12-18 Ames Business Monthly

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AB AMES BUSINESS

MONTHLY D E C E M B E R 2018

CABIN COFFEE CO. OPENS IN AMES SEE PAGE 2

December Chamber Update

VERBIO TO PURCHASE DUPONT PLANT SEE PAGE 18

AB

2 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | DECEMBER 2018 Tammy Jacobson and her husband Paul opened Cabin Coffee Co. on 13th Street in Ames. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CRUMB/AMES TRIBUNE

AMES BUSINESS

MONTHLY DECEMBER 2018 Vol. 11, No. 12 AMES TRIBUNE Ames Business Monthly is a publication of the Ames Tribune, 317 Fifth St., Ames, IA, 50010; (515) 232-2160.

3 Newer Huxley business selling mopeds, mowers 4 Nathan Brammer column 5 Chamber of Commerce 17 Rick Brimeyer column 18 VERBIO to purchase DuPont plant 19 Olde Main to undergo rooftop expansion 19 Story County Community Foundation names two major grants

Cabin Coffee Co. opens in Ames By Michael Crumb, Editor mcrumb@amestrib.com

For Tammy and Paul Jacobson, opening a coffee shop has been the culmination of a nearly decade-long project to bring a new brand of coffee to Ames. The Jacobsons opened Cabin Coffee on Nov. 12. The new shop is located at 2721 E. 13th St., in a previously unoccupied space next door to Jimmy Johns, just west of Interstate 35. While the venture is a partnership, Tammy Jacobson is the primary manager and operator of the shop, which features rustic decor that lives up to the business’ name, including a fireplace. Tammy leads a crew of 15 employees, including three full-time employees in offering a variety of espresso drinks, both hot and cold, sandwiches and baked goods. While she runs the coffee shop, Paul

Jacobson is keeping his day job as counselor at Gilbert High School. The idea started with trips to Clear Lake, where Cabin Coffee is based. The Jacobsons learned that the company was offering franchises, and after one opened in Forest City, where Paul is from, they decided to pursue opening one in Ames. That was maybe seven years ago, but they struggled finding the right location. After two years of looking, they put their plans on hold. Then, about 10 months ago, they learned the 13th Street location was still open and they moved on it. Tammy, who worked at a daycare as a cook for 13 years, said opening a coffee shop seemed like a natural transition for her. “I have always enjoyed cooking, working with food, serving food, serving people, it makes me happy, so I always knew this was something

I would love because I love seeing people’s faces when they’re happy,” she said. Tammy said one draw is that Cabin Coffee roasts its beans on site. The beans are not used in drinks after two weeks. They are not sold to customers after 10 days, she said. Angie Barber, the owner of the Clear Lake store, helped the Jacobsons open the Ames store and was working with Tammy in the opening week to make sure the opening went smoothly. She said limiting the time the beans are used makes for a better product. “It’s just so much better when it’s fresh roasted,” Barber said. She said Cabin Coffee has 16 stores in six states, including Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Georgia and Colorado. Tammy said she and her husband liked the 13th Street location because it was close to the interstate and near several

businesses and industries, which she feels provides a builtin customer base. “We’re close to the interstate, we have good traffic flow, we can serve a lot of people here,” she said. The location also allowed for a drive-thru for customers in a hurry, Tammy said. Barber said once the business is established, it can expand into providing coffee to area businesses and churches, events and fundraisers. She also said each employee is trained with “true barista skills, and we don’t have super automated equipment. We really want to have them to have some skills they can use to make a great drink.” For the Jacobsons, the lure of opening Cabin Coffee was the environment the store offered its customers. “We really loved the atmosphere … the customer service, the coziness and the homey feeling,” Tammy said.

DECEMBER 2018 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 3

Newer Huxley business brings moped, mower sales to Ballard Plaza A variety of colors and several brands of mopeds are on sale at Central Iowa Mopeds & Ballard Lawn Equipment & U-Haul, located in at the Ballard Plaza in Huxley. PHOTO

