PROGRESS 2018
Business Manufacturing Community growth People to watch Waterloo | www.wcfcourier.com/progress | Cedar Falls PROGRESS 2018
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Thanks to Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber investors like you, we delivered on our promise.
No One Else Does What We Do.
Fulfilling the Vision2 | Economic Development Results July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2017
23 completed projects resulted in: $260,370,000
in capital investment
472,788 sq. ft.
new construction
290,208
existing space occupied
sq. ft.
558 GOAL
new or retained jobs GOAL
GOAL
economic growth opportunities for business expansion, retention, and recruitment
$5 million
average capital investment per economic growth opportunity
$19.00/hour
RESULT
RESULT
RESULT
100
141
economic growth opportunities
average wage rate
$11.3 million $20.61/hour average capital investment from projects announced
weighted average wage rate
You can play an important role in long-term regional economic growth by investing financially in Greater Cedar Valley 2021. To make an investment today or to schedule a discussion on how economic development impacts your business, call 319-232-1156 and ask for
Jim Schaefer Director of Investor Relations 2 WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS
www.cedarvalleyalliance.com | 360 Westfield Ave., Suite 200 | Waterloo, Iowa 50701 | 319-232-1156
PROGRESS 2018
CONTENTS
Progress 2018 is a publication of
John Deere leaps into second century
4
PUBLISHER ROY D. BIONDI
Warehousing is big business
8
Geater builds on school outreach
11
AD DIRECTOR TARA SEIBLE
People to watch
14
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Amy Wienands
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Jim Walsh
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Pam Delagardelle
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Allen and Wendell Speller
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Kris Hansen
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Mark Kittrell
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Jerry Thiel
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Tom Poe
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Dave Morgan
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Stan Poe
EDITOR NANCY NEWHOFF SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR MELODY PARKER
U.S. 63 flourishes with improvements
22
Career education in Cedar Valley
24
Cedar Valley health care systems respond to changes
26
DIStek marks 25th anniversary
28
Leader Valley creating tomorrow’s leaders
30
Accel merger creates largest Iowa-based agency
32
Iowa Waste Reduction Center increasing efficiency
34
Cedar Valley industrial parks prepared for growth
35
BraceAbility finds new home
36
Seggerman driving force in Waverly
38
Western Home Communities redefines aging
39
Everything old is new in downtown Waterloo
40
Omega Cabinets breaking barriers
42
PROGRESS 2018
PROJECT MANAGER & AD SALES SHEILA KERNS
Progress is published annually by Courier Communications and may be contacted at: 100 E. Fourth St., P.O. Box 540, Waterloo IA, 50704 Copyright, Porgress 2018 All rights reserved Reproduction or use of editorial, photographic or graphic content without permission is prohibited.
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Robotic arms drill holes in molds at the John Deere foundry.
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PROGRESS 2018
200 STRONG Deere leaping into its second century in the Cedar Valley TEXT | PAT KINNEY Photos | BRANDON POLLOCK
J
ohn Deere is beginning its second century in Waterloo with a second wind. The Moline, Ill.-based agricultural implement manufacturer, which has its largest North American manufacturing complex in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, is hiring, reaping the benefits of millions in capital investment in facilities. Deere is planning a big community party in June celebrating its 100th anniversary in Waterloo. Deere employs a total of 5,000 people in Waterloo. Company fortunes have rebounded markedly from an ag downturn that resulted in the layoff of about 900 workers in recent years. It’s a welcome contrast from when Dave DeVault became Waterloo operations general manager in 2014. “Anyone that was laid off in 2014 or early 2015, all employees with potential recall have been recalled at this point,” DeVault said. “We did hire 27 new employees in the foundry at the end of last calendar year. And we’re actively looking at interviewing, more so right now to fill up the pool of potential employees. What we’ve found is that it takes a long time to build up a talent pool of potential employees. So we go through the screening and the testing, interviews and medical evaluations.” It takes about three months for an employment candidate to work through that process. “We like to keep a talent pool 50 to 100 deep so if things change one way or another we can go up appropriately in production,” DeVault said. “The type of positions we’re looking at right now, No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 would be skilled trades,” DeVault said. “Mechanical repairmen, electricians, plumbers, pipe fitters, that group. Skilled trades are tough to come by because they’re very good at what they do, and they tend not to want to change employers in their career, which is understandable. So that’s a challenge. And we also hire from the skilled trades into the salaried
PROGRESS 2018
Chelsey Weepie cleans off sand cores at the John Deere foundry. (management) ranks, because we need good on-the-ground understanding from an engineering standpoint. “We have an apprentice program, and we also have a school-to-work program we’re working with Hawkeye (Community College) on as far as the apprentice (training) goes,” DeVault said. “We’ve gotten that up and running in the past couple of years, and it’s good. Really. Not just beneficial, but it’s been good for the community in bringing more and more of that talent into our area.” There’s also a demand for machinists, DeVault said, and Hawkeye Community College is working closely with the company to provide qualified workers with training in computerized numerical control, or CNC, manufacturing. There’s a smaller demand for welders, and assemblers make up the
bulk of Deere’s work force. The company is finding enough workers locally, and beyond, DeVault said. “From the schools around the country, we do regular campaigns, regular interview schedules,” DeVault said. “We draw from multiple different schools.” The company has made significant improvements in the foundry over the past several years, said DeVault and Dave Davis of the foundry operations. And those improvements are a sight to see. “A picture’s worth a thousand words. And walking through it is worth a million,” DeVault said. “Starting in the core room, we added some cells that will handle larger cores which go in the castings,” Davis said. “We put in an automated store and retrieval system.”
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Deere and Waterloo by the numbers
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Deere & Co. was 180 years old last year. It was founded in 1837.
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Deere has been in Waterloo 100 of those years. On March 10, 1918, Deere purchased the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Co., makers of the “Waterloo Boy” Tractor.
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The purchase price was $2.35 million. For fiscal year 2017, the company posted earnings of $2.159 billion.
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A copy of the front page of the March 10, 1918 Waterloo Courier announcing Deere’s purchase is in a case on the display floor at company headquarters in Moline, Ill.
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Deere’s original Waterloo manufacturing site on Westfield Avenue was once part of a large Meskwaki village on the Cedar River that extended northwest to the National Cattle Congress grounds.
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Deere Waterloo operations, with five plants around town, are the company’s largest North American manufacturing complex.
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Seth Wortinger moves cast parts at the John Deere foundry. A new massive mold line is known in the plant as the “804 line.” “We’ve been ramping that up for four years, and we’re finally at a pace or a rate we feel pretty good about. The quality is where we need it to be. And with this new line we’re able to produce larger parts. That was the biggest advantage for us. We’re able to make longer and wider parts than we were on our previous lines,” Davis said. Those parts are sent to plants companywide. The foundry is in hot demand within Deere as the company upgrades and introduces new products. “Right now we have plenty to do,” Davis said. “We have more work than we can bring in as we improve our efficiencies. The next generation of tractors is really going to maximize the advantages we have with this foundry. The size, the technology we have, the complexity of what we can produce is just far better than most others in the industry.” It also has allowed the company to bring work that has previously been outsourced back into the plant. “We have to really be careful on the balance between the new products we’re designing and the current products we’re building, so we keep that balance in the scale of what we can produce at the foundry,” DeVault said. “Now that we have that competency here, we’re able to design larger and more complex castings out of our design community into the foundry. We want to make sure we keep the runway open for that new work coming in.” The foundry also provides staff support to sister factories in Brazil, North
Giant buckets pour molten metal into molds at the John Deere foundry. Carolina — where greens mowers are produced — and other plants. Expansion of other elements of the Waterloo operation will begin this year, DeVault said. “We’ll start seeing some expansion on the southwest building of drivetrain (operations), the company’s “T-10” building at Westfield Avenue and the Commercial Street extension. We’re going to expand that building for more transmission assembly capability there.” Also, DeVault said, “We’re rearranging the one right on Westfield Avenue, the service parts building (east of the foundry) the ‘1020 building,’ rearranging that one. We are renovating the building right off River Drive on the back side of Black Hawk Creek, the ‘1010 building.’”
The Donald Street site will see infrastructure improvements and “rearrangement of assembly lines, getting ready for different changes coming out over the next three years,” DeVault said. And Deere will be putting a training center in the new Courtyard by Mariott hotel at the Cedar Valley TechWorks campus. “From a company standpoint we’re in the next phase of re-engineering the products and the factories that we do it in,” DeVault said. “And we got ready for it here five or six years ago with the foundry, modernizing it. We did it in redevelopment back in 2003-10 at drivetrain (Westfield) and tractor cab assembly operations (Donald Street). “Now here we are 10 years later looking at a refresh again. We’ve got the foundation in on the foundry to do what we need to do; we have the foundation in the component part of drivetrain,” and now that will continue with additional work at drivetrain operations and at Donald Street. That’s in addition to new product research and development at the Product Engineering Center in Cedar Falls. It represents a capital investment, in rough figures, of about $100 million within Black Hawk County. Deere is planning a celebration June 15-16 downtown and at the John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum to mark the company’s 100th anniversary in Waterloo. Deere purchased the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Co, makers of the “Waterloo Boy” tractor, in March 1918. The museum also has ongoing exhibits marking the anniversary. Tractors produced will be marked with a 100th anniversary logo. PROGRESS 2018
True Expertise + Working Ingenuity ISG has a rich history, that extends over 45 years, of building trusting relationships with clients, stakeholders, and the community. As a multi-disciplinary firm that is 100% owned by employees, ISG serves numerous markets and fosters strong collaboration between all disciplines, providing a diverse knowledge base, high level of creativity, and broad perspective. ISG and StruXture Architects have recently joined forces to continue improving the services we offer partners near and far. ISG’s flexibility makes it possible; our focus and innovative solutions make it happen.
