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TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017 | IN THIS ISSUE
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 Iowa's first women's workspace opens in Cedar Rapids
The Dostal House, a multi-use space billed as Iowa's first women's workspace and social club, is now open in Cedar Rapids' New Bohemia district.
Outfitted with an open-plan workspace, a private meeting room, a full-service salon and a design house/retail space, the Dostal House concept aims to be a "home away from home" office for women in the Corridor, according to founder Meegan Hofmeister.
"I created The Dostal House out of conviction; I found myself to be lonely in my own journey as a female entrepreneur," she said in a press release. "With my first business I struggled to find good mentors in my industry, to help guide me as I learned how to run my business. I wished I had someone or someplace to turn to for support and guidance, to be able to pick others' brains and to bounce ideas off of."
The Dostal House is located at 1000 Third St. SE, Suite 1. The salon and retail storefront are open to the public, while the coworking space is reserved for women, and by membership only. The salon and retail hours will vary. A grand opening event will be held July 8, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
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A $3.5-billion five-year highway construction and maintenance plan approved by the Iowa Transportation Commission at its meeting today adds new Corridor projects, such as the I-380/Tower Terrace Road interchange, while continuing to use the motor fuel tax increase to fund much-needed maintenance and upkeep.
The overall funding in the plan is roughly the same amount as last year, explained Stuart Anderson, director of the Iowa DOT's Planning, Programming and Modal Division. Since the draft plan was presented in May, it was revised to add about $45 million in bridge rehabilitation projects in fiscal year 2018 to take advantage of current program balances.
The plan includes more than $1.2 billion for Iowa's bridges, DOT officials stated. Over the last few years, the number of structurally deficient bridges on the state highway system has been reduced from 256 in 2006 to 64 in 2016 as a result of the commission's emphasis on improving the condition of Iowa's bridges, the DOT stated in a press release.
Work on the I-380/Tower Terrace Road interchange is funded in 2022 under the plan. Two other I-380 interchanges will ramp up in 2018 with funding that was already in the plan last year.
The new I-380/Forevergreen Road interchange between North Liberty, Coralville and Tiffin will receive more than $12 million in 2018 funding. It is intended to provide an alternate route before the I-380/I-80 interchange is built. That interchange will receive close to $6 million in 2018 funding.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett put in a pitch for funding of a project to widen and add sidewalks and bike paths to Collins Road between Twixt Town Road and Northland Avenue to reduce congestion and help Rockwell Collins attract and retain workers. He also pitched a project to improve the capacity C Avenue/Highway 30 interchange as Transamerica
shifts employees to its C Avenue campus.
Coralville City Administrator Kelly Hayworth emphasized that city's need for funding for reconstruction of the First Avenue/I-380 interchange as the city begins work on a new sports arena and other projects that will add additional volumes to an already congested interchange.
Full details of the five-year plan are available
here.
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Representatives from the Corridor's 25 Fastest Growing Companies pose on stage following the June 7 awards ceremony.
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The Corridor Business Journal's 2017 Fastest Growing Companies list includes some impressive new arrivals in its 10th year, although the overall pace was a little slower than in some years past.
Two-year growth rates for the 25 companies honored ranged from 40.49 percent up to 289.99 percent for overall winner, Sitler's LED Supplies, based in Washington. The median growth rate among companies featured on this year's list was 76.31 percent; last year's median came in at 94 percent.
This year's field was as diverse as ever, including not only such high-growth industries as e-commerce and tech, but electrical and HVAC contractors, landscapers and consulting firms. It was also geographically diverse, with winners hailing from Benton, Johnson, Linn and Washington counties.
Last year's top finisher, Moxie Solar, wasn't able to match its blistering growth of 536 percent notched during its inaugural year on the list. The sun continued to shine on the North Liberty-based solar installer, however, as it registered 225.45 growth, high enough for No. 2 on this year's list.
Among the companies that made the list for the very first time, Higher Learning Technologies offered an education in what's possible. The Coralville-based developer of mobile phone learning apps registered 190.27 percent growth from 2014-2016, landing it at No. 3 in the rankings.
Read this members-only story in this week's print or digital editions of the CBJ.
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Cedar Graphics has invested $5 million in a new eight-color, LED-UV press, which promises to double productivity and keep the Hiawatha-based printer on the forefront of UV curing technologies.
Cedar Graphics has purchased a fully-automated KBA Rapida 106 straight and perfecting LED-UV press, which will anchor its pressroom. The system, capable of printing 18,000 sheets an hour, will allow for faster lead times, increased use of plastic substrates and more finishing options. It will also offer an improved environmental profile, with lower ozone and C02 emissions and the elimination of spray powders.
