Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance Nov Dec 2018

BUILDING TOWARD A BILLION 

FIRST WORKSHOP ON FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM GARNERS LARGE INTEREST 

RUN CRANDIC RETURNS IN 2019 • LAUNCHING A REGIONAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WITH 

THE IOWA CITY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 

REPORT 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR 

november 

13 

BizMix 

Nov. 15, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. 

Legacy Manufacturing Co. 

6509 Partners Ave., Marion 

December 

4 

Recruiting and Retaining 

Millennials 

Dec. 6, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. 

Kirkwood Community College 

Kirkwood Blvd. SW 

6 

TechBrew AM 

Dec. 11, 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. 

Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance 

501 First St. SE 

ICR Legislative Launch 


Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery 

1441 Marak Rd. NW, Swisher 

Economic Alliance 

Annual Meeting 

Jan. 24, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

Doors open 11:00 a.m., Program at 11:30 a.m. 

Doubletree by Hilton 

350 First Ave. NE 

2 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 

13 

15 

January 

For our full Calendar of Events including 

member events, visit www.cedarrapids.org. 

Hiawatha Business Summit 

Nov. 13 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. 

Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center 

1770 Boyson Road, Hiawatha 

Resolve to Transform Your 

Online Presence 


Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance 

501 First St. SE 

6 

BizMix Hosted by Hy-Vee 

*Special Date!* 


Veterans Memorial Building 

50 2nd Ave. Bridge, Cedar Rapids 

11 

LFS Alumni Holiday Breakfast 


Kirkwood Community College 

Linn County Regional Center 

1770 Boyson Rd. Hiawatha 

13 

24

LOOKING OPTIMISTICALLY 

AT THE FUTURE IN THE 

MIDST OF END OF YEAR 

PLANNING 

Doug Neumann, 

Executive Director 

Melissa McCarville 

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER 

Ellen Bardsley 

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST 

Clarissa Koch 

GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST 

Judith Cobb 

CBJ ADVERTISING COORDINATOR 

Corridor Business Journal 

PRINTING & CIRCULATION 

WWW.CEDARRAPIDS.ORG 

The Economic Alliance works on a calendar year, so this fourth quarter is a key time for setting 2019 

goals, approving an annual budget, revisiting key ongoing programs, doing performance evaluations 

of our Team, aligning their work with the overall goals of the organization, filling Board and Innovation 

Council seats and determining volunteer leadership. It makes for long days, given we’re doing this on 

top of our regular workload. But I find this to be a most energizing time. It’s the best chance we have 

each year to recognize success, shore up deficiencies and imagine the future. 

Strategic planning sessions that accompany this work can be so valuable. I’ve had the opportunity over 

the past few weeks to spend some dedicated time with the Economic Alliance leadership team, the 

ICR IOWA Team and the ICR IOWA Board which is composed of leaders from the Economic Alliance and 

Iowa City Area Development Group. We’ve also held strategy sessions with all three of our Innovation 

Councils, with some of you helping us look in focused ways at goals for Community Development, 

Business Support and Economic Development. As business leaders know, it can be a valuable experience 

to get off-site, have facilitated discussion and spend some extended “think time” working on the 

business instead of in the business. And for us, working on the business means thinking about ways we 

can help you - to grow the economy, to add workforce and to help your business succeed. 

The series of strategy sessions in recent weeks reaffirm much of our focus for the next year, but there 

are always new wrinkles to the playbook. These sessions provide an opportunity to look into the more 

distant future and imagine how this region can lead a decade or two from now. 

ON THE COVER 

The Economic Alliance 

recently created a new 

opportunity for members 

to connect, called Speed 

Networking. This rapid-fire, 

high-energy morning event 

brought together nearly 100 

professionals from across the 

region. The first attempt at 

this new style of networking 

received positive feedback 

and indicated great value to 

participating members. Speed 

Networking will return in 

Spring & Fall 2019. Watch for 

final dates and details soon! 