By Marlys Barker

Tri-County Times

Huxley resident Steve Walther is a “business start-up” kind of guy. “It’s the competition in me (when it comes to starting businesses),” said Walther, 50. “I like seeing what we can do with (a new business).” His most recent business start-up, along with his partner Steven Slechta of Glidden, is Central Iowa Mopeds & Ballard Lawn Equipment & U-Haul, located in Huxley’s Ballard Plaza, along U.S. Highway 69. “We opened here June 1,” he said, and Walther oversees the moped and mower business, while Slechta is more involved day-to-day with the pair’s other business, S & S Distribution, headquartered in Cambridge and now in its fourth year of operation. The business partners met, Walther said, when he was managing two hotels in Ames and Slechta was a sales rep for a company that sold to those hotels. “We just always talked about buying a business together,” Walther said, and then with a little laugh, he added that their first business undertaking was “a little more work than we thought. But it’s a business and it’s working; we’re trying to build on it all the time.” S & S distributes several lines of snack foods to stores all over central Iowa, Walther said. The business started in Des Moines, then operated out of Ames for a time, and finally, the business partners bought a building in Cambridge, south of the elevator. “He (Slechta) does sales for us on that (the S & S business) and we also have four drivers out every

BY MARLYS BARKER/TRICOUNTY TIMES

day who deliver and stock items,” Walther said. Their second business, the moped and mower store, came about when Walther realized the need for this type of business in central Iowa. He has a teenager, and he some other parents were buying mopeds for their high schoolers last spring. “We ended up in Iowa City,” he said. The closest moped dealers were mostly in Des Moines, carrying higher priced mopeds than any of them wanted to buy. Quality, affordable mopeds was what Walther and Slechta wanted their new business to carry. Central Iowa Mopeds has three lines of mopeds (some of which are actually classified as motorcycles). The lines are Wolf, Lance and Genuine. “And, we hope to soon add IceBear,” Walther said. These mopeds carry prices that are anywhere from just under $1,000 to around $1,600. Moped sales have been steady since the store

opened. The biggest customer of the moped is the teen driver (14 and up) who can get the permit to ride one in whatever town they live. “Most of our customers are parents, buying them for their kids,” he said, but mopeds are also popular among college students on many campuses, and sometimes even an adult will want this economic mode of transportation — they get about 100 miles to a gallon of gasoline — for errands. “Every year, you’re going to have a new group of kids who turn 14, and a new group of Iowa State students,” Walther said, about feeling that there are plenty of clients for the moped business. “We just need to build awareness for our store.” One way they will do that is by moving some of their products into North Grand Mall in Ames over the holiday sales season that is coming up. On the mower side of the business, Walther said he is the Ames, Des Moines, Ankeny sales territory

dealer for Big Dog, zeroturn riding mowers, which he believes are the best

mowers on the market. The business also carries the Jonsered line of

push mowers and tractor mowers, plus a full line of hand-held yard/lawn equipment, like trimmers, blowers and such. Walther emphasizes that the business has products for both the homeowner and the business owner. For all of their products, Walther said, “we do sales, service and parts.” As for having this business in Huxley, Walther likes the location he has on Highway 69. “Huxley is where I’ve been since 1983 … and Huxley is a part of central Iowa. It’s a great location for us.” Hours for Central Iowa Mopeds & Ballard Lawn Equipment & U-Haul… 1 to 5 p.m. daily during the work week 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays Closed Sundays

4 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | DECEMBER 2018

Winter is coming A

t times, I can’t sleep. I toss and turn. I lay staring up at the ceiling, restless. I am a worrier by nature. When something is off or not right, I run it through my mind over and over while waiting for the Sandman to arrive. One night while I was lying in bed unable to fall asleep, I saw an ad for “Game of Thrones,” the medieval television series. Yes, I have watched much of it at the prompting of family and friends. There is an oft-used phrase in the show: Winter is coming.

Nate Brammer As an investment advisor, I have recently heard from many people

concerned Winter is coming. For the last few years, each headline or election cycle someone has declared Winter is coming. However, there have also been many who speak with fair confidence and remain mostly positive regarding the state of the market and the economy. Is this time different? Will this be the forever bull? March 9, 2009, began the country’s longest bull market on record since WWII. The S&P 500 stock index is up close to 300 percent in that period of

time. The economy is on solid footing, unemployment is at close to all-time lows, we are at the lowest jobless rate since December of 1969, rates remain historically low, volatility has been relatively muted although October may not have felt like it. Seems like a good time to be in the markets. So, where is the Winter? Lingering in the back of most, if not all, of the analysts’ and investment committees’ minds, how does this bull market end? With a whimper? With a crash? To no surprise, the posture is

