ESOPs Achieve Workplace Goals in Retention, Productivity, and Retirement Wealth

• carmenw

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

CIRAS Supplier Scouting Program: A Year of Reflection

• mcgraw

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

Staff Update: Meet Emily Betz

• mcgraw

Emily Betz has joined CIRAS as a project manager specializing in process improvement. Emily has over 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, finance, … Continue reading Staff Update: Meet Emily Betz

Did You Know? Iowa’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan

• mcgraw

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

ILC Annual Conference Announces Keynote Speakers

• mcgraw

The Iowa Lean Consortium’s (ILC) Annual Conference, the state’s largest event for continuous improvement professionals, will return this year on October 25, 2022 at the Meadows Event Center in Altoona. This year’s ILC conference will be a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend sessions, network, and engage with vendors in-person or virtually. The keynote addresses … Continue reading ILC Annual Conference Announces Keynote Speakers

Watching Iowa’s Economy

• mcgraw

To say that the current economy is unpredictable is an understatement. One of the most frequent questions we get from businesses in Iowa is whether we are going to have a recession. There are countless approaches to analyzing the economy and whether there will be a recession. Even highly technical approaches have a lot of … Continue reading Watching Iowa’s Economy

Registration Paves the Way for Highway Improvement Contracts

• carmenw

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

Leading through the Workforce Crisis

• carmenw

Workforce shortages are impacting businesses of all types and sizes across the country. These challenges are more onerous in Iowa because of our slow population growth.   Here is some advice that members of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network™ have published recently on strategies to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers address their workforce issues.   … Continue reading Leading through the Workforce Crisis

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