Updates Newswire Stories

CIRAS Director Ron Cox is retiring after more than 25 years at CIRAS. We sat down with him to discuss what he has seen develop over the past quarter of a century and where he thinks things might be headed.   Q: How did you get your start at CIRAS? A: I was returning to … Continue reading Q&A with Retiring CIRAS Director Ron Cox

The Iowa Lean Consortium (ILC) continues to draw large crowds to its annual conference. More than 95 companies and organizations were represented at the 11th annual event held October 24 and 25; 300 people participated in-person and online. The goal of the conference was to reconnect attendees with each other, share practical suggestions for improving … Continue reading 11th Annual ILC Conference Provides Education & Community

Here is CIRAS’s quick look at major economic indicators for Iowa. For an introduction and a description of the indicators used, see our first post. Indicator Status Underlying Data Notes ISM Manufacturing PMI® Indicators were mixed, all remaining close to neutral. Mid-American Index Prices continued sharp increases along with strong growth in new orders in … Continue reading Watching Iowa’s Economy – November

The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, signed into law on August 9, will inject up to $280 billion in critical and emerging technologies. The bill provides more than $52 billion to subsidize semiconductor manufacturing, including tax benefits and other incentives to encourage U.S. businesses to build new chip manufacturing plants in the U.S. The … Continue reading Impact of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022

Adam Lathrop has joined CIRAS as an account manager for southwestern Iowa. Adam has a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the Drake University. He joins CIRAS with a wide variety experience. Most recently Adam has worked with business and industry across the state to improve their … Continue reading Staff Update: Meet Adam Lathrop

Federal grants and awards reinforce the efforts of CIRAS to achieve its goal to “enhance the performance of industry through applied research, education, and technical assistance.” Here’s a list of some recent awards and how they’re being used to help CIRAS in its work with Iowa companies. More than $745,000 has been received from the … Continue reading For The Record

Jeff White has joined CIRAS as an account manager for southeastern Iowa.

Jeff has a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Iowa. He joins CIRAS after 30 years in marketing, business development, and sales, primarily in Iowa manufacturing.

Our mission here at CIRAS is to enhance the performance of industry in Iowa through applied research, education, and technical assistance. We can’t do that in a vacuum, so we put a lot of effort into understanding what Iowa manufacturers need to help them compete globally.