Author: carmenw

Partnerships Support Company Growth

Leveraging resources available through CIRAS and its partners is one key to the unprecedented growth of Brava Roof Tile. Over the past two years, the southeast Iowa manufacturer moved into a new facility, tripled its workforce, and significantly increased its sales. Founded in 2008 in Washington, Iowa, Brava makes high quality synthetic roof tiles from recycled … Continue reading Partnerships Support Company Growth

ExporTech Accelerates Global Growth

TransAgra International expects to more than double its global sales in the next year, and strategies learned at ExporTech will help the Storm Lake company achieve that goal. “We learned a great deal about building our global presence and making contacts, as well as the details of exporting and registrations in each country,” said Dr. … Continue reading ExporTech Accelerates Global Growth

CIRAS Staff News

Emily Betz has joined CIRAS as a project manager specializing in process improvement. Emily has more than 10 years of experience using Lean principles to help companies solve their business challenges. She has helped hundreds of organizations examine their processes to gain efficiencies and improve productivity. Emily has worked in multiple sectors including manufacturing, construction, … Continue reading CIRAS Staff News

Partnerships Help Plas-Tech Tooling Grow

Much has changed in the years since Dean and Marcia Sonquist launched Plas-Tech Tooling in 1993. The business long ago moved from the couple’s garage into a building in Garner. The company’s labor force has grown from 1 employee to nearly 30 full-time workers, and the focus of the business has broadened significantly. The Sonquists … Continue reading Partnerships Help Plas-Tech Tooling Grow

Save the Date: ILC Annual Conference

The annual conference of the Iowa Lean Consortium (ILC) is scheduled for October 25. A hybrid event is planned to ensure easy access for all interested members and organizations. The event will be offered in person at the Meadows Event and Conference Center in Altoona; breakout sessions and keynote addresses will be livestreamed. The hybrid … Continue reading Save the Date: ILC Annual Conference

Developing Your Own Workforce Strategy

It’s no secret that Iowa businesses are struggling under the weight of current workforce constraints. So how can your company mitigate the impact? Over the long run, an organization-wide workforce strategy that collaboratively optimizes attraction, retention, productivity, and automation can help. This plan should be developed within the context of your regular strategic-planning cycle. Strategy … Continue reading Developing Your Own Workforce Strategy

Assistance with Flow-down Clauses Helps Ensure Contract Compliance

Roxanne Schlue was two months into her new job at LMT Defense when the Eldridge company received one of its largest-ever federal contracts. Schlue’s job as compliance manager was to ensure that the appropriate flow-down clauses were passed down to subcontractors. For assistance with that, she turned to the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). “When … Continue reading Assistance with Flow-down Clauses Helps Ensure Contract Compliance

Giving Clients Access to a World-class Facility

A partnership with the Iowa State University Meats Laboratory gives Iowa meat producers access to world-class research, technology, and training to keep them informed, updated, and competitive. “CIRAS helps us educate processors on basic meat science as well as advances in food processing and food safety technology,” said Terry Houser, associate professor and extension meat … Continue reading Giving Clients Access to a World-class Facility

Invoicing Problems Resolved; Company Gets Paid

Assistance from the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) helped an Oskaloosa-based manufacturer address inaccuracies in their invoicing information that were delaying payment for a government job. Larry Lewis, owner of Lewis Repair and Manufacturing, contacted CIRAS after experiencing a delay in getting paid for an incinerator he delivered to a military base in Florida. … Continue reading Invoicing Problems Resolved; Company Gets Paid

Company and CIRAS Explore Adjacent Market

A worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of custom-made environment-controlled cabinets credits CIRAS with bringing a possible new market space to their attention. Percival Scientific, founded in 1886 and located in Perry, is exploring the feasibility of adapting its current product line to include cabinets for aging and fermenting meat. The idea was suggested … Continue reading Company and CIRAS Explore Adjacent Market