one of constant vigilance. I am not economist, but I can say with confidence Winter is Coming — both literally and metaphorically. Maybe not today or tomorrow or the next day or even next year, but it will come. As all seasons come and go, all markets go in cycles, Winter will be here. I grew up here in Iowa. It is cold in the winter, stifling cold. At times, so cold you do not want to leave your house. It’s not my favorite time of the year — it’s almost hard. It gets harder as I have gotten older. Just like the seasons, so too will the markets follow their path. It won’t always be pretty. It won’t always be positive returns. It won’t always be smooth sailing. It will be ugly and volatile and

choppy and, at times, hopeless. Day by day it is getting colder and colder here. The leaves are changing colors. The day is getting shorter. The signs are there, winter is indeed on its way. So, my question(s) to you is this: How have you prepared for the “Winter?” For the turn in the markets? For that pullback? What strategies have you implemented to help navigate a difficult course? Are you living in a constant summer? Complacency is not a strategy. Thoughts to contemplate in Fall. NATHAN D. BRAMMER MBA, CIMA®, AIF® is a principal and investment advisor at Marrs Wealth Management. He can be reached at Nate@ marrswealth.com

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his is one event you don’t want to miss! Join us for an interactive evening celebrating the Ames Chamber of Commerce and Affiliate Organizations. On Monday, December 17, our friends at Sigler are letting us transform their production floor into a happening event venue! This year’s annual event will be a soirĂŠe to remember, featuring multiple action stations, live music, a nationallyrecognized performer, and a colorful program to cap the night. We will also honor our 2018 Award Winners, who will be announced on November 26. This isn’t your average “Chamber chicken dinnerâ€? – purchase your tickets today and get ready to celebrate Ames in Full Color! Tickets are $80 for Chamber members or $700 for a table of 10. Nonmembers may attend with a $90 per person fee or $800 for a table of 10. Employees of members qualify for the member discount. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 515-232-2310 or visit www. AmesChamber.com.

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%2$5' 2) ',5(&7256 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Luke Jensen, Chair Real Estate Service Group, Inc. Andrew Perry, Vice Chair McFarland Clinic Stacy Dreyer, Second Vice Chair, First National Bank Vanessa Baker-Latimer, Divisional Chair, Community Development City of Ames Scott Blum, Treasurer, Accord Architecture / Henkel Construction Matt Converse, Divisional Chair, Government Affairs Converse Conditioned Air, Inc. Nate Easter, Divisional Chair, Membership Iowa State University Research Park Casey Johnson, Immediate Past Chair Ames Ford Lincoln Dan Culhane, President / CEO Ames Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development Commission BOARD MEMBERS Lindsey Beecher, Gilbert Community School District Ben Conway, HyVee West Ames Lawrence Cunningham, Iowa State Daily Media Group Kathy Dubansky, CAA Representative, Workiva Sara Hunter, Vermeer Corporation Jeff Janes, Des Moines Area Community College Nikki Kyle, Central Iowa Air Service Paul Livingston, AMS Representative, Hunziker & Associates, Realtors Jessica Mortvedt,YPA Representative, Haverkamp Properties, Inc. Nate Rippke, Rippke Design Dr. Sonya Stoltze Newstrom, Stoltze & Stoltze Family Dentistry Jason Schwenneker, Renewable Energy Group, Inc. Randy Woodbeck, Atlantic Bottling, Inc.

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n October 31, The Ames Chamber of Commerce partnered with the City of Ames and Iowa State University for a Symposium on Building Inclusive Organizations: Practical Strategies for Business Development & Community Engagement. The event was held at the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center where a crowd of over 200 welcomed Keynote speaker, Joe Gerstandt, an Iowa State University Alumnus and nationally known speaker on Diversity and Inclusion to the stage. Gerstandt has worked with Fortune 100 corporations, small non-profits, and everything in between. He speaks at numerous conferences and summits, and blogs at joegerstandt.com. He is a featured contributor for the Workforce Diversity Network Expert Forum and his insights have been published in Diversity Best Practices, Diversity Executive, HR Executive, and numer-

ous other print and on-line journals. He co-authored the book Social Gravity: Harnessing the Natural Laws of Relationships, and serves on the Intersectional Culture and Diversity Advisory Council for the social networking platform, Twitter. Featured break out speakers at this year's symposium included: • Dr. Reginald Stewart, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Iowa State University • Margo Foreman, Assistant Vice President for Diversity Inclusion and Equal Opportunity at Iowa State University • nicci port, Project Director and LGBTQ+ Initiatives at Iowa State University • Dr. Consuelo “Lizâ€? Mendez-Shannon, Project Director and Hispanic/ Latinx Affairs at Iowa State University • Dr. Adrienne Lyles, Associate Director of Equal Opportunity

