TUESDAY, SEPT. 25, 2018  |  IN THIS ISSUE  
Story1Viant to close Monticello plant, lay off 70 workers
About 70 workers will lose their jobs when medical supply company Viant closes its Monticello plant in mid-November.

CBS2/FOX 28 reports local officials attempted unsuccessfully to keep the company's Eastern Iowa plant open. Despite their efforts, a  Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice posted by Iowa Workforce Development says Viant plans to close its Monticello plant Nov. 16.

The company formerly known as MedPlast Inc.,renamed itself Viant in July, announcing a "new strategic direction" after completing the acquisition of Integer Holding Corp.'s advanced surgical and orthopedics business.

At that time, Viant also announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Tempe, Arizona to Foxborough, Massachusetts in order to place the contract manufacturer of single-use medical components and devices nearer to customers in a major medical device hub.
 
The acquisition and rebranding was described by company officials as a move to "strengthen [its] ability to vertically integrate and simplify the supply chain for its customers."

Transamerica CEO Mark Mullin speaks at the groundbreaking for the company's $40 million addition to its Cedar Rapids campus.
Transamerica leaders said the company is through reorganizing and ready to grow at a Monday groundbreaking for a $40 million building addition at its Transamerica Financial Park on C Street SW in Cedar Rapids.
 
The financial services company went through a major reorganization starting in 2016 as its parent company, Aegon N.V., sought to improve efficiencies and customer service. The reorganizations included layoffs, and more recently, included the outsourcing of customer service operations in Cedar Rapids to TCS, a global consultancy, which has taken over many of the operations Transamerica previously performed at its Edgewood Road campus.

The scale of layoffs in Cedar Rapids has been relatively small, and the company said it is now planning to hire and expand as it implements growth plans.

"We are ready to grow our business at this point," Jay Orlandi, Transamerica's chief administrative officer, said at the groundbreaking event.

CEO Mark Mullin said the Cedar Rapids operations are "an important piece of the Aegon Group overall and it will continue to be the largest piece going forward."

The company's new Reimagining the Workspace initiative will improve collaboration and emphasize employee wellness, executing on the new brand theme, Wealth + Health, which Transamerica rolled out earlier this year, Mr. Mullin said. The cafeteria, for example, will have a "farm-to-fork" menu of locally sourced foods.

About 51,000 square feet of additional space will be added in the project, which will create a new main entrance to the facility, which was originally built for a different occupant and until recently was shared with Hibu.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart and Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance Executive Director Doug Neumann praised Transamerica's investment and strong record of community participation and involvement.

Transamerica expects to employ more than 2,600 people at the Transamerica Financial Park, Mr. Orlandi said.

Cary Darrah
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber's (GCVAC) board of directors has named Cary Darrah CEO following her seven-month tenure as interim CEO.
 
"Cary is a very well-liked, qualified and tenured economic development professional who has done an excellent job in re-energizing the nearly 15-year-old organization as the interim CEO," GCVAC Board Chair Eric Johnson of Beecher Law Firm said in a release. "As we went through the research and goal-setting process, we received positive feedback from investors, community leaders and staff of Cary's collaborative approach and visionary leadership. In a short time frame , she has made changes to stabilize, strengthen and position the Alliance & Chamber to grow in the right direction."
 
The board of directors named Ms. Darrah interim director in February after the departure of Steve Dust, who was CEO since the Waterloo-based economic development group was founded in 2004. According to Mr. Johnson, the board sought proposals from firms to conduct a national executive search for the CEO position. After seeing research results and reviewing Ms. Darrah's accomplishments as interim CEO, the board unanimously decided it was not necessary to conduct a search.
 
Ms. Darrah is the first woman to head the Alliance & Chamber or any of its predecessor organizations since Kristi Ray headed the Cedar Falls Chamber of Commerce from 1997-2002.
 
Ms. Darrah was named general manager of Techworks, an Alliance subsidiary, in 2007. She was then promoted to GCVAC executive vice president of community development in 2012, and TechWorks president in 2016. Prior to joining the Alliance & Chamber, she was director of Cedar Falls Community Main Street from 1997-2007.
Story5 BankIowa announces CEO transition effective Oct. 1
 
Alison Urbina
BankIowa on Monday announced that Alison Urbina has been appointed as CEO, effective Oct. 1.  
 
Ms. Urbina has served as BankIowa's president since October 2017. She will step  into the expanded role of president and CEO, assuming full leadership of BankIowa's operations and its 11 banking locations serving seven Iowa communities, including Cedar Rapids.

"Our company has carefully planned for leadership succession. Alison and I have worked together closely to prepare her for this appointment," said Rob Robinson, CEO and vice chairman at BankIowa, in a statement. "Alison Urbina is an extraordinarily talented banker. She has a proven track record of leadership making her highly qualified to lead BankIowa and carry on BankIowa's long history of success".

Mr. Robinson will remain in an active role at BankIowa until early 2019 to ensure a seamless transition and to assist with 2018 year-end corporate business. He will also continue to serve as vice chairman of the board of directors.

