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Western Iowa Advantage is celebrating success in the construction industry in Jefferson, Iowa. As the state with the second lowest cost of doing business, it’s no surprise that Iowa is an ideal place to attract and retain construction business owners. Two local business owners, Andy Rowland and Chris Deal, shared...
VT Industries commemorated the expansion of their Holstein, Iowa, architectural wood door manufacturing plant with a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, March 13.The $16 million venture at its Holstein headquarters emphasizes VT’s commitment to their architectural wood door customers and impending growth, as well as the local community and employees.Read the...
63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024
Mar 15 2024Many people dream of starting their own business. Running an enterprise in your home, garage or on the go means you can take more control over your professional goals, set more ambitious financial targets and achieve a more desirable work-life balance.But what if you're ready to start a business but...
SPOILER ALERT: The classic movie Field of Dreams tells the story of an Iowa farmer who hears a voice saying, "If you build it, he will come”, and sees a vision of a baseball diamond. He then mortgages everything to build a baseball field. While he does experience initial financial...
In the quest for sustainable growth and prosperity, rural economic developers face a unique set of challenges, paramount among them being a pervasive issue of infrastructure deficits. These deficits not only stifle economic potential but also hinder the quality of life in rural communities.Understanding the ChallengeInfrastructure in rural areas encompasses...
Quilting for 10 years, Stacie Schmidt is planning to share her hobby with the Carroll Community.On Wednesday, March 6, the Painted Pony Quilt Shop will open for business in Carroll. Initially running out of 201 S. Gault Street in Arcadia, the business will soon be located at 820 W. 8th...
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra made an appearance at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital (SMCH) on February 21. His visit included a tour of rehab services, as well as the obstetrics and emergency departments.Feenstra was impressed with the new equipment and technology that’s been implemented at SMCH, particularly in the obstetrics department...
2024 Iowa Travel Guide Now Available
Feb 28 2024The new 2024 Iowa Travel Guide is now available to inspire travelers looking to plan a trip to Iowa. The free 148-page guide can be ordered online at traveliowa.com, by phone at 800.345.IOWA, or picked up at any of Iowa’s Welcome Centers. An online version is also available.The publication includes...
Registration is now open for Business Horizons 2024, a five-day innovation program for Iowa high school students currently in grades 9-12. Business Horizons will take place July 14-18 on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines. This is the 41st year of the program provided by the Iowa Association...
Praise was welcomed for the efforts of Dale Ullrich and other community members for making Ida County a Home Base Iowa Community. A program was held on Feb. 19 at the Skate Palace including a ribbon cutting to celebrate this feat done by Ida County. To start the program, our...
As the world grappled with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the childcare sector emerged as a critical cornerstone for supporting working families and ensuring the healthy development of young minds. Adequate childcare is a necessity for parents and a vital component of a thriving economy. This narrative delves...
Joey Hoefling, nurse practitioner has been practicing for 11 years, and now has set up practice in Odebolt on Main St. In the past, he has worked on an Indian Health Reservation and then started his own practice. He had been a nurse for 26 years, 10 years in long-term...
In the heart of Iowa, Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Templeton Regional Center, nestled within the Carroll Campus, emerges as a beacon of hope and opportunity for high school students across the region. Designed to bridge the gap between ambition and accessibility, the center offers a transformative educational experience,...
The rankings on these pages are high-level measures of states’ workforce development climates. They do not reflect which states in a region have the most effective workforce training programs or labor boards or tools for connecting job seekers with potential employment opportunities. Rather they recognize states that performed well in...
As Iowa’s workforce continues to be limited across all industry sectors, state lawmakers will continue to focus on workforce strategies in 2024, including child care, affordable housing and funding for tax incentives to attract and retain companies providing high-quality, high-paying jobs.Child careChild welfare advocates in the state point to the...
WIN Awarded $250K+ Grant From OCIO For Rural Broadband Expansion In Carroll, Crawford Counties
Dec 23 2023Western Iowa Networks (WIN) has been awarded a more than quarter-million-dollar grant from the Iowa Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to extend fiber optic infrastructure to rural sites across Carroll and Crawford Counties. This grant marks the eighth consecutive award WIN has received from the OCIO since 2019...
Iowa House Assistant Majority Leader Rep. David Young told greater Des Moines area business and elected leaders Tuesday that the Legislature will have a “vociferous debate” on further action to reduce taxes during the 2024 legislative session.“It’s kind of like tax limbo, you know? How low can you go, and...
Workforce development stands at the heart of any region’s economic vitality. It is the cornerstone on which businesses, industries, and communities build their future. In the age of AI and advanced technology, leveraging AI for workforce development has become an option and a strategic imperative for EDOs.AI in Skills Gap...
Best Tourism Videos for 2024
Dec 11 2023If a picture is worth a thousand words, then each minute of the best tourism videos for 2024 are worth almost 2 million. At Golden Shovel, we use videos for good reason—the combination of visuals, music, and narration distills a city’s essence into just a few minutes.Top 6 Best Tourism...
One theme of the downtown assessment team’s presentation focused on enhancing downtown activities, events and experiences.An assessment of Carroll’s downtown from the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Downtown Resource Center culminated in a public presentation sharing their findings last Thursday.Special projects manager with the assessment team, Jeff Geerts, said many downtowns...
When writing this column each December, I review the past year at ABI. As ABI prepares for year-end, all our metrics point to 2023 being one of ABI’s best ever. Thank you for your investment in participation and dollars, because that is what has made the year so successful.It starts...
New Audubon Recreation Center Amenities Set for 2024The Beatles once famously sang, “Come together, right now.” While the tune may have had nothing to do with economic development, the lyrics certainly align with the intention of the Audubon Recreation Center (ARC) in Audubon, Iowa. Built in 2018 as a gathering...
Amidst a time of transformation characterized by changing preferences and economic shifts, numerous major urban centers have witnessed a downturn in economic activity in recent years. During this same time period, many of their mid-size counterparts have flourished. While the rise of these mid-size cities has been under way for...