Growth Newswire Stories

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

Student interest in internships at Stellar Industries is rising thanks to the company’s work with CIRAS and Iowa State University’s Engineering Career Services (ECS). The three entities have been collaborating on strategies to enhance awareness of internship opportunities, and their efforts are paying off. Stellar Industries, headquartered in Garner, manufactures service trucks, cranes, hook lifts, … Continue reading Partnership with CIRAS, Career Services Pays Off

This year the Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) celebrates its 60th anniversary. The Board of Regents and Iowa legislature established CIRAS in 1963 to counsel industry on special problems, advise on appropriate procedures for growth, and conduct research and testing programs where necessary. In the last 10 years alone, CIRAS has had a … Continue reading CIRAS Marks 60 Years of Service

  ePATHUSA, an Iowa software consulting and staff augmentation firm, has achieved remarkable success as a federal contractor, securing the 2023 National Small Woman-Owned Business of the Year award from the National 8(a) Association and HUBZone Contractors National Council. They are now well positioned to pursue contracts with the Department of Defense. Graduating from their … Continue reading Climbing the Government Contract Ladder

Women make up nearly half of the working population, but they remain underrepresented in manufacturing. According to recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women account for more than 57% of the overall workforce but only about 29% of the manufacturing workforce, a statistic that’s been largely unchanged for years. Addressing this gender disparity can benefit … Continue reading Recruiting More Women into Manufacturing

We are often asked to help a company understand what their contract compliance requirements are regarding cybersecurity in federal contracting.  One way to understand those requirements is to look at your contract or solicitation and identify what cyber clauses are included.  Below is a quick guide to identifying those clauses and understanding what obligations they … Continue reading Cybersecurity Contract Clauses Explained

Q. Tell me about your role at CIRAS and the type of clients you work with?   A. I lead the CIRAS Business Team, which offers services in the areas of marketing, supply chain, and other non-technical business functions.  As part of that team, I serve as a project manager focused on marketing strategy, and … Continue reading Q & A with Marketing and Growth Project Manager, CJ Osborn

Are You an Innovator? Don’t Miss the SBIR/STTR Road Show By Anne McMahon, Statewide SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator America’s Seed Fund, $4B, is the largest source of early-stage, non-dilutive funding in the United States.  The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are highly competitive and encourage small businesses to explore … Continue reading Are You an Innovator? Don’t Miss the SBIR/STTR Road Show

An enticing aroma greets you at the Fairy Tale Cotton Candy factory in Des Moines. It’s sugar, but it could also be considered the sweet smell of success. Inside the factory, more than 50 varieties of cotton candy are produced and shipped far and wide to small stores and big box outlets, and under private … Continue reading Candymaker Finds Sweet Success

As we’ve previously mentioned, APEX Accelerator programs (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers / PTACs) throughout the United States are now being managed by the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP).  While much of the government contracting assistance available for businesses from APEX Accelerators like ours will remain unchanged, the update … Continue reading Did You Know? Are you “DIB-Ready”?

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

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 (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

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?

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

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) offers a program specific to small business contractors where small businesses compete against each other and not against large contractors. This program, separate from the DBE Certification, is called the Small Business Development Contracts Program. To be eligible for this, a small business must become a Certified Small Business Contractor … Continue reading Did You Know? Small Business Development Contracts Program  

Manufacturing 4.0 Assessments Exceed Expectations Iowa manufacturers are eager to incorporate advanced technologies into their enterprises. That was clear by the overwhelming response to the Technology Investment Grant Program led by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The goal of the effort is to assist Iowa manufacturers in becoming more competitive by adopting and leveraging … Continue reading Manufacturing 4.0 Assessments Exceed Expectations

YOUR VOICE MATTERS Niki Rainey, Civil Rights Bureau Director, encourages Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) companies to “have your voice heard at the table” of each monthly DBE goal-setting meeting. WHY does it matter to a DBE? Every month, the Civil Rights Bureau hosts a virtual goal-setting meeting to set the DBE subcontracting goals for the … Continue reading Why Goal Setting Matters to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Companies

You must understand the needs, expectations, and desires of your current and future workforce before deciding what changes to make. Your company can identify areas of potential strength you can build on and weaknesses you may want to address by using a new assessment offered by CIRAS In collaboration with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), … Continue reading New Tool Available to Help Companies with Workforce Strategy

