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Iowa DOT Commission meeting in Okoboji
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The Iowa Transportation Commission will host a meeting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji. The session will begin with a brief business meeting, followed by a public input session.
Local government, interest groups and individuals will have a chance to give input on various transportation-related issues at the meeting.
Those wishing to address the commission should contact the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Program Management at 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010, or by email to donald.tebben@dot.iowa.gov. Include the time period you prefer and the topic you would like to discuss. Statements and presentations will be limited to 20 minutes or less per person.
Officials say the input meeting will address the Iowa Transportation Improvement Program, transportation policies and highway, aviation, rail, river and transit issues.
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Kudos!!
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Spencer Hospital trustees voted to proceed with $8.2 million facility and equipment upgrade.
NorthStar Bank purchased Emmet County State Bank. The transition is expected to close by the end of the year.
Storm Lake Middle School's Tornado Learning Club received $20,000 grant from Monsanto Fund.
The United States Department of Transportation awarded $600,000 to the Storm Lake Municipal Airport to acquire land to enhance approach protection.
Terry Bruns, CEO and President of Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative, is retiring.
CommStock Investments of Royal purchased Pro-Crop Farm Management of Spencer.
Bank Plus announced plans to purchase State Bank of Ledyard.
Parks Marina of Okoboji is celebrating 30 years of business.
Argisafe Network in Spencer was awarded $171,000 for training to improve health and safety of workers in agriculture production. Funds are provided by the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program.
The City of Spencer received Vision Iowa funds of $171,000 for the Riverfront Project along the Little Sioux River. Total cost of the project is $901,000.
Bill Orrison was honored by Northwest Bank at his retirement open house with the Northwest Bank William C. Orrison Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually for five years to a Spencer High School senior.
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Do you have a Kudos, Upcoming Event, feature story or other item that you would like included in The Corridor? Contact Samantha and she'll be sure to include it!
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The Corridor
September 2012
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Greetings!
The Iowa Lakes Corridor would like to welcome its newest investors:
Evertek, Quality Processing Services/Quality Refrigerated Services, H&N Chevrolet, and Orthopedics P.C.
We thank all of our investors for their commitment to the economic development of the region.
Innovation Pavilion
We would like to thank everyone who came through the Innovation Pavilion during the Clay County Fair! Our vendors were thrilled with the traffic in the building. In the Youth Pavilion area, we had a sign-up for our newsletter. As promised, one of the people who signed up will receive a $100 Gift Card to Hy-Vee! And the winner is Kristi Fisher of Dickens! Thanks to all who entered the drawing.
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Dream Big Grow Here contest under way
Entrepreneurs could win $15,000 for business
$15,000 would be a boost to any business owner or person starting a business. That's why the Iowa Lakes Corridor is one of 10 regions in Iowa hosting the Dream Big Grow Here contest for the second year.
The contest starts online, where entrepreneurs submit their business dreams to www.DreamBigGrowHere.com. Submissions are made in the form of video, text, pictures, or a combination of these. The submissions should explain the business and why the contestant deserves to win; submissions will be accepted until Oct. 15. From Oct. 15-31, voters are asked to visit www.dreambiggrowhere.com, review the submissions and vote for who they believe is worthy of the $5,000 award.
The top five vote-getters will compete in a pitch-off on November 13 to a panel of judges who will chose the winner.
The 10 regional winners will then go on to compete at the state level for an additional $10,000. The state winner will be chosen by a panel of experts.
"There are many business plan competitions available to entrepreneurs who are at a fairly advanced stage in the planning and execution of their business," shares Brian Dalziel, business coach for Iowa Lakes Corridor. "Dream Big Grow Here is the only contest known to offer a substantial prize to an entrepreneur for sharing, and building support for, a great business dream -- before their business plan and other supporting documents are done."
Each region creates the rules for their competition. The Corridor is not putting an age or industry restriction on the contest. The Corridor works to create the next generation of successful entrepreneurs, with entrepreneurial programs for students in kindergarten through college. Because of the Corridor's involvement in youth entrepreneurship, the contest will be open to these resourceful and innovative youth.
Other rules include the business must be small, with 0-30 employees. Persons competing must reside in Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson or Emmet County, or their business/prospective business must be located in one of the four counties.