ARCHITECTURE + ENGINEERING + ENVIRONMENTAL + PLANNING PROGRESS 2018
www.is-grp.com WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS 7
Crystal Distribution employees bag, weigh, and package pork.
Tale of two families Two multi-generation locally owned families are among the fastest growing warehousing and distribution businesses in the Cedar Valley — the Poe and Martin families. Here’s a brief chronology on each:
In 1979, Standard Distributing purchases Stan and David Poe operate Standard Crystal Ice and Cold Storage from the Young Distribution. family. It later becomes Crystal Distribution Martin Bros. Services. The company was founded in 1940 by In 1985, Crystal Distribution purchases and brothers Roy and Glenn Martin Poe family renovates many of the former Rath buildThey started in their parents’ Cedar Falls In 1936, Stan and Norma Seroke move to ings for cold storage throughout the next Iowa from Chicago and start Standard Dis- two decades and continues multiple expan- garage and later relocated to a warehouse tributing Co., a wholesale beer business, at sions at different facilities over the next on South Main Street. the end of Prohibition. several years. Martin Bros. moved its warehouse to the In 1971, Joan Poe, daughter of Stan Seroke, In 2000, Standard Distributing’s beer busi- industrial park in 1969. takes over the business after her husband, ness is sold to United Beverage of Waterloo. It as undergone several expansions there, Bud, dies. Bud had operated the business Standard Distribution continues on in drysince the late ‘50s. Joan struggles with their goods warehousing. growing to 362,000 square feet and is now supplier who is reluctant to do business being led by the third generation of Martins. In 2001, Joan Poe dies and her sons Stan, with a woman distributor. Beer giant Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. of Milwaukee tries David and Tom continue management of Martin Bros. Distributing Co., Inc. is a fullline, family- and employee-owned food to force Joan out of the business. Standard the business. Joan Poe’s son Tom operservice distributor serving Iowa and surates Crystal Distribution Services. Her perserveres and prospers. Joan and Bud’s children help out with the family business. sons rounding states. 8 WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS
PROGRESS 2018
Warehousing is big
business
TEXT | PAT KINNEY Photos | MATTHEW PUTNEY
W
ATERLOO — Food storage is the “meat” of the business for Crystal Distribution Services. The company, which took over and rehabilitated large portions of the former Rath Packing Co. plant site, is in the middle of a $5.5 million, 50,000-square-foot expansion onto its refrigerated warehouse at Vinton and Sycamore streets on the old Rath site. The expansion, coupled with other developments like the growth of Standard Distribution — the addition of an Ashley Furniture warehouse in Cedar Falls, expansions by Martin Brothers
Distributing about two years ago and the location of the massive Target Distribution Center nearby — help further cement the position of Waterloo-Cedar Falls as a major warehousing and distribution hub. The company also has added some meat processing to the operation, trimming fat and packaging meat from Tyson Fresh Meats in Waterloo and other firms for further processing. “Lot of history here. It’s kind of ironic that we’re still doing the meat business,” Poe said, given the history of the old Rath site. “We do a lot of work with Tyson but there’s other customers. Different proteins — beef, turkey, chicken — all proteins. “We box meat, temper it, do some trimming of meat. That’s new this past year. We started that for a customer. If we can add more value-added service, those thing are good for us,” and add jobs “The thing that’s been holding us up now is the lack of freezer space,” which makes the expansion timely. It is anticipated to be completed in May. The business employs 55 people full time, plus some temporary labor of about 20 to 40 workers during busy periods. The catalyst for the warehousing and distribution growth of Crystal and others was the highway system, Tom Poe said. “That was a large part of it. (Interstate) 380 connecting with 80 was a big deal, and the Avenue of the Saints in general. Most of our traffic rolls that way or (U.S.) Highway 20. When we’re in the middle of agriculture heartland here, between a num-
ber of large cities, it lends itself really well to distribution. Obviously Target recognized that, and other companies. My brothers (Stan and David Poe, Standard Distribution) have expanded their dry storage business and done a good job with that,” utilizing highway as well as rail. Poe’s brothers’ Stan’s and David’s enterprise, Standard Distribution, has several sites in Waterloo-Cedar Falls and does dry storage for food-grade packaging material, ag products such as animal feed additives and manufacturing components. One of its newest constructed facilities is a 103,000-square-foot building in the North Cedar Falls Industrial Park, about three years old. In all, Standard has about 800,000 square feet under roof at seven different facilities in Waterloo-Cedar Falls. It also has a location in Omaha, Neb. The business is, by design, not well known, because its client base is confidential. “That’s kind of the nature of our industry. We fly below the radar,” Poe said. “We operate like an extension of our clients’ business. Companies don’t want to spend millions of dollars on a distribution center when they can outsource it to us. “We’ve got all the headaches of operation that they don’t want to mess with. So they send orders to us every day and we load them back out on trucks,” Stan Poe said. “It’s a big industry throughout the world but almost nobody knows about it. It’s called third-party logistics.
LEFT: Stan Poe of Standard Distribution stands in of his warehouse in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park. PROGRESS 2018
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Standard employs about 80 people and that can fluctuate depending on workload and projects. Products stored can be massive, ranging to multiple 7,000 pound rolls of paper. “But our clamp trucks just pick it up like it’s a piece of paper,” Stan Poe said. The area benefits as a warehousing hub from its trucking companies. But for Standard’s Cedar Falls operation rail access is a plus, particularly with the size and weight of the products stored. The company built a rail spur access of the adjacent Canadian National Railway line to load and unload product right out its door. “We’ve had steady growth over the years,” Stan Poe said. “We used to just be food grade. We’re expanding our base and clientele,” adding ag and industrial products. Another family-owned warehousing and distribution business, Martin Brothers Distributing Co., said the highway access and labor pool has only accelerated their growth through the generations as a regional distributor of institutional food products. “Being located in the Cedar Valley since 1940 has allowed Martin Broth-
Construction crews work on the 50,000 square foot freezer expansion at Crystal Distribution in Waterloo. ers to grow our distribution network not only in Iowa, but throughout the Midwest,” company chief operation officer Jeff Martin said. “Our operations center in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park allows our fleet to reach the entire Midwest market with easy access to highways. The quality of the workforce in the Cedar Valley is second to none. The Cedar Valley community has been extremely helpful in supporting our growth needs and we look forward to many more years of growth.” Kevin Hemmen, president of Waterloo Warehousing & Service Co.
said that company began 34 years ago with Deere as a main customer. “Deere’s still a big customer but we’ve added to our customers base,” he said. The company has multiple locations, including several repurposed industrial buildings and about 120 to 140 employees. The Cedar Valley’s advantage is its people as well as the location, said Jordan Kettner of the Target Distribution Center. “One of the things that’s key for us is the workforce of the area, the strong work ethic and our ability to
Rolls of product in the Standard Distribution warehouse in the Northern Cedar Falls Industrial Park in Cedar Falls. draw top talent — highly educated team members — and being able to retain them,” Kettner said. “The work force here in Cedar Falls, the Cedar Valley, rivals anywhere in the United States. With that, we have the ability to draw great leaders from the area. Wartburg, Iowa, Iowa State, the University of Northern Iowa, they’re preparing people ready to come right in.”
SERVING MORE THAN 25,000 INDIVIDUALS
94%
of graduates reside in Iowa
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
$618 MILLION
11,296 JOBS CREATED
EARN A 12.3%
RETURN ON INVESTMENT 10 WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS
PROGRESS 2018
Jorge Lopez-Acosta uses a machine to sand down aluminum parts at Geater Machining & Manufacturing in Independence.
LIFE LESSON Geater working to grow its school outreach program TEXT | JIM OFFNER Photos | MATTHEW PUTNEY
I
DEPENDENCE — Area stuN dents are learning there are career options aplenty in advanced manufacturing these days. That’s one of the messages behind a school-outreach program Independence-based Geater Machining & Manufacturing has created in the last few years. “We’ve done a lot with outreach the last year,” said Amber Youngblut, the company’s human resources manager.
