A Sioux City construction company now handles a majority of its accounting work in-house thanks to the help it received from the Iowa Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program.
I&A Construction’s primary focus is flat concrete work like sidewalks, driveways, trails, and curbs and gutters, as well as cast-in-place intakes. I&A Construction is DBE certified, which expands its opportunities to participate in local and federally funded road construction projects. The DBE Support Services program through CIRAS supports DBEs by educating them or connecting them to the resources they need to successfully perform on Iowa Department of Transportation-funded projects.
I&A Construction previously used an outside accountant to manage and maintain financial records, including estimating, invoicing, and month-end data. It was a job that office manager and CEO Marce Cockburn thought she could handle. But Cockburn wasn’t sure where to get the training she needed. She contacted the Iowa DBE manager, Mary Zimmerman, at CIRAS. Zimmerman researched several options before ultimately connecting Cockburn with Janine Clover at the Southeast Iowa Small Business Development Center.
Cockburn learned how accounting software could be tailored to her company’s specific needs. “I learned how to manage my projects using the software and how to gather the information I need to make informed financial decisions,” Cockburn said.
“Mary’s knowledge and expertise were invaluable,” Cockburn said. “I’m so appreciative of her willingness to connect me with individuals who understand my company and the struggles we face as a small business.”
For more, contact Mary Zimmerman at maryz@iastate.edu or 515-450-1278.