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Special thanks to our symposium planning committe members: Dr. Reginald Stewart, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Iowa State University nicci port, Project Director and LGBTQ+ Initiatives at Iowa State University Joel Hochstein, Chair, Human Relations Commission Vanessa Baker-Latimer, City of Ames & Board Member, Ames Chamber of Commerce Dan Culhane, Ames Chamber of Commerce Andrea Hammes Dodge, Ames Chamber of Commerce Sarah Buss, Ames Chamber of Commerce

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n Thursday, December 6 from 11:30am-1:00pm at the Huxley Learning Center, located at 1551 Iowa Highway 210 in Huxley, the Ames Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Legislative Kick Off to preview the 2019 State Legislative Session. The event will be a partnership between the Ames Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Developers of Iowa (PDI). Legislators from a 10-county radius have been invited to attend. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from PDI’s Lobbyist Craig Patterson, as well as Drew Kamp, Director of Public Policy and Business Development at the Ames Chamber of Commerce prior to an interactive discussion with State Legislators regarding important policy issues and their outlook on the 2019 State Legislative Session. With a multitude of critical policy issues to address, this promises to be an informative and exciting event.

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The event is open to Chamber members and their guest and lunch will be provided free of charge. Visit AmesChamber.com to register. If you are interested in attending this event, have a question regarding the event, or wish to submit a question prior to the forum, please contact Drew Kamp at 515-232-2310 or drew@ameschamber.com. The Ames Chamber thanks our 2018 Taking Leadership Legislative Sponsors for their continued support and contributions to our Public Policy Program: • Converse Conditioned Air • First National Bank • Renewable Energy Group • Workiva The Chamber also thanks our 2018 Legislative Lunch Sponsors for their support: • Greater Iowa Credit Union • Mediacom • Roseland, Mackey, & Harris Architects, PC • VenuWorks

Thank you to the following members who have donated ten percent more than their annual dues for Chamber projects. Because of contributions from members like these, the Ames Chamber can maintain a level of excellence in the services we provide. Please note: This represents only a portion of the Chamber’s Gold members.

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n October, Leadership Ames Class XXXII participated in Inclusive Organizations Day, including participation in the inaugural Symposium on Building Inclusive Organizations. Upcoming sessions include City of Ames Day on December 13.

Leadership Ames Class XXXII is presented by Mary Greeley Medical Center. Special thanks to this year's co-chairs Adam Bates (Mary Greeley Medical Center) and Mary Evanson (Iowa State University Foundation).

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hank you to those who joined us for the Ames Chamber of Commerce Leadership Series Capstone Event on Thursday, October 11, featuring Dr. Simon Estes! In addition to being a world-renowned opera singer, Estes also found a way to give back. By creating the Simon

Estes Foundation, he was able to start numerous scholarship organizations across the world and partner with the United Nations Foundation to help eliminate malaria in Africa. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Workiva, and our food & beverage sponsor, Real Estate Service Group, Inc.

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he Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market would like to thank our sponsors for their support! We were voted, “Best Local Event in Story County� and awarded the “Exceptional Event� in Iowa by Main Street Iowa, none of which could have been done without support of great sponsors who believe in community as we do! Thank you to our 2018 Season Sponsors:

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903 Lincoln Way (Northside) Ames, Iowa, 50010 (515) 725-5495

Days and Hours of Operation Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Wednesday, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm

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mes Main Street (AMS) was awarded a $75,000 Challenge Grant through the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Main Street Iowa during a ceremony in Des Moines Thursday, November 8. The grant will be used to add a four-season rooftop bar to Olde Main Brewing Company (OMBC), 316 Main Street. “I have lived in Ames my entire life and owned businesses on Main Street for 30 years,� said Scott Griffen, OMBC owner. “I am very excited to invest in the heart of my community and provide a unique dining venue which will attract hundreds of people to downtown Ames, every week.� This $1.1 million project, designed by local architect firm Avec Design, will add a 4,000 square foot rooftop bar and restaurant to the existing building. The design includes operable windows along the north side, which will raise up creating an "open air" rooftop during warm weather, and close during cold weather. Once complete, Griffen also anticipates adding 20 new employees to work the additional space. “The popularity of roof top venues has increased considerably over the past 5 years,� said Cindy Hicks, AMS Executive Director. “Having such a venue in downtown Ames will create a destination location in the heart of the Ames community.� The building at 316 Main Street was built in 1930's and occupied by Woolworths until 1971. A $2 million rehabilitation and conversion was completed by Griffen in 2004 to the current use as a restaurant. Great care was taken in