“We are a great place to work” This is one of the most common things we hear when visiting companies throughout Iowa. Most of the time, they are right. Great culture, supportive leadership, strong pay and benefits—yet they still have trouble attracting employees. Why? Every employer that is looking for people says, “We are a … Continue reading Tell Your Story

Starting a business from scratch isn’t easy, but with hard work and determination, Lily Okech made it happen. Okech is a refugee from Uganda who arrived in the United States in 2005 as a ninth-grader without the ability to read or speak English. She soon learned to do both. In 2018 Okech started Cleaning for … Continue reading Cleaning for Hope Finds Success While Helping Others

It’s been a wild and wooly economy the past three years, but CIRAS is looking forward to the upcoming year with new ways to help Iowa businesses manage oncoming challenges. “2023 is going to be a year where we learn a lot about where the economy and industry is going in the next three to … Continue reading CIRAS Looks Forward to 2023

An international construction company is partnering with CIRAS to increase the participation of underrepresented contractors on its projects. Turner Construction, the largest domestic contractor in the U.S., and the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) are offering a free five-week program designed to enhance the ability of Underrepresented Business Enterprises (UBEs) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises … Continue reading 1st Annual Construction Diversity Accelerator – Hosted by Turner Construction & CIRAS

With more competition for employees, how your company is perceived as an employer is more important than ever. Businesses become employers of choice through solid leadership, comprehensive total rewards, engaged workers, and a company culture that employees believe in and are excited to be part of. Three actionable tactics can help your organization to strategically … Continue reading Building Your Employer Brand to Attract and Keep Talent

  There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all safety plan for manufacturing facilities, and nobody understands that better than Jack Hasken. Jack Hasken is president and CEO of Jackson Manufacturing, a custom plastic injection molding facility in Maquoketa. Jack runs the company with his wife, Sarah, who is instrumental in setting the company’s strategic … Continue reading Making Safety a Priority

Landing a government contract isn’t an easy task, but it is possible—especially if you have someone knowledgeable to guide you through the process. Just ask Cinnamon Rost. Rost, who owns and operates 1809 Design in Clive, submitted her first government request for proposal (RFP) in 2020. “It was daunting, but CIRAS made it more manageable,” … Continue reading Persistence Pays Off

A Cedar Rapids-based lawn care company was awarded a small initial contract that has since led to more than $100,000 in work after CIRAS helped prepare the business owner for the government contracting process. Rupert Ellis, owner of Crew Cut Lawn Care, contacted Julie Fagle, a government contracting specialist with the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance … Continue reading New Targeted Small Business Wins First Contract

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

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

By: Justin Niceswanger In my role as a counselor for Iowa businesses seeking government contracts and subcontracts, I’ve noticed how it can be difficult for some of our clients to move forward in using direct marketing efforts, and begin building relationships with government personnel and prime contractors.  These actions aren’t easy for everyone: Even if … Continue reading Did You Know? Taking Advantage of Networking Opportunities

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

Hurricane Ian worked its way up the eastern State’s coastline and destroyed homes, businesses, bridges, roadways, power lines, and much more infrastructure. Per FEMA, The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207 (the Stafford Act) §401 states in part that: “All requests for a declaration by the President that a … Continue reading Did You Know… Your Small Business May be Able to Help After a Natural Disaster?

Being a one-person show hasn’t stopped Eduard Mato from securing multiple federal contracts for his musical instruments and music education business. From his office in Centerville, Eduard Mato runs U.S. Music, an international business that provides musical instruments, music lessons, and coordination of performing arts events. A highly trained professional musician himself, Mato started the … Continue reading One-Person International Music Business Benefits from CIRAS Research, Contract Expertise

Every product or service has features and benefits, but did you know that you should never mention a feature without explaining the benefit of that feature?  Why?  Because not every feature is a benefit to your target customer.  For example, if your target customer lives in Florida, heated seats (the feature) of a product would … Continue reading Did You Know? Agencies Buy Benefits Not Features

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

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

A family-owned welding business founded 39 years ago in southwest Iowa used its ongoing relationship with CIRAS to further its understanding of the government bid process. As a result, they’ve recently been awarded two contracts from the USDA Forest Service totaling more than $256,000.  Gregory Welding, located in Sidney, had previously completed their System for … Continue reading Understanding Government Bid Process Pays Off

