July ABM 2017

Page 1

AB AMES BUSINESS

CONGRATULATIONS TO LEADERSHIP AMES CLASS XXX SEE PAGE 13

MONTHLY J U L Y 2017

July Chamber Update

LOCAL WINERIES HEAD INTO GROWING SEASON

SEE PAGE 2

AB

2 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

AMES BUSINESS

MONTHLY J ULY 2017 Vol. 10, No. 7 AMES TRIBUNE Ames Business Monthly is a publication of the Ames Tribune, 317 Fifth St., Ames, IA, 50010; (515) 232-2160.

2 LOCAL WINERIES 5 MINI DOUGHNUT SALES

8 BOHEMIAN BOUTIQUE 11 NATHAN BRAMMER 11 CYSTARTERS 12 LEADERSHIP AMES XXX

21 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

35 ULTIMATE UBER CAR 38 SOLAR SITE

POSSIBILITIES

41 RICK BRIMEYER 41 CITY DESIGN AWARDS

A grape bunch bud grows near Prairie Moon Winery in Ames. Local wineries expressed relief that a cold snap during spring didn’t cause frost damage to the crop. PHOTO BY DAN MIKA/AMES TRIBUNE

Local wineries head into growing season By Dan Mika, Staff Writer dmika@amestrib.com

Wineries in central Iowa are entering the crux of their growing season, but like almost every year, their harvests are deeply dependent on the right weather at the right time. ISU Extension wine specialist Mike White said grape buds have recently begun to break, about a week later than usual. However, the season has passed a point where freezing temperatures are unlikely to happen, meaning the potential for frost to damage grapes is low. He said there have been some reports of herbicide drift from nearby farms and gardens around the state, but growing conditions have been generally

good so far this season. Prairie Moon winemaker Matt Nissen said his grapes are on track for the late-summer to midfall harvest season as long as the weather remains favorable. “It’s all set up to look pretty good, but it comes down to the key parts of the year, which for us is the last weeks of July to early August,” he said. “That’s when we really got to worry. We don’t want rain like it’s been the last few days.” John Larson, vintner at Snus Hill Winery near Madrid, echoed those sentiments. He said while local wineries didn’t suffer from late frost damage, the recent rainy weather could incubate molds which can cut deeply into yields. “Grapes like dry

weather, so this wet spring may increase the disease risk from fungal diseases in particular,” he said. Nissen said the past three years have produced weather patterns have have either damaged crops or caused the berries to not grow to his standards. Some grapes have been harvested without enough sugar in them, reducing the final product’s alcohol content. Prairie Moon has been able to supplement their harvests with highersugar grapes from the west coast. “We’re hoping for a year with just not as much dramatic change in the weather we’ve seen in the past few years where it’s really hot and dry or really wet and mild,” he said. See WINE on page 5

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A LITTLE BIT OF SWEETNESS

Nevada grad fi nding fun and making money through sales of mini doughnuts By Marlys Barker

Nevada Journal Editor

From the time he was a kid, Riley Huhn, a 2014 graduate of Nevada High School, has loved mini doughnuts. “Going to the state fair when I was little, we’d always go to the mini doughnut stand, and I’d eat like 50,” he said. Now, Huhn is serving up his favorite childhood treats with his own business, Huey’s Mini Donuts. On most Saturday mornings during the summer season, you will find Huhn at the Ames Farmers’ Market in the downtown area. Now 22, and about to start his senior year at Iowa State University, Huhn said it was two years ago when he looked into starting the doughnut-making venture. The biggest challenge of it all, he said, was filling out the paperwork for licenses and registrations, “and making sure you have all the regulations and inspections done … Learning that on the fly was difficult.” He also quickly learned that the entire venture before opening day cost him twice as much as he thought it would, but he stuck with it anyway. “There were a lot of hidden fees that I did not anticipate,” he said. But, “I enjoy it, and it pays pretty well.” The finance and entrepreneur major, with a minor in ag business, who has “no clue” yet what he wants to do full-time in life, said the business has been lucrative enough that it won’t be too much longer before he has everything paid off and is in the black. Making mini doughnuts seems to roll along at a pretty good pace, as Huhn puts in batter, soon empties out a fresh batch of doughnuts into a cinnamon-sugar mix that will cover them and begins to bag them up by the number: 6 for $3; 12 for

Riley Huhn, a 2014 graduate of Nevada High School, works on making mini doughnuts at his stand at the Ames Farmers Market. PHOTO BY MARLYS BARKER/NEVADA JOURNAL

$5 or 30 for $10. He did have an incident last fall that caused him a trip to the emergency room. “I burned myself with a grease spill on my hands and feet,” he said. From that incident, “I just learned to be much more careful and that you don’t leave grease unattended.” What he loves about the mini doughnut business is pretty much what he felt as a kid. “Seeing people who really, really like them and seeing kids eat like 15 at a time. I think, that’s me when I was a kid. I

love that,” he said. It’s also a fun way to spend time with friends and family who help him. His mom, Marce, is his regular front line sales person. “I love meeting the people and just talking to people and being a promoter of the product,” Marce said. “I’m the out-front people gal.” She has learned that there are regular customers at the farmers’ market and she likes seeing them come back. She also loves the Ames Farmers’ Market in general.

“It’s like a little mini Des Moines event,” she said. “I look forward to it every Saturday, but by 1:30, my feet are tired.” Huhn said he sometimes does a few other events during the year, and he’s always open to be a vendor at special events for people and businesses. While he doesn’t eat mini doughnuts very much now that he’s around them so much, he’s glad there are lots of people who love them and keep this little business venture of his going.

WINE Continued from page 2

Ultimately, no one can predict grape yields in the area due to how a heavy period of rain could cause disease to spread quickly. Nissen said Prairie Moon has been able to boost their income by renting out their venue for live music and events, and by scaling back distribution to focus on attracting customers from Ames, Des Moines and surrounding towns to visit the winery in person. But their bottom line is still taking a hit from having to buy products they aren’t growing themselves. “Here in Iowa, you take way more risks than people in prominent wine growing areas like California,” he said. “They’re not going to lose an entire crop or have crops that are severely damaged out there as often as they are going to be here.” White said the wine industry in the state is “maturing” after a boom in new vineyards starting in the new century, jumping from 13 wineries in 2000 to nearly 100 wineries in 2010. However, he said the number of vineyards in the state fell from about 415 in 2010 to about 270 today, while the amount of acreage devoted to grape growing remains around 1,200 acres. He said the number of wineries is going to shrink as older owners retire and sell off their properties to other vintners or to management companies. “The trend was from 2000 to 2010, it was dramatic,” he said. “A lot of small vineyards are retiring and getting out of it, and the vineyards themselves are getting larger in size.”