In the here-and-now, workforce remains the No. 1 regional challenge and both ICR IOWA and the 

Economic Alliance will have aggressive strategies to help move the dial on that. We’ll continue 

traditional programs like Leadership for Five Seasons and ImpactCR, and you’ll see ongoing efforts to 

engage the development and construction industries to ensure local labor gets as much work as possible 

in our strong development economy and throughout the years-long construction of a $500M+ flood 

protection system. We’re trying to raise consciousness about the benefits of buying local and supporting 

small businesses. We see several public policy opportunities going into 2019. All of those things will 

be publicized in greater detail in upcoming communications and events, culminating with our Annual 

Meeting on January 24. 

In imagining the more distant future, it’s hard not to be optimistic about the advantages Iowa can and 

should be leveraging – natural resources, a productive workforce, an ideal geographic location, an 

agricultural and manufacturing base that will be part of any future economy, opportunities to be leaders 

in education and technology. The community leaders I’ve been honored to do strategic planning with 

are all optimists about our future, and realists about the hard work that it’ll take to get there. 

Doug Neumann 

Executive Director 

ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT 

3

LEADERS FROM OUR PAST PROVIDE 

IMPACT YET TODAY 

Margaret and Howard Hall’s philanthropic nature and influence on the industrial development of the Cedar 

Rapids community is still evident today, and Howard Hall is well known as one of the most influential and 

iconic leaders of the Cedar Rapids community’s past. Mr. Hall was an industrialist and philanthropist who used 

his influence to create a better local economy and community. He was dedicated to the development of our 

region and frequently worked behind the scenes to attract new businesses and jobs. 

To honor his legacy, the Economic Alliance bestows the Howard Hall Excellence in Business Award each year. 

This award is the single highest honor at the Economic Alliance and is presented during the Annual Meeting. 

The award honors one recipient who exemplifies the outstanding, enduring business values of Howard Hall 

and his passion for a vibrant Cedar Rapids. This award recognizes a business leader who is integral to the 

success of the membership and our region. 

Nominations are open for one of today’s business leaders to be recognized and can be made on the Economic 

Alliance’s website, www.cedarrapids.org, through December 3. Award selection is made by a Selection 

Committee comprised of large investors and community leaders, including the Economic Alliance Executive 

Director. 

Howard Hall Excellence in Business Award Winner History 

2000 - Alliant Energy, accepted by Jim Hoffman 

2001 - Quaker Oats, accepted by Roger Vincent 

2002 - JCPenneys, accepted by Daniel McElwain 

2003 - Justice Electric Company, accepted by Dave Justice 

2004 - Mary Quass, New Radio Group LLC 

2005 - Cedar Graphics, accepted by Hassan & Salma Igram 

2006 - Worley Warehousing, accepted by Brandt Worley 

2007 - Diamond V Mills, accepted by John Bloomhall 

2008 - The Entire Cedar Rapids Community (after Flood of 2008), accepted by Jack Evans, 

President of The Hall Perrine Foundation 

2009 – No record of Award 

2010 - AegonUSA 

2011 - Rockwell Collins 

2012 – No Award given this year due to merger and creation of EA 

2013 - Pat Baird of AegonUSA, Clay Jones of Rockwell Collins, John and Dyan Smith of CRST 

2014 - Tom Aller of Alliant Energy and Kyle Skogman of Skogman Realty 

2015 - Jack Evans, Hall Perrine Foundation and Steve Caves, U.S. Bank 

2016 – Chuck Hammond, Raining Rose 

2017 - Tony Golobic, GreatAmerica Financial Services Corporation 

Additionally, registration is now open for the Economic Alliance’s Annual Meeting. Our signature event where 

valued member businesses and regional champions come together to celebrate achievements and learn about 

the organization’s goals for the year ahead will take place on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at the DoubleTree 

by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Complex. Doors open at 11:00 a.m., with the program beginning promptly 

at 11:30 a.m. 

BUSINESS SUPPORT 

Not only will the Howard Hall Excellence in Business Award be presented during the Annual Meeting, but 

we’ll also continue to honor the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce’s 100th Anniversary, as we have 

throughout 2018. Attendees will hear from identified businesses and business leaders representing our 

business community’s rich history and past. These featured speakers will bring to life their unique business 

stories within the Cedar Rapids community from 1918 to present. Each business will represent a specific 

decade and focus on how the economy has changed over time to the climate it is today. 

