WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21, 2018  |  IN THIS ISSUE  
Note: The CBJ offices will be closed tomorrow and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. 
Our newsletters will pick back up on Monday. Have a restful, happy holiday!
 
Deere's adjusted earnings of $2.30 per share were short of the analysts' consensus forecast of $2.45 per share. The Street reports that group sales rose 17 percent to $9.416 billion, topping expectations, but the company forecast that a stronger U.S. dollar and slower global demand will limit its net sales increase to about 7 percent for its 2019 fiscal year, putting net income at $3.6 billion, compared to an adjusted $3.073 billion for fiscal 2018.

"John Deere has concluded another solid year in which the company benefited from a further improvement in market conditions and a favorable customer response to its lineup of advanced products," said Samuel R. Allen, chairman and chief executive officer, in a statement.

"In the fourth quarter, farm machinery sales in the Americas made further gains while construction-equipment sales continued to move higher, helped in part by our Wirtgen road-building business, whose financial contribution has exceeded our original forecasts. At the same time, the company has continued to face cost pressures for raw materials such as steel, which are being addressed through pricing actions and ongoing cost management."  

The company remains well-positioned to capitalize on growth in the world's agricultural and construction equipment markets, Mr. Allen said, adding, "the replacement cycle for farm machinery is very much alive, despite tensions over global trade and other geopolitical issues."
 
The Iowa City VA Health Care System (ICVAHCS) is relocating the current Cedar Rapids clinic at 2230 Wiley Blvd. SW to a new leased location at 3500 Dalton Way SW, Ste. 201, in the former Ross Department Store.

 "The new location will allow us to continue to meet the needs of our veterans and to provide quality access to care for the many veterans who live in the area. The Iowa City VA Health Care System is committed to serving those who have served this country," said ICVAHS Director Judith Johnson-Mekota in a statement.
 
The new clinic will include approximately 23,000 square feet, more than doubling the current space, allowing the VA to improve physical therapy facilities and increase mental health services, reducing travel time for patients.
 
Other new programs and services will include radiology, home-based primary care, telehealth, and podiatry, as well as added space for primary care appointments. Audiology services will expand, including access to the Iowa City VA mobile audiology clinic.
 
"Patients will also see improvement in education and training because the clinic will not have to wait for available space to conduct those activities," said Michele Carter, clinic manager for the Cedar Rapids CBOC, in a statement.

Projected open date is early 2020.  
For the complete list of this week's Movers & Shakers, see the Nov. 19 edition of the CBJ.  
 
Guest count and host income by game weekend. CREDIT AIRBNB
Online lodging platform Airbnb reports its Iowa City host community welcomed 1,900 guest arrivals and earned $223,000 in supplemental income during University of Iowa home football weekends.

This includes a projected 220 guest arrivals and $25,000 in supplemental income during this coming weekend's Senior Day game versus Nebraska. The weekend of the Wisconsin game represented by far the largest influx of Airbnb guests to Iowa City in the history of the platform.

"With local hotels achieving peak occupancy during Iowa games, the growth of home sharing in Iowa City has allowed the city to host thousands of extra visitors and take full advantage of the unique economic opportunity presented by the university," the company's news release stated.

According to the company, the city benefits further from the expanded lodging capacity during Iowa home weekends thanks to an agreement with the Iowa Department of Revenue that allows it to collect state and local taxes on behalf of all Iowa hosts and remit the revenue directly to the state. The company said it will announce the amounts of that revenue in the near future. 

Planning to sit down to more than one Thanksgiving dinner this year? It's more likely if you're under 35 and live in an urban area, according to a new survey from Meyocks. And more people will be texting while turkeying than last year as well, reports the Des Moines Business Record.

Sixty-two percent of Americans under 35 -- who mostly represent millennials and Generation Z -- are planning more than one special Thanksgiving meal, compared with 38 percent of those age 35 and older, according to the 2018 Meyocks Thanksgiving Survey.

The survey suggests that "friendsgiving" events are popular with younger generations, said Doug Jeske, president of the West Des Moines-based branding and marketing agency. In addition, Americans living in urban areas are more likely to have multiple Thanksgiving dinners than those dwelling in suburban and rural areas."

Serving alcohol at the Thanksgiving meal is on the rise: 71 percent of respondents say they will serve alcohol, up from 62 percent last year. Serving alcohol is also more common among urban Americans (81 percent), compared with suburban (61 percent) and rural (52 percent) dwellers.

