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Alliance & Chamber to Welcome New Teachers at Breakfast

CEDAR VALLEY OF IOWA (July 17, 2018) –New teachers will be welcomed by Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber investors at the 2018 New Teacher Breakfast from 7:30-9:00 a.m. on Friday, August 17 at Courtyard by Marriott, 250 Westfield Ave., Waterloo.

The annual event is attended by more than 200 teachers, school administrators, and business leaders. The breakfast will celebrate new teachers from Cedar Falls Community School District, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools, St. Patrick Catholic School, Valley Lutheran and Waterloo Community School District.

The program, facilitated by the Leader Valley team and student leaders, includes an introduction to the whole-school leadership and life skills initiative The Leader in Me©.  Speakers also include leaders from business and higher education.

The University of Northern Iowa College of Education is the premier sponsor for the breakfast. Gold sponsors include Cedar Valley Catholic Schools System, and Hawkeye Community College.  The Decoration Sponsor is Sam’s Club, and Silver Sponsors are Purdue University Global, and UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital.

Alliance & Chamber investors are exclusively invited to attend the breakfast. Event ticket price of $40 pays for breakfast for one representative of the investor’s company and a complimentary breakfast for one new teacher.

The Alliance & Chamber investor registration deadline is August 7. Click here to register or  contact Bette Wubbena at bwubbena@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

METRO AREA MAKES LIST OF SUCCESSFUL MANUFACTURING COMMUNITIES

CEDAR FALLS/ WATERLOO, Iowa – Waterloo/Cedar Falls positioned among the top 22 successful manufacturing intensive communities according to the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

In May 2018, Timothy J. Bartik of the W.E. Upjohn Institute released a study identifying manufacturing intensive communities in the United States that were performing well from 2000 – 2015, when most of these types of communities were suffering.

Bartik identified three strategies that were utilized in the successful communities.

  1. “Expand customized services to small and medium-sized manufacturers.”
  2. “Invest in infrastructure and services that make the community’s land better for business development.”
  3. “Increase public spending on services that increase local workers’ job skills.”

The greater Cedar Falls/ Waterloo manufacturing hub attributes this success to the partnering of private organizations with public entities to develop programs that create and carry out all three of the strategies mentioned. The Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber has seen this to be true; reporting that 75% of manufacturers interviewed since 2010 have reported that they are growing. There are a large number of programs and initiatives working to promote manufacturing growth in the Cedar Valley.

Starting in area high schools, the Waterloo Career Center and Cedar Falls CAPS (Center for Advanced Professional Studies) are offering manufacturing programs to expose students to the industry as well as connect them with area organizations. Higher education institutions have developed technical training programs designed to provide college students with the skills to be successful and the connections to build great careers here in the Cedar Valley.

Hawkeye Community College (HCC) uses the 260E and 260F training programs. 260E is a program for training of new employees and 260F is a training program to upskill current employees. Furthermore, HCC and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) partnered to create the UNI Metal Casting Additive Manufacturing Center. This center is housed within TechWorks, the first technology park of its kind in Iowa to combine world-class business amenities within a Brownfield industrial redevelopment project.

The study notes that from 2000 – 2015, the United States saw an 8.5% increase in the overall job growth while manufacturing intensive communities saw a 2.7% decrease. Waterloo and Cedar Falls governments and the Alliance & Chamber continuously recognize the importance of providing resources to existing business, to encourage and support their growth.

To attract new manufacturers to the area and encourage the growth of current manufacturers, the cities are proactive about developing land and allotting land to be used by manufacturing operations. Additionally, businesses can receive tax credits when developing and building on brownfields through Iowa Economic Development Authority.

The Alliance & Chamber assists with this application process. This has allowed the area to use the Cedar Valley’s city space efficiently.

For small to mid-sized manufacturers, CIRAS (Center for Industrial Research and Service) has been a phenomenal asset to organizations here in the Cedar Valley; providing high quality consulting at a more affordable rate.