An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) can be a powerful tool for saving jobs, recruiting top talent, retaining people, and building retirement wealth. And white it may not be the best option for all companies, a growing number of Iowa businesses are finding success in using ESOPs to meet their workforce objectives. Folience Inc. is a … Continue reading ESOPs Achieve Workplace Goals in Retention, Productivity, and Retirement Wealth

During the past couple of years, we have seen major disruptions and changes in how we conduct business. It’s not a stretch to claim that all of us have experienced some impact from supply chain disruptions, whether professionally or personally. In 2020, during the early stages of the pandemic, CIRAS and other Manufacturing Extension Partnership … Continue reading CIRAS Supplier Scouting Program: A Year of Reflection

As part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, federal funds were authorized to support the continued development of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Iowa is joining with many other states in developing plans to create an EV charging network along Interstates 29, 35, 80, and 380. Our state federal funding for 2022 is $7.6 … Continue reading Did You Know? Iowa’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan

A $1 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law last November could mean more projects for Iowans who are certified to work with the government.  Iowa is scheduled to receive $5 billion in funding for improvements, including $3.4 billion for highway repairs, $432 million to replace and repair bridges, $638 million for water infrastructure improvements, $305 … Continue reading Registration Paves the Way for Highway Improvement Contracts

ACT Safe, a Sioux City business focused on assisting companies with compliance issues, is looking forward to a record year after receiving their 8(a) certification.   ACT Safe plans to hire 15–20 new employees and hopes to secure more government contracts like the one that currently has founder Lorna Puntillo working with the Florida Veterans Administration … Continue reading ACT Safe Expecting Record Year

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. Anything that results in sustainable growth requires patience and persistence. But the payoff can be substantial. That’s the lesson learned by Black Cat Wear Parts, a company that started working with CIRAS four years ago and is now poised to see increased sales of more than $2 … Continue reading Patience and Persistence Key to Potential $2 Million Sales Growth

If you are experiencing challenges with your SAM registration – You are not alone. On April 4, 2022 the U.S. government transitioned from DUNS numbers to Unique Entity IDs, also known as a UEIs.  Many companies are experiencing challenges and delays in getting their SAM registrations renewed, preventing the government from being able to issue … Continue reading Did You Know? Updates to SAM.gov

By Samantha Ferm If you’re a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and have applied for the SBA’s WOSB certification in the past, you might have been aware of the odd requirement a limited number of NAICS codes were even applicable to be considered as a ‘woman-owned small business.’ This eliminated hundreds of possible NAICS codes across … Continue reading Did You Know?” The SBA Has Expanded WOSB NAICS Codes

A Davenport business owner who turned to CIRAS for assistance with securing government contracts has already seen dividends in the form of new work.  Jeno Berta owns Halberd Security, a company that installs, repairs, and services security systems that protect buildings, infrastructure, and technology. Berta launched his company in 2019 with business partner Chris Chonto. … Continue reading Security Company Credits PTAC with Recent Growth

By: Justin Niceswanger In past years, federal agencies have established contracting goals to award at least 5% of their prime contract spend to small disadvantaged businesses.  In December of last year, the Biden Administration announced the goal would substantially increase. How much was the increase?  Can your company qualify as a small disadvantaged business, and … Continue reading Did You Know? The SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program

We’re at a rare inflection point that will change the landscape of American manufacturing over the next 50 years: the transition from internal combustion engines to electrified motors in vehicles. As the automotive industry transforms, very few hardware manufacturers will be unaffected. In 2016, just under 300,000 electrified (battery, plug-in, and hybrid) vehicles were produced … Continue reading The Powertrain Supply Chain is Transforming. Are you ready?

