CRMEA Aug Sept 2018
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MARKET AFTER DARK DESCENDS ON DOWNTOWN SATURDAY, AUGUST 25<br />
DRIVING THE ECONOMY THROUGH BUYING, GIVING AND GROWING LOCALLY<br />
BUILDING OUR 2019 PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES • FORECASTING TALENT NEEDS 2019 AND BEYOND<br />
REPORT<br />
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER <strong>2018</strong>
UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>ust<br />
14<br />
Hiawatha Business Summit -<br />
Young Professionals<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>. 14, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.<br />
Dave Wright Nissan<br />
999 Boyson Road Hiawatha<br />
Join us to celebrate 100 years of the<br />
Cedar Rapids Area<br />
Chamber of Commerce!<br />
16<br />
16<br />
Cedar Rapids Downtown<br />
Farmers’ Market<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>. 18, 7:30 a.m. - Noon<br />
Downtown Cedar Rapids<br />
24<br />
Market After Dark<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>. 25, 6:30 - 11:00 p.m.<br />
Downtown Cedar Rapids<br />
For our full Calendar of Events including<br />
member events, visit www.cedarrapids.org.<br />
TechBrew AM with Eddie Etsy<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>. 14, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.<br />
Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance<br />
501 First St. SE<br />
14<br />
ParkCR Citation Forgiveness Blood Drive<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>. 16, 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.<br />
349 4th Ave. SE<br />
BizMix: King’s Material Inc.<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>. 16, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.<br />
650 12th Ave. SW<br />
18<br />
LFS Alumni Golf Outing<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>. 24, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.<br />
Ellis Golf Course<br />
1401 Zika Ave. NW<br />
25<br />
MAR KET<br />
AFTER<br />
DAR K<br />
Brought to you by the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance<br />
2 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER <strong>2018</strong><br />
29<br />
<strong>Sept</strong>ember<br />
Cedar Rapids Downtown<br />
Farmers’ Market<br />
<strong>Sept</strong>. 1, 7:30 a.m. - Noon<br />
Downtown Cedar Rapids<br />
20-21<br />
ImpactCR BigWig Lunch Talk: Chris Skogman<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>. 29, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.<br />
Cedar Rapids Public Library<br />
450 5th Ave. SE<br />
1<br />
Last market<br />
of the season!<br />
Iowa Ideas & Next Gen. Summit<br />
<strong>Sept</strong>. 20-21<br />
DoubleTree by Hilton<br />
350 1st Ave. NE
93<br />
ENTRANCE<br />
MARKET AFTER DARK<br />
DESCENDS<br />
Dark Backgrounds<br />
ON DOWNTOWN<br />
SATURDAY, AUGUST 25<br />
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT<br />
1st St. SE<br />
vENUE mAP<br />
nOW aVAILABLE!<br />
1 2 3 4<br />
A<br />
ID<br />
Robot<br />
Dancer<br />
Cobble Hill<br />
The Paramount<br />
97 96 95 94 5 6 7 8 9<br />
La Cantina<br />
Red’s Public House<br />
2nd St. SE<br />
101 100 99 98<br />
106 105 104 103 102<br />
F<br />
Junk<br />
Funk<br />
ID<br />
Penguin’s<br />
2nd Ave. SE<br />
92 91 90 89<br />
MARKET<br />
AFTER<br />
DARK<br />
Brought to you by the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance<br />
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17<br />
6<br />
Need Pizza<br />
Rock Bar<br />
B<br />
US<br />
Bank<br />
ID<br />
Alley Feature<br />
Grin N Goose<br />
Lost Cuban<br />
Pub 217<br />
Hills Bank<br />
3rd Ave. SE<br />
E<br />
3rd St. SE<br />
Town Center<br />
Plaza<br />
Facepainting /<br />
Glow Bar by<br />
Blaze<br />
ENTRANCE<br />
ENTRANCE<br />
Alley Feature Alley Feature<br />
4th Ave. SE<br />
Theatre<br />
Cedar Rapids<br />
ID<br />
1<br />
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67<br />
INFO<br />
BOOTH<br />
White Star<br />
5<br />
Brick’s<br />
18 19 20 21 22 23 24<br />
Country<br />
Underground<br />
80 79 78 77<br />
NXT<br />
Bank<br />
Hazaard County<br />
5 SEASONS RAMP - ENTRANCE<br />
ON FIRST AVENUE<br />
ENTRANCE<br />
25 26 27<br />
2<br />
28 29 30 31<br />
Tycoon/<br />
Fat Wally’s<br />
DJ<br />
Matt Rissi<br />
Yard Games<br />
88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57<br />
56 55 54 53 52 51 50<br />
NORDSTROM<br />
<strong>2018</strong><br />
WICKWIRE<br />
CHIROPRACTIC<br />
42 41 40 39 38<br />
Greene Square<br />
5th St. SE<br />
KCRG<br />
Cedar Rapids Museum<br />
of Art The<br />
Gazette<br />
Entrance<br />
Barricade<br />
K ZIA<br />
32 33 34<br />
4<br />
3<br />
ID<br />
Cedar Rapids<br />
Public Library<br />
Alisabeth<br />
Von Presley<br />
Performing<br />
Live!<br />
C<br />
VANDERGINST<br />
LAW<br />
ID<br />
D<br />
35 36 37<br />
49 48 47 46 45 44 43<br />
STAGE<br />
LEGEND<br />
Beverage Tent<br />
Restrooms<br />
First<br />
Presbyterian<br />
ID Wristbands/<br />
On Saturday, <strong>Aug</strong>ust 25, an anticipated 30,000 people will<br />
head to Downtown Cedar Rapids for one of the community’s<br />
favorite events, Market After Dark. In its fourth year, Market<br />
After Dark will bring together market vendors, dazzling<br />
performances and unique nightlife ambiance for an evening<br />
unlike any other.<br />
ID Check<br />
Entertainment<br />
Before Market After Dark kicks off at 6:30 p.m., grab a parking<br />
spot either on-street outside of the venue for free or in nearby<br />
parking ramps for $5. Your parking spot is secure until the next<br />
morning at 10:00 a.m. If needed, leave your car overnight and<br />
find safe alternative transportation home.<br />