All these efforts by the city governments, educational institutions, the Alliance & Chamber and the hard work of Cedar Valley manufacturers contributed to the growth of the region, earning its spot in Upjohn’s top 22 successful manufacturing intensive communities.

 

IEDA Director Durham says Cedar Valley is “doing a lot of the right things”

EDA Director Debi Durham with Cary Darrah in Cedar Falls with Carol Lilly Mill Race kitchen

IEDA Director Debi Durham speaks with Interim CEO Cary Darrah and others at Mill Race in Cedar Falls on Thursday, March 22, 2018

WATERLOO, IOWA (March 23, 2018) – After touring several sites throughout the Cedar Valley, the head of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) told a group of community leaders, “I think you’re doing a lot of the right things here.”

“I do not know where economic development and community development end because in my world they are one and the same,” Durham said. “As I drive through (the Cedar Valley), your community is doing that.”

But if she had one suggestion for the region, it would be this: “You just need to tell more people about (your community). You need to be bolder in your marketing.”

Debi Durham, IEDA Director, made those comments to the Board of Directors for the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber during a late Thursday afternoon presentation at the new Courtyard by Marriott Waterloo Cedar Falls on the TechWorks Campus in north downtown Waterloo.

Marketing Iowa, Cedar Valley

Durham claimed her number one role is to the state’s cheerleader – “sell Iowa to Iowans” – and she took to that role when she bragged about U.S. News & World Report’s recent Best State’s Ranking that placed Iowa in its No. 1 spot.

Showcasing what Iowa has to offer is necessary because Iowa’s population isn’t growing and there just aren’t enough workers to fill current and future jobs. Communities need to step up marketing to help workers elsewhere make the connection that Iowa is a great place to live and work, she said.

Standing in a renovated John Deere manufacturing site, Durham also talked about her passion for the historic preservation of buildings. “I consider myself a building-hugger,” she said borrowing and modifying a term for environmentalists. The return on investment for Historic Tax Credits used for projects such as SingleSpeed, the former Wonderbread factory turned-brewery, has a huge impact on revitalizing and transforming Iowa’s downtowns, she said.

“These are all the storylines that you should be telling people,” Durham said.

Manufacturing as a Strength

“We are relevant, and we are relevant on a global stage,” she said. “Iowa, regardless of administration, we manage our fiscal house.”

To grow the state’s economy, her office focuses on “playing to our strengths” of Financial Services, Biosciences, and Advanced Manufacturing. All three are mature platforms that need information technology’s innovation.

About advanced manufacturing, she referred to the Cedar Valley, “This is who we are. This is our DNA … When I think of manufacturing, I think of this area.”

She feels that TechWorks Campus could become Iowa, and the nation’s “go-to place” for additive manufacturing in the nation. “I think you have the ability to do that,” Durham said.

Manufacturing represents the largest industry type in IEDA’s portfolio, with 83 percent of those incentives going to existing companies that are expanding, she said.

With Durham on a day-long tour of the Cedar Valley was Beth Balzer, Team Leader for IEDA’s business development team. Balzer’s team has a goal to visit more than 400 mostly small to medium manufacturers throughout the state this year “connecting them with the resources Iowa has in this space.”

Resources for Startups, Existing Businesses

Durham and Balzer began their day at Mill Race Coworking where they learned about local efforts to provide support to startup and existing businesses, including storefronts on Main Street Cedar Falls.

“It’s interesting: I don’t think I see any other community making the connection with Main Street,” Durham said.

She also toured University of Northern Iowa’s Additive Manufacturing Center in Tech 1 on the TechWorks Campus before meeting with Hawkeye Community College’s Dr. Linda Allen and Brad Kinsinger in the Alliance & Chamber boardroom.

Durham spent the day in the Cedar Valley at the invitation of the Alliance & Chamber’s Interim CEO, Cary Darrah.

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What a Day!