Innovation At Work is a series of stories, photos, videos and audio highlighting the new approaches Iowa State University is taking to big challenges that affect Iowa’s communities and landscape. A new entry in the series will be published every Tuesday between April 5 and May 3. To learn more about the impact CIRAS and … Continue reading Innovation at Work: Strengthening Iowa Communities

Manufacturers agree that a robust marketing plan plays a strategic role in their short- and long-term growth objectives. But finding time to develop or update a plan can be challenging. So to make marketing content more accessible, CIRAS offers on-demand training using recordings from its successful Digital Marketing Strategy Boot Camp series. “I’d talk to … Continue reading Participation Soars at Virtual Boot Camp

By Jodi Essex We’ve seen so many changes in the government contracting world in the past year it’s difficult to keep it all straight.  Here’s a quick recap of the changes that are happening or are in the works: CMMC / Cybersecurity The government has now introduced a less burdensome version of the Cybersecurity Maturity … Continue reading Did You Know? The GovCon World is Ever-Changing

Selling your products or services to government agencies begins with building a network of potential buyers. CIRAS can help with that with “Meet the Buyers” events that offer opportunities for both sides of the government procurement process to learn about each other. Government procurement officials and federal prime contractors will describe what they buy and … Continue reading Connecting with Government Buyers

An Anamosa company is better positioned to compete for government work after connecting with Julie Fagle, a government contracting specialist with the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). Gregory Husmann, of Husmann Development Inc., reached out to Fagle late last spring for assistance with a bid on a new Veteran Affairs (VA) clinic. Husmann is … Continue reading Company Gets VA Certification in Record Time

A Cherokee manufacturer has utilized their ongoing relationship with CIRAS to understand a new bid process, expand its list of potential customers, and learn how to certify its cybersecurity protocols. Bob Simonsen, marketing manager at RJ Thomas Manufacturing, recently contacted CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) government contracting specialist Mary Zimmerman for assistance with a … Continue reading Manufacturer Gets Help Navigating New Bid Process

Fox River produces high-performance socks at a plant in Osage. The company has increased sales, invested in new equipment, and added jobs since implementing a new sales approach based on a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model. The Osage manufacturer has seen revenues increase by $1.5 million since updating their sales approach with a TCO … Continue reading Sales Grow After Rethinking Supply Chain Costs

By Ron Cox Iowa is one of the best states in the country at leveraging our workforce population. We have historically low unemployment (4th best over three decades) and historically high labor force participation rates (5th best). Iowans’ willingness to work is a great state strength, yet we continue to have labor force shortages that … Continue reading Growing in a Labor Shortage

By: Mary Zimmerman Certain government programs, such as Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs and contracting opportunities, are reserved for small businesses. To qualify, businesses must satisfy the SBA’s definition of a small business concern, along with the size standards for  small business. SBA sets the size standards for businesses by industry using either revenue … Continue reading Did You Know? New SBA Business Size Standards Rule

By Samantha Ferm There’s no better time than the start of a new year to connect with your PTAC counselor and do an audit of your goals with government contracting….and we are here to help! One thing I love to do for clients is simply work with them in updating a free market research report, … Continue reading Prepare for Government Contracting in 2022 with Your PTAC Counselor

A networking group launched seven years ago by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry in partnership with CIRAS continues to help its members learn from people who do the same work they do. MarketWise provides marketing and sales leaders opportunities to expand their skills through education, shared experiences, and best practices with their peers. … Continue reading Marketwise Helps Leaders Face Challenges Together

By Julie Fagle In recent weeks we have been discussing doing business with state/local Governments, some specific options for the surrounding states including their direct websites, as well as the relationship driven nature of marketing and contracting with these organizations.  There is also a resource available to help you develop these potential customers even further … Continue reading Did you know? There is a Resource Available to Help You Understand Doing Business with Other States

A conference focused on connecting Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) with numerous resource partners was held November 3 in Des Moines. The well-attended event provided opportunities for businesses to learn best practices, meet and identify potential business partners, increase their business exposure with other DBE companies, and collaborate with other contractors. CIRAS partnered with the Iowa … Continue reading 2021 DBE Conference Debrief

Like most responsible companies navigating a pandemic, Larson Manufacturing worked hard to secure its Lake Mills manufacturing facility against COVID-19. Among other things, and the company posted signs, upgraded its cleaning procedures, and installed social distancing barriers. But was that enough? To make certain, Larson last summer became one of Iowa’s first companies to receive … Continue reading COVID-19 Assessment Helps Larson Ensure Best Practices during Pandemic