PROGRESS 2018
That outreach comes in many forms. It could be an overview of the career opportunities that kids might not otherwise be aware of. It could involve bringing some pieces of equipment to school to show students. It might involve such basics as how to get into the advanced manufacturing field. The options are almost unlimited, and the outreach effort is growing, Youngblut said. “We focus on what each school is looking for,” she said. “Some need career readiness (assistance),
A CNC machine cuts out an aluminum heat sink for a power supply. WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS 11
so we’ve gone out and helped with resumes or interviews. Some schools like to give their students an idea of what manufacturing is about, so we host students here.” If students can’t travel, Geater will send a delegation to schools, and it will make sure its emissaries have any materials they might need to spark student interest, Youngblut said. “It’s kind of based on what the school needs,” she said. “We send employees to metals classes and talk to them about careers in metals. We’ve done some career readiness with interviewing. We’ve donated equipment to the schools. It’s not a one-size-fits all; we try to meet them where they’re at.” The school outreach initiative has been going on five years, Youngblut said. It has been an unqualified success, said Jerry Bitterman, the company’s CEO. “Our aggressive approach with it increased our awareness this last year significantly,” Bitterman said, noting Geater had contact with 10 schools at 28 events. “I think it’s so important to get that advanced manufacturing perspective out to the schools, because they don’t have it in a lot of cases,” he said. “They can’t afford equipment, which is expensive. We like to show them in general what advanced manufacturing has to offer. It doesn’t have to (require) a four-year degree.” Some Geater employees do continue with their education, and the company helps them with a tuition reimbursement program, Bitterman said. “There are 10 employees right now that are active with that now. It may be a four-year degree, a two-year degree or a master’s.” School outreach is an important investment in the Geater’s future, Bitterman noted. “The way I look at it is, there’s a lot of growth out there and society, for quite a few years, said you needed a four-year degree. We also found out 70 to 80 percent of students in high school don’t get a four-year degree. It’s about opportunities. It’s trying to educate people about manufacturing. It’s entirely different now. There’s engineering, computer programming.” Geater values its employees for the roles they play in building a successful company, but also in contributing to a better world, Bitterman said. “Society needs us; a lot of our parts are on that aircraft that takes us from place to place,” he explained. “Each 12 WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS
Jorge Lopez-Acosta uses a machine to sand down aluminum parts.
Geater By the numbers 500: Percentage growth the company has had in the last 12 years. 55: Years the company has been operating in Independence, where it was founded. 14,000: Square feet of additional space the company is opening this year. Amber Brown, left, and Ashley Weepie do the final touch-ups on a box. one of us now has a smart phone or cellphone, and the satellites that help direct those calls, we have parts on the rockets that took those up. That’s something that not everybody would think about.” Geater Machining & Manufacturing, which the late Duane Geater launched in 1962 in Independence, remains a family-operated company, with a third generation now involved. Scott Geater, the founder’s son, is president. Geater, which sells precision-machined and fabricated parts for use in aerospace and other high-tech industries, continues to grow and opened a 14,000-square-foot addition in March, Bitterman said. “It’s really due to growth,” Joe Meier, vice president of operations, said of the need for more space. “We’re really in growth mode, and that’s what’s driving employment levels.” Indeed, Meier said, the company now has more than 300 full-time em-
ployees, compared to 100 about 12 years ago. “We also are open basically around the clock — first, second, third and weekend shifts.” Bitterman said the company is busy due to “having a plan in place” that caters to all customer needs. “Our customers trust us that we’re going to get it done and done right.” Geater has widened its customer base, as well, and that has fueled growth. “Seven of our top 10 customers in volume weren’t with us six years ago,” Meier noted. Geater draws employees from a 60mile radius around Independence, Bitterman said, citing Meier, a resident of Waverly, as one of several examples. Casting a wider net for customers, as well as future employees, bodes well for further growth at Geater, Bitterman said. “I look for additional opportunities, new customers. Each day around here is different.”
More than 300: Fulltime employees. 17: Percentage growth of employee roster in 2017. Fun facts Company founded in 1962 by Duane Geater. His son, Scott, is current president. Geater employs more than 300 full-time workers; 12 years ago, it had 100 full-time workers. The company employs 30-36 part-time employees.
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YOUNG PLUMBING & HEATING CO. Since 1903
We’ve been keeping you comfortable for four generations! Since the 1880’s when The Young Coal Company started selling coal and 1903 when they harvested and sold ice from the Cedar River, Young’s have been keeping the people of Iowa’s Cedar Valley comfortable all along. The Young Heating Company was started in 1943 by Dick H. Young and his brother, Bob Young, as an off-shoot of The Young Coal Company. The original business was selling and servicing oil burners. In the late 1940’s, natural gas was introduced into the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area and the company expanded to sell, install and service natural gas burners and furnaces. They later added plumbing to better serve the home builders and home owners with a total mechanical system. With the introduction of affordable residential and commercial air conditioning in the mid 1950’s, the company became a dealer and installer of York water cooled air conditioners. In 1968 the company was changed from a partnership into a corporation and became the Young Plumbing and Heating Co. as it is known today. Also at that time, Arnold Becker, who joined the company in 1953, participated in the ownership and management of the company and served as President of the company from 1975 until his retirement in 1994. Through these years the company’s clientele were predominately single family residential, retail and office buildings. In 1956, Young Heating Company diversified into the commercial, institutional and industrial plumbing and HVAC business by being the successful bidder for the new Waterloo West High School. From that point on, the company was the mechanical contractor on a large number of projects within a 50 mile radius of Waterloo, with some projects as far away as Iowa State University in Ames and The University of Iowa in Iowa City. Now approximately 80% of Young’s business is in the commercial, institutional and industrial market covering most of Northeast Iowa.
BEST THE COURIER
OF THE BEST
2017
As it is known today… Today, Young Plumbing & Heating Co. is locally owned by the Young, Becker and Tink families with Mark Tink currently serving as President and Travis Young currently serving as Vice President
750 South Hackett Road • PO Box 1077 • Waterloo, IA 50701 • www.youngphc.com
WATERLOO CAREER CENTER
TOGETHER
INVISIONARCH.COM
PROGRESS 2018
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PEOPLE TO WATCH AMY WIENANDS
CEO, broker/owner, Amy Wienands Real Estate TEXT | META HEMENWAY-FORBES Photos | MATTHEW PUTNEY, BRANDON POLLOCK
is a specialist and we come together as a team. of support from our community in that. We have (Hawkeye Community College) and (the WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? Our goals are to continue to serve even University of Northern Iowa) and think tanks more families than last year and to raise the for business. Because of that we are gaining bar in our industry. My goal is to get our team momentum in the Cedar Valley in the way of more visible. We want to raise our giving. Part young, bright thinkers who are generous fiof our mission statement is to make a posi- nancially and with their time. For families, I WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT tive impact on our community. By getting in- think our school systems are great. We have a IN 2017? volved with different things and sponsoring great bike trail system, great golf courses and It’s a combination of things. Not only did things we’ll continue to increase our capacity downtowns that are expanding. The Cedar Valley has many gifts. we grow our team, we moved into a new as far as giving back. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE building and still serviced families in record OTHERS? numbers. It was the right time and the right WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A GREAT Generosity wins. When you care about team members. We are a company that really PLACE FOR BUSINESS? Obviously it’s the people. And we have such clients, it’s always a good deal. And always believes in services, and we raised the level of how we market things. The marketing plans a big millennial population that’s growing, take the high road; you avoid a lot of pitfalls we’ve taken on have attracted new buyers and that’s exciting. The Cedar Valley does that way. Caring about your client instead of it and sellers. I have a great team. We are 100 a great job working with entrepreneurs and just being a deal is something we’ll always do. percent team-centric; everyone in our office encouraging entrepreneurship. There’s a lot Always walk in integrity and professionalism. WHAT DRIVES YOU? Growth is what drives me. The pursuit to do things on a different level and just continually raising the bar on the level of professionalism and the way we function as a team. Our whole approach is growth and always doing it better.
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PROGRESS 2018
JIM WALSH
JSA president, VGM board chairman Jim Walsh WHAT DRIVES YOU? ‘Well, I’m trying to re-establish the center of the community. It’s been neglected, the victim of bad public relations. It’s generally in need of a lot of help, so somebody has to do it. That’s what I’m doing.”
of industries including health care, restaurant, insurance, golf and more. VGM, which employs more than 900 people, is headquartered in Waterloo with offices in Georgia, Kansas, Florida, Arizona, New Jersey and Canada.
WHAT’S WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2017? “I’ve been working on downtown since 2001. It’s 15-plus years of projects, making buildings attractive to tenants and businesses,” he said. Walsh also is board chairman and general counsel for VGM Group Inc., which provides business solutions to more than 25,000 companies across the country in a variety
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? “We’ve got three or four buildings laid out that are awaiting action from the state to approve for historic tax credits. Tax credits are under attack (at the statehouse) in Des Moines, but they are not all the same,” Walsh said, adding that without historic tax credits some historic buildings that could and should be restored will meet the
Jim Walsh is president of JSA, a downtown Waterloo development firm, and board chairman and general counsel for VGM Group Inc. wrecking ball instead. WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A GREAT PLACE FOR BUSINESS? “Well, it’s stable. It’s got a quality workforce; it’s not a big enough workforce, but it’s a quality workforce. Except for January and February (weather), why wouldn’t you want to be located here?”