More than 100 vendors will line the streets of Downtown Cedar<br />
Rapids. As a nighttime market, you’ll find a unique variety of<br />
vendors than what you typically find at a morning Downtown<br />
Farmers’ Market. Find more prepared food options, fun retail<br />
offerings and more. A full vendor list and map is available at<br />
www.cedarrapids.org/marketafterdark.<br />
Within the market venue, take part in the open container<br />
environment (only applies to beer, wine and cider) with our<br />
new Market After Dark souvenir cup! On your way in, stop by an<br />
ID tent for a wristband, then make your way to a beverage tent<br />
to purchase the souvenir cup for $6. Your first drink is included<br />
with your purchase. Use it all night long, with refills for $5.<br />
6th St. SE<br />
Parking<br />
Sponsors<br />
10 of soul<br />
performing<br />
live!<br />
The open container policy starts at 6:30 and ends promptly at<br />
10:30 p.m. Participating establishments are also taking part in<br />
the open container policy, check out a list at www.cedarrapids.<br />
org/events/market-after-dark/downtown-partners.<br />
It wouldn’t be Market After Dark<br />
without plenty of entertainment.<br />
Alisabeth Von Presley will rock<br />
the main stage from 6:30 to 8:30<br />
p.m. Quad Cities-based 10 of Soul<br />
take over at 9:00 to finish out the<br />
night. And remember – no outside<br />
chairs are allowed in the venue.<br />
Other performers will be peppered<br />
throughout the market. Three<br />
alleyways will be transformed in a<br />
PRESENTING SPONSOR<br />
PRESENTING MEDIA SPONSOR<br />
MAJOR SUPPORTING SPONSOR<br />
We need<br />
volunteers!<br />
Shifts are available<br />
before, during and<br />
after the event!<br />
Sign up at<br />
www.cedarrapids.org/<br />
marketafterdark<br />
way you’ve never seen before in Downtown Cedar Rapids, think<br />
Secret Garden, Starry Night and more - but you’ll have to see<br />
them for yourself.<br />
Market After Dark is part of our efforts to grow core districts<br />
in Cedar Rapids and support surrounding communities. We<br />
hope to see you Downtown on <strong>Aug</strong>ust 25 for this vibrant, yet<br />
economically impactful event. All event details are at<br />
www.cedarrapids.org/marketafterdark.<br />
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTING SPONSORS:<br />
Supporting – Nordstrom and Wickwire Chiropractic and<br />
Wellness Center<br />
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT<br />
3
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Serving communities in eastern Iowa and western Illinois
A CENTURY<br />
OF PROGRESS<br />
Doug Neumann,<br />
Executive Director<br />
The Economic Alliance has had the distinct opportunity this year to reflect on our organization’s past with the 100th<br />
anniversary of one of our legacy organizations, the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. This month, we’re<br />
officially commemorating that anniversary with a celebration during the BizMix hosted by King’s Material from 4-6<br />
p.m. on Thursday, <strong>Aug</strong>ust 16.<br />
Melissa McCarville<br />
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER<br />
Ellen Bardsley<br />
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST<br />
Clarissa Koch<br />
GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST<br />
Judith Cobb<br />
CBJ ADVERTISING COORDINATOR<br />
Corridor Business Journal<br />
PRINTING & CIRCULATION<br />
WWW.CEDARRAPIDS.ORG<br />
This is a special event, not only because we’re going to raise a glass, eat cake and celebrate the Chamber’s 100 years<br />
of progress, but also because this networking opportunity is being hosted at King’s Material - the family business of<br />
our current Board Chair Charlie Rohde - which has a history all its own. In fact, Charlie, too, is following in his own<br />
family’s legacy of leading as the Chamber, just as his father C.P. Rohde did in 1976 as the Chamber board chair when<br />
he was leading Midland Forge.<br />
Looking back 100 years, the challenges and opportunities the Chamber of Commerce<br />
worked through are surprisingly similar but also very different from our work and goals<br />
today.<br />
Walter Cherry led the very first board of the Chamber of Commerce. He was an executive<br />
at the old JG Cherry Company – which later became Cherry-Burrell and later still Evergreen<br />
Packaging Co., which remains a member of the Economic Alliance to this day, 100 years<br />
later.<br />
Significant changes were taking place in Cedar Rapids in 1918. The organization had a<br />
new look and feel from a rebranding effort, leaving the Commercial Club name behind and<br />
reincorporating as the Chamber of Commerce. The organization also moved into a newly<br />
constructed Roosevelt Building. The organization was poised for post-World War I growth.<br />
Specifically, at that time, new technologies equated to opportunities for job growth in the<br />
area and industrial growth. There was huge economic development opportunity in 1918<br />
with the Cherry building development underway, the Higley building, the YMCA building,<br />
a new ice cream factory. And the City of Cedar Rapids had recently purchased May’s Island<br />
and began formal development of that land bridging the east and west sides of the city.<br />
Walter Cherry,<br />
as published on page 7 of<br />
The Cedar Rapids Gazette on<br />
Dec. 23, 1941<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
Food and Beverage Forum<br />
participants tour The Hotel<br />
at Kirkwood Center’s kitchen<br />
classrooms. The new Food &<br />
Beverage Forum is designed to<br />
bring together producers and<br />
purveyors, restaurant managers,<br />
brewery and distillery owners,<br />