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DREAMERZ

Bohemian women’s boutique opens in Sheldon Munn By Dan Mika, Staff Writer dmika@amestrib.com

A Carroll-based women’s boutique has opened in one of the renovated Main Street spaces in the Sheldon Munn. We The Dreamerz is a hippie, Bohemian-style women’s boutique selling shoes, clothes and accessories sourced from crafters across the country. Owner Jade Dirks described many of her items as something one would find touring a market on vacation. Dirks began the shop three years ago wanting to be her own boss after a string of jobs she hated. She said the store was an immediate hit in town. “It took off surprisingly quickly,” she said. “I thought I’d be open three days a week and within two or three weeks, it turned into a full-time gig.” Dirks said Ames was her next choice to open a shop because of the volume of online orders she gets from the area. She also enjoys the downtown district, saying she’s happier running a store in a small space next to other locallyowned businesses. She also said Iowa State University students are likely to drive a large portion of her sales, and she’ll likely hire a few students to help run the store, at 301 Main St., once it’s up and running. Many of the products in We The Dreamerz skews towards high schoolers to shoppers in their 30s, but Dirks said a selection of her stock is hand-selected by her mother to make sure women of all ages are represented. The two drive to Chicago every three months or so to choose the

We The Dreamerz owner Jade Dirks in her shop on Main Street. The store, which began in Carroll, opened a second location in Ame s. PHOTO BY DAN MIKA/AMES TRIBUNE

next round of items for the store. “I’m more of a curator of fancy things than I am artistically inclined,” she said. She said while doing a pop-up boutique at music festivals and farmer’s markets has been something she’s been considering, she

isn’t focused on expanding her stores. “I actually went back and forth on the idea of doing this at all because I’m content where I am financially and does it make sense to put added stress on myself just to do a second one?” she said. “…

I’m just taking it year by year, and I’ll see what I do.” Behind Dirks’ efforts to expand her store in Ames is a chill vibe not often encountered in young entrepreneurs. Dirks said her decision to start the store was to make sure she was happy doing

her job, to make enough to cover her expenses and catch a few concerts. She said reaching that level of income is good enough for her. “It’s been successful even beyond that, and I don’t take that for granted,” she said. “I just want to be happy.”

JULY 2017 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 9

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10 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

J U L Y 2 0 1 7 | A M E S B U S I N E S S M O N T H L Y | 11

BRAMMER

We are all completely rational when it comes to money; right?

M

any traditional investment theories and models, such as the Efficient Market Hypothesis and Modern Portfolio Theory, make assumptions that investors always act rationally and in a consistent manner. Behavioral finance argues that investors are subject to numerous conditions that in effect cause them to act irrationally at times. I would agree not all investors are rational all of the time. However, I have not seen a consistent investment model that can capture the dislocation of

Nathan Brammer stock prices quickly or cost effectively enough to take advantage of the irrationality. I thought it would be

fun to explore a few of the investment biases that can hurt investor returns as defined by cognitive psychologists and behavioral scientists. Cognitive Dissonance: The mental discomfort we feel when newly acquired information conflicts with our preexisting understanding. Investors tend to avoid information that disagrees with their beliefs. Investors experiencing this bias might invest more in a security that has gone down in price; “Averaging Down” or “Throwing good money after bad.” Investors want to avoid

GETTING STARTED

Meet the second cohort of ISU’s CyStarters startup accelerator By Dan Mika, Staff Writer dmika@amestrib.com

Twelve groups of Iowa State students and graduates have been introduced as the second cohort of the ISU CyStarters startup accelerator program. CyStarters, a program run by the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, links students and recent graduates with mentoring and $6,000 or $12,000 of seed funding for individuals or groups as they pursue their business ideas over 10 weeks in the summer The program was established last year. Diana Wright, marketing and programs coordinator for the Pappajohn Center, said 35 individuals and groups applied for a spot in the program. She said it was a large jump from the last year’s applicant pool and was made possible by financial support from individual colleges sponsoring their respective students. “There’s more and more activity because students are more aware of it,” she said.

U-CONCEAL-IT

Junior Andrew Pauley is designing a magnet-locked safe that can hide behind

artwork and other areas of the home in plain sight. He intends to develop safes in a way where homeowners can mount them without having to open walls.

BULLETMATCHER

Eric Hare, a doctoral graduate, pitched BulletMatcher as a three-dimensional scanning process to determine if a set of fired bullets came from the same gun. The business is a continuation of his research and hopes to improve the accuracy of a technology sometimes used to provide evidence in court. “The algorithms are very nonstatistical and have been under fire for several years,” he said. “We can add science and rigor to the process.”

QC POOL CLEANERS

Senior Colby Hixson started QC Pool Cleaners after cleaning pools as a summer job. It looks to provide new ways to clean pools and provide chemical maintenance.

HURD HEALTH GROUP

Hurd Health Group, headed by doctoral student Dillon Hurd, is looking at ways to improve effectiveness of cardiac devices. The

the pain of admitting they made a mistake. Hindsight Bias: In simple terms, Hindsight Bias is the belief that “I knew it all along.” Once an event has transpired, investors with this bias tend to see that event as predictable (Ex. Recent Mortgage Bubble of 2008.) “Everyone saw that coming.” This bias leads investors overestimate the accuracy of their predictions. Hindsight Bias can lead to excess risk taking because they will see the big financial bubble coming. Confirmation Bias: People with this bias

unknowingly seek out or cherry pick information that supports their thesis and ignores or devalues information that points out problems. Confirmation Bias can cause employees to over concentrate in their company’s stock (Ex. Enron employees.) It can also cause investors to hold undiversified portfolios. Overconfidence Bias: People afflicted with this bias may have grown up in Lake Wobegon where all the children are above average. Overconfidence can be describes as an unwarranted faith in one’s intuitive

reasoning, judgment and cognitive ability. Overconfidence can lead to excess risk taking, excessive trading, and undiversified portfolios because think they are smarter and have better information than they actually do. Often investors with an Overconfidence Bias will underestimate the downside risks of an investment. These investors tend to fall prey on the mis-guided quest for the next “Hot Stock.” NATHAN D. BRAMMER MBA, CIMA®, AIF® is a Principal and Investment Advisor at Marrs Wealth Management. He can be reached at Nate@ marrswealthmanagement. com.

company’s first project is developing a wireless ventricular assist device.

Events to provide wedding planning services for those tying the knot in rural communities.

SIMPLY, SOIL

PROPELLED SOLUTIONS

Simply, Soil is working on ways to make rammed earth a more efficient process for midwest builders. ISU senior Jake Oswald said rammed earth techniques compress soil and other natural materials for construction use. “It’s been one of the oldest, if not the oldest, building system in the world, and it’s been forgotten,” he said.

FAST FARM

Fast Farm, run by senior Brandi Barrett, is a mobile platform that helps connect buyers of farm equipment to local dealers. Buyers send a request to the system, which then notifies subscribing dealerships of a potential customer. Barrett said the process should take less than a minute.

TRUE 360

Freshmen Chris James and John Clark started True 360 to develop 360 degree cameras to place in zoo and aquarium exhibits. The cameras can be optimized for virtual reality goggles, giving viewers a full view of the habitats. “Wherever the camera is, you will be,” Clark said. The duo is working with seven aquariums, including Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and Sea Life Minnesota in Mall of America, for commercialization.

IVORY LANE EVENTS

Senior Emma Oliverius started Ivory Lane

Propelled Solutions develops drone attachments for law enforcement and emergency responders. Senior Nolan Herlocker said the attachments will cost less than $100 each, operate independently of the drone and use their own power supplies, extending the flight time of the drone itself.

RENTERGATE

RenterGate aims to build a web-based rental property manager for landlords and tenants. Junior Brady Trent said he’s preparing to launch a beta version of the app this weekend.

LAMB TACTICAL

Lamb Tactical produces custom pistol holsters and mounts for specific firearms. Junior Tyson Lamb said the products will help concealed carriers draw and holster their weapons with a lower risk of accidental fire. “Every time you expose your trigger, you lose a lot of safety, and that’s not something a safe carrier wants whatsoever,” he said.