By Steve Dust, President/CEO Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

You have probably seen that commercial for an insurance company where, after a great day for a young woman receiving a new car and an equally dismal day for a man whose car tires have been stolen, both exclaim, “What a day!”

That’s how I felt on Tuesday, July 11 as spent four hours traveling to and from Des Moines to attend a three-hour meeting.

Usually, I wouldn’t attend a meeting outside the Cedar Valley on the day of an Alliance & Chamber board meeting, never mind our annual meeting. But I broke that rule for the Future Ready Iowa Alliance board meeting because it meets so infrequently, its planning work is nearing the end, and important implementation actions soon follow.

“What a day!” I repeated to myself the entire trip. Initially, I focused on missing hours of prep time for the Alliance & Chamber annual meeting. Then the people I encountered completely turned my day around.

  • Ben Allen, former University of Northern Iowa president and current interim Iowa State University president, was the first person I encountered. It was good to see an old friend and champion of the Cedar Valley. That was worth the trip, I thought.
  • Mike Ralston, President of Iowa Association of Business and Industry, and I walked in together. We always have a lot to compare notes on, but he emphasized that a recent ABI social media post attracted the largest number of views, interactions, and reposts his organization had experienced. The post featured the U.S. Chamber of Commerce presenting U.S. Rep Rod Blum with its Spirit of Enterprise Award; the Alliance & Chamber co-hosted the event at the TDS Automation/Doerfer plant in Waverly.
  • Hawkeye Community College President Linda Allen is one of eight on the board from various Cedar Valley sectors. As we were getting yet another cup of coffee, she talked to me about another potential partnership between Hawkeye and a local major employer, implemented at TechWorks Campus. She is pumped about the opportunity. (Now, all we need is money).
  • As the program began, Georgia Van Gundy, CEO of Iowa Business Council, gave a shout out to the Cedar Valley’s aggressive programming to retain, recruit, and prepare talent to fuel economic growth. Unexpected and appreciated. (IBC’s members are Iowa’s largest 20+/- employers, the three regent universities, and bankers’ association.)
  • While walking back to my table from the coffee urn, President Liang Chee Wee of Northeast Iowa Community College got up from his table to greet me with his characteristic smile. He told me, “I’m a fan of all you’re doing in the Cedar Valley!” That’s all of you: I just happened to be in the spot to catch the compliment.
  • It was good to see Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham simply because of health challenges she has been managing – with her typical “I’m not getting beat” approach, of course. But then she highly complimented the work of the Alliance & Chamber Economic Development team working on a particular project. I thanked her for taking extraordinary steps to ensure the opportunity to win.
  • Governor Kim Reynolds’ Deputy Chief of Staff Tim Albrecht is a recent graduate of ABI’s Leadership Iowa, the same class for which Leader Valley‘s Melissa Reade was a co-director. Tim thanked me for the time given Melissa to fulfill that role. She said, “Without Melissa there, it would not have been the amazing experience we had.” That is quite a compliment.
  • During the meeting, I sat with UNI Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim Wohlpart. He has a goal to ensure the Future Ready Iowa initiatives to increase the percentage of Iowan’s with post-high school educational/career prep credentials are effectively implemented in the Cedar Valley economic area. Jim frequently moved our small-group discussion toward the need for local strategies to implement the statewide framework. His enthusiasm is contagious. I’m glad to have such a motivated leader making a difference for the workforce and employers of the Cedar Valley.

By the end of the meeting, I was saying, “What a day!” but for an entirely different reason than during my morning drive.

I had been reminded that the Cedar Valley generally, and our Alliance & Chamber especially, have many talented people effectively and proactively implementing meaningful projects to make our region even greater – and that effort recognized statewide.