chefs, bartenders, and food<br />
industry creatives for discussion<br />
and brainstorming on best<br />
practices. Forums provide peer,<br />
industry-specific insight on a<br />
variety of topics paired with<br />
hands-on learning from experts in<br />
the field.<br />
From a workforce standpoint in 1918, new jobs were about to be available with great<br />
job base growth. Two new schools were opening. And the Chamber was the leading advocate for transportation<br />
infrastructure. Work was being done to expand downtown to make it automobile ready as all brick paving had just<br />
been completed for the shift from horses to the automobile.<br />
Within the first year as a Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber had successfully lobbied for Hwy 30 – the coast-tocoast<br />
Lincoln Highway - to come through Cedar Rapids. And because the new highway was required to go through<br />
the county seat in each county it went through, the Chamber coupled with that highway advocacy an initiative to<br />
move the county courthouse to Cedar Rapids.<br />
The Chamber back then was a Cedar Rapids-only organization and didn’t represent the metro area or the region the<br />
way we do today. But interestingly, it led all aspects of economic development – business attraction and expansion,<br />
downtown development, business support, public policy and quality of life efforts. The core functions of our work<br />
today are not that different from what they were in 1918.<br />
A hundred years ago, businesses came together to work in a unified way to help business succeed, to grow the<br />
economy and to make the community a great place. A century later, almost 1,200 member businesses continue to<br />
see the value in joining together to do much the same thing. That’s something to celebrate!<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Doug Neumann<br />
Executive Director<br />
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT<br />
5
100 YEARS OF PROGRESS<br />
CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF THE<br />
CEDAR RAPIDS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE<br />
The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance was formed in<br />
2012 after a merging of our three legacy organizations: the<br />
Cedar Rapids Downtown District, Priority One and the Cedar<br />
Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. Officially formed in 1918,<br />
the Chamber was built to support a strong economy and<br />
a better business community. The Chamber was created from<br />
the Commercial Club, established in the 1880s. This year,<br />
we celebrate a century of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber<br />
of Commerce. We look forward to the next dynamic and<br />
momentous hundred years serving the Cedar Rapids area!<br />
1918<br />
JCPenney &<br />
Montgomery Ward<br />
department stores on<br />
First Avenue<br />
1918<br />
Dues were $25 in 1918<br />
(equivalent to $408<br />
today, not far off from<br />
what current smallest<br />
employers pay at $425)<br />
1920s+30s<br />
Downtown District<br />
established to<br />
support Downtown<br />
business & retail<br />
post WWII<br />
Arthur A. Collins,<br />
of Collins Radio Company,<br />
as was published on page 56 of<br />
The Cedar Rapids Gazette on<br />
March 14, 1954.<br />
Chamber advocated<br />
for more flights for<br />
Collins Radio Company<br />
(now Rockwell Collins)<br />
integration
1970s<br />
1950s<br />
Cedar Rapids becomes<br />
second largest city<br />
in Iowa<br />
1960s<br />
Local artist,<br />
Grant Wood,<br />
designs<br />
Chamber crest<br />
Tourism Bureau, once a<br />
function of the Chamber,<br />
is established as an<br />
independent entity<br />
1990s<br />
Priority 1 established<br />
as economic development<br />
entity<br />
2012<br />
Downtown District,<br />
Priority One and<br />
Cedar Rapids Area<br />
Chamber of<br />
Commerce<br />
merge to form the<br />
Cedar Rapids Metro<br />
Economic Alliance<br />
2016<br />
ICR IOWA<br />
created with<br />
regional focus on workforce<br />
and business attraction<br />
PLEASE JOIN US<br />
ALONG WITH THE<br />
CEDAR RAPIDS METRO<br />
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE<br />
FOR A BIZMIX!<br />
an enjoyable evening of food,<br />
drink and networking<br />
bring your business card for<br />
a chance to score great door prizes<br />
Help us celebrate the Chamber’s 100 th year<br />
of existence with a cake and champagne toast!<br />
Thursday, <strong>Aug</strong>ust 16 th · 4:00pm–6:00pm<br />
Thursday, <strong>Aug</strong>ust 16 th · 4:00pm–6:00pm<br />
King’s Material · 650 12 th Ave SW · Cedar Rapids<br />
kingsmaterial.com<br />
King’s Material · 650 12 th Ave SW · Cedar Rapids, IA · kingsmaterial.com<br />
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT<br />
7
LARGE INVESTOR NEWS<br />
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENTS DRIVE<br />
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT<br />
2008’s record-breaking flooding left widespread<br />
devastation across Cedar Rapids. But, when it<br />
came time to clean up the mess and rebuild,<br />
the city saw an opportunity to create an even<br />
better community than the one the flooding<br />
had destroyed. “We had a unique opportunity<br />
in Cedar Rapids to be able to incorporate all the<br />
elements it takes to make a healthy community<br />
as we rebuilt,” says Sandi Fowler, assistant city<br />
manager for the City of Cedar Rapids. “In the 10<br />
years since the flood, we have seen a night and<br />
day change.”<br />
Working with Healthy Hometown SM Powered by<br />
Wellmark enables the city to focus on improving<br />
residents’ quality of life and making it easier to<br />
