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
Year: 2023
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
Ivy Sales Innovation Summit to feature Principal CEO Dan Houston
Ivy Sales Innovation Summit to feature Principal CEO Dan Houston (Ames, Iowa) — Registration is now open for the second annual Ivy Sales Innovation Summit, which will take place on May 17 at the Iowa State University Alumni Center. Designed for leaders seeking best practices in sales, the one-day conference will focus on strategies to … Continue reading Ivy Sales Innovation Summit to feature Principal CEO Dan Houston
Did You Know….the value of the bid Evaluation Criteria?
In most government bid processes, you will see an Evaluation Criteria list in the bid document. The Evaluation Criteria guide the evaluator or evaluation team in scoring each bid response to assist in the award decision. Before submitting your bid response, review the evaluation criteria carefully and be prepared to ask questions. For example: If … Continue reading Did You Know….the value of the bid Evaluation Criteria?
Q & A With CIRAS Automation Leader, Andrew Friend
Q: Tell me about your role at CIRAS and they type clients you work with? A: I lead our automation team of four, which includes myself, Eric Higgins, Kirk Haaland, and Ty Hill. We generally work with manufacturers, helping them understand what’s possible with automation and helping them prioritize and justify specific automation opportunities. We … Continue reading Q & A With CIRAS Automation Leader, Andrew Friend
Watching Iowa’s Economy: April 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 fifth consecutive month. All indicators on the national scale registered as contracting, although most were near neutral. Mid-American … Continue reading Watching Iowa’s Economy: April 2023
Meet the Buyer Events Lead to Immediate Results
Not many small businesses have staff who can spare several hours a week pursuing government contracts. It can be time-consuming to determine which government agencies to contact, to research their needs and protocols, and to prepare a sales pitch. It’s even a challenge just to find the right person in the right department—and to get … Continue reading Meet the Buyer Events Lead to Immediate Results
Brenda Martin: Create a vision of what an industry’s future could become with you involved.
This blog is part of a series for Women’s History Month to highlight women who are making an impact on the manufacturing industry. Tell us a little about yourself and your work. Hello, My name is Brenda (Vande Voort) Martin. I’m employed with the Iowa MEP (CIRAS) at Iowa State University of Science and Technology in Ames, … Continue reading Brenda Martin: Create a vision of what an industry’s future could become with you involved.
Sarah Dvorak: Manufacturing is for Anyone Who Wants to Solve Problems and Serve Customers
This blog is part of a series for Women’s History Month to highlight women who are making an impact on the manufacturing industry. View the original blog post here. Sarah Dvorak didn’t originally plan on a career in manufacturing, but her first career was not a good fit. Luckily, the opportunity to be part of a volunteer … Continue reading Sarah Dvorak: Manufacturing is for Anyone Who Wants to Solve Problems and Serve Customers