The husband and wife team behind Wellman's Cilino's restaurant will open an outpost of their home-style Italian eatery at the historic Hotel Grinnell on Nov. 1.
Cilino's will take over the hotel's Periodic Table restaurant for six months as a way of testing the Grinnell market's appetite for its tried and true traditional cuisine.
Cilino's, established in January 2018, is owned and operated by husband and wife, Randy and Jennie Rodgers.
"Randy's parents fed everyone that walked through their door his entire life," Ms. Rodgers said, adding the restaurant uses recipes handed down from her husband's great-great-grandmother.
"We want to come to Grinnell because it's a melting pot community of great restaurants, hotels and a college town," she said. "It's a perfect pitstop between Iowa City and Des Moines. Hotel Grinnell and Cilino's really complement one another. Both are one of a kind, authentic and service focused. We're looking forward to this opportunity with hopes of a permanent location in Grinnell."
In a release, Angela Harrington, co-owner and operator of Hotel Grinnell, said she was passionate about entrepreneurship and supporting new venture exploratory opportunities within the community.
"A pop-up restaurant is a great opportunity to test out the Grinnell market while mitigating most of the risk that might prohibit them from coming to a small town," Ms. Harrington said. "I'm hoping these six months for Cilino's inside Hotel Grinnell will result in finding a permanent home in our community. We're looking forward to offering their Italian flair to our guests and already established clientele."
Tallgrass Business Resources, an office furniture and supplies company based in Coralville, and Best Office Supplies & Systems (BOSS), based in Clinton, will join forces effective Nov. 1.
The combined entity will operate under the Tallgrass Business Resources trade name and operate six locations in Eastern Iowa: Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Davenport, Eldridge, Monticello and Clinton.
"It's great to be able to partner with another well-respected independent dealer, especially one in a contiguous geographic area," said Doug Parsons, president and CEO of Tallgrass, which sells
traditional office furniture and supplies, as well as janitorial supplies, promotional products and break room supplies. Tallgrass also provides interior design services and installation/reconfiguration services.
Former BOSS owner Brad Seibel will continue to manage the Clinton and Monticello locations and is looking forward to continuing to serve his loyal customers.
"It's important to me that my business, my customers and my employees have a secure and solid partner for the future," Mr. Seibel said in a news release. "Our affiliation with Tallgrass will give us more purchasing power, allow us to offer additional product lines and provide our employees with greater benefits."
The combined entities will have 48 employees and deliver daily to 16 counties in eastern Iowa and western Illinois.
Tallgrass Business Resources is a fourth-generation family business, founded in Iowa City in 1920. Previous acquisitions include Pioneer Workspace Solutions in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Business Supply in Iowa City and Matthews Office Equipment in Davenport.
BOSS's origins date back to 1946, when West Office Equipment opened in Davenport. In 1985, West opened a branch location in Clinton, managed by Mr. Seibel. He continued as manager until he purchased the Clinton store in 1994 and changed the name to Best Office Supplies & Systems, whose motto is "We're not the biggest, but we're the best."
Economic Alliance launches second annual buy local initiative
Local consumers have the power to drive economic growth by supporting local businesses and nonprofits with each dollar spent locally returning an average of three times that to the community.
That's the motivation behind the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance's initiative, Buy Here, Give Here, Grow Here presented by GreenState Credit Union.
This buy local initiative, originally launched in fall 2018 and relaunched last week, brings locally owned businesses, nonprofits and business collaborations center stage. The campaign tells inspiring stories of local business success and the importance of buying local via the Economic Alliance's website and social media platforms as well as on television, newspaper and radio, and through other marketing opportunities.
"Infusing more dollars locally strengthens our economy and empowers local businesses to thrive here," said Alliance Executive Director Doug Neumann in a release. "Buy Here, Give Here, Grow Here presented by GreenState Credit Union seeks to show consumers how purchasing from local goods and service providers benefits the greater community."