We appreciate the partnership of The History Center and their assistance in the development of this 

programming. 


Thanks to our 

Supporting Sponsor

FIRST WORKSHOP ON FLOOD CONTROL 

SYSTEM GARNERS LARGE INTEREST 

FROM BUILDING COMMUNITY 

The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, the City of All construction, contractors, building 

Cedar Rapids, and the US Army Corps of Engineers are trades, suppliers and dealers are 

invited to this special educational 

The 

proud 

first of a 

to 

series 

offer 

of workshops 

a unique 

dubbed 

workshop 

Historic 

tailored to those 

The Economic Alliance, presentation the City to of learn Cedar more Rapids about and the 

Flood. who Historic will play Recovery. a key Historic role in Build, building kicked off new with segments U.S. of Army Corps upcoming of Engineers biddable partnered projects to provide related this 

170 permanent attendees representing flood protection 107 organizations over the in the next several workshop. years. Feedback to the is being Flood gathered Control System. from those who 

construction, contractoring, building trades and other attended to gauge the most sought-after information that 

related sectors who will play a key role in building new can be presented at future workshops. 

segments of permanent flood protection in our community. 

BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION 

The series aims to keep as much of the $550M worth 

of ATTENDEES work with WILL local companies LEARN: as possible by ensuring 

all organizations interested in bidding on this project 

• Schedule and overview of expected work 

are certified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and by 

• How to bid on Federal projects 

educating organizations on the various components, scope 

and • Key schedule differences of the project between with City pre-launch projects meetings and Federal prior projects 

to • bids Government being released. contracting The October specifics 11 workshop covered 

information on biddable projects related to the Flood 

Control Speakers System. include Following representatives the workshop, from attendees the City of had the 

opportunity Cedar Rapids, to network the US Army and build Corps connections. of Engineers, 

and the Economic Alliance. 

This marks the largest infrastructure project in Cedar Rapids 

since the construction of Interstate 380, and represents 

a significant economic impact on the area economy. The 

Historic Build effort is focused on outreach, education and 

engagement, so that as much of this project to protect 

the east and west sides of core districts from Cedar River 

flooding can be done by local companies and by local 

workers. 

date: Thursday, October 11, 2018 

time: 2:30 - 4:30 PM 

Presentation • 2:30-3:30 

Networking • 3:30-4:30 

SOLD OUT 

location: Economic Alliance 

501 1 st St SE, Cedar Rapids 

6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Presentation • 6:30-7:30 

Networking • 7:30-8:30 

please rsvp to either workshop at: 

https://bit.ly/2QxAUrY 


5

BUILDING TOWARD A BILLION 

BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION 

“A rising tide lifts all boats” is one phrase often used to describe 

economic development projects - both with existing business 

expansion and new business attraction. Growth projects create 

jobs and bring capital investment, ultimately flowing more 

dollars into our economy. Every project is cause for celebration. 

Last month in the EA Report, we communicated a revised 

outlook and strategy for celebrating expansion projects, and 

this month we’re sharing some examples of those projects, as 

we continue to build a list of investments that will near a billion 

dollars in our community by 2020. 

Existing businesses represent some of our largest potential 

for economic growth. Business expansion projects can mean 

building out an existing location, creating new jobs within a 

current facility or building a second location in the area. 

Driving around the Cedar Rapids metro, it’s impossible to not 

see signs of growth like construction sites and renderings for 

new or enhanced buildings. You hear about growth projects 

when they’re announced in our communications, local media 

and on social media. But to be able to see them all in one place 

is impressive and shows the health of our economy and that’s 

the goal we’re currently working toward. 

The Economic Alliance strives to be at the forefront of 

expansion information. Creating an exhaustive list of business 

expansion projects can be difficult as it is ever-changing, but 

with your help we’ll be able to better track this growth. If you 

would like to make sure we add your project to our growing 

list, or would like a celebratory banner or a yard sign for your 

expansion project, please contact Business Retention and 

Expansion Strategist, Ron Corbett at rcorbett@ceddarrapids.org. 