preserving the existing advertising on the interior brick walls that predated the 1930's. Dan Culhane, President and CEO of the Ames Chamber of Commerce, points out the Olde Main Brewing Company has been an anchor in downtown Ames for many years, long before the craft brewing craze started. He is excited to see Griffen once again investing in the business and the downtown district. “Olde Main has provided an outstanding venue with tremendous products and service over the years,� Culhane said. “This project will greatly enrich our community and ultimately be a major catalyst for Ames.� Ames is one of 13 Main Street communities to share in nearly one million dollars made available by the IEDA for Challenge Grants this year. This is the sixth time in seven years the AMS has received this grant, bringing a total of $403,000 to preserve or renovate buildings in our historic downtown. “Each project must provide at least a dollar-for-dollar cash-match for each of the grants,� said Main Street Iowa State Coordinator Michael Wagler. “These projects will have a significant economic impact within each district and they will have a direct impact on each community’s downtown revitalization efforts.� Griffen says if everything goes smoothly, the work should start in Spring 2019, and be complete by the end of the year.

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Accountability with different outcomes A

useful tool for identifying coaching issues is to maintain a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis on each Rick Brimeyer employee:  What do they do well or enjoying doing?  What areas are lacking or tend to be avoided?  Are there upcoming openings or new challenges for growth?  Do anticipated changes in the business or technology expose risk? The goal is to co-develop a mutually beneficial plan to take advantage of a positive (strength or opportunity) or to abate a negative (weakness or threat). The chosen coaching issue should be the one with the highest combination of impact and urgency. Each employee deserves to be regularly coached…research shows that being ignored by a supervisor is an almost certain path to employee disengagement. And while that same research shows that a strength focus is generally more effective than a weakness focus for promoting engagement, all employees need to be coached for a problem at some point in their careers. In those situations, the earlier and more clearly the concern can be discussed, the better. The coaching conversation simply initiates the process. Again, the desired output is an agreed-to plan that both parties believe is reasonable and are committed to. Ensuring follow-up and accountability of that plan ultimately resides with the supervisor. Without it, our coaching conversation is simply a nice chat. Below are three situations which I encountered with three very different outcomes. “Dave” was a talented and experienced technician. He was quick with a smile and well-liked. I perceived a problem was developing in that he was getting a little too social. I’m a firm believer in statistics. If 30 percent of the time I observe someone talking at the water cooler, it’s because they spend 30 percent of their time at the water cooler. I shared my concerns with Dave.

Following some initial pushback, it was a relatively easy discussion. We had a sound working relationship, and Dave knew that I had his best interests at heart. He had enough self-awareness to realize that the mirror I was holding up was an accurate reflection. We agreed that having great relationships with teammates was important, but it could go too far and impact the team’s performance. Dave made a conscious effort to modify his behavior. When a co-worker wanted to discuss the weekend’s NASCAR race, Dave tactfully told him that he had to get something done and would catch up with them at lunch. Dave went on to have a great career. Twenty-five years after our coaching conversation, Dave and his wife invited me to their 50th wedding anniversary. “Bill” was an engineer who appeared to be in over his head. Although he had been with the organization for almost a decade, the tasks he could independently handle were equivalent to those expected of an entry level employee. It was impacting the output of not only our team but the organization as a whole since engineering was a key resource. The coaching session with Bill was long and arduous. He insisted that my assessment was inaccurate, and my expectations unreasonable. The following day, he handed me his resignation letter.