By Melissa Burant The risks of having a global supply chain have never been more apparent. Severe weather events, the pandemic, and geopolitical issues have disrupted the global supply chain. The impacts of this are felt by every Iowa manufacturer. Finding new suppliers, especially local ones, is hard. A Google search is a great starting … Continue reading CIRAS Expands Supplier Scouting Capabilities through IEDA Partnership

CIRAS has received an Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) grant to help prepare disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) to compete for highway construction projects and other DOT-funded work. This $133,000 DBE Support Services grant will fund CIRAS staff to offer one-on-one assistance to DBEs, which are generally defined as small businesses that are 51 percent or … Continue reading Grant Paves Way for Businesses to Compete for DOT Work

A Decorah manufacturer of precision zinc die castings expects to see more than a $1 million increase in sales thanks to work by CIRAS to help the company improve its internet marketing. Dave Magner, director of sales and marketing for Deco Products Company in Decorah, said his company first turned to CIRAS about five years … Continue reading Deco Products Uses CIRAS Team to Tackle Internet Marketing

A Windsor Heights real estate appraisal company was awarded its first-ever government contract last February after reaching out to CIRAS for assistance with the process. Neilly & Company Real Estate Appraisals received $3,900 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine the value of a facility located in Jefferson. Justin Niceswanger, a government contracting specialist … Continue reading CIRAS Helps Appraiser Get First-ever Government Contract

If you are a small business, nonprofit organization of any size, or a U.S. agricultural business with 500 or fewer employees that has suffered substantial economic injury as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you can apply for the SBA’s COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).  This loan provides economic relief to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that are … Continue reading COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan

A Belle Plaine, Iowa, maker of display panel walls is looking forward to a record year after CIRAS helped the company find more than $130,000 in government contracts through its BidMatch computer service.   Kathy Kyle, owner of Pareti Mobile Walls, credits Julie Fagle, a government contracting specialist with the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), for helping her company rebound after … Continue reading Pareti Mobile Walls Builds Business with BidMatch

A new Dyersville concrete construction company landed four government contracts during its first few months of operation and began mapping a path to more ambitious efforts after working with a CIRAS government contracting specialist.  Hogan Company LLC opened its doors in early 2021 and found its way to CIRAS through the SBA–Small Business Development Center. … Continue reading Hogan Company LLC Gets Leg Up on Government Contracting with CIRAS Help

By Jodi Essex Are you still ignoring the word “cybersecurity”? You can’t any longer.  As security breaches continue to occur in industries across the country, the need to assess your company’s level of security becomes increasingly important. Many businesses wonder where to begin with such an assessment, and this is where CIRAS can help.  Our cybersecurity … Continue reading Cybersecurity Is Necessary to Secure Growth

A Cedar Falls mapping and imagery company has used valuable support from CIRAS to garner more than $11 million in government contracts over the past five years.  Aerial Services Inc. is a veteran-owned small business that provides companies and governments with a wide range of services, including aerial LiDAR, digital orthoimagery, and comprehensive mapping solutions.  Ryan Kibsgaard, … Continue reading Aerial Services Finds Powerful Partner in CIRAS Advisor

One of the manufacturing arms of a Cedar Rapids job-training agency increased revenue by $675 per day after CIRAS helped make one of its assembly lines more efficient. Tom Cavanagh, production manager for Goodwill of the Heartland, said he sought help from CIRAS last summer out of concern that Goodwill wouldn’t be able to meet … Continue reading CIRAS Helps Goodwill Assemblers Get More Efficient

Toward the back of a long, narrow office, tucked away in a storefront that has been a south Des Moines landmark for more than 107 years, Frances Graziano sat behind a paperwork-laden desk last September and chuckled.

Was she scared? Absolutely.

“It’s terrifying,” said Graziano, president and CEO of the Graziano Brothers food company. “It’s absolutely terrifying. Is the product going to work? Do we have everything in place? Are we going to have a handle on the quality control? Is there going to be a market for our product outside of its current geographic area?”

Early this year, for the first time since 1912, the manufacture of Graziano Brothers sausage took place somewhere outside the small brick building on South Union Street. The change, which followed roughly 18 months of planning and preparation alongside CIRAS experts, is part of a broad, multistep plan to breathe new life into a historic family business and position it for a much longer future.