WHAT IS A LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED IN YOUR JOURNEY? “Persistence is necessary and city government will always disappoint you. ... A good example is they incent strip malls on the edges of the city and draw tenants away from existing properties. ... Why encourage and incent them?”
PAM DELAGARDELLE
CEO, president, UnityPoint Health Pam Delagardelle WHAT DRIVES YOU? It is a deep passion for creating access to health care. It’s the legacy I want to leave — better access, more affordable care. I started out as a nurse. I was born to be in health care. But I never expected or wanted to be CEO. But it’s about creating a culture in this organization that builds relationships with patients, where leaders lead to improve health in the community. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2017? I believe we have done a lot to improve access to care. Our new urgent care centers (Prairie Parkway in Cedar Falls and San Marnan Drive location in Waterloo) are solving access issues. Saving Marshalltown Hospital from bankruptcy and preventing interruption of care is another. (UnityPoint acquired UnityPoint Health — Marshalltown, which PROGRESS 2018
and continue to be a more affordable solution for health care. We’re going to have a year of stabilization to optimize the work we are doing. WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A GREAT PLACE FOR BUSINESS? It’s the people. We rarely have trouble recruiting caregivers to come here. When people come here they see our great schools, neighborhoods, theaters, music, trails. We’re small enough to be friendly and large enough to have plenty of things and activities to enjoy. And we can be where we need to be in 10 to 15 minutes. WHAT’S A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED IN YOUR JOURNEY? At this point in my career it’s to create an environment for people to Pam Delagardelle is president and CEO of UnityPoint Health-Waterloo. develop. I feel a responsibility in my role to give opportunities for growth includes a hospital, outpatient WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? and development. I want to model The goal is to continue moving for- that. I owe it to the community to medical park and four primary care clinics.) ward with more accessible locations give back my talents and time. WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS 15
ALLEN AND WENDELL SPELLER
Father & Son Owners of Spellers True Value Allen and Wendell Speller
Allen Speller, left, and his father, Wendell Speller are owners of Speller’s True Value on East Fourth Street in Waterloo.
WHAT DRIVES YOU? Allen Speller: The ultimate goal is to build up the whole area (north of the Cedar River.) Wendell Speller: I’ve been (in Waterloo) since ’59 or ’60, and when the opportunity came to open this business, it was never a question of where. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2017? Wendell: Surviving the summer. They tore up East Fourth Street on us. But people were still coming. They had to drive through alleys to get here. We’re getting back on track now and ready for spring. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? Allen: We are hoping for a stronger spring and summer. Our customers told us they wanted an outdoor area, so we’ll be working on that, getting garden supplies and flowers. Wendell: Online is something we’re really pushing. People can buy online and get it shipped to the store. WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A GREAT PLACE TO DO BUSINESS? Allen: The support of the community. Growing up here you tend to know everybody. People want you to succeed. Wendell: The customer base is just unbelievable. They are down to earth and very supportive. At the beginning we could tell it was going to be more than a hardware store. It’s a building block for the community. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO OTHERS? Allen: Rally up. Get other people involved. Ask a ton of questions. We talked to other business owners and the mayor. In our first meeting with (Mayor Quentin Hart) I didn’t shut up for 20 minutes. Wendell: Don’t be shy. Step up and go for it. You didn’t know how to walk once, either.
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PROGRESS 2018
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Director, UNI Metal Casting Center, Rapid Casting Technologies Jerry Thiel WHAT DRIVES YOU? You know, what drives me is the opportunity to to explore new technologies and to be able to share this with people in the industry. (We have) the largest commercially available (3D printer in North America). It’s done well for us to be able to work with companies all the way from John Deere and big corporations, right down to smaller, individual companies.
manufacturing as a method to create parts. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? Part of our goals are to continue with what we’re doing. Keeping up the position we have in the industry is a challenge. 2018 will be a year of growing with new technology and new interactions and partnerships with companies that produce the technology, and probably opportunities for larger amounts of students.
WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2017? I think it’s the scope and the size of the audience that we reached with the technology. When additive manufacturing came out there was a bubble of interest. What we saw in 2017 was really an adoption of the technologies, an integration in the companies and their business. There’s been a real growth of additive manufacturing in everything from the Department of Defense and U.S. military, to who we cater to — small- and medium-sized enterprises who create supply chains for larger companies. Iowa is full of small- to medium-sized companies that are finally now seeing additive
WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A GREAT PLACE FOR BUSINESS? The people. There’s no doubt about it. The people form the basis of companies. And this is a fantastic quality of life in the Cedar Valley. It’s not a big city, so we don’t have the issues of big cities — the traffic, the crowding.
PROGRESS 2018
WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU GIVE OTHERS? Persistence. Perseverance. Those are the major attributes of all of the students we see pass through the center. We currently employ about 24 students and give them the opportunity to test their mettle.
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DAVE MORGAN
Owner, SingleSpeed Brewing Company Dave Morgan WHAT DRIVES YOU? I‘m a mission-driven individual. My mission in the world of business right now is pretty simple: to make SingleSpeed Brewing Company the best it can be by consistently choosing to do the right thing while creating a great thing. How do we define ‘doing the right thing?’ That is a tough thing for us to do in short-form fashion, but our focus points include treating the environment responsibility, creating a work environment/culture that people want to be a part of and grow within, and staying active in our community.
Dave Morgan stands inside SingleSpeed Brewery in downtown Waterloo.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2017? Surviving.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? To continue driving our company forward in a responsible manner. Among other things, this will include increasing production, packaging options and our distribution footprint. Before 2018 draws to a close, we hope for all of Iowa to have easy access to our liquid. WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A GREAT PLACE TO DO BUSINESS? The people. It’s as simple as that. The people of the Cedar Valley are second to none in terms of drive and vision. WHAT IS A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED IN YOUR JOURNEY? Patience is a virtue, but complacency is a detriment. Do not confuse the two.
KRIS HANSEN
CEO, Western Home Communities Kris Hansen WHAT DRIVES YOU? Ithink innovation and really trying to change the way things go, if they need changed. How do we always try to continue to improve quality of life? How can we keep moving so that folks enjoy a life as fulfilled as long as they can, not only for our residents but for our employees and family members. How can we, as stakeholders in our community, develop an intergenerational component so there’s no isolation or segregation (as people age). We want to create a collaborative atmosphere for the greater good for all. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2017? Getting Prairie Winds (in Cedar Falls) open and also getting a lot of (progress made) on Jorgensen Plaza. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? Jorgensen Plaza (in Cedar Falls). It really is about holistic wellness. We certainly will have our inpatient 18 WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS
and outpatient therapy programs to rehabilitate people and restore them to get back out into the community. But we’re also taking a very proactive approach with medically based wellness — resistance training, fall prevention, programs like tai chi and yoga. We really are trying to go after this in a very holistic way, spiritual care included. We’re also working on Salon Iris, an Aveda salon, that will be open to the public. ... We’re not trying to compete with salons in our community; we’re just trying to do things in a different way. Get grandma, mother and granddaughter to have a relaxed spa day together. There’ll also be an aquatic center with a four-lane Olympic-sized pool and an aquatic walking track. On top of that we’ll have three dining venues (including) Caraway cafe, a fast casual experience, (and) Table 1912, which is fine dining. All of these are open to the public as well. It really is about bringing people in from the community to have a nice place to
Kris Hansen, CEO of the Western Home. dine on the south side of Cedar Falls. ing, a great qualify of life and quality WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A leaders who care. GREAT PLACE FOR BUSINESS? The Cedar Valley is just a great community. There’s a lot of educational opportunities, and the athletics of (University of Northern Iowa) and the performing arts — we are the biggest small town that offers all of the things that a wonderful community could offer. We have a lot of talent, dedication, work ethic and innovation. The energy, the pride of who we are as a community really shows. ... This community is phenomenal (with) retail, dining, hous-
WHAT’S A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ALONG YOUR JOURNEY? This is certainly a team effort. If I didn’t have a great team around me and a great board of directors, I just couldn’t do everything I do on a national and state stage. The least important job in this organization is mine. My team, from our environmental services, the wait staff, CNAs, nurses, the people who are hands on with our residents and impacting their lives are the ones who make this organization what it is. PROGRESS 2018
MARK KITTRELL
Mark Kittrell stands on a balcony in the Mill Race building, overlooking Cedar Falls.