get around within the community.<br />
In 2017 alone, Cedar Rapids completed 26<br />
pedestrian and bike-friendly projects, improving more than<br />
seven miles of pavement across the city. The city’s Complete<br />
Streets policy made it the first city in the state to purposefully<br />
design streets for all users — not just cars. Several one-way<br />
streets downtown were converted to two-way streets, which<br />
slows traffic speeds and increases walkability — improving<br />
the vitality of shops, restaurants and other businesses in<br />
the downtown core. More than 2,000 new, fully accessible<br />
sidewalk ramps have been installed throughout the community,<br />
with the goal of installing 4,000 over a four-year period.<br />
In addition to the street conversions and sidewalk<br />
improvements, Cedar Rapids has also made great strides when<br />
it comes to cyclist safety. The addition of both shared and<br />
protected bike lanes have made cycling much safer around<br />
the city and significantly contributed to Cedar Rapids’ goal<br />
of increasing the number of people who bike to work. Cedar<br />
Rapids also implemented the state’s first green bike lanes,<br />
which are installed 50 feet before and after intersections to<br />
help encourage drivers to be alert to cyclists.<br />
Sandi Fowler, assistant city manager, City of Cedar Rapids<br />
“We knew that building a community that encourages healthy<br />
living would be attractive to people — especially younger<br />
people — looking to relocate,” says Fowler. “Businesses got on<br />
board immediately. They had wanted it to be easier to bike and<br />
walk to get somewhere in the community for a long time.”<br />
City and community leaders also embraced the changes,<br />
seeing the potential when it came to the city’s economic<br />
development. “The transformation that I’ve seen in the last 10<br />
years is one where our citizens are able to enjoy so much more<br />
about the community,” says Fowler. “Not just where people live<br />
and work, but everything in between.”<br />
Large Investor News submitted by Wellmark Blue Cross<br />
and Blue Shield.<br />
One of the main forces driving the improvements — especially<br />
the changes to Cedar Rapids’ built environment — was the<br />
goal of creating a place where people would want to relocate.<br />
8 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER <strong>2018</strong>
NEW DOWNTOWN CEDAR RAPIDS<br />
SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES<br />
Downtown Cedar Rapids Sucks.<br />
That’s the name of a new social media video campaign<br />
sparking conversation and demanding attention. The first<br />
of four videos launched in late June and aims to pique<br />
interest in living downtown. Watch the video for yourself on<br />
Downtown Cedar Rapids’ Facebook, Instagram<br />
(@downtowncedarrapids) and Twitter (@downtowncr)<br />
pages. The campaign’s landing page, DTCRSucks.com, is<br />
populated with facts and figures about downtown housing<br />
and links directly to housing options.<br />
BUSINESS SUPPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT<br />
Subsequent videos will center on events, quality of life<br />
and businesses. Alongside urban housing, the video topics<br />
support existing efforts to grow Downtown as a core central<br />
district in Cedar Rapids.<br />
Do we think Downtown Cedar Rapids sucks? No. Downtown<br />
Cedar Rapids is vibrant, lively and cultured. Too often,<br />
in Iowa and here locally, we can be humble about our<br />
successes and how truly amazing our communities are. With<br />
satire, the campaign aims to ignite conversations about and<br />
draw attention to Downtown Cedar Rapids.<br />
WHAT TO EXPECT AT NEXT GEN.<br />
SUMMIT <strong>2018</strong><br />
Bringing new ideas to life. Communication skills for<br />
negotiations and collaborations. Building a meaningful life<br />
beyond career success. These are just a few of the topics you’ll<br />
hear about at Next Gen. Summit <strong>2018</strong>, happening <strong>Sept</strong>ember<br />
20-21 in Downtown Cedar Rapids.<br />
ImpactCR, with the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance<br />
and EPIC, with the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce are<br />
teaming up again to present Next Gen. Summit! The event will<br />
bring together the best and brightest for a high-energy, handson<br />
event. Next Gen. Summit was created to inspire, empower<br />
and develop young professionals. In <strong>2018</strong>, we’re going bigger<br />
than ever before. Next Gen. Summit will be offered as a track at<br />
The Gazette’s Iowa Ideas conference. Your ticket to Next Gen.<br />
Summit gives you access to any sessions offered in any other<br />
track at Iowa Ideas!<br />
Next Gen. Summit has traditionally been a single day<br />
conference, but this year you’ll be able to keep the momentum<br />
going for an additional half-day. Here are a few highlights to<br />
look forward to over the two days:<br />
Presented by<br />
BROUGHT TO YOU BY IMPACTCR & EPIC<br />
Thursday<br />
• Bringing a New Idea Forward with Mandy Weber of<br />
NewBoCo.<br />
BROUGHT TO YOU BY IMPACTCR & EPIC<br />
• Lessons Learned: Advice from the Pros; soak up some<br />
knowledge from people who have been in your shoes<br />
before.<br />
Friday<br />
• Keynote speaker, Zachary Mannheimer, Founder of the Des<br />
Moines Social Club, will speak about building opportunities<br />
related to creative placemaking in Iowa.<br />
• Idea Building – What makes an idea great and how to turn<br />
it into action. Take what you learned over the two days<br />
and find ways to apply it in real life.<br />
Purchase your ticket now at www.iowaideas.com.<br />