It all started roughly 38 years ago, when John Tiefenthaler needed a job to take part in a high school vocational program. Tiefenthaler, then 18, visited the local Holstein, Iowa, meat locker. Uncertain how to act, he clumsily introduced himself and assumed that somebody would call him later. When no one did, he eventually admitted … Continue reading Planning for Future at Tiefenthaler Quality Meats

There are many reasons Iowa manufacturers come to Ramco Innovations looking for automation.

“Certainly, a lot of it is that it’s hard to fill a lot of positions these days,” said Joe Stoltz, vice president of technology for the West Des Moines company. “And once you find people, it’s hard to keep them doing a repetitive job.”

So how do you get more work done without adding staff? The correct technological solution for any particular company depends on exactly what you need machines to do. But Iowa manufacturers can’t answer those questions until they understand their options.

A Le Mars manufacturer of side-dumping truck trailers believes his business is on the road to steady growth after CIRAS helped improve the company’s management structure and confirm that its marketing is on the correct path.

SmithCo Manufacturing Inc. was founded in 1994 to make side-dump trailers for the construction industry. Change loomed, however, as the company entered its third decade. SmithCo, long popular in construction, agriculture, and municipal waste hauling, had discovered a lucrative new market in the mining industry. But could the business handle it? Operations manager Scott Lovell saw the potential for enormous growth over the horizon, and he wanted to make sure his company was ready.

A popular Iowa-made brand of all-natural insect repellant now comes with a wick—thanks to a new union between two highly successful CIRAS clients.

Simply Soothing, the Columbus Junction maker of Bug Soother insect spray, launched a new line of 8-oz. candles this summer with help from Milkhouse Candle Company, a soy-based candle firm with factories in Osage and New Hampton.

The candles, which are being manufactured by Milkhouse but sold under the Bug Soother name, are the culmination of years of conversations between the two companies. It all began after Ryan Horgen, head of business development for Milkhouse, read an article on Simply Soothing in CIRAS News.

For Mary Phelan, it all boils down to CIRAS being a sounding board she can trust.

Phelan, program manager for government and defense at Polo Custom Products in Monticello, has been working closely with the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) for roughly two years.

Every two years, CIRAS asks manufacturing leaders to step back and help us understand the condition of manufacturing in Iowa. What’s your greatest struggle? What’s working? Just as importantly, what’s not?

Getting a radically revamped business on the right long-term path generally equires fresh insight and some concentrated planning.

The government sector is a vast ocean of possibility for Iowa businesses, but the waters can run treacherous if you don’t understand how it works.

To help with that, CIRAS experts have created a daylong training event to help Iowa companies take a deep dive into the world of government contracting and delve into advanced teaming strategies for business development.

Charles Romans sees tremendous possibility in the relationship he’s building with his counterparts on the other side of Iowa.

Romans is the 3D design prototype director for ProtoStudios, a University of Iowa rapid prototyping facility that’s part of the MERGE innovation lab in downtown Iowa City. Despite his black-and-gold employer, Romans and his staff have been working closely with CIRAS project manager Mark Williamson and Chris Hill, director of the CIRAS Technology Assistance Program (TAP), for more than a year as part of a joint effort to learn from each other and give taxpayers the maximum benefit from the equipment each agency controls.

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!” Hill said with a chuckle. “It is possible for Hawkeyes and Cyclones to work together.”

Life began moving faster after Betty Garcia got the phone call.

It was the fall of 2017, and a Des Moines-area produce company was planning to launch a line of ready-to-eat meals. The company was wondering whether Tortilleria Sonora would be interested in supplying tortillas. First, there were a few questions about the business. Would Garcia mind filling out a questionnaire?

For John Nelson, the difference was like night and day—largely because everything looks dark when customers can’t find your website.

 Nelson is sales manager for ESCP Corporation, a Davenport metal fabricator and manufacturer of metal stacking racks. ESCP’s website used to work wonderfully, he said. But then one day, a periodic Google algorithm change seemingly knocked the company out of favor. All web-based leads just evaporated.

Legacy Manufacturing in Marion has added seven new employees (with at least three more coming soon) after a CIRAS-assisted automation program helped the company reshore production of one of its most popular products.

A quick five years after its journey began, a Holstein, Iowa, door-maker’s quest to find new alternatives for one of its products has morphed into a massive new business and a new company-owned recipe for producing fireproof doors.