Last year's winner was Safari Child Care Center in Milford. Over 11,000 votes were cast in the Corridor's 2011 contest; Safari received over 3,300 of those votes. They used the funds to purchase new playground equipment at their facility. Twenty-four entrepreneurs participated in the Corridor's contest. Statewide, 142 entrepreneurs participated and over 88,000 votes were cast.
Entries can be uploaded to www.DreamBigGrowHere.com until Oct. 15 and the voting period will be from Oct. 15-31. Someone in the Corridor's four-county region will win; why not you?
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Iowa DOT freight advisory council
The Iowa DOT has created a freight advisory council. Kathy Evert, president and CEO of the Corridor, has been selected to serve on this group. Its purpose is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and help the Iowa DOT better understand the complexities associated with freight movements to more effectively guide public investment in transportation infrastructure. The council includes representatives from various modes of transportation, shippers, processors, distribution centers, and other various organizations that deal with freight. The council will provide input and feedback to the Iowa DOT to address a wide array of freight issues important to support the efficient movement of goods and to grow Iowa's economy. Evert is the only representative from western Iowa and will do her very best to represent business and industry in our region and greater northwest Iowa. During the Corridor's regular interviews and visits with business and industry, we are often made aware of any challenges or barriers. If there are new issues or opportunities you feel would be beneficial for discussion at the advisory council level, please contact Kathy at any time to discuss. |
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Seeking nominations for Business Recognition Luncheon
The Iowa Lakes Corridor's third annual Business Recognition Luncheon is set for Wednesday, November 14. The purpose of the luncheon is to thank existing business and industry for their commitment to the Corridor region. Their presence stimulates the economy, creates jobs and fosters quality of life.
During the luncheon, three awards will be given: Small Business Excellence, Large Business Excellence and Entrepreneur of the Year. The Corridor is seeking nominations for these awards. Businesses can be nominated for several reasons: contribution to local economy, recent expansion, new product or service, customer service, management practices, community involvement, etc.
The business/entrepreneur must be located in the Iowa Lakes Corridor Region: Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. Any individual can submit a nomination for any for-profit business or entrepreneur for any of the three award categories.
Businesses/individuals can nominate themselves for any one of the awards. Multiple nominations can be submitted. Small Business Excellence is for companies with fewer than 30 employees, and Large Business Excellence is for companies with more than 30 employees.
Nominations will be reviewed and judged by a selection committee, consisting of a mix of business owners and community leaders throughout the region. All information will be kept confidential, and answers provided will be used solely by the judges for the purpose of determining the awards.
Nomination forms can be found on the Corridor's website or you can download one here. Nominations can be submitted via email to Shaun, fax at 712-580-3472, or mailed to the Corridor office at 520 2nd Avenue East Suite 2, Spencer, IA 51301. For questions or more information, contact Shaun at the Corridor office at 712-264-3474.
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CIRAS workshops to be held in Spencer
The Iowa Lakes Corridor and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are bringing two workshops to the area on October 9 and 10. Within the ISU Extension, CIRAS (Center for Industrial Research and Service) specializes in assisting Iowa businesses. These workshops are free and will be held in the Iowa Lakes Corridor conference room.
Conversion From CCR to SAM Made Easy
October 9, 1-2 p.m.
This workshop is for businesses that have already registered with the federal government database (CCR, now transfered to SAM). These businesses need help in managing the transition from the old database to the new one. In this workshop, attendees will be given hands-on guidance with the conversion of their files.
Capturing Government Sales
October 10, 9-10 a.m.
This workshop is targeted toward any business owner that wants to know if government sales are a good fit for their business. Look around you. Almost everything you see is being bought by a government agency somewhere. Learn how the contracting process works, how to determine if an agency is buying your goods or services, and the qualifications and requirements you need.
To register for these workshops, click here. For more information, contact the Corridor office at 712-264-3474.
Since 1963, CIRAS has been helping the College of Engineering and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach carry out their land-grant university mission to improve the quality of life in Iowa by enhancing the performance of Iowa industry. Many of the resources that are availalbe through CIRAS partnerships are detailed in the Industry Services list that can be found here. If you need assistance assessing problems, or you need a resource that is not listed, your CIRAS regional account manager will work with you to resolve the problem.
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Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation Staff
Kathy Evert
Shaun Arneson
Brian Dalziel
Holly Pearson
Samantha Miller
Joanne Follon
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