Hawkeye to Host Advanced Manufacturing Information Session on December 5

CEDAR FALLS–Hawkeye Community College will host an information session on short-term training in CNC Machining, Industrial Maintenance, and Welding on Monday, December 5, at 11:30 a.m., at the Cedar Falls Center, 5330 Nordic Drive, Cedar Falls. The session will include information about upcoming training opportunities, a tour of training areas, and the opportunity to visit with instructors.

The next CNC Machining training runs February 2-June 8, 2017, and meets Mondays and Thursdays from 5:00-10:00 p.m. CNC operators work in a variety of manufacturing environments and are trained to program, set up, and operate a CNC machine, inspect parts, perform production runs, and set up jobs. CNC machine operators are in high demand in the Cedar Valley. In four months, individuals completing the non-credit certificate may earn $28,000-$37,000 per year, not including overtime.

The next Production Welding training runs February 6-April 11, 2017, and meets Monday-Thursday, 5:00-9:00 p.m. The next Construction Welding training runs January 17-February 20, 2017, and meets Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Welding continues to be the principle means of fabricating and repairing metal products. Iowa Workforce Development forecasts more than 270 job openings each year for welders through 2022. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers are some of the top occupations in Iowa with the most job openings. Starting wages average $28,500-$36,000 per year and many in this field work overtime.

Industrial Maintenance runs January 18-August 2, 2017, with classes held Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The Industrial Maintenance program prepares students for high demand entry-level employment. Industrial maintenance workers maintain, monitor, troubleshoot, and repair equipment used in the production of goods. Individuals completing the non-credit certificate may earn $31,500-$43,000 per year, not including overtime.

For more information, call 319-296-4290 or visit www.hawkeyecollege.edu/go/advanced-manufacturing.

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Hawkeye Community College to Host Open House Exploring Apprenticeships on November 15

The following information was submitted by an Alliance & Chamber investor. The Exploring Apprenticeships Open House is for businesses interested in exploring apprenticeship programs.

WATERLOO–Hawkeye Community College will host an open house exploring apprenticeship opportunities Tuesday, November 15, 2016, from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in Buchanan Hall 121 on Hawkeye’s Main Campus, 1501 East Orange Road, Waterloo.

Historically, apprenticeship programs began in construction and skilled trades, but now there are apprenticeships in more than 1,000 occupations, including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and transportation. The open house will explore successful apprenticeship programs and provide information about creating new apprenticeships, including funding available. Studies show apprenticeships provide good return on investment for workers and employers. Apprentices earn more upon program completion and 90 percent of completers enter and sustain employment.

Featured presenters include Josh Billings, Level 4 HVAC apprentice employed by Independence Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling: John Johnson, apprenticeship program workforce development specialist, IowaWORKS Cedar Valley; Rachel Faust, apprentice sponsor, RainSOFT of Northeast Iowa; Rhonda Hall, business services representative, IowaWORKS Cedar Valley; and Jerry Orr, Hawkeye’s trade and industry coordinator.

There is no cost to attend and a free lunch is provided. RSVP at www.hawkeyecollege.edu/go/explore-apprenticeships or by calling 319-296-4223. The open house is held in conjunction with National Apprenticeship Week.

GREATER CEDAR VALLEY ALLIANCE & CHAMBER TO HOLD FORUM ON WORKFORCE ISSUES

The Alliance & Chamber will host a forum to engage area business and institutions to address talent and workforce challenges in the Cedar Valley.  Addressing Workforce: Beyond the Numbers is for employers, educators, and workforce partners to be held Thursday, September 29th from 7:30 -11:30am at the National Cattle Congress Pavilion, Waterloo.

Recent data compiled by the Alliance & Chamber projects that businesses in the Cedar Valley will need 12,000 additional workers in the next 10 years while, at the same time, the working-age population is expected to decrease.

During the forum, business leaders from a cross-section of industries will facilitate three separate discussion tracks. Human resource professionals, business managers from all industries, education leaders, and service providers who support business with workforce needs are encouraged to participate in the most relevant discussion track.

