News Archives

Your economic development website is more than a brochure — it’s your digital front door for site selectors, corporate location advisors, and potential investors. When consultants evaluate communities, the first impression often comes from your online presence. A strong digital marketing strategy for economic development begins with a website that...Continue Reading

The start of a new year is always an exciting time. It is a chance to reflect, set goals, and build momentum for what is ahead. At ABI, we are energized by the possibilities for 2026 and the opportunity to continue serving our members across Iowa.Having completed my first full...Continue Reading

Western Iowa Advantage (WIAD) exists to help forge the close links between community and business leaders, working together to bring economic, workforce, and community development to our region.And we can’t do it without the amazing partnerships we share with all of you!As we put the wrap on 2025, we wanted...Continue Reading

IKM-Manning High School will receive additional support from the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council to expand its student-run business as part of the STEM BEST Program. BEST, which stands for Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers, will help the district strengthen work-based learning opportunities during the 2025-26 school year through IKM-Manning’s...Continue Reading

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst on Monday named 3C Roofing & Construction of Crawford County as her latest Small Business of the Week. Ernst highlighted the Schleswig company for its long history of community service and dependable workmanship. Ernst, the Republican chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, has and will...Continue Reading

As economic developers look for new ways to promote their communities online, adapting to an AI-driven search landscape has become essential. At Golden Shovel Agency, we’re helping organizations rethink their 2026 content strategies to ensure their communities stand out—both to people and to artificial intelligence.Economic Developers Must Adapt to the...Continue Reading

Navigating the intricacies of the skilled trades industry has never been straightforward, but today we’re standing at a crossroads defined by two unprecedented barriers.On one hand, a growing wave of retirees is leaving a gaping hole in the workforce. As millions of seasoned workers leave their positions, employers are racing...Continue Reading

Anyone planning to make a location decision in the coming years should be paying attention to Opportunity Zones, the federal capital gains tax incentive designed to drive productive investment into low-income areas across the country.The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) made Opportunity Zones (OZs) a permanent feature of the...Continue Reading

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announces more than $23 million in awards through the Historic Preservation Tax Credit program, with one project located in Jefferson. Developers of the Jefferson High School rehabilitation project, have been awarded nearly $2.5 million to cover a portion of the $8 million project to...Continue Reading

The countdown to Christmas is on! And over the next few weeks we’ll all probably hear the words “shop local” dozens of times.Regardless of age, most people love the idea of it. A recent article from Forbes noted that Boomers (80%) and Gen X (77%) were all about buying from...Continue Reading

Leaders champion innovation as the engine of progress. Yet when it’s personal—when an employee reimagines their own career—it’s too often dismissed. If reinvention keeps companies alive, shouldn’t it also keep people thriving?In a workforce that spans six or more decades, the ability to pivot—whether by reskilling, shifting roles, or moving...Continue Reading

It’s a topic of endless debate for business leaders and analysts: What is the most important element that determines a company’s success or failure?Patrick Esposito, president and co-founder of ACME General Corp.—a company that bridges the gap between public sector organizations and innovators building problem-solving technologies—even wrote a book about...Continue Reading

The skilled trades are becoming increasingly multigenerational, challenging traditional learning and development opportunities for leaders across the industry. In the first quarter of 2024, Gen Z made up 18 percent of the U.S. workforce, but 18- to 25-year-olds made up nearly 25 percent of all 2024 new hires in skilled...Continue Reading

JLL recently launched an Advanced Manufacturing group to meet the moment, and Area Development spoke with group leaders Greg Matter, Vice Chair Industrials, and Meaghan Elwell, Division President of Global Industrials, to get their real estate playbook for the new era. This conversation has been edited for space and style.Why...Continue Reading

The owners of nine small-scale meat processing shops in Iowa are splitting $355,000 in state grant money to expand their businesses.Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig said the “Choose Iowa Butchery Innovation Grants” have to be matched by the business and these grants are leveraging investments of nearly $2 million.“This is...Continue Reading

Several local farms will be showcased during this year’s Choose Iowa Farm Open House and the Iowa Barn Foundation’s Fall All-State Barn Tour, happening this weekend, Sept 13-14. The events coincide giving visitors an opportunity to discover agricultural heritage through tours and promoting Iowa products while supporting local farms and...Continue Reading

New to Coon Rapids-Bayard School District this year is Jessica Badding who facilitates the Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) program.A statewide nonprofit organization and affiliate of the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Network, iJAG partners with Iowa schools to offer career development programming at a personal, classroom level. Badding...Continue Reading

As you sit in Monday morning traffic or attend yet another boring meeting, you’re probably thinking there must be a better, more satisfying, and more profitable way to spend your time. The good news? There absolutely is. The internet has created all sorts of online business opportunities, and now anyone...Continue Reading

Kids driving you crazy? Boss blowing up your emails?No matter whether you’re in a zen kinda mood or about to lose your mind, Western Iowa Advantage (WIAD) encourages you to take a break, get outside, and enjoy a breath of fresh air by traversing some of our favorite trails.Whether you’re...Continue Reading

Greg Piklapp of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, and now executive director of Greene County Development Corporation, made his first visit to the Jefferson city council at the council’s Aug. 26 meeting. He was introduced by GCDC board president Scott Weber.Piklapp said his goal in Greene County is to advocate...Continue Reading

A ground breaking ceremony sponsored by Audubon County Economic Development took place at 408 Market Street in Audubon on Aug. 19.Brady and Ashlie Griffin will be building a new facility in this location very soon. Brady said “Griffin CPA, llc is excited to announce that we have decided to build...Continue Reading

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and two of President Donald Trump's cabinet members advocated the need to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, remove regulations and lead the way in developing artificial intelligence at a business expo here.U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency...Continue Reading

Rural America is having a moment. Policymakers and business leaders increasingly see the heartland as indispensable to the nation’s future health and prosperity.What are the unique strengths of rural communities? What are their most pressing needs? And how can rural communities across the U.S. position themselves as viable destinations for...Continue Reading

Enticing folks to buy local has always been an easy sell in Iowa. In 1843, Dubuque opened its first farmers’ market, which grew so much in popularity that by 7 a.m., there was hardly anything left.Fast forward to today, where you’ll find 200 farmers' markets throughout the state, collectively generating...Continue Reading