U.S. BIOCOATINGS

US BioCoatings, founded by junior Nathan Kimle, is developing a soybean-based alternative for carnauba wax. carnauba is a high-gloss was produced in a tree native only to Brazil and has applications in automobiles, food, cosmetics and other sectors of industry. Kimle estimates a soybean substitute can cost up to half as much as a comparable amount of carnauba.

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Leadership Ames SPECIAL EDITION

Congrats to Leadership Ames Class XXX

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he 2016-2017 Leadership Ames class graduated on Monday, May 15, with a dinner and proJUDP LQ WKHLU KRQRU 6LQFH WKH ¿UVW VHVVLRQ LQ September, graduates spent 12 day-long classes that encompassed leadership development and community awareness. The class also worked on several service projects throughout the community. We are pleased to announce the graduates of the Leadership Ames XXX class, presented by corporate sponsor Mary Greeley Medical Center, and we look forward to seeing how they will continue to contribute to their organizations and our community:

Alexandre Andrade,Iowa State CyBiz Lab Lindsey Bartholomew, Bartholomew Chiropractic Adam Bates, Mary Greeley Medical Center Brenda Brown , Renewable Energy Group Jason Crawford, Workiva :ƵƐƟŶ ŽĚŐĞ, Hunziker Companies <ĂƚŚLJ ƵďĂŶƐŬLJ, Workiva Michael Garcia, Roseland Mackey Harris Architects Tillie Good, Iowa State University, 4-H Youth Development

Erin Greazel, Hy-Vee Lincoln Center Peter Hanson, Up and Running Software, Inc. Lori Jarmon, ISU College of Engineering LJůĂŶ <ůŝŶĞ, Integrity Construction dĂŵŵLJ <ŽŽůďĞĐŬ, Iowa State Center/VenuWorks Anne Owens, Volunteer Center of Story County Teresa Rummer, First National Bank Jonathon Schroeder, Davis Brown Law Firm DŝĐŚĞůůĞ sŽŐĞů, Sigler Tanner Winterhof, VisionBank Kyle Woiwood, LWBJ Special thanks to the Class XXX Co-Chairs Andy Bates (The Weitz Company) and Kelsey Carper (RE/Max Real Estate). If you are interested in applying for the 2017-2018 Class, applications are now available at www.ameschamEHU FRP DQG LQ WKH &KDPEHU RI¿FH &RQWDFW -DQ MDQ# ameschamber.com) with questions.

The Leadership Ames program is designed to develop informed, involved and concerned community leaders in the Ames area.

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18 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

LEADERSHIP AMES SPECIAL EDITION | CLASS XXX

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JULY 2017 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 19

LEADERSHIP AMES SPECIAL EDITION | CLASS XXX

Leadership Ames XXX Community Projects The Ames Chamber of Commerce Leadership Ames Class XXX focused on four community projects this past year. The class gained a broader view of civic leadership UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV DQG RSSRUWXQLWLHV WKURXJK GLUHFW FRQWDFW ZLWK SHRSOH DQG RUJDQL]DWLRQV LQĂ€XHQFLQJ DQG VKDSLQJ WKH $PHV &RPPXQLW\ $V SDUW RI WKH &ODVV &XUULFXOXP PHPbers are grouped into teams to identify, create and complete a community service project of their choosing. Leadership Ames Class 30 Community Service Projects included:

- Business Connect -

- Leaders on a Mission -

Business Connect, in collaboration with KHOI Community Radio, will produce and host a radio program focusing on the business community in Ames and surrounding communities. The bi-weekly, 30-minute program will focus on stories of local businesses and leaders as they navigate the changing business environment. Our goal is to inform, educate and entertain

Leaders on a Mission has partnered with the non-profit roup Missionist, in an effort to create a bridge between local human service organizations providing essential services (clothes, food, shelter, & transportation) and those most in need of these services. Our goal to provide a simple, yet effective means of connecting organizations to those who need them the most.

PROJECT TEAM: Adam Bates, Dylan Kline, Erin Greazel, Tammy Koolbeck, Brenda Brown

PROJECT TEAM: Tillie Good, Jonathan Schroeder, Peter Hanson, Kyle Woiwood, Kathy Dubansky

- Ames Signage Team-

The Ames Signage team is partnering with the Ames Foundation this spring to construct “Ames� welcoming signs at the East and West entrances of Highway 30. With your support, these two displays will not only serve as visible markers of our city, but will show the pride we have in our community and will be a welcoming presence for visitors and residents alike. PROJECT TEAM: Justin Dodge, Michelle Vogel, Lori Jarmon, Michael Garcia. Teresa Rummer

- Mental Illness Campaign -

Mental Illness Campaign: Our project will directly benefit the National Allian e on Mental Illness of Central Iowa (NAMI-CI) by creating & providing an annual endowment fund to purchase educational & training materials for local providers and volunteers. Financial contributions will provide NAMI-CI a stable source of funding for educating community providers, increasing local awareness of services available for Mental Illness Recovery, and offer accessibility through the distribution and display of window clings. PROJECT TEAM: Tanner Winterhof, Jason Crawford, Anne Owens, Alex Andrade, Lindsey Bartholomew

The Leadership Ames program is designed to develop informed, involved and concerned community leaders in the Ames area.

20 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

LEADERSHIP AMES SPECIAL EDITION | CLASS XXX

Photos from Leadership Ames XXX Sessions

Leadership Ames Class XXX at Reiman Gardens on Quality of Life Day. Ames Chamber of Commerce Photo

Leadership Ames Class XXX during Community Schools day. Ames Chamber of Commerce Photo.

Leadership Ames Class XXX tours the meat lab at Iowa State University. Ames Chamber of Commerce Photo

Leadership Ames Class XXX. Ames Chamber of Commerce Photo.

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JULY 2017 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 21

Chamber Update JULY 2017

LEADERSHIP AMES CLASS XXXI

Leadership Ames applications due July 7! Are you interested in serving in leadership positions in the community now or in the future? Then Leadership Ames is for you! Download an application at AmesChamber.com

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he Leadership Ames program was created by the Ames Chamber of Commerce to develop informed, involved and concerned community leaders in the Ames area. This is a program that gives both experienced and developing leaders a broader view of civic leadership responsibilities and opportunities through direct contact with a wide spectrum of institutions and people who shape the community where we work and live.

Leadership Ames – Class XXXI begins in September 2017, and continues with regular sessions through May 2018. The 12 full-day sessions are conducted at various locations in Ames and Story County with one session approximately every three weeks. During the year, participants listen to presentations, debate issues, participate in class activities, lead discussions, visit with area leaders and organizations, tour the community and get to know individuals representing a broad cross-

section of the community. More than 500 individuals have completed the curriculum and many are extensively involved with community and Ames Chamber of Commerce leadership opportunities. The program is limited to approximately 16 to 20 participants who are members of the Ames Chamber of Commerce, have an interest in leadership roles and community service and who reside in the greater Ames area. Participant selection is made by the

Leadership Ames selection committee and co-chairs on the basis of written application. Participants are selected from a cross-section of business, proIHVVLRQDO QRQ SURÂżW DQG ORFDO UHVLGHQWV Tuition costs, scholarship information and other details are available in the application materials online (www. ameschamber.com) and at the Chamber RIÂżFHV $SSOLFDWLRQV DUH GXH RQ )ULGD\ -XO\ WR WKH &KDPEHU RIÂżFH Main Street). Questions may be directed to jan@ameschamber.com.