A day later he requested his resignation letter back, stating, “Perhaps I was a bit rash.” I countered by stating that he had submitted it after sleeping on it and that it was in both his and the organization’s best interests that he get a new start with an organization where the expectations and his skills were a better fit. “Ray” was a machine operator with a habitual absentee problem. The union contract specified a rigorous escalation process (verbal warning, written warning, three-day suspension, termination). A clean record for a specified period reset the disciplinary process. Ray was a master at gaming the system. Time and again, he would quickly escalate to a suspension, only to clean up his act for the required probationary period and restart the process. It was frustrating, but we dutifully coached and documented each absence and played by the rules. Then one night, Ray messed up. Perhaps he forgot where he was in the disciplinary sequence. Perhaps he had a legitimate excuse, but had squandered all his

chances foolishly. He was promptly fired. Our work was just beginning. The union was required to represent him through the arbitration process. Fortunately, we had well-documented records. We knew we were in good shape when the arbitrator began his ruling with, “If ever there is a hall of fame for absenteeism, Ray will be an initial inductee.” Coaching problems is definitely not the fun part of managing people. Effectively accomplished, however, it results in one of three outcomes — improvement, resignation or termination. While all three situations resulted in some preparation stress, there certainly are no regrets looking back. RICK BRIMEYER is the president of Brimeyer LLC, an independent management consulting firm located in Ames which guides organizations to higher performance by focusing on process improvement and leadership development. Further information is available at www.brimeyerllc.com or by calling (515) 450-8855.

18 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | DECEMBER 2018

VERBIO to purchase DuPont plant By Marlys Barker Nevada Journal

One year after DuPont announced that it would be looking for a buyer for its cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada, the goal has been achieved. Late in the day Thursday, Nov. 8, DuPont Industrial Biosciences (DuPont) and VERBIO North America Corporation (VNA), the U.S. subsidiary of leading German bioenergy producer VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG (VERBIO), announced that they had reached terms for VNA to acquire DuPont’s Nevadabased plant and a portion of its corn stover inventory. “It’s great news for Nevada to have an established renewable energy company invest in our

community,” said Mayor Brett Barker, right after the announcement was made. According to a press release issued about the sale, VERBIO is a leading manufacturer in the German biomethane and biofuels market, running four production facilities producing around 27 million gallons of renewable natural gas (RNG), 140 million gallons of biodiesel and 87 million gallons of ethanol per year. The company focuses on developing and installing new technologies to produce first and second generation biofuels from biomass and crop residues. “The DuPont facility in Nevada, Iowa, offers excellent infrastructure to construct our first RNG facility outside Germany,”

said Claus Sauter, CEO of VERBIO. “We can use part of the installed equipment for our production, and there is a solid base of local farmers from whom to procure the raw materials. Once the plant is in operation, it offers the Nevada community new agricultural revenue streams, new employment opportunities and new sources of tax revenues.” VNA is working on plans to start construction of the RNG plant in spring 2019 and begin commercial production of renewable transportation fuel by summer 2020. Greg Northrup, president of VERBIO North America, located in Grand Rapids, Mich., said once the company achieves startup in 2020, “we anticipate

DuPont Industrial Biosciences and VERBIO North America Corporation (VNA), the U.S. subsidiary of leading German bioenergy producer VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG (VERBIO), announced that they had reached terms for VNA to acquire DuPont’s Nevada-based plant, shown here. PHOTO BY MARLYS BARKER

having 44 employees. Skill sets (for employees) include chemical and civil engineering, technicians and operators, and general laborers.” When it comes to what construction work is needed at the DuPont facility, built at the western-most edge of Nevada along the Lincoln Highway, Northrup said they are still assessing the integration of the systems. “The Nevada site’s infrastructure is a real attribute and allows us to accelerate our startup processes,” He said, noting that there will be some additional structures, which are part of the renewable natural gas production process, needed at the site. “Methane will be produced by using anaerobic digestion, which then will be upgraded to natural gas pipeline quality for injection into the distribution/transmission system,” Northrup said about what all is involved in preparing the plant for VNA. Jan Koninckx, global business director of biofuels, DuPont, also weighed in on the transition between the companies. “We’re very confident in VNA’s ability to take over operations of the Nevada plant,” she said. “This community has been very supportive during our time in

Story County. We thank the many people who were instrumental to our operations, and we wish VNA well.” When it comes to VNA having a facility in the heartland of America, Northrup said. “Most critically, Iowa offers us access to feedstock, corn stover, at the kinds of scale we require to meet our business objectives.” Following its merger with Dow in 2017, DuPont announced a strategic shift within the cellulosic biofuels market and began to seek a buyer for the biorefinery. DuPont continues to participate in the overall biofuels market through specialty offerings, including both first- and second-generation biofuel enzymes and engineered yeast solutions that improve yield and productivity for biofuel producers. Completion of the transaction between DuPont and VNA is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in November. VNA intends to install facilities to produce RNG made from corn stover and other cellulosic crop residues at the site. This would be VERBIO’s third production facility devoted to this cellulosic technology — in 2014, the company commissioned its first facility in

