck says that when YPs experience firsthand all that the Cedar Valley offers they will be more likely to stay to build a career. “We want to show them that the Cedar Valley really can provide opportunities in line with their career goals yet with a much lower cost of living than bigger metros they may be attracted to.’’
The initial Work the Valley Bus Tour is November 1st in partnership with the UNI Career Center. Forty UNI students will visit four businesses and cultural venues and have opportunity to speak with 10 companies about current job openings and future employment outlooks.
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.
Link Helps to Inform Voters
KWWL and the Quincy Broadcast Group are providing a free opportunity to qualified candidates for major office to share their message on television and/or their website in advance of the November 2012 General Election. The site also helps users identify their district and the candidates seeking office in their district. http://www.kwwl.com/category/247346/candidates-and-issues
Hawkeye’s New Regional Transportation Training Center Open House Scheduled for October 9
GCVAC investor and partner Hawkeye Community College is hosting an open house for the new $3.5 million truck and transportation training center, which will serve students, businesses, and organizations with their transportation and logistics training needs. The Center is believed to be unique to the Midwest and the only one of its kind in Iowa. Attendees can immerse themselves in state-of-the-art technology by test-driving the Driving Simulators or the Skid Monsters driver improvement vehicles.
The Center will allow Hawkeye to meet the emerging needs of a career field that is projected to grow by 21% over the next ten years. Hawkeye’s Truck Driving program has a 100% placement rate. Iowa currently has more than 50,000 individuals employed in the transportation industry that requires a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
The event will take place Tuesday, October 9, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. The short program begins at 5:15 p.m at the new Regional Transportation Training Center is located at 6433 Hammond Avenue, Waterloo.
Visitors will be able to test their skills driving 2-wheels, 4-wheels, or 18-wheels in rain, snow, or ice as they maneuver through a virtual course using a driving simulator.
Also on display will be the Skid Monster teaches students how to safely maneuver around obstacles, drive in dangerous conditions, and properly control a vehicle. It is a fun experience that can help truck drivers, law enforcement officers, and the general public become better drivers.
Refreshments will be served, including burgers and brats.