Developer, managing partner of Eagle View Partners LC Mark Kittrell WHAT DRIVES YOU? I‘ve been really blessed in my career and I’m getting to a point in my life where what I find interesting is working with, mentoring young people. I’m really focusing on helping build the community bench of upand-coming folks. These are things I can feel proud of and make a lasting impression on the community. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2017? We’ve been working downtown here since 2011. In 2017 we really focused on getting people working in PROGRESS 2018
deal together, so this year we’re going to focus on making that hotel great in downtown. We really are focusing on regional tourism in the Cedar Valley. We want people to see us as a place for vacationing and spending weekend getaways. That’s a big issue for us. And there’s another 130 rooms coming to downtown with the (proposed) Hampton Inn. We are downtown (Cedar Falls). Our strat- very pleased to work with the Westegy has been live, work and play in ern Home (which owns the land) on downtown — our urban ethos. We that. have a vibrant and growing community of young people; they needed a WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A really great place to work, so we re- GREAT PLACE FOR BUSINESS? It’s always been about the people. ally focused on the Mill Race project If you look around the Cedar Valley, to accomplish that. people are nice and there are interWHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? esting things going on. We have a 2018 is going to be interesting. We great, casual lifestyle and we just are just in the process of completing don’t do enough to tell that story. the transaction of taking over Black- It’s well known here and we all aphawk Hotel. It’s a historic landmark preciate it, but what we have here is in downtown (Cedar Falls). It has not that common anymore that there taken a year for us to put this whole are simple, safe, ideal places where
you’d like to spend your time. We have the makings of a lot of that. I moved away and spent years in other places. That’s what brought me back. WHAT’S A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED IN YOUR JOURNEY? This is the one I get on a soapbox about. There is a general sentiment that Iowans are not very good at change. I don’t think that’s quite correct. It’s not the most natural thing for us to think about doing something, but once we spend time talking and coming to consensus about things, we are very, very good at rallying around one another, putting our differences aside and volunteering and investing of ourselves. As a community, we do a really good job of that. We change and work as a community. There is so much national disunity; our unity as a community holds us up. That is our strength. WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS 19
TOM POE
President, Crystal Distribution Services Inc. Tom Poe WHAT DRIVES YOU? I‘ve always had this feeling there’s more to do; we can do better; never settling for things as they are as OK. Keep pushing forward. Some people don’t like that. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2017? Last year, putting together this deal with the city and our bank (Farmers State Bank of Jesup) to get this ($5.5 million freezer) expansion project off the ground and started. That’s probably the biggest thing that happened. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? Complete the construction of this freezer expansion and make it available to our customers to provide more service to them — space and services. And emphasize with our team here we need to consider ourselves true partners with our customers, be their eyes and ears, and do the very best we can. That’s what keeps us in business. WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A GREAT PLACE FOR BUSINESS? The Cedar Valley in general is a great location — central location in an agricultural region between a lot of major cities. But in addition to that, it’s our people who show up
Crews work at Crystal Distribution.
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to work every day who make things happen. Without a real dedicated crew we’re not able to provide that quality service for our customers. It’s not a very glamorous business. It’s always cold, even in the summer. But my hat’s off to all the people who work here, because they make it happen. We’ve been fortunate to get a good group of people that do come into work in a tough environment. We don’t have much turnover. That’s kind of a nice testimony to what we’re doing and we try to treat our people properly. My hat’s off to our supervisors. WHAT’S A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED IN YOUR JOURNEY? In 1979, I started in this business. I was just out of college. My family had bought the business from the Young family, and we needed to find a manager. I said I’d try it for a short time until I found a real job. Now here I am, over 38 years later. Nobody starts out in their careers expecting to stay in the same job very long. However, when you find something you enjoy (and) you’re able to work with good people, nothing’s really any better than that, so what else would you want? You work with dedicated staff and good customers, and it makes life good. Never give up. Set you goals high and enjoy the journey — with getting up and freezing every day!
Tom Poe is president of Crystal Distribution in Waterloo.
Construction crews work on the 50,000 square foot freezer expansion at Crystal Distribution in Waterloo.
PROGRESS 2018
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Stan Poe of Standard Distribution stands in of his warehouse in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park.
Owner, Standard Distribution Co. Stan Poe WHAT DRIVES YOU? M y brother David and myself represent the third generation in our family business. My grandfather Stan Seroke started our business in 1936 so my personal drive is to keep the business moving forward, especially since we now have fourth-generation family involved. Statistically, second- and third-generation family owners do not have good track records; I don’t care to join that group.
our expansion at Savannah Park Road into our existing facility and reorganize the 330,000-sq. ft. facility. We also plan on new projects, which potentially will increase our overall business diversification.
WHAT MAKES THE CEDAR VALLEY A GREAT PLACE FOR BUSINESS? The Cedar Valley provides a centralized Midwest location for logistical applications and has a diverse business base that affords opportunities for companies such as wareWHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST housing. Also, as most of us recogACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2017? nize, the Cedar Valley is comprised In August 2017, we began a project of people who understand the value to add 53,000 square feet of ware- of hard work; many locations can not housing space to our Savannah Park duplicate this vital asset. facility, which will provide us with needed capacity to improve opera- WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE tional efficiencies. In addition, we YOU’D GIVE OTHERS? The most important piece of adspent a great deal of time planning a vice I can offer a business owner is to potential project that could provide us with new capabilities to attract a attract and hire high quality workers; after the hiring process, treat diverse set of clienteles. these people with the respect and WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? dignity they deserve. Your workers In early 2018, we will incorporate will make or break your business.
PROGRESS 2018
make it your business to stay in the know with
April Business Monthly is now available! Business Monthly is Direct-Mailed to Chamber Members and the Business Community. To get on the mailing list, contact Sheila Kerns at (319) 291-1448 or sheila.kerns@wcfcourier.com
VISIT wcfcourier.com/business/ WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS 21
U.S. 63 FLOURISHING
with road, business improvements TEXT | TIM JAMISON Photo | BRANDON POLLOCK
U.S. 63
W
TERLOO — Expect A to see “pardon our progress” signs along U.S. Highway 63 this spring.The highway corridor from downtown Waterloo north through the UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital will turn into a major construction zone as highway contractors rebuild the road and entrepreneurs invest in projects outside the curbs. “This has been a great looking project for the community that’s stirred economic and educational benefits,” said Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart. “It’s restored a sense of pride, and it’s going to correct some of the challenges we’ve had. “This has the recognition of our neighborhood groups,” he added. “It’s just been a very positive, positive project for the community.” Economic development and neighborhood improvements were a key aspect of the highway project, which kicked off in 2013 when the Iowa Department of Transportation began rebuilding the roadway between Newell and Donald streets. Construction and detours are expected again this spring when contractors return to complete the northbound lanes of U.S. 63 through the downtown to Franklin Street. The southbound lanes on Mullan Avenue were rebuilt in 2017. Also starting this spring is a $26.4 million project for Peterson Contractors Inc. of Reinbeck to rebuild the highway between Franklin and Newell streets and erect a landscape-changing bridge over the Canadian National Railway tracks, replacing the flood-prone underpass there. Pete Hjelmstad, IDOT District 2 field services coordinator, said the downtown to Franklin work should wrap in late November, but the overpass segment between Franklin and Newell will remain closed through next winter and into the fall of 2019. The threat of detours and construction traffic isn’t scaring off de-
22 WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS
By the numbers that must be added to 3 Feet the Virden Creek flood levee
so it can still be certified on flood maps. Virden Creek goes underground at U.S. 63.
neighborhood asso7 Formal ciations along U.S. 63 from Rodney Anderson and Dan Levi are planning to break ground this spring on the All In Grocers supermarket to be located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 63 and Franklin Street in Waterloo. velopers like Rodney Anderson and Dan Levi. The entrepreneurs are preparing to break ground this spring on a new 30,000-square-foot supermarket near the CVS Pharmacy at U.S. 63 and Franklin. The planned $8.5 million All In Grocers will include a restaurant and community room and is expected to employ 80 to 100 people. “This is personal to me,” said Anderson, who previously invested in a nearby retail building including Earth Beauty Supply and Harold’s Chicken. Levi said the goal is to complete construction and open before the end of 2018. “We’re still working with the Walnut Neighborhood to get their feedback,” Levi said. “They’re really fired up about the project. We’re already getting calls from nonprofits and others wanting to use the community room.” Anderson and Levi are working with UpLift Solutions, a nonprofit company that provides technical support to grocery stores locating in under served neighborhoods. “They’ll be involved with us even after we open,” Levi said. “They’ve never had a store fail.” North Crossing, a project replacing the former Logan Plaza strip mall on the northeast corner of U.S. 63 and Donald, will continue to develop this year. Contractors in February were putting the finishing touches on a
23,000-square-foot primary care medical clinic, a 10,260-square-foot building partially occupied by an urgent care clinic and a new facade on an existing strip mall. “We pretty much have everything spoken for that will be up this year,” said North Crossing developer Ben Stroh. “You’ll start to see activity and cars around there before long.” North Crossing just finished platting a lot for a new Kwik Star convenience store on the corner of U.S. 63 and Donald. “We’re hoping that it will get done in ‘18,” Stroh said. “I think that Kwik Star is going to be a great addition to that neighborhood and the hospital. “Other than that, I don’t know how much activity you’ll see this year,” he added. “But I know we’ll be doing a lot of planning and I anticipate a lot of activity in 2019.” Construction on two major downtown projects along the highway are expected to be finished early this year. Developer Brent Dahlstrom is wrapping up working on a new Grand Crossing building at Mullan and Jefferson Street, which will include a Jimmy John’s restaurant and ground floor office space with upper floor condominiums. Hawkeye Community College is expected to finish its downtown metro campus building on the former Waterloo Bowl-In site along Jefferson between East First Street and Mullan Avenue.
the Cedar River to north city limits: Franklin Gateway, Walnut, Common Grounds, We Care, Gates Park, MAPLES and Good Shepherd.
along U.S. 63 de30 Homes molished or relocated in
2010 in advance of the highway reconstruction.
from the top of the 30 Feet planned U.S. 63 overpass
roadway to the existing Canadian National Railroad tracks.
daily 9,500 Average vehicles on U.S.