The three tracks include:

  1. Labor Force Participation (utilizing our existing population)
  2. Training & Education (training the future workforce)
  3. Talent Attraction & Retention (attracting new & retaining existing workforce)

The interactive format will provide opportunities for new connections, partnerships, peer-to-peer learning and a deeper understanding of how to collaborate in addressing our workforce needs for today and the future.

A light breakfast will be served at 7:30am.  The event is free. Registration is requested through the Alliance & Chamber website www.cedarvalleyalliance.com by September 16.

For more information on this event and the Talent Solutions initiatives of the Alliance & Chamber contact Danny Laudick by calling 319-232-1156 or by email to dlaudick@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

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Public is Invited to Help Create Great in Cedar Valley Schools

Fundraising Campaign Kicks Off to Fund The Leader in Me

(Cedar Valley of Iowa) – Leader Valley, a talent development initiative of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, is asking businesses, individuals and foundations to join in the efforts to equip every student in the Cedar Valley with tools for effectiveness in life and work.  The Create Great fundraising campaign seeks to raise $7 million for the expansion and sustainability of The Leader in Me throughout the Cedar Valley.

The Create Great Campaign will officially kick off at the Alliance & Chamber’s annual New Teachers Breakfast on Aug. 18 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Hilton Garden Inn, Cedar Falls.

“Our ultimate goal is for students to be prepared for career, college and citizenship,” says Dr. Linda Allen, president, Hawkeye Community College. “Our businesses here in the Cedar Valley will no doubt see a difference in these young people as they come to work for them. In order to become principled and effective adults, we must foster both character and competence early in the lives of our students.”

Over $1.8 million has already been raised toward the $3.5 million implementation portion of the overall goal. The aim of the Create Great campaign is to extend The Leader in Me’s impact from 21 Cedar Valley schools to 34. This will include PreK-12 public and private schools in the Waterloo and Cedar Falls area. An equal goal of $3.5 million will be raised and placed in an endowment to ensure the sustainability of the initiative for future generations.              

Serving as campaign co-chairs are: Dr. Allen; Dr. Dale Monroe, Chief Administrator, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools; and Tom Penaluna, CEO, CBE Companies. Senator Charles Grassley is the Honorary Campaign Chair.                                               

The Leader in Me aims to fill the gap between traditional school curriculum, and the skills and knowledge employers need in effective employees and organizational leaders. By addressing characteristics and skills such as personal responsibility, accountability, work ethic, teamwork, goal setting, and organization skills, Leader Valley’s investment seeks to enhance the Cedar Valley talent pool and help local businesses become more competitive in the global marketplace.

The campaign kickoff program includes an emphasis on student leadership and empowerment with students serving in leadership roles as emcees, greeters and The Leader in Me booth hosts. Additionally, inspirational comments from business and education leaders will be presented. Current donors to Create Great will also be recognized.

“We are excited to kick off this important fundraising campaign to transform our schools by integrating leadership development and performance into all facets of school cultures in every PreK-12 school in the Waterloo and Cedar Falls area,” said Penaluna. “We encourage business leaders and community members to attend our kickoff event and learn why Leader in Me is a critical element for a well-rounded education to develop the workforce our businesses need. If we wish to Create Great in our Cedar Valley schools, we all have a role.”

Tickets for the event are $40 in advance. Ticket price provides breakfast for one individual and a complimentary breakfast for one new teacher. Please register through the Alliance & Chamber website www.cedarvalleyalliance.com or by contacting Johanna Kneedler at 319-232-1156 or jkneedler@cedarvalleyalliance.com.  Administrators and new teachers do not need to register, but should make arrangements with their respective districts.

The impact and results of The Leader in Me can be found on the Leader Valley website, www.leadervalley.org, along with videos, testimonials and donor information. The fundraising steering committee for Create Great is: Stacey Bentley, Joyce Coil, Bryan Earnest, Chris Fereday, Ben Jacobson, Bob Justis, Reid Koenig, Shanlee McNally, Dr. Victoria Robinson, Tara Thomas, Amy Wienands and Mike Young.