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT<br />
9
DRIVING ECONOMIC GROWTH<br />
THROUGH BUYING, GIVING AND<br />
GROWING LOCALLY<br />
You have the power to drive economic growth by supporting<br />
local businesses and non-profits. Buying, giving and growing<br />
here can make a big impact with a far-reaching ripple effect<br />
by keeping dollars here and growing GDP. Thus the motivation<br />
behind Buy Here, Give Here, Grow Here, launching this month.<br />
Buy Here, Give Here, Grow Here is the Economic Alliance’s buy<br />
local campaign that will bring to center stage locally owned<br />
businesses, nonprofits and business building resources that<br />
drive our economy. Watch for their inspiring stories of success<br />
through the remainder of the year and learn how purchasing<br />
from local goods and service providers benefits the greater<br />
community.<br />
Buy Here<br />
You have $100 to spend. If you choose to spend it at a local<br />
business, the total economic impact on the local economy is<br />
$68, compared to $43 when spent with chain competitors.*<br />
Dollars spent locally circulate in our community creating a<br />
greater place to live and work.<br />
“Infusing more dollars locally<br />
strengthens our economy and<br />
empowers local businesses to<br />
grow here.”<br />
• BUY HERE • GIVE HERE • GROW HERE<br />
-Charity Tyler,<br />
Business Support Innovation Council Chair<br />
CEDAR RAPIDS<br />
AREA<br />
• BUY HERE • GIVE HERE • GROW HERE<br />
CEDAR RAPIDS<br />
AREA<br />
We’re looking for 12 local businesses to tell their story about<br />
what makes their business unique and how they add value<br />
to the local economy. The campaign will offer each selected<br />
business exposure on social media platforms, websites as well<br />
as TV, newspaper and radio marketing opportunities. The<br />
application to be considered opens on <strong>Aug</strong>ust 14 at<br />
www.cedarrapids.org/business-resources/buy-here-give-here-growhere.<br />
The application will close on <strong>Sept</strong>ember 14 at 4:00 p.m.<br />
• BUY HERE • GIVE HERE • GROW HERE<br />
Give Here<br />
Local nonprofits make up an important part of the business<br />
community. We’ll highlight those that have a hand in solving<br />
one of the most pressing issues in the region: workforce<br />
availability. Consider supporting nonprofits that are developing<br />
and upskilling today and tomorrow’s workforce, or that serve as<br />
CEDAR RAPIDS<br />
a community resource to support AREA the workforce. Look for a list<br />
of participating nonprofits soon.<br />
BUSINESS SUPPORT<br />
Grow Here<br />
Area business owners and founders are driven by hard work and<br />
creative initiative. If you want to start your businesses here,<br />
there are countless resources at your disposal. Their stories of<br />
success and why they chose to grow their business here soon.<br />
Buy Here, Give Here, Grow Here is part of the Economic<br />
Alliance’s Business Support core function, that is dedicated<br />
to creating a strong business environment supporting all<br />
employers.<br />
*Source: Andersonville Study of Retail Economics.<br />
10 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER <strong>2018</strong>
LEADERSHIP COMPONENT<br />
REIMAGINED FOR ADULT<br />
CLASS OF 2019<br />
LFS Adult Class of 2017 learns from area leaders during Education Day.<br />
BUSINESS SUPPORT BUSINESS SUPPORT<br />
Each <strong>Aug</strong>ust, 35 of the best and brightest leaders in our<br />
community embark on a ten-month journey known as the<br />
Leadership for Five Seasons Adult program. Leadership for Five<br />
Seasons (LFS) is a premier community leadership program that<br />
focuses on developing top talent through a formal leadership<br />
curriculum. LFS provides participants with community<br />
knowledge, connections and inspiration to make a positive<br />
impact on the community.<br />
The LFS Adult Class of 2019 will be the first in 36 years to<br />
experience the program’s reimagined leadership development<br />
component led by Nate Klein, Vice President for Student<br />
Success at Mount Mercy University and a graduate of the LFS<br />
Adult Class of 2017. Leadership development will be everpresent<br />
at each phase of the program through the Leadership<br />
Practice Inventory (LPI) assessment tool and True Colors, a<br />
personality-identification system. Klein is a Certified True Colors<br />
Facilitator.<br />
Prior to the program’s two-day retreat on <strong>Aug</strong>ust 9 and 10,<br />
each class member will take part in an assessment tool called<br />
the Leadership Practice Inventory (LPI). LPI will measures the<br />
participant’s leadership skills based on input from themselves,<br />
IMPACTCR ADVISORY BOARD<br />
APPLICATIONS OPEN SEPT. 1<br />
If you’re looking for an opportunity to build your leadership<br />
skills outside of your 9 to 5, engage Cedar Rapids young<br />
professionals and build your network, this is your chance. Apply<br />
for the ImpactCR Advisory Board starting <strong>Sept</strong>ember 1. The<br />
application will be available at www.cedarrapids.org/businessresources/programs-and-networking/impactcr<br />
and will close on<br />
<strong>Sept</strong>ember 30. If you’re not a young professional yourself, but<br />
you know one who would excel the position, nominate them!<br />
In addition to your professional experience, this is what we’ll<br />
want to hear about on your application:<br />
• Involvement on boards and committees, volunteer<br />
work and leadership roles held.<br />
• Why you are passionate about ImpactCR’s mission to<br />
create experiences to connect young professionals to<br />
people and places in our community.<br />