The mission of the Ames Chamber of Commerce is to provide our members services that strengthen the economic vitality in Ames and enhance the quality of life in our community.

22 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

EDUCATION CONNECTIONS 2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CASEY JOHNSON, Chair of Board of Directors Ames Ford Lincoln LUKE JENSEN, Vice Chair Real Estate Service Group, Inc. ANDREW PERRY, 2nd Vice Chair McFarland Clinic, PC SCOTT BLUM, Divisional Chair, Community Development Accord Architecture / Henkel STACY DREYER, Divisional Chair, Government Affairs & Treasurer First National Bank NATE EASTER, Divisional Chair, Membership Iowa State University Research Park DAVE TUCKER, Immediate Past Chair Workiva DAN CULHANE, President / CEO Ames Chamber & Economic Development Commission BOARD MEMBERS Vanessa Baker-Latimer, City of Ames Bret Bartholomew, Bartholomew Chiropractic Lindsey Beecher, Gilbert Community School District Scott Blum, Accord Architecture/Henkel Construction Nathan Buss - YPA Past President, VisionBank Matt Converse, Converse Conditioned Air Lawrence Cunningham, Iowa State Daily Media Group Stacy Dreyer, First National Bank Nate Easter, ISU Research Park Sara Hunter, Vermeer Corporation Luke Jensen, Real Estate Service Group, Inc. Casey Johnson, Ames Ford Lincoln Dr. Sonya Stoltze Newstrom, Stoltze and Stoltze Family Dentistry Andrew Perry, McFarland Clinic, PC Cliff Smith - MSCD Past President, GlobalVetLink Jason Schwenneker, Renewable Energy Group Trevin Ward - CAA President Elect, Workiva Jill Wellman, Danfoss Dave Tucker,Workiva The Chamber Update newsletter is published by the Ames Chamber of Commerce 304 Main Street,Ames, IA, 50010; phone: (515) 232-2310; fax: (515) 233-3203 www.ameschamber.com.

Congratulations 2016-2017 Youth Leadership Ames Graduates!

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ongratulations to our Class VII Youth Leadership Ames Graduates! 28 Youth from Ames and Gilbert graduated from <RXWK /HDGHUVKLS $PHV RQ 0D\ WK The program is facilitated by Sarah Buss of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and the Young Professionals of Ames. Youth /HDGHUVKLS $PHV )ROORZV LQ WKH IRRWVWHSV of the Chamber’s successful Leadership Ames program. The Youth Leadership

Ames program is designed to develop the community leadership potential of area high school students in the Chamber member school districts. High School juniors from member schools (Ames, Ballard, Gilbert) are selected to participate in this 9-month leadership program, held September through May. Each month, the selected individuals will focus on a difIHUHQW WRSLF WHDP EXLOGLQJ QRQ SUR¿W organizations, city organization, health-

2016 -2017 Graduates: Maia Ardoin Nicole Aroche Macee Buss Nicole Cho Kaylee Clendenen Sarah Evans Ben Eyles Gabrielle Gianello Eleanor Glenn Dana Gustafson Casey Hinders Jazlyn Horras Colton Iiams Ryan Jeong

Trinity Jones John Kim Amara Lipsy Anna Napolitano Xary Nunez-Hiraldo Olivia Obrien Sonja Paulson Maggie Pollard Brianna Richard Justine Rosburg Inga Rotto Athena Song Hattie Stenberg Rebekah Wilson

care, leadership development, community development, business & industry, secondary education. They will also have the opportunity to tour area businesses and hear from community and business leaders. A graduation dinner concludes the year. Sponsored by the Young Professionals of Ames, McDonald’s, Renewable (QHUJ\ *URXS :HOOV )DUJR DQG WKH $PHV &KDPEHU RI &RPPHUFH )RXQGDWLRQ

J U LY 2 017 | A M E S B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY | 2 3

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

MEMBER EVENT

Join us for Business After Hours July 19

Soak up the Sun Business After Hours Wednesday, July 19, 4:30-6:30 p.m. First American Bank 6 'Xŕśť $YHQXH Ames, Iowa 50010 Enjoy Hickory Park BBQ, drinks, and ice cream.

Hosted By:

INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL AT WORK

Ames Chamber and AfďŹ liate staff ‡ Dan Culhane, President and CEO ‡ Peter Ampe, Director, Project Management ‡ Sarah Buss, Director, Sponsorship and Membership Events ‡ Karin Chitty, Campustown Action Association

Executive Director ‡ Edana Delagardelle, Event Coordinator, Main Street Cultural District ‡ %UHQGD 'U\HU Director, Workforce Solutions & Story County Community Outreach

‡ Lauren Frandsen, Director, Communications & Marketing ‡ John Hall, Director, Business Development & Marketing ‡ Ron Hallenbeck, Executive Vice President ‡Kelly Hendrick, Client Services Coordinator ‡ Cindy Hicks, Main Street Cultural District Execu-

tive Director ‡ Amy Howard, 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW )LQDQFH 2SHUDtions ‡ Drew Kamp, Director, Business Retention/Expansion & Government Relations ‡Lojean Petersen $PHV 0DLQ 6WUHHW )DUPHUVœ 0DUket Manager ‡Jan Williams, Director, External Business Relations

24 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Mark your calendar for the Ames Mayor and City Council Legislative Luncheon July 12

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n Wednesday, July 12th from 11:15am-1:00pm at the City Church of Ames'HV 0RLQHV ORFDWHG DW Oakwood Road, the Mayor and City Council will be featured at the Ames Chamber of Commerce Ames Mayor and City Council Legislative Luncheon. Attendees will hear from the Mayor and all six members of the City Council regarding important issues and projects being undertaken by our municipal government. This will also be the Mayor’s last forum, as she has announced she will be retiring and not be seeking reelection. The schedule for the Luncheon is: DP DP 5HJLVWUDWLRQ DQG lunch available to all attendees. P SP 0D\RU DQG &LW\ Council members address the crowd and ¿HOG TXHVWLRQV Per usual, the event is open to Chamber members and their guest. The cost

of attendance is $10.00 and includes lunch. ,I \RX KDYH TXHVWLRQV UHJDUGLQJ WKH event, are interested in attending, or ZLVK WR VXEPLW D TXHVWLRQ SOHDVH FRQWDFW 'UHZ .DPS DW RU drew@ameschamber.com. The Ames Chamber of Commerce thanks Converse Conditioned Air, Des 0RLQHV $UHD &RPPXQLW\ &ROOHJH )LUVW National Bank, Midland Power Cooperative, Renewable Energy Group, and Workiva for their support as 2017 Taking Leadership Legislative Sponsors. The Chamber also thanks Greater Iowa Credit Union, Harold Pike Construction, Roseland, Mackey, Harris Architects, and VenuWorks for their continued support and generosity as 2017 Legislative Lunch Season Sponsors. Without the continued support of our great sponsors, the Ames Chamber of Commerce would not be able to provide the great events and services we do today.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2017 INNER CIRCLE SPONSORS

JULY 2017 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 25

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

July calendar Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

3

4

Fireworks @ dusk

9

10

4:30 p.m.:Stoltze & Stoltze Family Dentistry (R/C)

16

17

5

6

7

8

12

13

14

15 8am: Ames Main

Independence Day

11

11:15 a.m.: Legislative Luncheon

12 noon: KHOI Community Radio (R/C)

Summer Intern Event

18

19

20

Firefly Country Nights (MSCD)