Ms. Urbina is a native Iowan who grew up in Independence. She attended college at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. After college, she moved to Chicago and worked in banking for 15 years at the Federal Reserve Bank and then at Northern Trust, where she received an MBA from the University of Chicago. She and her husband, Alex, moved to Cedar Rapids five years ago when she joined BankIowa. 
 
Zoned Strategies, a business development, consultancy, will showcase its new Marion location with a ribbon cutting at noon today.
 
The company is opening at 700 11th St., Suite 202A, offering  targeted training and consulting for businesses. The company focuses on staff development, creating new and innovative products, reducing waste and increasing quality, and boosting market share and customer satisfaction.
 
Steve Wilson, Zoned Strategies' owner, started the business in 2006 after holding several leadership roles within the automotive, health care and transportation industries.
 
"We enjoy helping businesses become the best they can be, so they can achieve their vision," Mr. Wilson said in a release. "We are looking forward to having an opportunity to work with and impact area businesses, and want to become involved in the community."
 
Learn more about Zoned Strategies by visiting  zstrat.com. 
 
Sept. 26
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 September theme for Cedar Rapids' meeting is the city of Marion. Free. For more information, visit facebook.com/1MCICR.

Sept. 26-28
Iowa SHRM State Conference: HR Charting the Course, by Iowa SHRM, all day, Coralville Marriott, 300 E. Ninth St., Coralville. This statewide conference invites top-talent leaders from across the country to share their expertise and knowledge in all areas of human resources, with programming appropriate for professionals ranging from entry-level to senior leadership. Tickets: $100-$600. For more information or to register, visit iastateshrmconference.org/registration.

Sept. 27
Me Too & Corporate Culture: Is Your Company Fostering a Culture of Transparent Accountability?, by Holmes Murphy, 10-10:30 a.m., online. The webinar will explore steps employers can take to create a transparent and accountable workplace environment, and provide an overview of the importance of an "open door" culture. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/2D4awmH.

Professional Women's Network Monthly Meeting, by PWN, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Shores Event Center, 700 16th St. NE, Cedar Rapids. Celebrate the 2018-2019 PWN Foundation Scholarship recipients and also hear from Starlet Smith, founder of "Fired-Up for Single Moms," a networking group for single parents. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for non-members. For more information and to register, visit conta.cc/2MLBbIN.

Small Business Roundtable, by SCORE of East Central Iowa, noon, Granite City, 4755 First Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Bring your questions, challenges and best practices to this informal gathering for both those in business and those thinking of starting a business. Free. For more information and to register, visit conta.cc/2OfCTiq.
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28  
 
A high-speed chase that started in Mount Vernon ended south of Solon in Johnson County Monday night.  Mount Vernon Police Chief Doug Shannon tells CBS2/FOX28 officers tried to pull over a vehicle shortly after 8 p.m. Monday night.  The driver, Makiah Miller, 19, of Mount Vernon, took off heading east on First Street but turned south on Highway 1, going as fast as 110 miles per hour at times. Mr. Miller drove south on Highway 1 through Solon. Just south of town, officers used stop sticks to slow him down, which caused him to sideswipe a vehicle and go into the ditch near Highway 1 and Running Deer Road in Johnson County. Mr. Miller was arrested at about 8:30 p.m. and is now facing multiple charges, including eluding, reckless driving and failure to obey a stop sign. The Iowa State Patrol says he caused about $2,000 worth of damage in the collision, but luckily no injuries were reported.
 
A tech lab on wheels is making it easier for students to get some of the hands-on experience they could need for future careers. The zSpace lab stopped at Kirkwood Community College on Monday morning to give students and faculty a chance to try some of their technology.  "If you hold it, you can hear it thumping," said Kyle Kwater, a Kirkwood Community College student, who dissected a virtual heart on Monday morning. ZSpace's technology gives students the chance to dissect more than just organs, however. The software allows for the taking apart of an engine and the chance at trying welding. Instead of using real tools, students use 3-D glasses and a stylus to follow the motions involved in each practice. "We have the students being able to grab content and hold onto it and be able to manipulate it in a way that they typically would never have," said Pat Salstrand, the zSpace regional director. Kirkwood students experienced the mobile version of the technology on Monday, but it can be easily used in classrooms. It's currently used in hundreds of school districts and universities across the nation. "We want students to be able to look at something and say, 'Wow, how does it work? Can I get inside there? I want to learn more about it,'" said Mr. Salstrand. Read the rest of the story here. 

T hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast

A cold front is moving closer to Eastern Iowa and will bring showers and thunderstorms and colder air behind it.  Clouds will build this morning and showers will develop after 8 a.m. Temperatures will climb into the upper 60s to mid 70s today ahead of the front. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will become more likely after noon and move in from west to east. Some storms could be strong with gusty winds and brief, heavy rain. Rainfall accumulation will be near and below a half an inch due to the fast moving nature of the storms. The low rainfall totals shouldn't impact any rivers that are high right now. As the rain and front passes through temperatures will start to cool down in the late afternoon and evening. Skies will clear tonight and cool air will settle in for the night and the remainder of the week. Temperatures will just be in the 60s Wednesday and Thursday afternoons with sunshine.