Within the next few months we are working with our partners 

like the Eastern Iowa Airport, City of Cedar Rapids, HEDCO, 

MEDCO, Benton Development Group, Jones County Economic 

Development, Iowa County Economic Development and 

more to solidify this project list and create a brochure to help 

communicate the growth in our area. The following is a list of 

active economic development projects and their investment 

amounts, as of our Report print deadline date of October 31. 

Watch for more to come as this list to grows and expands! 

6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

Current Examples of Projects 

Commercial 

Clickstop 2016 $6M 

Prospect Meadows 2016 $13.6M 

United Fire Group 2016 $33M 

Compass Memorial Hospital 2017 $27M 

GLD / Kinseth Hotels 2017 $6.6M 

Marion Process Solutions 2017 $1.8M 

Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa (Phase 2) 2017 $28M 

The National II 2017 $5.9M 

1825 LLC 2018 $2M 

Collins Community Credit Union 2018 $46M 

H&V Development 2018 $6M 

Hiawatha Library 2018 $4.1M 

Hidden Creek Development 2018 $33M 

Linn County Health Building 2018 $31M 

McGrath 2018 $6.5 M 

Skogman Headquarters 2018 $11M 

SOKO Outfitters 2018 $600,000 

Transamerica 2018 $40M 

Guaranty Bank Building 2019 $50.8M 

Hotel Millwright 2019 $15.4M 

Linn County Legacy Project 2019 $40M 

NewBo Partners 2019 $20M 

Housing 

Grand Living 2016 $32M 

The Gardens CCRC 2016 $16M 

500 on First 2017 $3.8M 

Commonbond - Cedar Crest Apts 2017 $9.1M 

Cypress Pointe Apartments 2017 $9.7M 

Ellis Landings 2017 $6.5M 

Kingston Family Apartments 2017 $10.8M 

Kingston Landing 2017 $12M 

NewBo Development Group 2017 $3.3M 

Redstone Apartments 2017 $2M 

Anthony Properties 2018 $23M 

Dows Opportunity 2018 $6M 

Ellis Commons 2018 $2.5M 

Kingston Quarters 2018 $4.2M 

Sonoma Square 2018 $7.2M 

TWG Developers 2018 $19.2M 

Industrial 

Diamond V Mills (Phase 2) 2016 $27.45M 

Crystal Group 2017 $20.85M 

Frontier Natural Products 2017 $3.38M 

Highway Equipment 2017 $3.3M 

Legacy Manufacturing 2017 $14.3M 

Lil’ Drug Store 2017 $12M 

Atlantic Drive 2018 $2.3M 

Freund-Vector Corporation 2018 $6.5M 

GLD Commercial 2018 $10M 

LeSaffre Blending Facility 2018 $12M 

Timberline Manufacturing 2018 $12.8M 

Van Meter Industrial 2018 $4.7M 

World Class Industries 2018 $8M 

TOTAL* $733,176,000 

*As of Oct. 31 print deadline - More to come! ECONOMIC ALLIANCE REPORT 7

‘TIS THE SEASON 

TO SHOP LOCALLY 

With Election Day barely in our rear-view mirror, holiday 

shopping season is within view. The official kick-off to the 

shopping season has traditionally been the Friday after 

Thanksgiving. Prior to Election Day, you heard from politicians, 

friends, and even us that every vote counts and your voice is 

important. Much like how your vote counts, so do your dollars. 

Did you know that each dollar you spend locally returns an 

average of 3x more to the local community than buying 

elsewhere? This recirculation translates to more jobs, business 

expansion, greater quality of life and more. This is the driving 

factor in our Buy Local initiative, Buy Here, Give Here, Grow 

Here. 

The first component of the initiative, Buy Here, highlights 12 

local businesses from the Cedar Rapids metro area to show the 

quality goods and services available here locally. 

At www.cedarrapids.org/business-resources/buy-here, you’ll 

find full features on each of the 12 businesses, paired with the 

importance of buying local. 

Look for Buy Here, Give Here, Grow Here messages in 

Economic Alliance communications and beyond, thanks to our 

Media Sponsors, The Gazette, KGAN/CBS2 Iowa and Z102.9. 

Follow along on social media and share your stories of buying, 

giving and growing locally with #BuyGiveGrowHere. 

