Tag Archives: UNI

Advanced Manufacturing Hub Step Closer with State Funding

The Cedar Valley TechWorks is one step closer to becoming the physical location of an Advanced Manufacturing Hub for the region and state thanks to legislation adopted this week. Nearly $4 million was included in Iowa Economic Development Authority appropriations for the project.

The IEDA’s Iowa Invocation Council, which will administer the funds, has been working closely with the Cedar Valley TechWorks and Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber to establish the Campus as the designated site for the Hub.

The bulk of the funds will construct improvements in the Tech 1 building on the Campus. A portion of the funds will be used for the University of Northern Iowa to purchase a 3-dimensional (3D) printer to fabricate on-demand molds for cast components to support advanced manufacturing , in collaboration with TechWorks.

“With this funding, we can make the capital and infrastructure improvements to the Tech 1 building needed to attract more technology and bio-products related industrial operations and partners to the campus. The investment in building improvements and equipment will prepare space for new businesses and educational programs, and bring tremendous momentum and excitement to the Campus as these projects move forward alongside the previously announced anchor projects,” states Cary Darrah, General Manager of the Cedar Valley TechWorks Campus. “ We are grateful to the entire Cedar Valley legislative delegation for its bi-partisan advocacy for this funding, especially Senator Bill Dotzler who really went to bat for the Cedar Valley and the TechWorks Campus. His work for this and other economic development issues this year is recognized by legislators from both sides of the isle.”

Jerry Thiel, Director of UNI’s Metal Casting Center is also optimistic about the impact of the collaboration on the industry statewide, “The capabilities of having technology like this will undoubtedly increase the overall competitiveness of Iowa manufacturers by allowing them to deliver products to the market at an unprecedented rate.”

Randy Pilkington, Executive Director, UNI Business and Community Services adds,
“This is a substantial investment in advanced manufacturing not just for the Cedar Valley, but for the entire state of Iowa. It also shows UNI’s commitment to advanced manufacturing statewide.”

What this means to the Cedar Valley

“The Cedar Valley is known as Iowa’s center of Advanced Manufacturing,” states Steve Dust, CEO of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber. “With the high concentration of manufacturing in our economic area, and the manufacturing technology -related resources of UNI and our higher education partners, the Cedar Valley is the prime location to establish the state’s hub of leading edge applied manufacturing technologies. As businesses and entrepreneurs from all over the Midwest access our equipment and facilities to improve and produce innovative products, we take another step in innovation led economic development in the Cedar Valley economy, and toward fulfilling the original vision for the Campus. We’re proud to be known as the Advanced Manufacturing Hub,” concludes Dust.

The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law before the end of June.

The Cedar Valley TechWorks is a 30-acre advanced manufacturing and biotechnology research, development and education center, and business and manufacturing cluster. The campus is located in downtown Waterloo, Iowa adjacent to the John Deere operations. The Cedar Valley TechWorks is owned and managed by the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.

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Welcome UNI President Dr. William Ruud

As the leader of one of the largest institutional employers in the Cedar Valley, the president of UNI plays a key leadership role in the development and promotion of the Cedar Valley economy. The Alliance & Chamber looks forward to the opportunity for Cedar Valley leadership to introduce the Ruud’s to our economic and civic interests, and emphasize the importance of business/community/education collaboration.

Dr. William N. Ruud began serving as the 10^th president of the University of Northern Iowa on May 31, 2013. He previously served as president of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania since 2007.

President Ruud, Bill, as he prefers, began his career in higher education at the University of Toledo in 1981. He taught business and ethics courses, was selected to coordinate the MBA program, served as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and was appointed Interim dean of the College of Business Administration. In 1993, he was named dean of the College of Business and Economics at Boise State University and was promoted in 1998 to Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

In 2000, Bill was selected to serve as the Chief Education Policy Advisor for the Office of Governor Dirk Kempthorne, State of Idaho. In 2004, he was named Vice President for Development/University Relations at California State University at Stanislaus.

President Ruud has a wealth of varied leadership experiences at public universities. He has successfully led the completion of the reaccreditation process, cultivated and developed major gifts for universities, and oversaw increases in faculty research programs and grants, student enrollment and graduation rates. He is known for his business acumen and has consulted organizations on educational assessment and economic development issues. He continues to conduct research on institutional leadership and organizational behavior topics.

President Ruud received his Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Hospital Administration from the University of North Dakota. He received his Master’s degree in Business Administration and his Doctorate degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He has served on numerous advisory panels, governance and chamber boards, and literacy councils. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, and he and his wife of 36 years, Judy, reside in the UNI President’s House with their Cockapoo, Fuzzy.