Highway 63 southbound at the Cedar River bridge based on 2014 Iowa Department of Transportation traffic counts. Fun facts ■■ The planned All In Grocers
will include Grandma’s Hands Restaurant in honor of developer Rodney Anderson’s grandmother. ■■ Thought to be the only remaining 19th-century limestone house in Waterloo, the Dunsmore House at U.S. 63 and Conger Street was built in 1866 by English immigrant stonemason Thomas Chadwick using limestone from a small quarry near the present site of Allen Hospital. ■■ Before starting North Crossing at the former Logan Plaza strip mall location, entrepreneur Ben Stroh recycling the former Crossroads Kmart location into Crossing Point Plaza. PROGRESS 2018
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Design-Build Construction • Construction Management • General Construction • Pre-engineered Buildings PROGRESS 2018
WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS 23
Career education a growing emphasis in Cedar Valley TEXT | ANDREW WIND Photos | MATTHEW PUTNEY
W
TERLOO — Early on, A students in Aaisha Flint’s introduction to nurse aideclass learned how to properly wash their hands and put on gloves. “You’re going to be hand washing all the time,” said Flint, who demonstrated turning off the faucet with a dry towel after scrubbing their hands. “You’ll get used to doing this and you’ll find yourself doing this all the time.” The class is part of the nursing program at the Waterloo Career Center, which opened at the north end of Central Middle School in the fall of 2016. The nursing lab is filled with hospital beds where students hone their bedside technique on mannequins and each other. It’s one of the five career and technical education pathways currently offered by the center, with more planned in coming years. There’s a growing emphasis on career education at other Cedar Valley educational institutions, as well. Programs are designed to teach students more about career areas and help them develop skills for a job or further education in a field. Cedar Falls High Schools’ Center for Advanced Professional Studies is in its second year. With three programs based at workplaces in Cedar Falls, students choose projects and work with professionals in a field of their interest. Hawkeye Community College’s Adult Learning Center is under construction in downtown Waterloo to replace its Metro and Martin Luther King Jr. centers. The college’s noncredit adult programs will move there, as will expanded credit classes aimed at nontraditional students. Waterloo Community Schools is in the midst of renovations at the career center to expand its footprint to 80,000 square feet so as many as 17 pathways can be offered. Others that have already started are digital
24 WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS
Ariela Sakanovic, left, and Tamara Carter, right, practice the proper way to put on gloves in the nursing aid class at the Waterloo Career Center.
Sha Love, left, and Shaquilla Nelson, right, use hand sanitizer during the nurse aid class at the Waterloo Career Center.
nent as part of a class in the advanced manufacturing program. The large room is outfitted with numerous pieces of manufacturing equipment: mills, lathes, welding stations, computer numerical control machines, a plasma cutter, a surface grinder and others. Its equipment students will learn how to use them during the course of classes in the program. “It’s better than classes at West, because it’s job specific,” said Admir Music, a senior in the basic design and modeling class. Junior Hunter Pierce said the advanced manufacturing pathway appealed to him after taking industrial arts classes at West. “If your thing is you’re all about trying to solve problems, thinking outside of the box, this class is for you,” he said. Along with earning a CNA in nursing, information technology students can earn certifications in A+ and Cisco computer service and networking. Jeff Frost, the district’s GROWING PROGRAM executive director of professional Down the hall from the nursing technical education, said the educalab, students are working on com- tion pathway will eventually include puters to design a machine compo- an early childhood certification that
would allow students to work for licensed day care programs. More certifications that can either qualify or help better prepare students for a job are planned. Among the programs to start next fall is sustainable construction and design, which is expected to offer certifications in OSHA safety and concrete, for example. “We would love to have all of our programs have some certifications tied to them,” noted Frost, as well as internships or apprenticeships. Other pathways starting next year are digital interactive media, marketing management, and web programming and development. Additional programs expected to be rolled out in the following three years have not yet been determined. Those are decided with input and the ongoing support of related businesses across the community along with other data. There is an agreement between the Waterloo and Cedar Falls districts allowing students in each to take the others’ career classes in an effort to offer the most choices. Frost said
graphics, advanced manufacturing, information technology-networking and early childhood education. The education pathway started at the Elk Run Preschool, and officials have now decided to make that its permanent home. A total of 153 students from East, West, Expo and Cedar Falls high schools are taking 85-minute block classes in the five programs this semester. The nurse aide students can sit for a test to become a certified nursing assistant after finishing their classes. For many, though, that would only be the start in a planned medical career. “I want to go into cardiology, so I thought this was the perfect first step for me,” said Ariela Sakanovic, a West junior. “I want to become a nurse anesthetist,” added West senior Leila Masinovic, noting the program has been a good experience. “I like it a lot.”
PROGRESS 2018
n
-
r g s , , e , -
t , b . e s e s h
s e o d
Education By the numbers
2,000: Adult education students currently served at the Metro and Martin Luther King Jr. centers. 153: Students currently served at the Waterloo Career Center. 40: Students currently
served through Cedar Falls CAPS program.
80,000: Square feet on
two levels have or will be renovated at Central Middle School for the Waterloo Career Center.
45,000: Square feet is the
total size on three levels of the Adult Learning Center Hawkeye Community College is building in downtown Waterloo. Fun facts
■■ The Waterloo Community
Schools’ Board of Education has approved three construction contracts totaling $14.25 million for renovation
and expansion of the Waterloo Career Center. Physical plant and equipment levy and 1 percent sales tax funds are being used to pay for the improvements. ■■ Hawkeye Community College’s Board of Trustees approved a $12.96 million contract for construction of the Adult Learning Center. Voter-approved bonds to be repaid with property tax funds will cover $8 million of the cost. Hawkeye is seeking grants and donations to cover the remaining expense and has raised about $2 million so far. ■■ Cedar Falls Community Schools’ Board of Education has approved no construction contracts related to the Center for Advanced Professional Studies. Partnering businesses and agencies where the three programs are located have donated the needed space.
other reciprocal agreements could closing in on 100 partners that we’ve eventually be developed with more worked with.” surrounding districts. LEARNING SKILLS Hawkeye’s three-story 45,000PARTNER BUSINESSES Waterloo students also are en- square-foot Adult Learning Cenrolled in Cedar Falls’ Center for Ad- ter under construction downtown vanced Professional Studies pro- north of U.S. Highway 218 along gram, or CAPS. Its three strands and U.S. Highway 63 is on pace to open their locations are technology and in the fall. Adult basic education, engineering at Viking Pump, com- high school diploma completion munication and design at Mill Race and English language learner and education at the University of classes will be offered there as well Northern Iowa. Next fall, the pro- as credit programs in nursing and gram will add a medical and health CNC machining. services strand that will be based at Along with offering classes, the Allen College. center will provide services for stuIn January, as second semester dents like a clinic and child care, offer was getting started, the 40 students a coffee shop and cafe, and include from all the programs gathered at space for a student art gallery and Mill Race, a co-working space, for a community events. The cafe and videoconferencing session with an child care will double as lab opporentrepreneur who wanted to market tunities for students studying in apa product she had created. plicable areas. After finishing that initial effort, Currently, Hawkeye’s Metro and students began collaborating on King center programs serve 2,000 projects in their area of interest that students, but the new building will were proposed by partnering busi- have space for at least twice as many. nesses and organizations. The class “We built this building anticipatlasts just over two hours most days. ing growth,” said Linda Allen, the “They learn a lot about individual college’s president. “Students are careers in the Cedar Valley,” said going to come to us in this new faWiechmann, noting “we’ve got to be cility in greater numbers.” PROGRESS 2018
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Cedar Valley health care systems respond to
CHANGING
LANDSCAPE W
TEXT | ANDREW WIND
ATERLOO — Health care’s access and affordability have been in the limelight nationally during recent years.And the effects of a changing landscape have been felt in the Cedar Valley’s health care systems. “I’ve been in health care for 35 years,” said Pam Delagardelle, chief executive officer of UnityPoint Health-Waterloo, which includes Allen Hospital. “Without a doubt this is the most challenging time in health care.” Costs are on the rise for organizations as they serve a growing number of aging baby boomers. She cited concerns with the level of reimbursements for government insurance programs and the larger work force needed to treat those patients. “What we’re ultimately trying Dusenbery to do is as simple as two words: helping others,” said Jack Dusenbery, CEO of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Iowa, which includes Covenant Medical Center and Sartori Memorial Hospital. He noted increases in reimbursement rates