On Saturday, November 24, shoppers across the nation will 

patronize small and locally owned businesses for Small Business 

Saturday. We encourage you to spend the day shopping and 

dining locally and end the festivities at the City of Cedar Rapids’ 

tree lighting in Greene Square in Downtown Cedar Rapids. Hear 

from City officials and Economic Alliance representatives and 

feel the holiday cheer, with the lighting taking place at 5:30 p.m. 

Give Here recognizes many of the local non-profits that have 

a hand in solving one of the most pressing issues in the region: 

workforce availability. Non-profits like the Cedar Rapids Public 

Library Foundation, Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa, 

Goodwill of the Heartland and others are developing and 

upskilling today and tomorrow’s workforce, and/or serve as a 

community resource to support the workforce. See a full list 

of Give Here organizations at www.cedarrapids.org/businessresources/give-here. 

BUSINESS SUPPORT 

Growth in our economy is driven by hard work, creative 

initiative, and investment right here in our community. Grow 

Here shares stories of success from local businesses. Some of 

these are relatively new businesses, like The Map Room, and 

others are household names like ImOn Communications and 

Hughes Nursery and Landscaping. See those at 

www.cedarrapids.org/business-resources/grow-here. 


LAUNCHING A REGIONAL LEGISLATIVE 

AGENDA WITH THE IOWA CITY AREA 

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 

In public policy advocacy, there is power in numbers. 

We advocate collectively on behalf of our members to 

present a unified message on behalf of the business 

community to state and federal legislators. One unified 

voice representing nearly 1,200 businesses has more weight 

than a singular voice. 

As an organization focused on economic growth, there are 

some concepts we will always advocate for, like addressing 

workforce challenges, supporting businesses and enhancing 

our community. It’s from those concepts that we develop 

annual federal and state public policy agendas, specific 

action items and policies we hope to see come to fruition. 

When creating our public policy agendas, we coordinate 

with like-minded, business-friendly organizations across 

the state that also do public policy advocacy, like the Iowa 

Association of Business and Industry and the Iowa Chamber 

Alliance, to ensure our messages align. Another such 

organization is the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 

an organization we partner with in countless other ways 

beyond public policy advocacy. 

To mark the collaboration, the Economic Alliance the and 

Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce will hold the ICR 

Legislative Launch on Thursday, December 13 from 5-7:00 

p.m. at Cedar Ridge Winery. We’ll officially unveil the public 

policy agendas, with a short program beginning at 5:30 

p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak directly 

with policy makers that represent cities and countries in our 

ICR Iowa region before new sessions begin in January. 

This event is for members of the Cedar Rapids Metro 

Economic Alliance and the Iowa City Area Chamber 

of Commerce. To register, head to the Iowa City Area 

Chamber’s website, www.IowaCityArea.com and click 

“Events.” 

PUBLIC POLICY 

The Economic Alliance and the Chamber of Commerce serve 

similar missions for our respective business communities, 

so it makes sense that our yearly public policy agendas 

are similar too. This year, for the first time in a very long 

time, the Economic Alliance and the Chamber of Commerce 

have worked together to create identical state and federal 

public policy agendas to advocate as one to our regional 

policy makers. 

Thanks to our 

Lead Sponsor 


9

ICR IOWA: KATE’S WEBSITE, OR HERE, 

IT’S REAL 

REGIONAL COLLABORATION FOR 

INFLUENCING STUDENTS SELECTING 

CRITICAL CAREER PATHWAYS AND 

GRADUATING WITH WORK-READY SKILLS 

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

As the needs of the 21st century workforce change, it is 

increasingly important for business and education to work 

together to develop our future workforce. Last January, over 

175 educators, employers, and organizations came together 

at the Kirkwood Regional Learning Center in Coralville to share 

ideas on how to meet that challenge. The national careerconnected 

learning models shared provided a roadmap to 

increase the number of students selecting high-demand career 

paths and graduating with the critical technical and soft skills 

needed by our employers. 

Following this session, approximately 60 partners began 

working together to determine areas where collaboration could 

influence more students selecting critical career pathways and 

graduating with work-ready skills. The new coalition, ICR Future, 

identified four areas of focus to pursue those goals: Computer 

Science, Work-Based Learning, Career Exploration, and 21st 

Century Skills/Problem Based Learning. 

