MONDAY, JAN. 13, 2020 | IN THIS ISSUE
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IC startup FarrPro receives Canadian Pork Innovation Award
• CBJ Economic Forecast Luncheon registration closes Jan. 15
• Rod Sullivan named new chair of Johnson County Supervisors
• Stuart Anderson appointed as DOT's interim director
• King Chapel Bells to ring out again on Cornell College campus
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IC startup FarrPro receives Canadian Pork Innovation Award
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Iowa City-based agtech startup FarrPro, Inc. has been awarded the Dr. F.X. Aherne Prize for Innovative Pork Production for its Haven product.
FarrPro's Haven is a heat and light supplementation platform for use in farrowing crates that creates draft-free microclimates for two neighboring litters. Its design delivers efficient heat energy to piglets and significantly reduces pre-wean mortality and energy use.
"The Aherne Prize recognizes individuals who have developed either original solutions to pork production challenges or creative uses of known technology," explained Dr. Ben Willing of the University of Alberta and chair of the prize committee in a release, adding the award acknowledges "grassroots inventiveness in the pork industry."
The award is named after t
he late Frank Aherne, a professor at the University of Alberta and a major contributor to science-based progress in the Canadian pork industry. It
was presented at the 2020 Banff Pork Seminar to FarrPro’s CEO and co-founder, Amos Petersen.
“In Iowa we understand the importance of supplemental heat for newborn pigs and recognize that our friends to the north have many of the same environmental challenges we have here” FarrPro co-founder Chris Hanson said. “We are thrilled that the prize committee recognized our Haven as being an innovative solution to an age-old problem in the industry. As we look to expand sales outside of the U.S. the most logical place to go considering climate, proximity, and large number of farrowing operations, is Canada.”
To prepare for additional sales and wider distribution, FarrPro recently hired veteran Des Moines businessman Sheldon Ohringer to serve as president. Mr. Ohringer has over 30 years of experience in the areas of sales, acquisitions, mergers, IPOs and billion-dollar valuations.
FarrPro currently has Haven units in over 300 commercial farrowing crates in three Midwest states and is now taking orders for new units to be delivered in late February. It will be exhibiting at the upcoming South Dakota Pork Congress, Iowa Pork Congress, Minnesota Pork Congress, the Illinois Pork Expo and the Ohio Pork Congress.
IMAGE: The Haven from FarrPro. CREDIT FARRPRO
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CBJ Economic Forecast Luncheon registration closes Jan. 15
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The registration deadline is rapidly approaching for the Corridor Business Journal's 2020 Economic Forecast Luncheon. Held each January, the event draws 600 local business and community leaders for insight into the economic year ahead.
Kevin Depew, deputy chief economist at RSM US LLP, will kick off the luncheon with a keynote on the slowing economy and the “uncertainty tax” surrounding the U.S. trade dispute with China.
Following Mr. Depew’s keynote, Jack Evans, chairman of The Hall-Perrine Foundation, will moderate a business leaders panel discussion. Panelists representing a diverse range of industries will provide insight into where the economy is heading and discuss challenges and opportunities facing the region. Panelists include:
- Mike Gerdin, president and CEO of Heartland Express
- Kim Lehrman, president and CEO of Communications Engineering Co. (CEC)
- Brian Olesen, president and CEO of Centro
- Jerry Waddilove, president, CEO and partner of SouthGate Companies
- Kirk Weih, farm manager of Hertz Farm Management
The event will be held Jan. 22 from 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at the Coralville Marriott. Tickets are $55 per individual and $550 per table of 10. Lunch will be provided. For more information or to register, visit
corridorbusiness.com/events
or call Ashley Moore at (319) 665-6397, ext. 311. Registration closes Jan. 15.
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Rod Sullivan named new chair of Johnson County Supervisors
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The Johnson County Board of Supervisors late last week appointed longtime Supervisor Rod Sullivan as 2020 chairperson and appointed Pat Heiden, elected in 2018, as vice chairperson.
“The job of the Chair is to ensure that things run smoothly," Mr. Sullivan said in a release. "I will do my best to make that happen in 2020."
Mr. Sullivan, the board's longest-serving supervisor, was first elected in 2004 at the age of 38. A graduate of the University of Iowa, he has held several positions in the field of human services, including six years with the Department of Human Services and five years as executive director of the Arc of Johnson County.
The board also last week addressed several organizational issues for 2020. F
ormal and informal meetings will continue to be held on Thursdays at 9 a.m., except for the second Thursday of each month, when the meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m. The regular meeting location remains the second-floor board room of the Johnson County Administration Building, 913 S. Dubuque St., although locations and times are subject to occasional change.
The board also designated the county’s official newspapers and established supervisors’ assignments to various community boards and commissions.
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Stuart Anderson appointed as DOT’s interim director
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"Stuart brings a wealth of transportation experience and will provide steady leadership to the department until a permanent Director is appointed," Ms. Reynolds said in a statement. "I look forward to working with him to not only ensure a smooth transition at the agency, but also improve infrastructure and road safety."
