Month: September 2024

How the CIRAS-Ivy Partnership Impacts Iowa Companies

CIRAS routinely connects Iowa companies with technical and business capabilities at Iowa State University, including faculty, research laboratories, and students. One example is the highly collaborative relationship between CIRAS and Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business. Both focus on similar business interests, including business analytics, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, human resources, marketing, and international … Continue reading How the CIRAS-Ivy Partnership Impacts Iowa Companies

Changing the trajectories of Iowa manufacturers

Step into the Digital Manufacturing Lab powered by Alliant Energy and it isn’t long before Chris Hill is unpacking an exoskeleton.This model, he explains, straps on like a backpack and with pulleys, cables and levers helps workers lift their arms with 8 pounds of offsetting support. Think about that if your job involves repetitive arm … Continue reading Changing the trajectories of Iowa manufacturers

Manufacturing 4.0 Funding: New Opportunity for Iowa Companies

CIRAS and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), in partnership with the 4.0 Manufacturing Group and Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC), recently hosted a webinar led by Amy Lask, vice president of Business and Community Solutions at NICC. The webinar highlighted the upcoming Manufacturing 4.0 funding set to open in early 2025. The grant will … Continue reading Manufacturing 4.0 Funding: New Opportunity for Iowa Companies

CIRAS Staff News: Meet Heath Reimers

Heath brings over 20 years of industry experience across several sectors, including specialty steel and off-road equipment manufacturing. His areas of expertise include design, process specification control, CAD/CAM design, and prototyping. Heath is also skilled in implementing process improvements, optimizing tooling, and adopting digital solutions to enhance production efficiency.  Heath joins CIRAS from John Deere, … Continue reading CIRAS Staff News: Meet Heath Reimers

CIRAS Staff News: Meet Jordan Joynt

Jordan Joynt joined CIRAS as a Marketing Project Manager with the Business Team.    Jordan brings a robust skill set to CIRAS, with expertise in digital marketing, marketing strategy, content development, and print marketing. His experience includes creating and executing effective marketing plans, enhancing brand visibility through targeted campaigns, and crafting compelling content across various platforms. … Continue reading CIRAS Staff News: Meet Jordan Joynt

Emily Betz Takes on Expanded Role with the Iowa Lean Consortium (ILC)

We are excited to announce that Emily Betz has been appointed Assistant Director of the Iowa Lean Consortium (ILC) and Process Improvement Project Manager. In this role, she will assume expanded leadership responsibilities, guiding the strategic direction of the ILC. Tracy Schuster, Executive Director of the ILC, shared, “Emily’s new role accurately reflects her leadership … Continue reading Emily Betz Takes on Expanded Role with the Iowa Lean Consortium (ILC)

Q & A with Jake Behrens

Q & A with Jake Behrens  Role: Engineering Team Lead and Project Manager Q: Tell me about your job and how it contributes to the overall goals of CIRAS to help companies prosper. I have two roles within CIRAS: Engineering Team Lead and Project Manager. Our team is fantastic and I’m lucky to have them and … Continue reading Q & A with Jake Behrens

Recap: Mentor-Protégé Summit 2024

CIRAS APEX Accelerator Government Contracting Specialists participated in the Mentor-Protégé Summit 2024 in Detroit. The event highlighted the immense value of the Mentor-Protégé Program for companies aiming to excel in government contracting. Key Takeaways: Focus on Collaboration: The summit emphasized the power of collaboration between established companies and emerging businesses. The structured mentor-protégé relationships were … Continue reading Recap: Mentor-Protégé Summit 2024