Computer Science 

According to Code.org, Iowa currently has over 4,000 open 

computing jobs and only 364 computer science graduates in 

2015, of which only 14% were female. The Computer Science 

working group, under the leadership of IT Sector Board cochairs 

Steven Davis of Bio::Neos and Todd Chamberlain of 

Medblox, is focused on increasing the number of middle and 

high school teachers who complete certifications in computer 

science, take a computer science class, and explore computer 

science through an in-school activity or program. 

Work-Based Learning 

Currently only 1 out of 5 juniors and seniors complete a workbased 

learning experience during high school. We can do 

more! Under the leadership of Laurie Worden of Workplace 

Learning Connection, ICR Future is looking to increase the 


number of students who complete an internship or job 

shadow experience, the number of teachers who complete 

an externship, and the number of businesses who offer these 

experiences. 

Career Exploration 

All Iowa school districts are required to review their Career and 

Academic Plans over the next three years to increase careerconnected 

learning. Led by Paul Hayes, Cedar Rapids Schools 

and Erin Kurt, Junior Achievement, this group is building a 

career exploration framework, based on best practices, that 

every school district can leverage. Additionally, this group is 

working to help our ICR high schools transition to a career 

pathways program of studies. 

Problem-Based Learning and 21st Century Skills 

Problem-based learning and 21st century skills can set students 

in our region up for success. Under the leadership of Dawn 

Bowlus, University of Iowa Jacobson Institute, Jeremy Burrus, 

ACT, Leslie Flynn, University of Iowa Tippie School of Business 

and Amanda Zorhne, Iowa BIG, this group aims to increase 

the number of secondary educators who receive professional 

development through the University of Iowa STEM Innovator, 

helping them create a community-driven and unique model 

for innovation and entrepreneurship education within their 

classrooms. Additionally, there is a goal to increase the 

development and assessment of 21st century skills in middle 

school students through implementation of ACT’s Tessera 

curriculum. 

To share information about this coalition’s progress and help 

students, parents, educators, and employers find information 

on ICR career-connected learning resources, the new ICR 

Future website, www.ICRfuture.org, will launch this month. For 

more information on this effort, please contact Kate Moreland, 

Director of Career Development at kmoreland@icriowa.org.

PARK CEDAR RAPIDS LAUNCHING 

NEW MOBILE APP 

Park Cedar Rapids and Passport recently announced the 

launch of PassportParking®, a mobile app that allows 

users to pay for parking from their smartphones. Passport 

is the global leader in mobility technology solutions 

and serves nearly 600 clients worldwide and six cities 

throughout Iowa, including Iowa City, and is also used by 

the University of Iowa. Other Midwestern cities using the 

PassportParking app include Chicago, Omaha and St. Paul. 

The PassportParking app will replace the previous app 

provider, PayByPhone, beginning in early December. 

PassportParking can be used to pay for parking at more 

than 2,500 spaces throughout Downtown Cedar Rapids. 

Users download the app, create an account with their 

payment information and start a parking session by 

entering the zone number and license plate or space 

number. In addition to paying for parking, users are able 

to extend their sessions remotely, keep track of all parking 

history, receive notifications, and get email receipts. 

“Cedar Rapids is a forward-thinking city and has adopted 

innovative solutions to improve the lives of our residents,” 

said Jon Rouse, general manager of Park Cedar Rapids. 

“Passport provides a best-in-class solution to mobile 

payments, helping to make parking simpler and more 

efficient.” 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 

“Passport is excited to partner with Cedar Rapids to 

launch PassportParking,” said Nathan Berry, Passport sales 

director. “Cedar Rapids has been focused on a smart cities 

initiative and we are proud to bring our state-of-the-art 

technology to the city.” 

Drivers can download the free PassportParking app from 

the App Store and Google Play. Users can also manage 

their parking online at park.passportparking.com. 


11

ELECTION DAY IS OVER - WHAT’S NEXT? 

The 2018 elections are over. So now what? Our advocacy work 

begins to rev up! 

We worked over the summer and through the fall to gather 

information, seek feedback and develop our public policy 

priorities for 2019. That process is nearing completion and 

will be shared with our members and policy makers before the 

year’s end. 