Mr. Anderson joined the department in 1992 as an engineer-in-training in the Systems Planning Bureau. He served in various roles within the bureau until his appointment to director of the Office of Systems Planning in 2002. Dince January 2009, he has served as the director of the Planning, Programming & Modal Division.
“I appreciate the opportunity to guide the Iowa DOT through this interim period while the process to identify a permanent director is completed,” he said. “During this time, the great team at Iowa DOT remains committed to providing outstanding service to Iowans and other users of our multimodal transportation system.”
Mr, Anderson is a 1991 graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
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King Chapel bells to ring out again on Cornell College campus
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Cornell College is inviting the campus and local community to celebrate the return of
a sound that hasn’t been heard for 70 years - the ringing of the King Chapel tower bells.
Following a restoration project, the four historic bells will now ring out every quarter-hour as they did in the 1800s.
The celebration will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Thursday at the Ped Mall Entrance of Coe Library on the Cornell College campus in Mount Vernon. Cornell College President Jonathan Brand will share a short history of the King Chapel bells, then the community will be invited to step outside to hear the peal and 12 strikes at noon. Celebrants will receive a packet of purple and white "ecofetti" to throw following the ringing of the bells.
The bells have a rich history on campus. They were installed in 1882, but the college had to stop ringing them in 1950 after engineers noticed they were contributing to
the structural deterioration of the King Chapel tower. An electronic carillon began
marking the hours. Eventually, one of the bells was moved to the top of College Hall,
but that bell was later destroyed by lightning.
A grant allowed the college to purchase a replacement. Following the reinstallation
of that bell, crews re-established the connection between the bells and the tower
clock. The King Chapel tower project, including work on the bells, the tower structure, and
the historic Seth Thomas clock and its faces, was made possible through a generous
gift from trustee Linda Webb Koehn of the Cornell Class of 1966 and her husband Tom.
Other contributors include the State Historical Society of Iowa, the Stockman Family Trust, the Linn County Historic Preservation Commission, and the Nina E. and Victor D. Merveaux Endowed Fund for Historic Preservation.
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Jan. 13
Membership 101,
by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Learn how to utilize your Economic Alliance membership and meet other new members. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/2uqm3sH
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Jan. 14
Small Business Lunch Roundtable,
by SCORE East Central Iowa, noon-1 p.m., Granite City Food & Brewery, 4755 First Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. This networking event offers a chance to share best practices and get help with business challenges. Free. To register, visit
conta.cc/2DXJlHV
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Jan. 15
1 Million Cups
, by 1MC Cedar Rapids, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Join for community connections, free coffee and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit
facebook.com/1MCICR
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1 Million Cups
, by 1MC Iowa City, 9-10 a.m., MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Join for community connections, free coffee and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit
facebook.com/1MillionCupsIC/
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Generational Change Management Webcast,
by
RSM US LLP, noon, online. Gain a deeper understanding of the generational differences in the workforce. Presented by Phil Gwoke, a renowned generational keynote speaker from Bridgeworks. CPE credits will be offered. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/36vmMqI
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North Liberty Roundtable,
by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m., Reds Alehouse, 405 N. Dubuque St., North Liberty. Members are invited to network and keep up to date with chamber and community events. For information, call (319) 337-9637.
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
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These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
In Cedar Rapids an investigation is underway after police say a man intentionally set a porch on fire.
It happened on 35th Street Drive SE just at about 7:26 p.m. on Saturday. Investigators say the suspect poured gasoline on the porch and lit it on fire. Jeremy Lang was arrested and charged with arson. Police say the homeowner knows Mr. Lang and was able to put the fire out.
Two teens are facing charges after an investigation into several golf carts that were stolen in the NewBo area on
Oct. 26
. The carts were meant to be used during the Cedar Rapids Halloween Parade. Event organizer Peter During said the theft caused $20,000 worth of damage. Surveillance video obtained by CBS2/FOX 28 showed multiple people stealing golf carts. Police say Robert Charles Francis Young, 18, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief and two counts of 2nd degree theft. Investigators say three carts were damaged. They were found in several places including one near the entrance to Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency, at a construction site on A St. SW and in an alley behind Wilson School. Police say a 16-year-old male was also charged with 2nd degree theft and criminal mischief in November.
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
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CBS2 Weather First Forecast
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It will be cloudy and cold to start the week. Temperatures will be in the upper 20s to mid-30s today. There will be a weak system that will move through the area after midnight and bring a rain/snow mix. There will be the potential for some minor snowfall accumulations, up to an inch, north of Highway 20. Further south there will be a mix of light rain and snow with little to no accumulation. Clouds will clear out Tuesday and it will be chilly with temperatures in the low to mid-30s. There will be another system that moves in Wednesday and brings the chance for a wintry mix of rain, ice, and snow.
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