Bryan Christopherson, Midwest regional manager at Floodproofing.com, attended the 2022 Small Business Industry Day at Rock Island Arsenal hoping to learn more about doing business with the federal government. It didn’t take him long to connect with Julie Fagle, a government contracting specialist with CIRAS. With her guidance, Floodproofing.com was eventually awarded a $236,000 … Continue reading Partnership with APEX Pays Off
Month: May 2023
Addressing Production Issues in Advance Saves Time, Money
A Dyersville manufacturer is saving time and money by implementing a strategy that identifies potential breakdowns before they occur. JEDA Polymers, maker of engineered resins for the injection molding industry, was using a “homegrown solution” to anticipate issues in their extrusion lines. Though their efforts were moderately successful, the company couldn’t resolve all their issues … Continue reading Addressing Production Issues in Advance Saves Time, Money
How AI Will Influence the Future Workforce
As technology continues to advance, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workforce is becoming increasingly important. AI is changing the way companies operate, from customer service to data analysis, and is expected to play a significant role in the future of work. According to a report by McKinsey Global Institute, AI could contribute … Continue reading How AI Will Influence the Future Workforce
Candymaker Finds Sweet Success
An enticing aroma greets you at the Fairy Tale Cotton Candy factory in Des Moines. It’s sugar, but it could also be considered the sweet smell of success. Inside the factory, more than 50 varieties of cotton candy are produced and shipped far and wide to small stores and big box outlets, and under private … Continue reading Candymaker Finds Sweet Success
Businesses Encouraged to Respond to IWD Wage Survey
Nearly 7,200 Iowa businesses are slated to receive a wage survey this year—with mailings starting in May—and officials at Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) have a plea: Help us help you by completing it. The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey gathers employment information and wages paid for nearly 800 job titles. Donna Burkett, bureau … Continue reading Businesses Encouraged to Respond to IWD Wage Survey
CIRAS Welcomes 2023 Summer Interns
eNews Engineering Industry 4.0 ISU Students Manufacturing Networking Outreach Supply Chain Workforce
CIRAS is set to welcome the 2023 summer interns to the team. CIRAS hosts interns throughout the summer, offering students professional networking opportunities that will contribute to their professional connection and interest in pursuing manufacturing. The goals of the internship program are as follows: Expose talented young professionals to manufacturing Provide students with opportunities to … Continue reading CIRAS Welcomes 2023 Summer Interns
Did You Know? Are you “DIB-Ready”?
As we’ve previously mentioned, APEX Accelerator programs (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers / PTACs) throughout the United States are now being managed by the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP). While much of the government contracting assistance available for businesses from APEX Accelerators like ours will remain unchanged, the update … Continue reading Did You Know? Are you “DIB-Ready”?
Turner Construction, CIRAS Cohort is Big Success
Participants who recently completed the first-ever Construction Diversity Accelerator class led by Turner Construction and CIRAS agree: The event was a rousing success. “It was engaging and well organized,” said Perlla Esturilho from Southeast Constructors, one of 30 people who participated in the five-week course. “It’s hard to do a one-size-fits-all program but they did … Continue reading Turner Construction, CIRAS Cohort is Big Success
Watching Iowa’s Economy: May 2023
Here is CIRAS’s quick look at major economic indicators for Iowa. For an introduction and a description of the indicators used, see our first post. Indicator Status Underlying Data Notes ISM Manufacturing PMI® Manufacturing contracted for the sixth consecutive month. Indicators were generally split between contracting and growing, as the rate of contraction slowed from … Continue reading Watching Iowa’s Economy: May 2023
Q & A With CIRAS Government Contracting Director, Jodi Essex
Q: Tell me about your role at CIRAS and the type of clients you work with. A: I am currently serving as the Program Director for the APEX Accelerator program that assists businesses with selling their products and services to government agencies. I primarily support a team of government contracting specialists that provide one-on-one counseling, training events and … Continue reading Q & A With CIRAS Government Contracting Director, Jodi Essex