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for Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance are flat to very low while all other expenses a hospital deals with grow at a much faster pace. Among those are complex technology information systems used to improve care. “The financial pressures continue to mount,” he said. “I think that pushes many health systems to consolidate.” Such pressures are “probably going to hit the traditional hospital price the hardest,” said Gil Irey, CEO of Cedar Valley Medical Specialists, whose clinics are located across the Cedar Valley and the surrounding area. “That’s all good for the consumers of health care.” He suggested it would instill a new level of competition, which clinic settings are well positioned for. “I think what drove it all was the unintended consequences of the Affordable Care Act,” said Irey, of the health care legislation signed by former President Obama. A direct result of that, he said, is rising insurance co-pays and deductibles as well as Iowa moving to privately managed Medicaid. Patients are going to demand price transparency and lower costs while providers “still maintain the high quality that they’re used to.” It is key for health systems to provide the “highest quality care at the lowest price,” said Irey. “That’s what we have always done at Cedar
Valley Medical Specialists.” Delagardelle is already thinking about some of those issues, particularly regarding changes in employer benefits that are increasing costs for consumers. “What we’ll be focusing on here is how do we become a more affordable system,” she said, including Allen’s approach to patients’ care. “We need to stop acting like a sickcare system and start acting like a health care system. Everything that you’re going to see us working on is to build the infrastructure to keep people healthy.” More services are being pushed to clinics offsite from the hospital, which is working with partner physicians to decrease the cost of surgical procedures. Those and many other changes are needed, she said, “to really surround” people with health care options. “We get this figured out, I think it’s going to be a better solution for everybody.” Clinics are an important part of Wheaton’s strategy, as well. Dusenbery said “we continue to look at the footprint of Northeast Iowa” when it comes to locating those facilities. He added that it’s a “valid goal” to lower costs for patients, and efficiencies are an important part of that. Dusenbery hopes to continue finding those “now that we’ve fully integrated ourselves into a system with many other hospitals in Iowa.” Nearly two years ago, Wheaton be-
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came part of the Mercy Health Network, which includes a number of hospitals across the state. “I look forward to working with those hospitals in ways that we can improve care,” he said. “So, that’s exciting for us. I think there’s a lot of good things that we can do.” The organizations’ hospitals and clinics are facing challenges as their work force ages and recruitment into the medical fields remains difficult. “We’re fortunate here with Allen College of Nursing and (the nursing program at) Hawkeye Community College,” said Dusenbery, noting major staffing problems across the country. “Throughout the nation, there’s states much worse off than Iowa, in terms of particular shortages.” UnityPoint is “pouring a lot of resources into Allen College,” said Delegardelle. The school has more than 620 students, a
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record enrollment. She noted they are looking at “where are the gaps that we’re going to have in services.” Her organization is addressing those concerns through its support of medical programs for high school students. That includes the Waterloo Career Center currently plus Cedar Falls’ Center for Advanced Professional Studies starting next fall. “That’s going to go a long way to solve those work force needs,” said Delegardelle. “Those kinds of partnerships are key for us. We’re going to put a lot of emphasis on partnering with the community to improve health.” UnityPoint also is getting into the health insurance business “in order to create the most affordable solution for employees and consumers,” she said. Health Partners will work with insurance carriers and local employers to create the product.
UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital CEO Pam Delagardelle
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DISTek marks its
25TH ANNIVERSARY TEXT | JIM OFFNER PHOTOS | MATTHEW PUTNEY
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ABOVE: Software engineers Ebu Mathew, foreground, and Chris Thatcher attend a virtual team meeting with people in the Des Moines office at the DISTek offices. RIGHT: Software engineer Joe Fosher reviews software the team has worked on at the DISTek offices.
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DAR FALLS — A quarE ter-century is over in a flash.That seems to be the sentiment around DISTek Integration Inc., which turns 25 this year. It’s also the 20th anniversary for DISTek’s location — its largest of five — in Cedar Falls, where founder Matt Dickinson previously worked, at the John Deere Product Engineering Center. The Carthage, Ill.-based company relocated to Cedar Falls in 1998, expanded a few years later and purchased its present location on 6612 Chancellor Drive in 2005. The company designs software for off-highway equipment in agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility vehicles, including Deere. Jeremy Yoder, the DISTek’s chief operating officer, was one of the first employees hired at the Cedar Falls location. Yoder said the company always has been about growth, and recent developments spell that out. “We certainly want to continue to grow,” he said. “We’ve been making recent investments over the past several years of having employees — we added 17 employees last year. We want to add more going forward.” More than 60 of DISTek’s 107 employees work in Cedar Falls, which is the company’s chief operation base, Yoder said. “In 2011, we opened an office in Fargo, N.D., and in 2015 we opened offices in Milwaukee and Des Moines,” he said. “We opened some strategic new locations near our customer base. Iowa is a great for ag, but also Milwaukee and Fargo are strategic areas where both ends are stationed and doing business. “Now, we want to grow our employees and service offerings in those different areas.” DISTek also has been working to expand its business model, Yoder said. “Historically, we’ve been primar-
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DISTek By the numbers
72: Percent increase in ily a services-based company,” he said. “A customer says they need software for this controller on that implement, and we come in and provide expertise to design, develop and test it; now, we’re starting to create our own products to license and sell to our customers. We’ll remain primarily a services company, but we want to continue to invest and grow the number of products we offer.” Bob Thiesen, vice president of infrastructure, has been with DISTek for 10 of its 25 years. He said he moved to the Cedar Valley from Minnesota to take the job. “When I did, one of the things that struck me when I was looking to move was a company that had a similar set of value systems that I have,” Thiesen said. “When I came here, it was very apparent from the onset that it matched up very well.” DISTek’s modus operandi — it’s way of doing business — always has been focused on its “purpose, value and future,” Thiesen said. Employees are central to “The DISTek Way,” he said. Indeed, he noted, employees now have an ownership stake in the company, having formally launched an employee stock ownership plan at the end of 2014. Employees reflect DISTek’s values and commitment, Yoder said. “Bob talked about our values, and I think that’s instrumental,” Yoder said. “We’re picky on who we hire. We want to hire people who are very strong technically but are a match for our DISTek way and culture.” DISTek does keep its eyes out on potential recruits, and its workers help, Thiesen said. “One thing we do is have a reward program in place for employee referrals,” he said. “We like to take employees that are alumni from the schools we’ve recruited before. We take them with us so they can speak at job fairs at those schools directly to potential candidates and share their experience at DISTek.” The company also is selective about its clientele, Thiesen noted. “We’re willing to say no if it isn’t a right fit for us,” he said. Indeed, DISTek has zeroed in on a niche area for software applications, Yoder said.
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ESOP share price.
2: New products (VT Server & Dash). 1: Nomination for TAI Ag Company of Year.
18: Supported local FIRST teams (Including Lego League, FIRST Tech Challenge, & FIRST Robotics).
17: New employee hires. 12: New off-highway industry customers.
5: Office locations (Cedar
Falls, Des Moines, Carthage, Ill.; Fargo, N.D.; and Milwaukee).
107: Number of current employees. 185: Engineering projects (40 different customers). Fun facts
Kevin Vogel wires a portable data acquisition for lab testing. “We just focused on the off-highway industry — vehicle and equipment manufacturers that make ag equipment, tractors, combines, construction equipment like loaders and graders, forestry, miners,” he said. “We’ve developed a really solid reputation; if you need hightech software and you’re in the off-road industry, DISTek is a great place to go.” DISTek’s locations now are spread out across the Midwest, but operations are cohesive, Yoder said. “We have a team that has members in Fargo, Des Moines and Milwaukee, as well as Cedar Falls, all working on similar projects,” he said. “We have a process of daily meetings (via) video conferencing. We can do face-to-face meetings, making sure we have enough bandwidth, making sure we have the right tech tools in front of
our employees.” Having numerous locations has its advantages, Thiesen said. “If we can deliver the product or service, it doesn’t matter where we’re at,” he said. “A lot of services, software development doesn’t have to be done on-site. That affords us great flexibility and allows us to put offices not only where there are potential clients, but also in locations where we can tap the employee base.” DISTek looks forward to even more success in the years ahead, although there always are challenges, Yoder noted. “We’re focusing on industry that’s feeding, building and powering the world and so those are all areas where there is increasing need for technology,” he said. “We feel bullish or optimistic about the industry we’re in.”
With the help of employee alumni, DISTek participates in job fairs and recruits employees from schools across the Midwest – UNI, Hawkeye Community College, Iowa State, University of Iowa, Warburg, NDSU, University of Minnesota, Bradley, University of Wisconsin — Platteville, MSOE — just to name a few. About once a week, there is an employee event called “DISTek After Hours” — from Board Game Night to Dungeons and Dragons to Happy Hours, tailgating, and cookouts. There also is an occasional all-day LAN party for the most die-hard gamers. DISTek is involved in the community, sponsoring or donating to employee-driven activities, such as annual blood drive, flu clinic, FIRST (FLL, FTC, FRC), holiday adopt-afamily and area food shelf. Employee owned through our ESOP — 30 percent ownership today with plans to become 100 percent employee owned in the coming years.