Schwedt, Germany, and its second facility in Pinnow, Germany, is currently being commissioned. Nevada City Administrator Matt Mardesen said he is excited to see the facility being repurposed in the biofuel industry. “This opportunity bodes well for the city of Nevada and Story County with future job growth that has the potential to impact our local economies,” Mardesen said. “This opportunity reaches beyond the city limits of Nevada and will provide local farmers an opportunity to market stover as part of their farming operations.” Nevada Economic Development Director John Hall shared his thoughts about how VNA is one more great economic development news items that the community has achieved this year. “We are very excited about the quality job opportunities this company will provide,” he said. “We look forward to working with them as we continue to build on the momentum in Nevada and Story County. 2018 has been an incredible year for growth in our community with the MidStates expansion, the Burke expansion and now with the VERBIO North America announcement.”

DECEMBER 2018 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 19

Olde Main to undergo rooftop expansion By Tribune staff

Olde Main Brewing Co. & Restaurant will add a four-season rooftop bar with the help of a $75,000 grant awarded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The grant was awarded during a ceremony in Des Moines on Thursday. Olde Main owner Scott Griffin said in a news release that he’s excited to create a “unique dining venue which will attract hundreds of people to downtown Ames every week.” The $1.1 million project, designed by Ames architecture firm Avec Design, will add a 4,000-square-foot rooftop bar and restaurant to the existing building at 316 Main St. It will include operable windows along the north side, which will raise up creating an “open air” rooftop during warm weather, and close during cold

weather. Griffen said he also anticipates adding 20 new employees once the expansion is complete. “The popularity of roof top venues has increased considerably over the past five years,” said Cindy Hicks, executive director of Ames Main Street (AMS), which was awarded the grant for the project. “Having such a venue in downtown Ames will create a destination location in the heart of the Ames community.” The building was constructed in 1930s and occupied by Woolworths until 1971. A $2 million rehabilitation and conversion was completed by Griffen in 2004 to the current use as a restaurant. Great care was taken in preserving the existing advertising on the interior brick walls that predated the 1930s. Dan Culhane, president and CEO of the Ames Chamber of Commerce, said he’s excited to see the investment in a business that

has a been an anchor downtown for many years. “Olde Main has provided an outstanding venue with tremendous products and service over the years,” Culhane said in the release. “This project will greatly enrich our community and ultimately be a major catalyst for Ames.” Ames is one of 13 Main Street communities to share in nearly $1 million made available by the IEDA for Challenge Grants this year. The estimated total project cost of all 13 projects is over $8.7 million. This is the sixth time in seven years the AMS has received this grant, bringing a total of $403,000 to preserve or renovate buildings in our historic downtown. Each project must provide a dollar-for-dollar cash match. Griffen says if everything goes smoothly, the work should start next spring and be complete by the end of 2019.

Story County Community Foundation names two major grants Staffreport

Story County Community Foundation (SCCF) doubled its impact by naming two major grant recipients for the first time during an awards ceremony held in the Garden Room at Reiman Gardens. The Salvation Army received $25,000 to purchase a cargo van for its retail donation program. The van will be used to pick up food donations from retail businesses and then deliver food to pantries in Ames, Cambridge, Colo, Nevada, Slater and Zearing. The city of McCallsburg

received a $25,000 grant to support an addition to the City Park shelter house. The addition will provide a public restroom and a kitchenette for the park. “After reviewing the excellent and deserving applications, the committee and board felt called to award two major grant recipients this year,” said Jennifer Dieter, Allocations Committee Chair, in comments released prior to the ceremony earlier in November. “It is exciting to be able to support both of these worthwhile projects.” A total of $118,304 in 17 different grants was

awarded by the foundation to charitable projects in Story County this year. Since its beginning in 2005, SCCF has awarded over $1.2 million in grants throughout Story County. Both local donors and the State of Iowa’s County Endowment Fund provide the support for the grants. This year, 12 grants for a total of more than $81,000 went to projects with county-wide impact. Over $36,000 went to five projects that will impact individual Story County communities. A total of 44 grant applications were submitted for requests totaling over $290,000.

A digital architectural rendering showing the interior of the rooftop bar that will be added to Olde Main Brewing Co. & Restaurant. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY AMES MAIN STREET

20 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | DECEMBER 2018

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