Vermeer CEO to speak at UNI

Vermeer CEO to speak at UNI

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Mary Vermeer Andringa, president and CEO of Vermeer Corporation in Pella, Iowa will speak at the University of Northern Iowa at 2 p.m., Thursday, April 11, in the University Room, in Maucker Union. Andringa is part of UNI’s distinguished guest lecture series featuring top corporate leaders. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Andringa became president of Vermeer in 1989 and sole CEO in 2009. Andringa is the immediate past chair of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the nation’s largest manufacturing association. She was the first female to chair the NAM. Andringa is also one of 18 private sector members of President Obama’s Export Council, where she represents the manufacturing sector on important trade matters. She also serves on the Ex-Im Bank Advisory Committee and is a member of the US-Brazil CEO Forum.

“It’s a great honor to have Mary Vermeer Andringa on our campus to share her successes, innovation, and challenges working in a global society,” said UNI President Ben Allen. “Our campus and community will have an enriching opportunity to learn about the skills needed in today’s global world.”

Vermeer is an international, family-owned agricultural, construction, environmental and industrial equipment manufacturing company with more than 3,250 employees worldwide. Its products are used in more than 60 countries.

University of Northern Iowa and Hawkeye Community College to Introduce Covey’s 7 Habits

Leader Valley, an initiative of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, is excited to announce two new opportunities for area educators lead by University of Northern Iowa and Hawkeye Community College education faculty.

On April 20, 2013 all pre-service teachers from both UNI and HCC are invited to attend a 7 Habits introductory session. Led by Catharine Freeman from HCC, and Teri Lasswell and Mary Beth Rygh from UNI, the college students will be introduced to the world of Covey’s 7 Habits.

Additionally, June 26-28, a 7 Habits Signature Session will be offered for Leader Valley educators at Hawkeye Community College. UNI Grad credit will be offered for the three day session.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Leader Valley Talent Initiative is an effort to make the Cedar Valley a better place for students to excel and become well prepared for citizenship and their future careers. This is achieved through high levels of community collaboration. Through Leader Valley, strong partnerships amongst Cedar Valley businesses, area school district administrators and school boards, parents and the community are being built. Leader in Me is a program of the Leader Valley Talent Initiative being implemented in schools throughout the region. More information can be found at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com/LeaderValley or by contacting Leader Valley Program Director, Melissa Reade by calling the Alliance & Chamber at 319-232-1156 or by email at mreade@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

Creating The Place to Start A Business.

By: Steve Dust

The Cedar Valley economic area thrives on successful businesses that began one day when its owner said, “I can do that – better.” Some of these former startups are still identified with the owner – while others have grown into international business powers.

All over the Cedar Valley there are examples of people who are passionate about something, determined that no one can do it any better than they, and opened a business to prove it – people like the Bertch family, the Far Reach Technologies partners, or Van Miller’s growing-every-day-into-something-different VGM, or the CBE Group, or Mudd Advertising, or….

As their business grew, each of them discovered the value of our government relations, information, education, and networking resources, the market growth spurred by ongoing promotion, and all the other things your professional team does to make the Cedar Valley a vibrant place for business startup and growth.

An observer of business startup and growth trends in the US, Brad Feld, recently wrote, Startup Communities – Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City. Based on his decades of starting businesses, becoming an early stage venture capitalist, and now known for his highly (some would say outrageously) successful Foundry Group in Boulder, CO, Brad eloquently writes about the role of organizations like the Alliance & Chamber in creating and sustaining that Entrepreneurial Ecosystem mentioned in the title.

The very best role the Alliance & Chamber can play to foster a robust Startup Community – that encourages a faster rate of business startups and attracts more people with the desire to take the entrepreneurial plunge is: Cheerleader and Feeder. In other words, Support.

Work on economic vitality – grow the market! Create a place where startups have the best chance of success: work on infrastructure like broadband, and amenities to create a vibrant, economic base
Make connections – directly, to new sales or service opportunities, or indirectly with exposure to customers and vendors and service providers through networking events, and to other feeder organizations – like UNI’s Center for Business Services and SCORE.
Inform them – with inexpensive access to high quality service providers in educational sessions on topics of interest to new businesses – like healthcare reform, social media tools, or the like – delivering info those new business owners will use to increase business results and avoid pitfalls.
Work with local and state government to keep them out of the way of business startup and success. Though almost always well intentioned, government gets in the way of startups and growing business with the increased cost of complying with or being constrained by this rule or that

policy/ordinance/statute.