We focus our priorities around three concepts – building our 

workforce, improving our business environment and enhancing 

our communities. With those ideas as our foundation, we 

develop and support policies that back our priorities and help 

us achieve success. 

While our policy priorities remain consistent, the strategy and 

finesse to achieve them in-part hinges on which political party 

controls the legislature and governor’s office. Now that we 

know those outcomes, our true strategy work can begin. One 

of the most important pieces of that strategy involves you, our 

members, speaking directly with legislators. 

The legislative session typically runs from January to May, and 

in that time, we will host three public policy events designed 

to involve you directly in advocating the public policy priorities 

we lay out for the business community. One of those events 

is called Policy on the Rocks. These legislative receptions give 

our members a chance to interact with lawmakers in a causal 

setting. Save the date for the two upcoming Policy on the 

Rocks events on February 1 and April 5, 2019. If you nervous 

to attend a public policy event, don’t be! We always send you 

talking points and list of what legislators have RSVP’d ahead of 

time. 

On March 26, we will again team up with the Iowa City Area 

Chamber of Commerce for the annual ICR Iowa Day at the 

Capitol. Alongside a delegation of members, we travel to the 

Iowa State Capitol for a day advocating on legislator’s turf. 

To stay in-the-know all session long, our Public Policy email 

updates are incredibly value. We send the emails during session 

to provide an analysis of how our priorities are faring and how 

you can join in our efforts. 

PUBLIC POLICY 

One of those ways is to arrange opportunities for you to speak 

directly with policy makers and talk to them about the issues 

that matter most to our community. 

Next month you’ll begin seeing our 2019 public policy 

priorities that are based on feedback from our members. We’re 

hosting an ICR Legislative Launch on December 13 with our 

partners at the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce. Read 

more about the event on page 9. 

We hope you’ll stay involved in public policy advocacy well past 

Election Day; this will likely prove to be an incredibly important 

legislative session, especially for our state. Our unified voice is 

the key to our success. 


DOWNTOWN GETS 

Dressed Up 

FOR THE HOLIDAYS 


This holiday season, expect the cheer to look a little brighter in Downtown 

Cedar Rapids. More than 100 trees will soon be decked out with green 

and white garland, along with 40 light poles and 20 holiday banners hung 

to brighten roadways. All lights and decorations will be in place before 

Thanksgiving. Streetscape and district improvement work like this are and 

key pillars in maintaining a vibrant Downtown that welcomes residents 

and visitors alike. 

Small Business Saturday on Saturday, November 24 is a day to celebrate 

and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. Make 

plans to attend the City of Cedar Rapids’ Tree Lighting Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. 

to wrap up your day of shopping. If you plan to head downtown for a day 

of local shopping and dining, RSVP on Downtown Cedar Rapids’ Facebook 

event for more information on downtown businesses that will be open. 


13


RUN CRANDIC 

RETURNS IN 2019 

After a hugely successful inaugural event, organizers of the RUN 

CRANDIC marathon and half-marathon have announced the 

race will return on Sunday, April 28, 2019. What’s different? 

The marathon will begin in Iowa City and end in Cedar Rapids. 

Details of the routes will be announced in early December. 

Registration is now open on the event website, 

www.runcrandic.com. 2018 participants can use the code: 

RunAgain at checkout to receive a 5% discount through 

November 15 - that’s on top of the early bird pricing of just 

$80 for the marathon and $65 for the half-marathon. 

Plus, the first 400 registrants receive a free pair of 

commemorative socks! Early bird pricing lasts until December 15, 

so don’t wait. All registrants will receive a tech t-shirt, free 

beverage at the after party (location to be determined) and a 

special commemorative gift. 

The inaugural race drew over 3,000 runners from 23 states and 

three countries and raised over $57,000 for the Cedar Rapids 

and Iowa City Community School Districts. RUN CRANDIC is 

organized in part by Think Iowa City, the Cedar Rapids Metro 

Economic Alliance and Corridor Running. 

Thank you to returning title sponsor, the University of Iowa 

Community Credit Union. 