21

24 30

25 31

26 7:30 a.m.: Leadership Breakfast 4:30 p.m.: The Waterford at Ames (R/C)

8am: Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market (300 & 400 blocks Main Street)

Street Farmers’ Market (300 & 400 blocks Main Street)

22 8am: Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market (300 & 400 blocks Main Street)

4:30 p.m.: First American Bank (BAH)

23

8am: Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market (300 & 400 blocks Main Street)

27

28

Summer Intern Event

29 8am: Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market (300 & 400 blocks Main Street)

AEDC !MES %CONOMIC $EVELOPMENT #OMMISSION s BAH "USINESS !FTER (OURS s CAA #AMPUSTOWN !CTION !SSOCIATION s C #HAMBER /FlCE s FAW: Friday After Work s L&L: ,UNCH ,EARN s R/C 2IBBON #UTTING s YPA 9OUNG 0ROFESSIONALS OF !MES s YLA: Youth Leadership Ames

AMES MAIN STREET

FARMERS’

MARKET

MAIN STREET SATURDAYS FREE FAMILY FUN LIVE MUSIC COOKING CONTESTS LOCAL PRODUCE

26 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

RIBBON CUTTINGS

Celebrate with a ribbon cutting If your business has completed a major remodeling project, moved to a new location, changed ownership, or reached a milestone, you need to take advantage of the Chamber’s Ribbon Cutting service that brings members and the media to you. With each Ribbon Cutting, your business will be exposed to the Ames community and Story County. Event photos of your Ribbon Cutting will be published in the Chamber’s Weekly E-mail Update and the Ames Business Monthly. A Ribbon Cutting is a great way to invite people to your location and showcase your business.

Dashing Boutique 218 Main Street

Not only does this opportunity get people to your place of busiQHVV EXW LW RIIHUV D XQLTXH QHWworking environment in addition to some great marketing. So what are you waiting for? Contact Jan Williams at jan@ameschamber.com RU FDOO WR VFKHGXOH \RXU Ribbon Cutting today!

✂ Keller Williams Ames 517 Grand Ave. Suite 103

JULY 2017 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 27

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AMBASSADORS Cindy Albin, Hunziker & Associates Tess Ashley,Global State Mortgage Alli Azbill, Global State Mortgage Don Borcherding, Greater Iowa Credit Union Steve Bock, RE/MAX Real Estate Center Adam Brungardt, Americann & County Suites/Ames Laura Brassell, Bank of the West Nathan Buss, VisionBank Tara Carlson, Tom Randall Real Estate Team John Coder, VisionBank Lisa Downs, EXIT Realty Stacy Dreyer, First National Bank Marci Ferguson, Re/MAX Real Estate Pam Fleener, First National Bank Teresa Garman, Individual Member Leslie Ginder, ISU LAS Career Services Shelley Goecke, McFarland Clinic Tom Haggas, Cheshire Moon Films Jeff Harrison, Midwest Heritage Bank Sherry Hosteng, RE/MAX Real Estate Ashley Howe, Xpanxion Sharon Johnson, RE/MAX Real Estate Michelle King, The Krell Institute Matt Koehler, Greater Iowa Credit Union Tony LaRosa, Individual Member Paul Livingston, Hunziker & Associates, Realtors Danielle Minde, EXIT Realty Brandon Mumm, Ames Tribune David Orth, Spirited Giving Matthew Pacha, Hy-Vee Lincoln Center Mike Peckis, Sam’s Club Sarah Powers, RE/MAX Real Estate Tom Randall, Tom Randall Real Estate Team Tim Rasmussen, Flooring America Molly Redenbaugh, Danfoss Power Solutions Matt Roghair, Exchange State Bank Dorothy Schumer, Ames Convention & Visitors Bureau Tim Tryon, First National Bank Daryle Vegge, Ames Morning Rotary Allyson Walter, Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau Cherie Wandling, Wilson Toyota of Ames Patricia Wheeler,Waterford of Ames Michelle Wild, Ames Convention & Visitors Bureau

Mr. Burrito

2508 Lincoln Way

Nite Owl Printing and Copy Inc. 526 Main Street Suite 101

28 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

C HA M B E R

Welcome, new Ames Chamber members

MEMBERS Thank you to the following members who have donated 10 percent more than their annual dues for Chamber projects:

ICS Advanced Tecnologies Innovative Lighting

Nyemaster Goode, P.C. Pizza Pit The Gilligan Group 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. All Gold members will be listed one time during the year.

Valor & Violet, one of Ames Main Street’s newest businesses, strives to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility, not just in the world of beauty, but around the world. As an Aveda Concept Salon, they put customer satisfaction first and are located at 310 Main Street. Call them at 515.233.2323 or visit them at www.valorandviolet.com.

Zap Laser Tag, LLC offers high end mobile laser tag and audio visual equipment for special events throughout Central Iowa. With 100% mobility, call them at 515.512.9270 or visit www.zaplasertag.com for more information.

Starry Night Sleep Consulting, provides personalized, pediatric sleep assistance for families that need to find sleep again! For consulting, sleep plans or coaching program assistance, visit www.starrynightsleep.com or call 515.897.7028 for more information. Creative Spirits, located at 4820 Mortensen Rd, #101, offers “paint and sip” entertainment in their studio or at a location of your choice. Bring your beverage of choice, along with snacks and enjoy while you paint. Offering both public and private parties, call 515.520.3343

Principal Financial Group, located at 2300 South Duff Avenue, provides a wide range of financial and insurance services for both individuals and businesses. Plan to visit one of their many Investment counselors regarding IRA’s, annuities, banking and investment services, retirement planning, & life and health insurance for all your advising needs.

Join the Chamber. Make new connections, promote your business, take advantage of professional development programs and more when you join the Ames Chamber of Commerce. Contact Jan Williams at (515) 232-2310 for more information on how you or your organization can become a Chamber member. When you join, here are some of the many benefits you can take advantage of right away. s 0OST COUPONS on our Web site for FREE. s!TTEND MONTHLY Business After Hours, First Shot Sessions, Legislative Luncheons and more for FREE. s 4AKE ADVANTAGE of reasonably priced ways to promote your business such as ribbon cuttings and mailing labels, just to name a few. s $ISCOUNTED 9OUNG Professionals of Ames membership (ages 21 to 40).

JULY 2017 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 29

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

Enhancements made to local job board

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he Ames Economic Development Commission (AEDC) has redesigned and updated www. workinames.com, a local job board for the Ames/Story County area. 7KH VLWH ZDV ODXQFKHG LQ WR showcase the wide range of career opportunities the Ames and Story County area has to offer and allows all local employers to post jobs at no cost. Those looking for a job in the Ames area are able to search a list of openings for full time, part time and internship positions. Users of the site will notice the redeVLJQ KDV VLPSOL¿HG WKH SRVWLQJ VHDUFKLQJ process and overall the site is brighter DQG PRUH YLVXDO 6SHFL¿F HQKDQFHPHQWV to the site include: -Enhanced search capabilities -Opportunities for job seekers to post WKHLU UHVXPH DQG FUHDWH D SUR¿OH 7KH system will notify them as jobs are posted that match their search criteria (PSOR\HUV FDQ FUHDWH D SUR¿OH WKDW allows them to edit/save/remove their job posts and also search the database the Ames Story IRU TXDOL¿HG FDQGLGDWHV “The enhancements have really taken -The site features videos that help tell

our local job board to the next level,” says Brenda Dryer, Director of Work-

force Solutions. “We’ve designed the site to be useful to both larger and smaller employers in the area and to show off our vibrant community.” Dryer says that while Ames has a relatively low unemployment rate, this site ZLOO KHOS ¿OO WKRVH MRE RSHQLQJV E\ FRQnecting people that are looking for jobs with those that are hiring. ³:H ZDQWHG RXU MRE VLWH WR UHÀHFW our community and attract people from out of state to work at our world-class companies, join our vibrant workforce and become part of our thriving Ames/ Story County community,” says Dryer. The website is one part of the AEDC’s ongoing Workforce Development Initiative. The initiative focuses on projects that will promote the Ames/ Story County community by attractLQJ DQG UHWDLQLQJ DQ DUUD\ RI TXDOL¿HG workers for the area. Along with the local job site, the AEDC runs a summer internship program and a talent recruitment effort. Check out www.WorkInAmes.com today!