Buy Here
Buy Here will feature five local small businesses that add value and unique products for local consumers while also representing the strength and diversity of the economy. In 2019, the Alliance will feature
Shop Where I Live, Almost Famous Popcorn, Kepros Physical Therapy, Amish Connection and New Pioneer Food Co-op.
Give Here
Give Here will feature five nonprofit organizations that have a hand in solving one of the most
pressing issues in the region: workforce availability. Nonprofits develop and upskill today and tomorrow's workforce and serve as a community resource to support our workforce. Those featured for 2019 include
Catherine McAuley Center, YPN, New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo), Neighborhood Finance Corporation and Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC).
Grow Here
Grow Here will feature five businesses that offer a product or service many businesses could benefit from, while also creating our close-knit, innovative and neighborly local business culture. In 2019 it will spotlight
Saxton, Top RANK, Terry Lockridge & Dunn, J.P. Gasway and Miron Construction.
SBA offers entrepreneurship training program for veterans
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is hosting an entrepreneurship training session next month for veterans, National Guard members, Reservists and spouses covering the fundamentals of business ownership, key steps for evaluating business concepts, developing business plans, connecting with local resources and launching small business.
Boots to Business: Reboot is a free training session hosted by the SBA Iowa District Office and the Veterans Business Resource Center with the cooperation of the University of Dubuque. It features additional presentations by SBA resource partners, including SCORE, America's SBDC - Iowa (the Small Business Development Centers), and small business owners. Blake Martin, FranNet of the Heartland, will also present information on franchising.
This session is scheduled for Nov. 7 from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the University of Dubuque, 296 Blairs Ferry Road NE, Room 109, Cedar Rapids. Lunch will be provided courtesy of the Veterans Business Resource Center.
The first session is followed up with an eight-week Foundations of Entrepreneurship online training course presented by a consortium of professors and skilled business advisors from the SBA network, Syracuse University and Mississippi State University.
To register for the Boots to Business: Reboot class, and for notification of future veterans training and events, go to https://sbavets.force.com/. For more information, contact Jo Eckert at [email protected] or (319) 362-6535.
In this week's consulting spotlight, Maurie Cashman of Agri-Management Farm Services LLC explains how to manage your assets from one generation to the next.
A majority of high net-worth families have built wealth through the ownership, growth and sale of mid-market businesses and real estate. But research indicates that for 98 percent of these families, their great-grandchildren will not see any of this wealth - it will be gone.
How can you avoid becoming one of these rags to riches to rags stories? Let's look first at some of the causal factors related to the business.
Lack of planning
Many business owners lack a succession plan for their enterprise. Why? Many owners:
find it difficult to give up control or to delegate key responsibilities
don't like changes they can't control
consider themselves immortal and think planning is premature
and spouses feel dependent on business to provide lifestyle
don't want any fighting regarding the selection of future leaders
need to treat all children equally - this conflicts with the idea of distributing assets fairly.
Lack of sale preparation
Many businesses change hands under unfavorable circumstances that could have been avoided:
Gift and estate tax planning is delayed or incomplete, forcing the sale of the business if the estate lacks the liquidity to handle estate taxes
An unexpected offer comes along and the business is not ready for sale - what is the opportunity cost of not having the business ready for sale?
The next generation is not prepared or is not interested - a next generation that is incompetent can destroy a company and a family's legacy
A primary owner dies - has he gifted control to children if desired? Is there a plan to manage estate taxes?
A key employee leaves (or dies) with no contingency plan in place. Is there a non-compete agreement? Are incentives in place to retain the employee? How would a buyer perceive loss of this employee?
The CEO of Small Business Edge, who lost his business in the last Great Recession, tells small business owners
how to survive the next one on CNBC.com.
Forward the FREE, weekly CBJ on Small Business newsletter to your friends and colleagues, and share the feeling of being informed! Use our fast, one-minute subscription to the CBJ's newsletters
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See something we missed? Send tips, leads, corrections, etc. to [email protected].