Traditional UV curing is used for specialty printing on surfaces that don't absorb ink, and has been in use for many years. New LED-UV systems use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as opposed to high-powered lamps to cure and harden prints, saving time and energy.
"The driving force in our decision to purchase the KBA Rapida 106 press was its productivity and its LED-UV capabilities," Hassan Igram, CEO of Cedar Graphics, stated in a press release. "We're anticipating a plethora of benefits for our company and our customers after installation including two times more productivity, improving and streamlining our workflow, delivering the highest quality day after day, servicing our existing diverse group of customers from colleges and universities to DVD packagers to defense contractors with new specialty work, and supporting our own business growth."
Cedar Graphics is a family-owned commercial printer specializing in UV offset, digital and wide-format printing. It serves a mix of major and mid-sized clients from around the world, and has appeared on the CBJ's Best of the Corridor list six times.
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The Iowa Finance Authority is seeking nominations for its 10th-annual HousingIowa Awards, which recognize outstanding programs, projects and individuals for their leadership and innovation in advancing affordable housing opportunities in Iowa.
Award nominations will be judged by an independent panel of judges. The 2017 award winners will be announced at the 2017 HousingIowa Conference, to be held Sept. 6 in Cedar Rapids.
Award categories include:
- Multifamily Housing Development
- Single-Family Housing Development
- Special Needs Housing Development
- Innovation
- Legislative Friend of Housing Award
- Kay Anderson Friend of Iowa Award
Award nominations are due July 14. More information about the 2017 HousingIowa Awards and the HousingIowa Conference is available at
HousingIowaConference.com.
Correction
The dates listed for the International Jugglers Association's upcoming festival were incorrect in an item in Monday's Business Daily. The event will take place from July 10-July 16 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Center. The CBJ regrets the error.
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Short-Term Event Planner
June 14
1 Million Cups: Student Accelerator Program
, by 1 Million Cups, 9-10 a.m., Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Teams from the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center's summer Venture School, the Student Accelerator Program, will present. Free. For more information, visit
bit.ly/2rXaS86
.
LFS Alumni Spring Luncheon
, by Leadership for Five Seasons, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Elmcrest Country Club, 1 Zach Johnson Drive NE, Cedar Rapids. Celebrate the LFS program, hear featured speakers, connect with fellow alumni and hear from recent graduates at the annual spring luncheon. Alumni are encouraged to bring donated items for Kids on Course, a nonprofit program of the Zach Johnson Foundation. Free. For more information and to register, visit
bit.ly/2qGT6Ba
.
Expert Edge Seminar Series - Maximize Productivity with a Functional Medicine Employee Program
, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce and BerganKDV, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., University of Iowa Research Park BioVentures Center, 2500 Crosspark Road, Coralville. Join Dr. Jason Bradley of EPIC Functional Medicine Center for a presentation on functional medicine and its effects on employees. Cost: $25 for members, $40 for non-members (includes lunch). Register at
bit.ly/2qAUn1D
.
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
Friends and family are speaking out Monday night after the sudden death of an Eastern Iowa racing legend. The Benton County Sheriff's Office tells FOX 28 News that 79-year-old Arlo Becker of Norway died when a tractor rolled north of Shellburg, pinning him underneath. The tractor overturned while pulling a sprayer up a steep grade. A friend with Mr. Becker at the time was not hurt. Mr. Becker was known by racing fans across much of Iowa. He spent more than 50 years racing at tracks across the area, including Hawkeye Down in Cedar Rapids. Funeral services for Mr. Becker are pending.
The Cedar Rapids Police Department is looking into two instances of shots fired just 12 hours apart and one block from each other. The first report of shots fired came in at 5:46 p.m. Sunday in the 1700 block of Fifth Avenue SE. Police found a shell casing in front of a house, but no injuries or damage were reported. Twelve hours later at 5:30 a.m. Monday, police were called to the 1700 block of Sixth Avenue SE and found damage on the front door of a house. Both instances are under investigation.
T
hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
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CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast
It will be another hot and humid day today, and likely the hottest of the year so far. A warm front to our north is continuing to pump in warm, moist air from the south. Temperatures will race into the low 90s for highs this afternoon. It will be sunny, hot and humid. The hot temperatures combined with high humidity will lead to heat indices near 96-101 degrees at times this afternoon. A cold front will approach from the west and a disturbance will likely form ahead of that front late tonight in the upper Midwest. A few isolated showers and storms will be possible overnight, primarily north of Highway 20. Otherwise, it will be another mild night with lows near 70.
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