30 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

Young Professionals of Ames Get Involved

Board of Directors: The Board of Directors for the Young Professionals of Ames consists of 12 elected members who service a minimum of one three-year term. Members of the Board represent a cross section of the Ames community and meet on a monthly bais to discuss and plan YPA programs, events, and the direction of the organization. Please contact the current Board President to learn more about the Board and be informed of future openings. YPA Committees: Young Professionals of Ames members have the opportunity to actively engage in the programs planned and hosted by the organization by joining one of the four committees assigned with developing YPA activities. Committee participation is open to any YPA member interested in getting involved. Please reach out to any of the committee co-chairs listed if you are interest in learning more about what each committee does or if interested in joining. ‡0DUNHWLQJ &RPPLWWHH KHOSV VSUHDG the work about all the great things YPA does in our community! Members of this committee help promote YPA events and opportunities by managing the YPA website, social media, press releases, email updates, and more. ‡6RFLDO &RPPLWWHH FRRUGLQDWHV HYHQWV and provides opportunities for YPA members and guests to come together to network and socialize. ‡/HDGHUVKLS 3URIHVVLRQDO 'HYHORSment Committee: help coordinate education programming and leadership development opportunities for YPA members. Activities include monthly Lunch & Learns and an annual Leadership Symposium. ‡&RPPXQLW\ 2XWUHDFK 3DUWQHUVKLSV Committee is dedicated to giving back to the community in which we live, work, and play. Committee members help plan volunteer events, encourage YP’s to join a QRQ SUR¿W ERDUG RU &LW\ FRPPLVVLRQ DQG much more! ‡(YHQWV <RXQJ 3URIHVVLRQDOV RI $PHV KDV D ORQJ VWDQGLQJ KLVWRU\ RI TXDOLW\ events, including lunch & learns and after work socials. Combining networking with topics of interest or after work appetizers means members can maximize their time both personally and professionally.

Who we are

)RUPHG LQ DQG DIÂżOLDWHG ZLWK WKH $PHV &KDPEHU RI &RPPHUFH <3$ H[LVWV to connect young professionals with each other, the business community, and the city in which we live, work, and play. Young Professionals of Ames seeks to promote and preserve the businesses, attracWLRQV DQG HYHQWV WKDW PDNH $PHV XQLTXH :H SURYLGH D IRUXP IRU SURIHVVLRQDO QHWZRUNLQJ GHYHORSPHQW DQG VRFLDO HYHQWV 7KH PHPEHUV UHSUHVHQW D XQLÂżHG DQG FUHGLEOH YRLFH IRU \RXQJ SURIHVVLRQDOV RQ FRPPXQLW\ DQG TXDOLW\ RI OLIH RSSRUWXQLWLHV 2XU PHPEHUV DUH SURIHVVLRQDOV IURP DJH WR LQ WKH $PHV DUHD Visit us at www.ypames.com today!

Giving Back

2017 YPA Board Jessica Mortvedt, President, Haverkamp Properties Nathan Buss, Past-President, VisionBank Megan Vollstedt, President-Elect, Workiva Charmian Stewart, Hilton Garden Inn Taylor Hopper, Fox Engineering Heather Johnson, Octagon Center for the Arts Nikki Mesenbrink, Friendship Ark Homes & Community Services Jason Mortvedt, Kinzler Construction Bri Anderson, Ames Public Library Justin Moorman, Moorman Clothiers Megan Filipi, Ames Convention & Visitors Bureau Chamber Liaison/Staff: Sarah Buss, Ames Chamber of Commerce

Thank you to our 2017 YPA sponsors

Ames Ford Lincoln First National Bank Global Reach Internet Productions Hunziker & Associates, Realtors ISU MBA Kingland Systems Mary Greeley Medical Center Munn Lumber North Grand Mall Story Construction VisionBank Hy-Vee Converse Conditioned Air

Connect with YPA YPA members Jessica Mortvedt, Tera Lawson, Bri Anderson, and Nikki Mesenbrink plant owers at Moore Park on May 18, 2017 for the annual Adopt-a-Garden program.

Young Professionals of Ames is committed to giving back to the community through philanthropic involvement. Volunteering is a great way for our members to learn about organizations and the needs of area residents. One of these projects in the annual Adopta-Garden in which YPA adopts and plants a garden in Ames.

Visit www.ypames.com for upcoming events, committee openings and volunteer opportunities.

JULY 2017 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 31

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

MAIN STREET CULTURAL DISTRICT

New era for Bandshell with Firefly Country Nights

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hen country music star Jana Kramer takes the VWDJH RQ -XO\ IRU )LUHĂ€\ Country Nights, it will be a history-making event. “There has never been a national act of this type at the Durham Bandshell Park before,â€? said Craig Kaufman, Bandshell Manager for the City of Ames. “The community is excited about this. It was designed to be a music venue, and that is what residents want to see there.â€? Bandshell Park and stage have a long history in the community of Ames. The Iowa Railroad Land Company gifted the property to the City in 1882 with the stipXODWLRQ WKDW LW EH XVHG DV D SDUN 7KH ÂżUVW stage was a wooden structure built for local band performances. It was replaced in 1909 after money was raised for a new concrete circular structure. However, by WKH SDUN V VHFRQG EDQGVWDQG ZDV beginning to crumble. Dedication of the FXUUHQW VWUXFWXUH ZDV KHOG RQ -XQH $ UHFRUG DWWHQGHHV ZHUH treated to an hour-long concert by the

)RUW 'RGJH %DQG XQGHU the direction of legendary bandmaster Karl King. “The stage at Durham Bandshell Park has always been a showcase venue for Ames,â€? said Kaufman. “There were many articles written about it at the time. It was considered the best bandshell in the country by many.â€? Kaufman says while the music industry has changed over the years, what people want to see at the park hasn’t changed. It is meant to be a music venue. Cindy Hicks, Executive Director of the Main Street Cultural District, agrees and welcomes the opportunity to partner with the City of $PHV WR PDNH WKDW KDSSHQ ZLWK )LUHĂ€\ Country Nights. “Bandshell Park and the stage are an important part of downtown Ames and the history of our community,â€? said Hicks. Âł)RU PDQ\ \HDUV ZH KDYH ZDQWHG WR LQWH-

grate the bandshell into the downtown business district.â€? Hicks and Kaufman both say they hope the Jana Kramer concert is the start of a new era of music entertainment in Bandshell Park. “We are going to learn from this concert, and are already considering possibilities for next summer,â€? said Kaufman. “We want to produce some shows of our own, but we don’t know yet what that will look like.â€? )RRG LV WKH RWKHU VWDU RQ GLVSOD\ “This year we have more variety than ever.â€? said Jess Clyde owner of London underground and event co-lead. “More JULOOHG RSWLRQV IULHG ÂżVK LFH FUHDP LFHG coffees, smoothies, and of course BBQ and sweet corn!â€? Organizers say Kramer, who began her country music career in 2012 with the single “Why Ya Wannaâ€? from her selftitled debut album, is the biggest act to be ERRNHG IRU )LUHĂ€\ &RXQWU\ 1LJKWV LQ LWV four-year history. She is also known for her role as Alex Dupre on the television series “One Tree Hillâ€? and competed on

