This month, CIRAS celebrated Mike Ralston, President of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) and long-standing member of the CIRAS Advisory Board, for his many years of dedicated service. Ralston’s leadership, commitment, and deep understanding of Iowa’s business landscape have played a pivotal role in ensuring that business leaders have the climate, connections, … Continue reading Celebrating Mike Ralston’s Service to CIRAS
Year: 2024
CIRAS Staff News: Meet Dawn Ealy
Dawn Ealy joins CIRAS as the new Workforce Services Director. For the past 13 years, Dawn has worked in consulting, with the last four years dedicated to running her own consulting business. Within this practice, she specialized in systems design, process improvement, strategic planning facilitation, and delivering training in project management, process improvement, meeting facilitation, … Continue reading CIRAS Staff News: Meet Dawn Ealy
How Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) Can Destroy Your Business
Similar to cyber breaches, our foreign adversaries are trying to gain a competitive advantage by gaining inside access, control, or influence over U.S. businesses, and the damage they can cause to a business is devastating. They may gain access through various means, such as through joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, obtaining board seats, or planting/targeting … Continue reading How Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) Can Destroy Your Business
Navigating Iowa DOT’s Bidding Opportunities: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you’re looking to do business with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), it’s important to understand the two distinct bidding opportunities available: Purchasing and Contracts & Specifications Bureau. Each has its own processes, requirements, and focus areas, and neither intersects with the other. 1. Iowa DOT Purchasing The Iowa DOT Purchasing division manages bids … Continue reading Navigating Iowa DOT’s Bidding Opportunities: A Step-by-Step Guide
CIRAS Is a Quality Connection for Agricultural Equipment Manufacturer
Company History In 1988, Kooima Company started making replacement parts for agricultural equipment in a 1,200-square-foot rented building. At that time, their inventory included one part number. The company has since grown and now has 4,000 different part numbers. About five years ago, Kooima Ag split from Kooima Company. A leading agriculture knife maker, Kooima … Continue reading CIRAS Is a Quality Connection for Agricultural Equipment Manufacturer
Unlock Short-Term Engineering Expertise: How Iowa Companies Can Benefit from International Student Talent
Imagine hiring a trained engineer for a short-term project without long-term commitments. CIRAS connects Iowa companies with international engineering graduate students through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs. “CPT and OPT offer Iowa companies the chance to hire degreed engineers for defined periods, without long-term commitments,” says Gary Mirka, director of … Continue reading Unlock Short-Term Engineering Expertise: How Iowa Companies Can Benefit from International Student Talent
Challenge to Innovation: Timberline Manufacturing Overcomes Workforce Shortages With Automation Support
Timberline Manufacturing faced a difficult challenge. The Marion-based electronics contract manufacturer, like many employers in today’s economy, struggled to find assembly-line employees for its wire harness department. As a solution, they began exploring ways to augment their current workforce putting together the harnesses, which organize and protect electrical wires. Wire harnesses are just one of … Continue reading Challenge to Innovation: Timberline Manufacturing Overcomes Workforce Shortages With Automation Support
Leadership, Change Speakers to Headline ILC Annual Conference in 2024
At the Iowa Lean Consortium (ILC) Annual Conference in 2023, an exhibitor told Tracy Schuster, ILC program director, that they had never seen so much hugging at a conference. “People enjoy this conference because they connect with friends and meet like-minded people who understand the challenges they face in their work of improving people, processes, … Continue reading Leadership, Change Speakers to Headline ILC Annual Conference in 2024
Innovative Work Aids Reduce Physical Strain on Employees
A growing number of employees prioritize supportive work environments equipped with the right tools for safe performance. Category 5 of the Baldrige Excellence Framework® highlights this trend, revealing a shift in employee preferences that, combined with Iowa’s population demographics, presents both challenges and opportunities for companies. To attract and retain employees, especially those beyond the … Continue reading Innovative Work Aids Reduce Physical Strain on Employees
Elevating Quality and Supply Chain Resilience
As Puck Custom Enterprises, a Manning-based manufacturer of liquid transfer equipment, continues to grow, they need to ensure their business practices continue to meet their needs. Recently, this meant upgrading their quality systems and their approaches to managing their supply chain. “We are always striving to produce a higher quality product, and after being in … Continue reading Elevating Quality and Supply Chain Resilience