• One professional reference.<br />
their supervisor and those who report to them. Based on the<br />
results, an action plan is created for each participant focused<br />
on growing their leadership skills.<br />
From there, the class will continue their LFS journey on nine<br />
education days, discovering the community through lenses like<br />
agriculture, human needs, economic development and history.<br />
Each education day will include programming that tackles a<br />
different leadership development component.<br />
Before the program’s graduation in May 2019, the LPI<br />
assessment will be administered again to measure just how<br />
much the participant has grown as a leader and what they’re<br />
bringing back to their employer.<br />
“I look forward to focusing on<br />
self-awareness in leadership<br />
development. Leaders can’t<br />
help others unless they first<br />
understand themselves.”<br />
-Nate Klein<br />
We seek young professionals with expertise in (or the desire<br />
to learn about) membership recruitment, event planning, data<br />
analytics, and insight on issues impacting young professionals.<br />
Board positions are two year terms and begin in January. If you<br />
have any questions, reach out to Jordan Atwater, Leadership &<br />
Business Programs Specialist at jatwater@cedarrapids.org.<br />
Thanks to our<br />
Presenting Sponsor<br />
Thanks to our<br />
Supporting Sponsor<br />
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT<br />
11
BUILDING OUR 2019<br />
PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES<br />
Certain times of the year our public policy advocacy efforts are publicly<br />
front and center. Other times, the work is being done behind the scenes,<br />
as is usually the case over the summer months. Of course, in the public<br />
policy world, there are always exceptions, as you read about our aggressive<br />
advocacy on international trade policies that affect our local economies.<br />
This summer’s behind the scenes work includes gathering input and ideas<br />
to build consensus for our 2019 public policy priorities and is equally<br />
important to the advocacy work we do on behalf of our members.<br />
Using our guiding principles, which can be found on our website at<br />
www.cedarrapids.org/business-resources/public-policy/public-policyprinciple<br />
and unfinished work from previous years, we begin seeking input<br />
on what priorities our members want us to concentrate on in the coming<br />
year. Sometimes we have an item on our agenda for multiple years, like<br />
federal funding for flood protection. Although, you won’t find that on our<br />
agenda next year, as it was recently awarded to the City of Cedar in the<br />
form of $117 million dollars. Other times, the item is on our agenda for<br />
only a year before we see success.<br />
Feedback from member meetings, direct input from our Innovation<br />
Councils, Policy Board and other governance committees provide us with<br />
direction on policy matters our members want us to engage in. We also<br />
work in sync with our regional partners on the municipal and county levels,<br />
as well as the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce.<br />
That process sets in motion our plans and then political realities decide<br />
our tactics to achieve success. It is at this point when our association with<br />
like-minded statewide groups become the most useful. The Professional<br />
Developers of Iowa (PDI), the Iowa Association of Business and Industry<br />
(ABI) and Iowa Chamber Alliance (ICA) are among our most effective allies<br />
within the advocacy world.<br />
ICA, a non-partisan coalition of the 16 largest Chambers of Commerce<br />
and economic development organizations throughout Iowa, provides the<br />
Economic Alliance strength through numbers. Each year the group puts<br />
forth an agenda to grow the state’s economy through support of policies<br />
and programs that stimulate economic growth opportunities for the entire<br />
state and its residents.<br />
PUBLIC POLICY<br />
The ICA coalition focuses on pro-growth, pro-business policies and by<br />
working together we will continue to create significant, positive changes<br />
that will prepare Iowa for the future. For each of the 16, the first and most<br />
important voice we need is from our members. It is your stories, needs, and<br />
ideas that we seek to continue to work for aggressive, forward-thinking<br />
statewide policies that make Iowa stronger.<br />
Contact Barbra Solberg, Public Policy Strategist, at bsolberg@cedarrapids.org to<br />
share your story, ideas or thoughts on future public policy agenda opportunities.<br />
12 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER <strong>2018</strong>
BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION<br />
PROJECTS REPRESENT LARGE GROWTH<br />
OPPORTUNITY<br />
Existing businesses can represent some of the largest growth<br />
opportunities. Statistically, 80 percent of a community’s growth<br />
comes from existing business projects. To date, the Economic<br />
Alliance has assisted four expansion projects with Freund-Vector<br />
Corporation, Timberline Manufacturing, World Class Industries<br />
and Van Meter Inc. In total, these projects have represented<br />
110 new jobs and $32 million in capital investment.<br />
BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION<br />
We anticipate even more project news soon, with 17 projects<br />
in the current pipeline. These represent expansion project<br />
details we’ve received from businesses that could mean<br />
building out at an existing location, creating new jobs within a<br />
current facility or building a second location in the area.<br />
