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
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
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
Here is CIRAS’s quick look at major economic indicators, our assessment of Iowa’s industrial economy, and recommendations for you as a business leader. For an introduction and a description of the indicators used, see our first post. Indicator Status Underlying Data Notes ISM Manufacturing PMI® Nearly all indicators remained above neutral, demonstrating continued moderate growth … Continue reading Watching Iowa’s Economy – October