For Bill Zimmerle, plant manager of the Valent BioSciences Corporation (VBC) facility in Osage, it all comes down to planning for the future.

The future, you see, requires water.

A Davenport manufacturer of alternators and other electrical equipment for specialty vehicles expects to more than double the amount it sells overseas within the next three years.

Officials at American Power Systems Inc. predict the company will at least double its current six-figure export sales once it fully implements everything leaders learned during a CIRAS-driven class presented via the Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub.

Kay Park Recreation was born in 1954 because its founder, Keith Borglum, was in the right place at the right time.

“His older brother happened to know some guys on a county conservation board,” said Keith’s son, Larry Borglum. “In the 1950s, when they started making parks everywhere, his older brother said, ‘I know some guys who could do that…’ ”

Government contracting is a byzantine business—a long and plodding trek through a jungle filled with complicated regulation, documentation requirements, and new marketing challenges.

Sound impossible? Not if you have help.

Industry experts from around the state are developing a detailed plan for growing Iowa manufacturing—with CIRAS slated to play a leading role both in the plan’s design and its implementation.

The ongoing effort stems from 2017’s governor’s Year of Manufacturing initiative, which charged the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Innovation Council (IIC) with finding ways to increase a $29 billion  manufacturing gross domestic product to $32 billion by 2022.

By the time CIRAS walked through his door, Adam Gold was ready to listen.

It was 2014, and it was clear that The Dimensional Group was a company with problems. The Mason City custom packaging and commercial printing firm had stretched beyond its capabilities.

For most of the online era, companies were able to maintain two separate growth strategies: a traditional marketing plan and a web/e-commerce plan. Not anymore.

Buyers, from consumers to professional B2B purchasing agents, have changed. It is now imperative to include your website, search engine optimization, search engine market­ing, social media marketing, email marketing, and web ana­lytics as integrated pieces of your overall marketing plan.

CIRAS projects have a big impact on Iowa and its communities.

Over the last five years, we’ve helped Iowa companies invest, expand sales and avoid costs to the tune of more than $2 billion.

CIRAS projects have a big impact on Iowa and its communities.

One of the things we do is to help companies find their way around a scarcity of workers. Sometimes, that means helping them reach out to graduating students:

CIRAS projects have a big impact on Iowa and its communities.

For example, our latest edition of CIRAS News took a look at the breadth of who we’ve helped over the past five years:

CIRAS projects have a big impact on Iowa and its communities.

For example, our latest edition of CIRAS News took a look at how we’ve affected employment over the past five years:

Earlier this year, Deere & Co. announced the $4.88 billion purchase of Wirtgen Group, a German company that makes construction equipment used in building roads. Analysts touted it at the time as something that would help the farm machinery manufacturer diversify and ease its dependence on agriculture.

Why is this important? Because it illustrates the realities of growing a business: there are only two real paths to do it in a lasting way—creating new products and/or finding new markets.

Do you hear terms like “digital manufacturing,” “Industry 4.0,” and “Internet of Things,” but wonder how any of those things could actually impact your company? Are you sensing that something is coming but uncertain of what it all means? 

 CIRAS wants to help. 

Mark Baker eventually concluded that government contracting was worth a shot.

No, the CEO of Des Moines-based Endless Supplies Corporation acknowledged, it was probably not going to become his company’s primary business strategy. Becker still has difficulty reconciling the fast-moving, products-always-changing world of information technology with sometimes-lengthy government procurement processes. But after a full day at the Iowa Events Center last fall spent hopping between educational presentations and asking questions of the speakers, Becker concluded that Endless Supplies ought to at least get certified so his company can show that it’s ready and able to do business with the government.

 Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and a host of other Iowa governmental and business leaders have unveiled a plan to boost Iowa factories during a “Year of Manufacturing.”

The Year of Manufacturing initiative, which was announced in January during Branstad’s Condition of the State address, is designed to be a 12-month, concentrated focus on improving Iowa’s manufacturing Gross Domestic Product. Led by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) and CIRAS, business leaders plan to fan out across the state to visit with companies and make certain that each firm is aware of the resources available to help them improve.

You hear it a lot around Iowa:  

      “I want to double in size in the next 5 years.” 

     “I just need one new OEM customer.”