Compared to this time last year, we have more than double<br />
the number of projects in the pipeline. See a snapshot of the<br />
potential impact these projects represent, indicted by jobs<br />
created, including the average wage, and capital investment.<br />
As a result of the Economic Alliance’s renewed focus specifically<br />
on retention and expansion of existing businesses, we are<br />
updating one core function to reflect the work. Whether<br />
you’ve noticed them before or not, each article in the monthly<br />
Economic Alliance Reports are categorized by core function:<br />
IN THE PIPELINE<br />
Includes projects in the following industries; Advanced<br />
Manufacturing, Engineering & Automation, Biotechnology<br />
& Biopharma, Educational Tech. & Services, Food &<br />
Ingredients, Industrial Biotech & Bioprocessing, Insurance<br />
& Finance, Logistics & Distribution, Medical Tech. &<br />
Services<br />
BY THE NUMBERS<br />
17<br />
PROJECTS<br />
$28.13<br />
AVERAGE WAGE<br />
227<br />
JOBS<br />
$87M+<br />
CAPITAL INVESTMENT<br />
Business Support, Community Development, Public Policy or<br />
Business Retention and Expansion. That last core function may<br />
sound unfamiliar. Work done in our previously named core<br />
function of Economic Development will now be referred to as<br />
Business Retention and Expansion.<br />
As ICR IOWA leads regional efforts in workforce development<br />
and business recruitment, we hope this change clearly and<br />
concisely communicates the Economic Alliance’s and ICR<br />
IOWA’s respective roles in regional economic development<br />
work.<br />
If your business envisions growth or an expansion on the<br />
horizon, make us your first call. We can connect you to the<br />
resources, people, and programs to potentially save you time<br />
and money.<br />
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT<br />
13
ELECTRONICS<br />
ENGINEERS<br />
NURSING<br />
ASSISTANTS<br />
FORECASTING<br />
PRODUCTION<br />
WORKERS<br />
Talent Needs<br />
2019 & BEYOND<br />
HEALTHCARE<br />
SUPPORT<br />
WORKERS<br />
REGISTERED<br />
NURSES<br />
ASSEMBLERS<br />
& FABRICATORS<br />
What will the hiring demand and talent needs of ICR IOWA look<br />
like in 2019 and beyond? ICR IOWA and Kirkwood Community<br />
College recently partnered to find out with the Skills Talent<br />
Forecast (the Forecast). After collecting data from more<br />
than 140 employers in Iowa City – Cedar Rapids, ICR IOWA is<br />
bringing workforce partners from across the region together<br />
to determine how to respond to the most pressing talent<br />
demands. The data is also being used to create workforce<br />
attraction, retention and development strategies that support<br />
employer needs.<br />
ICR IOWA, and all of Iowa, really, is seeing record low<br />
unemployment rates. It’s a double-edged sword; because it<br />
means people have jobs and are working, a good thing. For<br />
employers, it proves challenging and can hinder growth. There<br />
are more open jobs than there are people to fill them.<br />
People with ties to Iowa – or at least the Midwest – are more<br />
likely to consider an opportunity to relocate here. But how<br />
do we find them? We are pursuing a relationship with the<br />
Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) based on their amazing<br />
program called the Iowan Project. The Iowan Project can<br />
provide contact information of people in the technology<br />
industry who may be interested in coming back to Iowa for the<br />
right opportunity. With TAI’s help, we may be able to scale this<br />
program to our other critical industries.<br />
Another audience with ties to Iowa, and in this case ICR IOWA,<br />
is University of Iowa alumni. The University of Iowa’s Center<br />
for University Advancement and Alumni Association have been<br />
fantastic partners. They are helping us connect<br />
directly with University of Iowa alumni across<br />
the country.<br />
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT<br />
Employers that participated in the Forecast will create nearly<br />
1,900 new jobs by the end of next year. From the Forecast<br />
and a few other sources, we’re projecting there will be a<br />
need to hire a total of 5,584 jobs. Industries with the largest<br />
anticipated jobs needs have been pillars in our economy for<br />
decades. They include engineering, education and healthcare,<br />
with technology-related positions within each industry showing<br />
high demand as well. Data from the Forecast show almost<br />
half of new jobs created in 2019 will come from these three<br />
industries.<br />
Careers within the three pillar industries include electronic<br />
engineers, registered nurses, physicians, computer and<br />
information systems managers, post-secondary teachers,<br />
education administrators and more. These careers require a<br />
degree, often an advanced degree, meaning the salaries have<br />
the ability to entice relocation.<br />
14 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER <strong>2018</strong><br />
We’re competing for talent nationwide, not<br />
just in the Midwest. We must sell what makes<br />
us unique to those considering relocation. We<br />
have short commutes, major college athletics,<br />
an arts culture, incredible health care, walkable<br />
communities, friendly and hardworking<br />
neighbors and top-notch local restaurants and<br />
businesses. It’s a great place to live. And now,<br />
thanks to this data, we know the exact kind of<br />
people we need to bring home to enjoy it.<br />
If you have questions about the Skills Talent Forecast or would<br />
like to see the full report, contact Tim Carty, Director of Talent<br />
Attraction at tcarty@ICRIOWA.org.
MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP<br />
As the only nonprofit, independent school in Cedar Rapids,<br />
Summit Schools is committed to preparing students to work in<br />
the evolving, information-centered, global community of the<br />
21st century. This year marks its 20th anniversary. Larisa Bickel,<br />
Director of Business & Management, has been with Summit<br />
Schools since the beginning. She shares more on the school for<br />
this month’s Member Spotlight.<br />
Tell us about Summit Schools.<br />
We believe children can affect positive change in the broader<br />
world. We offer private prekindergarten, elementary and<br />
middle school. Additionally, we have various programs that<br />
are open to all students in the metro area, including tutoring,<br />
summer programs and learning extension camps during inservice<br />
days at other area schools.<br />
What makes Summit Schools unique?<br />
Our goal has always been to teach children where they are and<br />
how they are. Grades are less important than where a child<br />
is in their learning. Many families seek us out because we use<br />
the Orton-Gillingham method, which focuses on multisensory<br />
learning. Our instructional approach practices emphasize a<br />
personalized approach to learning. Children are partners in<br />
their education. Parents also sit down with teachers at the<br />
beginning of each school year to set goals for their child.<br />
As an independent school, we draw in students from across<br />
the metro area, resulting in a very diverse school. Everyone<br />
feels very connected; almost all the kids know each other,<br />
across all grades. Kids have free movement between multi-age<br />
classrooms as well as mentoring.<br />
Learning occurs everywhere. On “Flex Fridays,” middle school<br />
students gain real-world knowledge and skills by venturing out<br />
into the community to incorporate different types of learning.<br />
Past Flex Fridays include working on class projects at the<br />
Cedar Rapids Public Library, field trips to the Herbert Hoover<br />
Presidential Museum & Library and to Iowa State University’s<br />
Office of Precollegiate Programs for Talented and Gifted<br />
(OPPTAG) Investigation Series.<br />
MEMBER<br />
SPOTLIGHT<br />
Summit Schools<br />
celebrates<br />
two decades<br />
of brilLiant<br />
beginnings<br />
It’s Summit Schools 20th anniversary! How<br />
are you celebrating?<br />
We traditionally host a back-to-school social welcoming<br />
families to the new school year, so we’re using the opportunity<br />
to commemorate this 20-year milestone. On Friday, <strong>Aug</strong>ust<br />
17 from 5-7 p.m. at the school (1010 Regent St. NE, Cedar<br />
Rapids), former students, staff and families are invited back to<br />
help us celebrate. The community is encouraged to attend and<br />
learn more about Summit Schools. We have openings for the<br />
<strong>2018</strong>-2019 school year! Enrollment is available through mid-<br />
March each year.<br />
Learn more about Summit Schools at www.summitschools.org.<br />
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT<br />
15
NEW<br />
MEMBERS<br />
Buckets Photography<br />
400 First St. SE, Apt. 108, Cedar Rapids, IA | www.williampbuckets.tumblr.com<br />
Country Financial<br />
1215 Jordan Street, North Liberty, IA |<br />
www.representatives.countryfinancial.com/peg.fraser<br />
Game On<br />
4625 Tower Terrace Rd., Cedar Rapids, IA<br />
Hawks’ Nest Sports Bar & Grill<br />
6535 4th St. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA | hawks-nest-sports-bar-and-grill.business.site<br />
Holly Adams Consulting<br />
P.O. Box 11394, Cedar Rapids, IA | www.hollyadamsconsulting.com<br />
LocalsLoveUs-Cedar Rapids<br />
3581 Quarter Dale Ct., Iowa City, IA | vote.localsloveus.com/cedar-rapids<br />
Mitch Valentine State Farm Insurance<br />
1520 Midland Ct. NE Ste. 300, Cedar Rapids, IA | www.statefarm.com/agent<br />
Perficut<br />
6535 4th St. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA | www.perficut.com<br />
Republic Services of Iowa<br />
921 Ingleside Dr. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA| www.republicservices.com<br />
Team Iowa<br />
1300 Stoney Point Rd. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA | www.teamiowa.net<br />
The Y. For a Better Us.<br />
150 years of improving lives<br />
in the Cedar Rapids community.<br />
BECOME A<br />
MEMBER TODAY!<br />
Receive access to all five locations in the area plus<br />
any YMCA in the country, a large variety of free<br />
fitness classes daily, discounts on programs, financial<br />
assistance, free child watch and much more!<br />
Coming up in <strong>2018</strong>:<br />
June 8th-10th -<br />
Camp Wapsie Alumni Reunion<br />
June 9th -<br />
Camp Wapsie Centennial Celebration<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>ust 25th -<br />
“Cranking for 150 More” Y Bike Ride<br />
<strong>Aug</strong>ust 27th -<br />
Golf Classic Fundraiser<br />
November 3rd -<br />
YMCA 150th and Camp Wapsie 100th<br />
Anniversary Celebration Gala<br />
YMCA of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Area | www.crmetroymca.org