For more information on the Leader Valley initiative and The Leader in Me, contact Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director at the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber by calling 319-232-1156 or by email at mreade@cedarvalleyalliance.com. You can also visit www.leadervalley.org.

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Read more by reporter Andrew Wind in the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier.

High-Capacity Broadband from Mediacom Business Powering University of Northern Iowa Metal Casting Center

 The following information was released by Mediacom Business

 New additive manufacturing and design facility utilizes bandwidth intensive applications to train and prepare manufacturers and students

Waterloo, IA – June 28, 2016Furthering its commitment to drive economic growth in the Cedar Valley corridor, Mediacom Business, a division of Mediacom Communications Corporation, today announced the installation of a high-capacity broadband connection at the new University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Metal Casting Center on the TechWorks Campus in downtown Waterloo.

Randy Pilkington, Director of Business and Community Services for UNI, said manufacturers and students alike will learn necessary design software skills at the UNI Metal Casting Center to develop products and prepare CAD documents in conjunction with Hawkeye Community College for 3D printing. The facility houses the largest sand mold 3D design printer in the country, and is installing three new 3D printers over the next several months using a variety of media.

“Our goal is make the facility at the UNI Metal Casting Center the go to place in Iowa, if not the Midwest, to expand additive manufacturing training of this kind. This is a huge initiative for Iowa. We feel confident that by partnering with Mediacom Business, we’ll receive the high-capacity broadband necessary to make this happen,” Mr. Pilkington said.

Dan Templin, Senior Vice President for Mediacom Business, said his company’s partnership with UNI exemplifies how critical it is to have a high-capacity broadband connection to power advanced technology platforms. “The design software needed to fuel expertise in sand mold printing used by companies like John Deere or Rockwell Collins requires high speed data. Without it, you simply can’t conduct the training needed. We’re especially glad to play such an important role in bringing business and education together via our proprietary fiber-optic network.”

Cary Darrah, TechWorks Vice President and General Manager, said Mediacom Business powered a TechWorks Campus StartUp event last November with 5 Gigabits of fiber connectivity. “Fast broadband was a necessity for the event – the first time StartUp Weekend was held on the Campus. Mediacom Business delivered the fastest connection to data that we’d used. Mediacom Business came through for TechWorks Campus and StartUp Weekend Cedar Valley participants. I believe that gave the Metal Casting Center a clear indication that Mediacom Business was a good solution at this location.”

About the University of Northern Iowa Metal Casting Center

The University of Northern Iowa Metal Casting Center was established in 1990 with a grant from the Iowa Lottery to serve foundries and foundry suppliers in Iowa. The UNI MCC has been a leader in foundry innovations and added 3D sand mold printing capabilities in 2014. Since then, the UNI MCC has worked with more than 100 small and medium enterprises across Iowa and the Midwest as well as with all branches of the US military.

About the TechWorks Campus

TechWorks Campus is a 30-acre advanced manufacturing, research & development, innovation, education, commercial, and manufacturing center located in downtown Waterloo, Iowa. The campus is comprised of 20 acres of development sites, and 300,000 square feet of flex space for innovation and development.

About Mediacom Communications

Mediacom Communications Corporation is the fifth largest cable operator in the U.S. serving about 1.3 million customers in smaller markets primarily in the Midwest and Southeast through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Mediacom Broadband LLC and Mediacom LLC. Mediacom offers a wide array of information, communications and entertainment services to households and businesses, including video, high-speed data, phone, and home security and automation. Through Mediacom Business, the company provides innovative broadband solutions to commercial and public sector customers of all sizes, and sells advertising and production services under the OnMedia brand. More information about Mediacom is available at www.mediacomcc.com.

Contact
Tom Larsen
Senior Vice President, Government & Public Relations
Phone: 845-443-2754 | Email: info@mediacomcc.com

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