Offering Tailored Services 

to Streamline your HR Functions 

Payroll Administration Services 

◆ Employee Handbook 

◆ 

◆ Recruitment Assistance 

◆ New Hire Onboarding 

◆ Management Training 

We Make Employee Administration 

Easy for Small Businesses! 

◆ Payroll Administration 

◆ HR Information Systems 

◆ Timekeeping Systems 

◆ I-9 Audit & Compliance 

◆ ACA Compliance 

4 Hawkeye Drive Suite 103, North Liberty, IA 

Brenda LaMarche 

(319) 621-2312 

info@BRLhr.com 

www.BRLhr.com 


MEMBER 

SPOTLIGHT 

Appraisal Associates 

Company 

MEMBERSHIP 

Appraisal Associates Company has a long history in Cedar 

Rapids, 35 years to be exact. Their expertise and knowhow 

in real estate appraisal and consulting provides area 

businesses with information they need to know to operate 

successfully. Owner Keith Westercamp has practiced 

appraising for 40 years. He shares more about the business 

for November’s Member Spotlight. 

Tell us more about Appraisal Associates 

Company. 

Since its founding in 1983, Appraisal Associates has 

provided the Midwest with premier real estate valuation. 

Our home office is in Cedar Rapids and the firm provides 

services for a wide range of appraisal services. Areas 

of specialization include the hospitality, commercial, 

industrial, healthcare, entertainment, development, 

office, retail, residential and multi-family markets. We offer 

consulting/feasibility, litigation and valuation experience. 

Appraisal Associates’ integrative team approach combines 

in-depth practical experience and access to the latest 

technology and real estate appraisal innovations to provide 

clients with foremost service. 

What value do you believe Appraisal 

Associates Company adds to the business 

community? 

The work we do is important to every business, because 

it’s used to estimate value for a variety of purposes such 

as lending, eminent domain, feasibility studies, legal 

proceedings, taxation, and business planning. We define 

success through client feedback, and time and time again 

we have clients thanking us for our work and dedication 

to their business. The information we provide helps clients 

make sound decisions in other parts of their business and is 

integral to the success of business in the region. 

What role did your business play during the 

devastating floods of 2008? 

Following the flooding in Cedar Rapids, we voluntarily 

provided consultation and information of sales data to the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that helped them begin flood 

mitigation. We did this for no charge, but for the good of 

the community. Our contact at the Corps shared that no 

one had ever done that before, without compensation to 

speed up the process. This is part of our core belief as a 

company to serve this great region. 

Learn more about Appraisal Associates Company on their 

website, www.AppraisalAssociatesCompany.com. 


15

NEW 

MEMBERS 

Belmont Hill Victorian Bed and Breakfast 

1525 Cherokee Dr. NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405 | www.belmonthill.com 

Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois 

317 7th Ave., Ste. 201 Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 | www.girlscoutsoftoday.org 

GoDaddy 

1 Parsons Drive, Hiawatha, IA 52233 | www.godaddy.com 

Iowa Loyal 

6307 Casey Lane NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52411 | www.iowaloyal.com 

Janda Motor Services 

P.O. Box 10045, Cedar Rapids, IA 52410 | www.janda.com 

L.A. Eddins Design 

1120 Depot Lane, Ste. 100, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 | www.laeddins.com 

Local Pour Street Food 

302 Third Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 | www.facebook.com/localpour 

Lowe’s 

5300 Blairs Forest Blvd NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 | www.lowes.com 

Milex Complete Auto Care 

2010 Sylvia Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 | www.cedarrapidsmilexauto.com 

Rudimentary Health 

7085 C Avenue NE, Ste. 7, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 

Top RANK 

P.O. Box 1241, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406 | http://toprankstaffing.com 

United Life Insurance Company 

118 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 | www.unitedlife.com 

YMCA of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Area 

www.crmetroymca.org 

BECOME 

A MEMBER 

TODAY! 

POUND Workout 

Class Demo 

Wednesday, November 21 

6pm - 7pm 

Helen G Nassif YMCA 

FREE & Open to Public 

Discounts on 

Personal Training & 

Massage Therapy 

begin 

November 23rd 

FREE Group Fitness 

Classes daily | Access 

to all five YMCA 

locations | FREE Child 

Watch and much more 

with membership!

Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance Nov Dec 2018

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