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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Michael Crumb |Kathy A. Bolten |Lisa Rossi
A new pilot project stemming from the Central Iowa Food Security Plan will create three community navigator positions to link Iowans with food banks and other community services. The pilot program was announced March 27 at an event providing updates on the communitywide food insecurity reduction plan, which was launched in February 2024 by United Way of Central Iowa and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Gigi Wood |Lisa Rossi
By Commerce BankThe construction industry is facing tremendous pressure from all sides. Material and labor costs remain high. Staffing is in short supply. Interest rates make financing projects more expensive, and complex contract terms slow already lengthy payment cycles. For CFOs, the stakes are high. Managing accounts receivable (AR) can be an uphill battle.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Lisa Rossi |Gigi Wood
Suzanne Conrad, CEO of the Iowa Donor Network, is retiring after nearly three decades of service. Conrad’s career began in 1981, when she served as a cardiothoracic surgery nurse at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn. There, she began her work in organ donation and transplantation as a coordinator. In 1985, she moved into leadership roles in Dallas at the Southwest Organ Bank, now known as the Southwest Transplant Alliance.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Lisa Rossi |Gigi Wood
The Urbandale Food Pantry, which has seen demand for food items grow, is opening its new facility at 7901 Douglas Ave. on Tuesday. The nonprofit group bought the property, which includes a two-story building with more than 8,600 square feet of space, on May 1, 2024, for $475,000. The building has been remodeled to accommodate the pantry and its staff. The pantry had been located in a suite in a strip center at 7611 Douglas Ave.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Lisa Rossi |Gigi Wood
Iowa’s pool of male workers declined sharply in recent years, and the trend could be costing the state’s economy billions of dollars, according to a new report. The Common Sense Institute on March 26 published its latest report, “Where are the Men?,” which shows 77,000 working-age men in Iowa have left the workplace since 2020. The departure of so many men from the state’s workforce equates to a loss of $10 billion in gross domestic product and $4 billion in personal income, the report states.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Lisa Rossi |Kyle Heim
WayPoint Resources, formerly Waukee Area Christian Services, has set its annual April Fundraising goal at $150,000. That’s a substantial increase from previous years because of a 39% increase in new families and individuals using WayPoint services in the last year. The annual fundraiser will begin April 1 and conclude April 26 with a “Brunch of Appreciation” for all supporters at Lutheran Church of Hope Waukee.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Lisa Rossi |Kyle Heim
The U.S. Small Business Administration has restored lender fees to its 7(a) loan program. The 7(a) program, the SBA’s primary business loan program, provides loan guarantees to lenders that allow them to provide financial help for small businesses with special requirements. The maximum amount for a 7(a) loan is $5 million. Changes in recent years had removed the fees, sending the program into negative cash flow, putting its zero-subsidy status at risk, according to the SBA.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Lisa Rossi |Kyle Heim
The University of Michigan has updated its “Current versus Pre-Pandemic Long-Run Inflation Expectations” report from October to include four additional months of data. The report includes seven years of data from phone and internet surveys of consumers, gauging their inflation expectations. The updated report was published today.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Lisa Rossi |Kyle Heim
The Iowa Association of Business and Industry has released the results of its latest quarterly survey with statewide business leaders. The survey, conducted in early March, shows leaders are concerned about tariffs, plan to keep staffing levels the same and expect to make capital investments this quarter. Highlights from the survey include:Capital expenditures: 64% of respondents intend to make capital expenditures this quarter.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Lisa Rossi |Kyle Heim
Iowa firms shed 1,100 jobs in February, ending a three-month streak of jobs gains, new data from Iowa Workforce Development shows. The job loss in February was mostly fueled by lower-than-expected seasonal hiring at the state’s public universities and colleges, according to the state agency. Collectively, the government (a sector that includes federal, state and local subdivisions, and schools, universities and public hospitals) shed 3,400 jobs in February after gaining 2,900 jobs in January.
