COVID-19 wrought havoc on America’s economy in 2020, but the new year and new vaccines are bringing new hopes for return to normal in 2021. However, Iowa experts have two messages for business leaders who are looking over the horizon and anxiously awaiting their shots: Start planning now, and be prepared for things to change.
Author: Jeff Eckhoff
Communications Manager at CIRAS, Iowa State University
ILC Webinar Week: January 19-22
This month, the Iowa Lean Consortium is offering you a week’s worth of intensive learning – and you won’t even have to leave your desk. Written by Tracy Schuster ILC Program Director The ILC’s 2021 Webinar Week begins on January 19 – the day after Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday – and includes four days of intensive presentations covering various aspects of Lean. The webinar topics will include:
Start 2021 by Re-checking Where You Stand on COVID-19
COVID-19 upended nearly all American businesses in 2020. Now that 2021 is here, where do you stand in dealing with the pandemic? Do you have a good handle on how the coronavirus has impacted your business and what might lie ahead in 2021? CIRAS is urging any Iowa company with lingering questions about COVID-19 to start the new year off on a good foot by checking with us to see how CIRAS can help.
Act Now: Last Chance to Renew your ILC Membership!
Iowa Lean Consortium members need to act before January 15 to renew their memberships for 2021. After that date, membership benefits will begin to be removed for anyone who hasn’t yet renewed.
Did You Know?… Threshold Changes for Small Business Sub Plans
Government policy says that a portion of each federal spending dollar should be used to help small businesses. Federal agencies put this into practice by requiring that large prime contractors submit a plan along with their proposals demonstrating how they will utilize small businesses in the performance of each federal contract. Historically, these plans were … Continue reading Did You Know?… Threshold Changes for Small Business Sub Plans
What to Watch for as Flu Season Combines with COVID-19
What does COVID-19 have in common with influenza? The foundation for keeping both from overwhelming your workplace starts with education, regular disinfection, and keeping a close eye on your employees so you can spot any outbreaks quickly. http://www.allergypartners.com/metrodc/wp-content/uploads/sites/89/2020/09/COVID-vs-Flu-vs-Cold_2020.png That was the message to Iowa manufacturers in November when Emily Law, infection prevention coordinator at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, spoke to participants in the weekly CIRAS Roundtable for Iowa manufacturers.
Reshoring Webinar on December 10
Offshoring your components can come with a great deal of cost and risk. This is true now more than ever in the middle of a pandemic. Iowa manufacturers understand the difficulties that can come with managing an unpredictable supply chain. CIRAS would like to help. Together with the Iowa Economic Development Authority, the Iowa Area Development Group, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, and the Greater Des Moines Partnership, we’re sponsoring a one-hour webinar on December 10 explaining the benefits of bringing your production home.
Start Your Shopping with Iowa-Made Gifts
It is time for our 5th annual CIRAS holiday gift list! This year buying products made right here in Iowa carries even more significance as it supports our businesses and their employees that have kept our economy running through the pandemic. Here are just some of the great Iowa gifts you can give:
There’s Still Time to Renew your ILC Membership (or Join Today)!
Membership in the Iowa Lean Consortium is a gift that keeps on giving, with year-round training opportunities in continuous improvement -- and now, more choice in how you use your membership. Join today!
SSAB Finds Valuable Partner in Iowa State Students, Faculty Research
A Muscatine steel factory is on the verge of innovation after increased student involvement developed into major research at Iowa State University. SSAB, an international steel producer, recently completed CIRAS-arranged research and filed for a patent on a new optical fiber technology for measuring the temperature of molten steel in electric arc furnaces in real time. The company also is experimenting with Ames Laboratory on ways to improve the rolled-steel alloys SSAB manufactures.