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Corridor Stocks
Short-Term Event Planner
Oct. 28
Coralville Roundtable, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m., Iowa River Power Restaurant, 501 First Ave., Coralville. Members are invited to network and keep up-to-date with chamber and community events. Free. For information, call (319) 337-9637.
Oct. 29
Quickbooks Workshop, by Hills Bank, 7:45-10 a.m., Hills Bank, 3905 Blairs Ferry Road NE, Cedar Rapids. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/2kVsBeu.
Investing in Leadership, by The Pacific Institute, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. This one-day event is designed with success-seeking leaders in mind. The program will focus on how our mindset impacts our decisions and how our beliefs drive our behavior. Cost: $130. To register, visit bit.ly/2P06AYH.
Oct. 30
1 Million Cups Joint ICR Event, by 1MC Iowa City and 1MC Cedar Rapids, 8-10 a.m., Hills Bank, 590 W. Forevergreen Road, North Liberty. This event will feature open coffee, a Q&A
with the Higher Learning Technologies co-founders, and 1-minute pitches by entrepreneurial resources in Eastern Iowa. Free. For information, visit
bit.ly/2lpwMzm.
Oct. 31
Quickbooks Workshop, by Hills Bank, 7:45-10 a.m., Hills Bank, 590 W. Forevergreen Road, North Liberty. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/2kVsBeu.
Goldfinch Tap + Eatery Ribbon Cutting, by Marion Chamber of Commerce, 11:30 a.m., Goldfinch Tap + Eatery, 740 10th St. Free. For information, visit
bit.ly/2BaFLZB.
Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
Center Point's fire station has been serving the city and Washington township for decades.
In the trophies and ancient fire suits on the walls, its history is evident. So is its age. "They were all built in the 50s and 60s," says Mayor Paula Freeman-Brown. She's talking about the three buildings that make up the station. One is an old library. Now it's all just an old station leaving firefighters to mop up more than just fires. "You fix one problem, there's 10 more that come up," said Captain Kevin Otto. Buckets collect water in the hallways. Volunteers battle crumbling ceilings or no ceiling at all. "We can't get the water leaks to stop," Mr. Otto said. "We are continuously cleaning up water back there." The city is asking residents to approve a $2 million bond for a new station. The new facility would be built next to city hall on Franklin Street. The bond would require increasing property taxes by just over a dollar for every $1,000 of home value. Washington township residents outside city limits can't vote in the Nov. 5 bond issue, but they'll have the opportunity to help fund the station's future as well through donations. The city hopes to gather another million dollars this way.
Long before he was hitting grand slams to further his team in the playoffs, Washington Nationals player Howie Kendrick was a second baseman for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. His time with the team was short - only lasting the 2004 season - but it's one that's still leaving an impression on the organization.
"Howie came in as one of the top prospects of that year's Angels team," recalls Jessica Fergesen, the senior director for corporate sales and marketing for the Kernels. Mr. Kendrick's sole year with the Kernels was Ms. Fergesen's first year working for the organization. While many would come and go in her so-far 15 years with the Kernels, Mr. Kendrick is one she remembers to this day. It's the same for the Kernel's former general manager, Jack Roeder. "Howie you thought was going to be good and it turned out - because of the type of person he is - that he did become a star," says Mr. Roeder. Read the full story here.
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
CBS2 Weather First Forecast
The fall chill will continue through the weekend and it will get even colder next week.
Clouds will remain in the sky today and it will be cool with temperatures in the mid 40s. High pressure will move in tonight and break up the clouds. Temperatures will fall into the mid- to upper 20s by Friday morning. High pressure will keep the weather calm to start the weekend. There will be more sunshine Friday, but it will be cool with temperatures near 50. It will be slightly warmer Saturday with temperatures in the mid 50s. A weak cold front will move through the area Sunday and lead to a few passing clouds. Temperatures will be in the low to mid-50s. There likely won't be any rain with this front, but it will knock back temperatures as we head into next week.
Wellman restaurateurs try pop-up eatery in historic Hotel Grinnell