VHDVRQ RI 'DQFLQJ ZLWK WKH 6WDUV “We have had Jana Kramer in our sights for the last two years.â€? Said Bill Malone event co-lead, “She has a huge following and a great body of work, we got lucky because she is playing a major event in Chicago the next day and her management team thought an Ames stop worked perfect in her schedule.â€? You can purchase tickets in advance at midwestix.com for $18. Since this is WKH ÂżUVW \HDU RI KROGLQJ WKH FRQFHUW LQ WKH park, sales will be capped at 1,500 and are expected to sell out. If any tickets are left, they will be sold for $25 at the gate. 7KH )LUHĂ€\ &RXQWU\ 1LJKWV DIWHU SDUW\ ZLOO EH DW 0F)O\ÂśV VWDUWLQJ DW SP RQ -XO\ $ VHFRQG )LUHĂ€\ &RXQWU\ 1LJKWV concert will be held in downtown Ames on September 8 starring Canaan Smith. )LUHĂ€\ &RXQWU\ 1LJKWV LV D IXQGUDLVHU for the Main Street Cultural District, is organized by CafĂŠ Diem, London UnderJURXQG DQG VSRQVRUHG E\ $PHV )RUG Lincoln, and Iowa Beverage Systems.

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32 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | JULY 2017

AMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY 2017

CAMPUSTOWN ACTION ASSOCIATION

Community Piano

Color in Campustown

T

he newest addition to Campustown Court encourages you to sit down and play a while. The public piano was unveiled during the Summerfest in Campustown event RQ -XQH UG 7KH FRPPXQLW\ SLDQRV WKH second piano is located downtown in Tom Evans Park) were placed in part due WR DQ ,68 )RFXV $UWLVW *UDQW 3DWULFLD Izbicki, a PhD Student in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program at Iowa State University, coordinated the project, working closely with the City of Ames

and Ames Parks & Recreation. Both of the pianos were donated, but Izbicki said the moving expenses, paint and other supplies were funded by the grant. The Campustown piano was decorated by a group of youth who attended music camp DW )LUVW %DSWLVW &KXUFK ,]ELFNL LV WKULOOHG to have the pianos placed in their new homes, and hopes the entire community will enjoy them. “The pianos will just be outside and anyone who wants to, at any level, they can come and sit down and play.” The planters along Welch Avenue are looking a little more colorful. The new plantings were a cooperative effort between the City of Ames, Ames Parks & Recreation, the Ames Chamber of Commerce, the Campustown Action Association and the Ames Foundation. The flower beds at Campustown Court got a little sprucing up too.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

JULY 2017 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 33

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JULY 2017 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 35

UBER EXPERIENCE

‘Forty fi ve percent of students here have my number now’: The man behind Ames’ most recognizable Uber car By Dan Mika, Staff Writer dmika@amestrib.com

If you’ve called for an Uber ride in Ames within the past year, there’s a good chance Sam Nac came to get you. Since he moved to Ames last year, Nac has made countless Uber and taxi trips in the area with his white SUV emblazoned with Uber logos, a rear LED sign and his cell phone number emblazoned on his windshield. Originally from Thailand, Nac came to the United States and took on various jobs, including driving limousines. He was working in a Storm Lake restaurant when he first heard about driving for Uber. He applied online and spent a few weekends driving in Ames to test his revenue and made somewhere between $300 and $400 in a weekend. “I said, ‘Wait a minute, ’ and I figured out I was tired working for someone else and long hours, especially when you’re a single parent, it’s hard taking care of the kids,” he said. “I figured out I could make more working a normal job.” He left his job at the restaurant and commuted back and forth for three months before moving his three children to Ames. As he began to find his financial footing as a driver, Nac added his own individual taxi service alongside Uber driving. He printed his cell phone number on his business cards and handed them out to every customer who got into his car after people asked if they could request him later (the Uber app doesn’t have that capability.) “Forty-five percent of students here have my number now,” he said. The extra taxi money is helpful for Nac, as he spends almost $1,200 to fill up his car with gas each month and carries two different insurance policies: one for driving Uber fares and another for his own fares. His deductibles

Uber driver Sam Nac in his Toyota 4Runner. Nac said he drives an average of 260 miles a day for Uber customers and his own ride service. PHOTO BY DAN MIKA/AMES TRIBUNE

start at $1,000, so many of the repairs he makes on his 230,000mile truck come out of his pocket. However, Nac said he’s bringing in about $800 a week before expenses, enough to keep his driving and his family going. His car, a white fourth-generation Toyota 4Runner, has also been adapted for long travel stints. Nac has installed phone chargers, an auxiliary cord, a disco light, a DVD player and two small televisions, one for the front passenger and another for riders in the back. A cascade of black wires cover his front air vents and control panel before diverging toward the dozens of devices in the car.

The outfitted truck has been a hit among passengers. Nac, scrolling through his list of rider feedback, pointed out his fivestar rating. He stopped at one comment in particular, which read “Greatest Uber driver in the history of the Western world.” However, Nac’s hours are long and irregular. When Iowa State University is in session, he often puts in 10- to 14-hour days of driving and is essentially on call 24 hours a day. He averages 256 miles of driving per day. “I spend more time in this car than in my house,” he said. “That’s why I have all my stuff in here.” Nac also drives people around

the entire state, whether it’s people catching a flight to Des Moines or students returning home after a semester at ISU. The furthest he’s been with a customer has been Iowa City, a trip in which the DVD player came in handy for the rider, he said. His schedule often means he has to leave his kids, ages 10, 13 and 15, by themselves. Nac uses a security system to alert him whenever his children come home and uses security cameras to check in on his kids periodically. “They’re old enough to take care of themselves,” he said. “If they’re hungry, I have a pizza delivered to them. They like to

eat out anyway.” Nac said every rideshare customer should double-check to make sure the plates of someone claiming to be their ride match up with the plate numbers in the app. He also said a little respect for your driver goes a long way, especially on late-night rides. “Sometimes, people are just drunks, and I don’t pay attention to them,” he said. But Nac said he enjoys driving his clients around and intends to keep doing so into the future. “I was tired of doing (restaurant work), so I did this,” he said. “And I do this better. This is more fun.”

