Month: August 2021

COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan

If you are a small business, nonprofit organization of any size, or a U.S. agricultural business with 500 or fewer employees that has suffered substantial economic injury as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you can apply for the SBA’s COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).  This loan provides economic relief to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that are … Continue reading COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan

Government Contracting Training Videos Now Available on CIRAS Online Resource Library

CIRAS hosts many training events each year on a variety of government contracting topics.  We bring in government contracting experts such as attorneys, accountants, federal agencies, and other consultants so you can learn from the best.  We realize that you are not always able to attend our webinars live or that a topic may not … Continue reading Government Contracting Training Videos Now Available on CIRAS Online Resource Library

Iowa Manufacturers Find Immediate Value in Wearable Tech

It started as a single question in a loud, pandemic-influenced Sioux City popcorn factory: How do we meet our obligation to monitor employee hearing if COVID-19 social distancing requirements are blocking us from running hearing tests in the usual way?   The answer, which American Pop Corn Company discovered with help from CIRAS, involves new workplace … Continue reading Iowa Manufacturers Find Immediate Value in Wearable Tech

UEA Toughens Practices, Improves Culture around Cybersecurity

A Waverly manufacturer of custom rotary motion products has upgraded its technological practices and revamped its culture after attending a CIRAS educational event on cybersecurity.  Howard Samarin, IT supervisor at United Equipment Accessories (UEA), said he was shocked after he and the company’s system administrator attended a December 2019 CIRAS event on data security.  “We got … Continue reading UEA Toughens Practices, Improves Culture around Cybersecurity

Researchers on Tunable Stiffness Bone Implant Turn to CIRAS for Technical Help

Iowa State University researchers have designed a new customizable device for optimizing the healing of broken bones—a tunable rod that can be 3D printed and custom matched to the needs of individual patients.  They formalized the idea only after working with CIRAS to explore the limits of 3D printing technology and confirm that their invention … Continue reading Researchers on Tunable Stiffness Bone Implant Turn to CIRAS for Technical Help

CIRAS Helps Rada Manufacturing Sharpen Its Marketing

A Waverly cutlery manufacturer expects to see more than $1 million in new sales after CIRAS helped the company analyze its changing market and launch new initiatives during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Rada Manufacturing Company, which has been making knives for fundraising groups and small retail operations since 1948, sought out CIRAS for … Continue reading CIRAS Helps Rada Manufacturing Sharpen Its Marketing

Pareti Mobile Walls Builds Business with BidMatch

A Belle Plaine, Iowa, maker of display panel walls is looking forward to a record year after CIRAS helped the company find more than $130,000 in government contracts through its BidMatch computer service.   Kathy Kyle, owner of Pareti Mobile Walls, credits Julie Fagle, a government contracting specialist with the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), for helping her company rebound after … Continue reading Pareti Mobile Walls Builds Business with BidMatch

Hogan Company LLC Gets Leg Up on Government Contracting with CIRAS Help

A new Dyersville concrete construction company landed four government contracts during its first few months of operation and began mapping a path to more ambitious efforts after working with a CIRAS government contracting specialist.  Hogan Company LLC opened its doors in early 2021 and found its way to CIRAS through the SBA–Small Business Development Center. … Continue reading Hogan Company LLC Gets Leg Up on Government Contracting with CIRAS Help

Grants Will Match Investment in Manufacturing 4.0 Technology

Iowa manufacturers who invest in new technology to become more competitive now can have up to $75,000 of that investment matched by the state of Iowa.  Iowa legislators approved a new “Manufacturing 4.0. Technology Investment Program” in May. The measure creates a program at the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) to help manufacturers ease the … Continue reading Grants Will Match Investment in Manufacturing 4.0 Technology

Cybersecurity Is Necessary to Secure Growth

By Jodi Essex Are you still ignoring the word “cybersecurity”? You can’t any longer.  As security breaches continue to occur in industries across the country, the need to assess your company’s level of security becomes increasingly important. Many businesses wonder where to begin with such an assessment, and this is where CIRAS can help.  Our cybersecurity … Continue reading Cybersecurity Is Necessary to Secure Growth