In addition, there is growing tolerance of electronic devices at the Thanksgiving table. Forty-five percent of Americans say they will allow phones and tablets at the table, compared with 35 percent last year.

"Our Thanksgiving study shows that celebration of this American holiday continues to evolve," Mr. Jeske said. "There are more choices than ever regarding how you spend the holiday -- and with whom -- but our study also shows the overwhelming urge of Americans to continue to gather with others and share their joys and thanksgiving."


Your last chance to vote for the Corridor's Most Influential!

Before you jet for the holiday, cast your vote for the CBJ's annual Most Influential award. You can select up to five people, including one write-in name, from the Corridor area as part of this year's voting. We will tally the results, publish the final list and profile the winner in the Dec. 24 edition of the Corridor Business Journal. The poll closes tonight at 5 p.m., so don't miss it!
 
Nov. 24
Shop Small Shop Crawl, by Iowa City Chamber of Commerce, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Hyatt Place Iowa City Downtown, 225 E. Court St., Iowa City. Join the chamber for this inaugural small business event. Check out meetups in North Liberty, Coralville and Iowa City designed to encourage local shopping and celebrate area small businesses. Free. For more information visit bit.ly/2QaRr4x.
 
Nov. 28
1 Million Cups , by 1MC, 9-10 a.m., Geonetric, 415 12th Ave., SE, Cedar Rapids and MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Join for community connections, startup pitches and free coffee. The November theme for Cedar Rapids' meeting is nonprofits. Free. For more information, visit facebook.com/1MCICR.
 
Nov. 29
Winning the Game: Launch and Land Your Post-Harvest Marketing Plan , by Hills Bank & Trust, 8:30 a.m.-noon, 3204 Seventh Ave., Marion.  This crop marketing seminar will include tips and advice for writing your marketing plan and a fun marketing simulation. Free, light breakfast provided. To register, visit conta.cc/2PAW0VE.
 
Nov. 30
Ribbon Cutting: Wickwire Chiropractic, by Marion Chamber of Commerce, noon, 955 29th Ave., Suite B, Marion. Help Wickwire Chiropractic celebrate the opening of its new Marion location. Free.
 
Ribbon Cutting: DKW Gallery , by Marion Chamber of Commerce, 4 p.m., 840 Seventh Ave., Marion. DKW Gallery will celebrate its second anniversary with the addition of new programming and space. Free.
They'll be thankful

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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28  

For at least 20,000 food insecure residents in Johnson County, food pantries keep spirits bright and hearts full during the holidays. "It's a really meaningful time for people to come around food and to have great moment with family and friends," said John Boller, executive director for the Coralville Community Food Pantry. At least 15 percent of people in Johnson County are food insecure. That is partly because it is considered to have the highest cost of living in the state. "The contributing factors tied to that tend to be utility bills are expensive. People who might've been working a seasonal job might've been laid off temporarily," said Mr. Boller. Especially on busy cold days, meeting food needs can be a challenge. "It's really tight. we don't have the capacity to store as much as we would like to," said Boller. Read the full story here.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reports opioid-related deaths are decreasing across the state. Records show there was a 35 percent decrease from January-August 20018 compared to the same period in 2017. Deaths related to the drugs dropped from 137 to 89. The Iowa Department of Public Health says an increase in the availability of Narcan nasal spray plays a role in the lower numbers. The growing medicated assistant treatment (MAT) is also helping. "MAT is proven to cut the death rate in half," says area substance abuse council prevention specialist Timothy McGullam. The treatment includes a prescribed medication that helps people on the road to recovery through more than just behavioral conditions. In order to be able to prescribe the medication, medical professionals have to go through training to receive a certification. Read the full story here. 
 
T hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast

The weather will be calm for traveling before and through Thanksgiving Day. Temperatures get warmer (briefly) and the pattern gets more active over the weekend. After a frosty start, we'll warm up above the freezing mark this afternoon. There will be a mix of sun and clouds and temperatures will climb into the mid- to upper 30s. The weather won't get in your way if you're traveling across the area on Thanksgiving Day. There will be partly cloudy skies and strong winds out of the south. The clouds may hold temperatures down a bit in the upper 30s Thursday afternoon. It gets a little warmer on Friday, with temperatures near and above 40, ahead of a cold front. This front will bring light to moderate rain showers in the afternoon and evening to Eastern Iowa. Some rain cannot be ruled out during the Hawkeye game, especially during the second half.