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SUNNY SITES

City identifi es two possible locations for community solar project By Austin Harrington

Staff Writer aharrington@amestrib.com

A community solar project in Ames continues to progress as the city’s electric department announced recently that it was considering two different places where an array could be located. The project has been a part of several discussions in Ames over the last few years. The Ames Electric Services department is working on a plan to produce sustainable energy and will allow electric services customers to invest in solar energy without adding equipment to their own home or business. The plan is to create a solar array capable of generating roughly 2 MW (megawatts) that would be designed, constructed and placed into service by the end of 2017 or early 2018, according to Don Kom, director of electric services. “First and foremost, we’re trying to do this on city-owned land because that will keep the cost down and keep the ability to provide solar energy to our customers at a lower cost,” Kom said. According to Kom, the city is considering two different sites where the array could possibly be located. The first site is near the Ames Airport off of Airport Road. “There’s some farm field there. Much of that land or all of that land is kind of set aside from an airport standpoint but there is a piece that we’re looking at that’s kind of outside of the approach zone on the runway,” Kom said. That site falls under FAA control and requires agency approval to make sure that it will not affect pilots as they attempt to land planes in Ames.

“On that piece of property, we’re currently working at doing things like a glare study and that type of stuff just to make sure that the FAA would approve us putting some solar panels on part of that property,” Kom said. Other concerns include utilities that may be running through the area, as well as any historical value to the land that shouldn’t be disturbed by construction of a solar project. Kom said the city is also accessing the land itself to make sure that it is an ideal spot for the project. “They’ll be basically putting in these panels for 20-plus years, so you just want to make sure that the ground itself can support the installation of the panels,” Kom said. Kom said while the airport location is the site

that many people would like to go with because of location and logistical concerns, the city is also considering a secondary site just in case the FAA denies the request to locate the project that close to the airport. “So that’s kind of our primary site, if we run into issues with FAA or others that that site maybe isn’t workable, we are also looking at a piece of land, it’s over off of Billy Sunday Road by the animal shelter,” Kom said. According Kom, the Billy Sunday Road site is considered a secondary site because there are some trees that would need to be removed and it’s close to being in an area of the city that is at risk of flooding. “But I wanted to have

something in my back pocket that we could be looking at if our primary site, we find out that it’s not workable,” Kom said. He added that the city is continuing to look at other sites as well but those two properties will be the main focus as the project moves forward. For a site to be considered viable, it would need to be about 10 acres in size, Kom said. That way it would be able to provide the 2 MW. Kom said the city is awaiting responses from the request for proposals that the city sent out to developers. Those are expected to come in late next month, Kom said. He added that his department will also be sending out

letters to prospective customers to see how many people in the city would want to participate in the program when it’s up and running. Kom said he expects that letter to be sent out soon. “Once we get the interest back, then we’ll know if the community is interested in supporting a 2 MW solar farm,” Kom said. Following that, the city will finalize the cost for customers. “We would start construction before the end of the year and it would either be completed I’d say by the end of the year or the beginning of 2018,” Kom said.

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BRIMEYER

Ensuring a return on training I

once managed with a colleague who was a voracious reader. Wayne was a lifelong learner whose career exceeded that predicted by his formal education. He frequently carried around the latest book that he was reading. But what made Wayne unique and especially valuable to our team was his curiosity and willingness to try applying his newfound knowledge to our business. As a recovering engineer, I appreciated his quest for the practical application of knowledge. After completing a book, he would boil down the hundreds of pages into a couple of actionable items which he felt were appropriate to our plant. We would discuss these and, more often than not, define a small scale experiment to try them out. Many proved

Rick Brimeyer to be successful and thus became part of our standard way of doing things. I thought of Wayne during the past month as I witnessed two clients do something similar following training workshops. Let me start by saying that, as someone who spends a fair amount of his

working hours providing training, I’m acutely aware of the fact that the return on investment which organizations receive on training — and especially leader training — varies incredibly. For some organizations the gain is immeasurable … for others it is unmeasurable because it is virtually non-existent. Aware of that fact, I strive to boil workshops down to a vital few actionable bullets and provide useful application templates that will hopefully transform information into action. In the first situation, I was presenting the “world premier” of a new workshop entitled Meaningful Meetings. The creation of the workshop was requested by multiple clients … lousy meetings are a near epidemic. Kicking off the workshop,

the group of 15 participants estimated that the combined cost of their time wasted in meetings was $115K annually. That got their attention. The workshop defined two major responsibilities for meaningful meetings. First and foremost, facilitators have the responsibility to plan and conduct an effective meeting. During preparation, they have to consider, develop and clearly communicate: • Objectives. • Scope (what’s in and out-of-bounds). • Participants. • Required preparation.

AGENDA

The second responsibility falls on participants themselves. Each person has to be the primary caretaker of their own time. Therefore, before simply clicking the “Accept” button on a meeting invitation, participants can and should ensure that their participation is appropriate and that the facilitator has completed the necessary preparation so that their meeting time will be well spent. At the conclusion of the workshop the senior leader (who also attended

the workshop) challenged the members of the group to agree on the actions they would take to utilize the training. They agreed to three: • Pilot for one month attaching Objectives, Agenda and Required Preparation to all meeting invitations. • Setting conference rooms as unique entities in Outlook (similar to participants) to ease scheduling and avoid double-booking rooms. • Set default meeting times to 25 and 55 minutes to reduce the chances of lineto-line meetings and the associated waiting waste. In the second instance I completed a multiple-day leadership series covering a wide variety of topics with an intact leadership team. Once again, the senior leader (who also attended the series) shared his intent to meet with each participant individually to discuss which improvement topics were most appropriate for that manager and the specific plan to embody the principles learned into changed behaviors. Training is expensive. The costs associated with the participants

themselves — both hard salaries, wages and benefits as well as opportunities lost while attending — are typically the most significant, and often by far. It’s more than reasonable to expect a return on that investment. It’s the leader’s responsibility to ensure that expectation is understood, that a plan is in place, and that the plan is carried out to fruition. It’s best to state that clear expectation prior to employees attending training, along with a “homework assignment” to report back on their plan to put the training to practical use. This increases the chances that attendees will approach the training like my old friend Wayne did his business books and decreases the odds that the new knowledge will be Gone with the Wind.

government helps citizens make informed decisions that enrich their lives.” Zarn’s winning entry in the “Posters” category was “Lunch and Learn: Islamophobia.” The poster features graphics and text designed by Zarn to publicize a citysponsored program at Ames Public Library. The second award went to “Shared Use Path Map” in the Brochures/Collateral category. This map, printed in a convenient pocketsized foldout format, not only shows all paths and their designated uses on an

Ames street map, but also lists a summary of Iowa bicycling laws, path etiquette, and safety tips. These maps are available at Utility Customer Service counter in the front lobby at City Hall or on the Bike Walk Drive SMART page at www.CityOfAmes.org/ bikesmart. Zarn has also won awards from the American Inhouse Design in the past, including in 2016 when he was recognized for his work in the Internet Design and Brochures/Collateral categories.

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.

CITY OF AMES

City wins design awards By Austin Harrington

Staff Writer aharrington@amestrib.com

In a competition with more than 5,000 entries, a city of Ames employee will receive two awards for his work in the field of graphic design. Derek Zarn, city of Ames printing services

technician, and the city of Ames were recently honored with two American Inhouse Design Awards from Graphic Design USA. The American Inhouse Design Awards is considered to be the premier showcase for outstanding work by inhouse designers, according to a press release from the city.

Zarn received two awards for work in the Posters and Brochures/Collateral categories. Of the more than 5,000 entries that were considered for awards, only 15 percent were recognized with an Award of Excellence. Zarn provides printing, publishing and graphic design services to all city

of Ames departments and he said that the award was a great honor for him personally. “It is an honor to receive recognition in not just one, but two design categories,” Zarn said. “I am proud that our creative work continues to advance our values and reaffirms my belief that high-quality design in

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