Be the gathering place for startup community leaders. The leaders of our start up community must be people who have recently started their own businesses. As busy as they are, other owners of startup businesses are the best to relate to and offer actionable advice on the startup experience. The Alliance & Chamber is the platform – the roost – for emerging entrepreneurs to gather, and share their own experiences. It’s also great feedback for the Alliance & Chamber to build its Cedar Valley Start Up action agenda.

Believe me: there’s a lot of competition among places for business startup activity. We, and they, understand the economic power of startups, and the culture it engenders for addressing social as well as economic issues. Your Alliance & Chamber is motivated and equipped and working to ensure that the Cedar Valley economic area is an attractive place to take that giant step – the one taken by every person when they’ve uttered the words, “I’m starting a business.”

Former GMAC Employees Invited to Cedar Valley Talent Connect Job Fair

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is hosting a job and opportunity fair for former GMAC employees looking for employment and career development opportunities.

CEDAR VALLEY of IOWA (January 18, 2013)—On Monday, January 28^th, from 10am-1pm, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber (GCVAC) will host a job fair for former GMAC employees looking for new positions at the Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo. This fair, a part of the Alliance & Chamber’s “Cedar Valley Talent Connect” program, will feature local employers who have expressed a need for talent skilled in customer service.

In addition to career opportunities, a number of higher educational institutions, including UNI and Hawkeye Community College, will be present to discuss in-demand training programs and coach interested persons through the application process.

“Good communications skills are always in high demand. The experience of the former GMAC workers combined with our low unemployment rates, make us optimistic that employment connections will be made at this event,” states Brittany Jungck, Director of Business Services with the Alliance and Chamber.

Former GMAC employees with questions about this fair can contact Brittany Jungck, Director of Business Services at the Alliance & Chamber office: (319) 232-1156. A direct link with information about this event and other Talent Connect services can be found here: http://cedarvalleyalliance.com/talentconnect

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UNI graduates fare well in today’s economy

The University of Northern Iowa hosted its annual fall Commencement Saturday, Dec. 15. As hundreds of UNI students graduate and begin to look for employment opportunities, the December job outlook is more important than ever.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook for 2012, the overall top B.A. degrees in demand by employers this year are finance, accounting, and computer and information sciences, followed by electrical and mechanical engineering. UNI has a number of majors that align with these needs.

According to Matt Nuese, associate director of UNI’s career services office, UNI graduates seem to be faring well in today’s economy. Nearly 84 percent of last year’s graduates secured jobs or were continuing their education upon graduation, according to the 2011 Career Services Graduate Report.

It appears that many UNI graduates are staying within the state. During the last three years, three-fourths of all UNI graduates were employed in Iowa. The top employers of UNI students include Wells Fargo, John Deere and Waterloo Community Schools.

For more information, contact Bob Frederick, director of career services, at 319-273-6857 or robert.frederick@uni.edu.

UNI to launch Iowa’s virtual food waste reduction center

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Through the University of Northern Iowa’s Business and Community Services, the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC) is set to launch a new food waste reduction project on Tuesday, Jan. 1. The goal of the project is to launch a new educational campaign and a website that will act as a virtual food waste reduction center.

The new campaign seeks to provide the public with new resources and educational materials. Project goals include educational workshops, materials and webinars on different food waste reduction topics. The project is funded through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Solid Waste Alternative Program.

The IWRC assists small businesses in complying with environmental regulations through free education and consultation. The center also conducts research and develops technologies for more efficient and environmentally friendly production processes.

For additional information, contact Joe Bolick, communications and grants specialist at the IWRC, at 319-273-6577 or mjbolick@uni.edu.

Encouraging Young Professionals to Work the Valley

As part of an overall strategy to develop, recruit, and retain talented people in the Cedar Valley economic area, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is launching Work the Valley, a talent retention program targeting college students and young professionals (YPs). Work the Valley encourages YPs to stay in the Cedar Valley by showcasing appealing work places, careers, great company cultures and local life style amenities attractive to their demographic.

Work the Valley engages students and YPs with tours of Cedar Valley employers, business districts and cultural & entertainment venues, discussions & informative presentations, and specialty job fairs.

GCVAC Director of Business Services, Brittany Jungck says that when YPs experience firsthand all that the Cedar Valley offers they will be more likely to stay to build a career. “We want to show them that the Cedar Valley really can provide opportunities in line with their career goals yet with a much lower cost of living than bigger metros they may be attracted to.’’

The initial Work the Valley Bus Tour is November 1st in partnership with the UNI Career Center. Forty UNI students will visit four businesses and cultural venues and have opportunity to speak with 10 companies about current job openings and future employment outlooks.

Grow Cedar Valley