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Leader Valley is creating tomorrow’s leaders today
TEXT | HOLLY HUDSON Photos | MATTHEW PUTNEY
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ATERLOO — Melissa Reade is passionate about creating leaders, and in her role as director of Leader Valley, that is exactly what she helps to do. Under the auspices of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, Leader Valley is a talent development initiative that “prepares pre-K-12 students for success by providing them with the essential soft skills needed for a life of effectiveness and competitive advantage in the workforce,” according to the Alliance’s website, cedarvalleyalliance.com. Leader Valley’s priority is implementing the Leader in Me program in Cedar Valley Schools. North Cedar Elementary in Cedar Falls and Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence in Waterloo were the first area schools to implement the program in 2010. To date, 23 Cedar Valley schools are on board. Created by Utah-based Franklin-
Covey, Leader in Me introduces students and teachers to the principles of Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and helps to put them into practice. “The big picture,” Reade said, “is we want to implement Leader in Me in all Cedar Valley schools. We are in schools in Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Cedar Valley Catholic schools. We want to expand to the greater Cedar Valley and into the rural schools. Next will be Waverly-Shell Rock and Janesville.” An impact study done by the University of Northern Iowa on Leader in Me schools shows increased student confidence. “They are more empowered, they are risk takers, they are more engaged in school,” Reade said. “The students and staff feel safer, more cared about, more respected,” she said. “There is less bullying and teasing.” The local Leader in Me effort is unique for a few reasons. “We are the only multi-district region in the world,” Reade said. Additionally, Reade and Teri Trask,
Second-grader Anders Stowe leads his classmates in an after lunch prayer at St. Patrick Catholic School. 30 WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS
Leader Valley facilitator and coach, are piloting the district model with FranklinCovey for onsite certified facilitators. As Leader Valley director, Reade spends about half of her time in the schools. “I see kids taking more risks, trying more things,” she said. “They have more pride in themselves, they feel ownership, they have pride in their school, they feel like they can contribute, like their voice matters.” A $7 million capital campaign, Create Great, kicked off in 2016, with half of the funds earmarked for implementing Leader in Me in schools and the other half going to establish an endowment to ensure future funding for the program. So far, the effort has raised $2.3 million. Tom Penaluna, chairman of CBE Companies Inc., past president of the Alliance and co-chair of the Create Great campaign, was the first to suggest implementing Leader in Me in Cedar Valley schools after seeing the impact it had on a district in Raleigh, N.C., the first to incorporate Covey’s seven habits into the classroom.
“When I was in business, one of the things that really concerned me was the job candidates we were getting were not prepared to go to work. Out of 100 applicants, there were only about 20 that we would consider offering a job. That means 80 percent of the job candidates we did not feel were adequate to receive a job offer or be a potential good employee.” Penaluna said it was not just a local issue; people he talked to all over the state were having difficulty getting good job applicants. “Prospective employees were technically prepared, but we weren’t seeing the soft skills, the employability skills. … I said ‘We need to figure something out.’” The soft skills Penaluna is talking about include problem solving, collaboration, leadership and management skills, analytical skills and basic communication skills. “The big ones,” he said. Penaluna said Leader in Me is introduced in the elementary schools first, where it really has an impact. “That is a time in a student’s life when they are starting to implant
Older students helped the younger students make the posters that hang in the lunchroom at St. Patrick Isaac Funk distributes hand sanitizer to students after Catholic School. lunch prayer. PROGRESS 2018
things that are going to carry them on for the rest of their life,” he said. “From ages 6 to 10 they are learning who they are going to be, basically, and it is so important to get the right skills at the younger ages.” In referring to the UNI study, Penaluna said, “In almost every area they have seen improvements in Leader in Me schools as opposed to regular schools — in independence, risk taking and more. … It is absolutely true that a Leader in Me school is impacting students in a more positive way than a normal school. “The culture in a (Leader in Me) school is significantly different. If you walk around their halls and meet some of the children, how they converse with you … is significantly different than just an average school.” Each school district handles Leader in Me implementation differently. In Cedar Falls, the individual schools decide if they want to be involved. “There are some schools — and they are good schools — that don’t necessarily want to get involved in Leader in Me,” he said. “Someone once told me, ‘Good is the enemy of great.’ ‘Good’ holds those people back … and they could be a great school. “This program serves every student, no matter race, religion, socio-economic level. It touches everyone and can have an impact and change lives no matter who they are.”
Leader Valley By the numbers
$7 million: Current campaign to bring Leader in Me to all Cedar Valley schools. $2.35 million: Raised to date. 23: Leader in Me schools (2017-2018). 9,887: Students served to date. 1,278: educators served to date. Fun facts Leader Valley is piloting the “district coaching model” with FranklinCovey. It is the only entity in the world doing this and is on the cutting edge of providing Leader in Me implementation support to schools. Leader Valley is the only multi-district region with a focus on bringing Leader in Me to all metro schools and eventually to outlying rural schools. Leader Valley provides 7 Habits Cedar Valley for local business. The next session is April 19 and 20. Register by calling 232-1156 or learn more at http://greatercedarvalleyalliance.
NEW HOMES | REMODELING REPLACEMENT | COMMERCIAL
WE DO IT ALL! Manufactured in Iowa for over 90 Years 988-4200 | WATERLOO moved to hwy 63 1 mile S of 20 393-5768 | CEDAR RAPIDS www.pella.com
Lighting is a Style Let us help you express yours.
Lighting Design Wiring Updates The Cedar Valley’s 7 time winner of the Best of the Best Electrician! RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING
Cedar Valley Electric
5743 Westminster,Suite A, Cedar Falls, IA 319-266-1134
www.cedarvalleyelectric.com PROGRESS 2018
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Merger
creates largest Iowa-based
INSURANCE AGENCY AMIE STEFFEN amie.steffen@wcfcourier.com
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VERLY — When Mike Byl and A Tim Gassmann were coming up in their careers, with The Accel Group and Millhiser Smith Agency, respectively, both men had the ability to climb up the company ladder to the top.But it wasn’t clear, given the state of the insurance industry market, their own employees would eventually be able to do the same. So the two, who have been friends for 15 years and running similar operations — Byl in Waverly and Gassmann in Cedar Rapids — began talking earnestly with one another about how to solve that problem. “Basically, that was our whole goal,” said Gassmann. “How do we create and afford Byl the same opportunities to our employees that Mike and I had when we started?” There were two directions insurance agencies like Accel and Millhiser Smith were headed, reasoned Gassmann: Get bigger, or go away. Both preferred the former. Gassmann “To be relevant in the market, we felt we needed to be larger,” Byl said. Two years ago, the companies began working with a consultant to decide if a merger of their companies was the best course of action. “We spent a lot of time working with financials, but more importantly with culture,” Byl said. “The number one reason a merger doesn’t work is culture, so we spent a lot of time working on that.” Byl said both companies strive for a “family atmosphere,” where employees’ time is respected with flexible time off and paid time to volunteer throughout the year. “We like to promote a work-life balance —
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Accel Group By the numbers
39: Employees at that’s a strong culture with both of us,” he said. When it was finally clear a merger would make sense, the two companies combined into one, officially, on Jan. 1 of this year. The merger combined Gassmann’s 40 employees with Byl’s 39 into The Accel Group, keeping offices in Cedar Rapids, Waverly and Cedar Falls and becoming one of the largest Iowa-based insurance agencies. “Our employees have been great,” Gassmann said. “They’ve embraced the new change.” Byl said customers have been excited for the change as well — if they even noticed at all. “In the Cedar Valley market it’s really been, ‘Congratulations,’ and a lot of good comments,” he said. “But if they haven’t followed the press, they might not have even known.” Byl’s new title is president, overseeing dayto-day management of the company, while Gassmann became CEO, in charge of looking for new opportunities to merge or acquire more like-minded agencies. “We plan on growing both organically as well as through mergers and acquisitions,” Gassmann said, noting they would continue to look for companies whose cultures meshed with their own. “Industry-wide, I think 2017 (had) the most acquisition activity in the insurance industry in quite a few years, and that continues to be at the forefront.” And both say growing larger isn’t just good for themselves and their employees — it’s good for their clients as well. “Obviously (the merger) gave us more leverage, more diversification, which is kind of critical,” Gassmann said. “We want to be able to offer a wide range of products and services to our customers.”
The Accel Group in Waverly, pre-merger.
40: Employees at Millhiser Smith Agency in Cedar Rapids, pre-merger. 82: Full-time positions at the merged Accel Group now. 25,000:
Customers Accel Group serves now.
1936: The year The Accel Group was begun in Waverly.
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Global coating solutions from a local business
Celebrating 60 Years of Business in the Cedar Valley alley Serving Northeast Iowa Since 1958
Since 1995, Cedar Falls has been the home of one of MetoKote’s thirty protective coating facilities serving the agricultural and industrial industries. We’re now a part of global coatings leader PPG, but we’re staying right here in the Cedar Valley region where we belong. We will continue to provide the same great electrocoat and wet spray services our customers have grown to expect. Learn about how we’re protecting the world’s vehicles, equipment and more by visiting ppgcoatingsservices.com The PPG Logo is a registered trademark and We protect and beautify the world are trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. ©2018 PPG Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.
Hawkeye Alarm & Signal Co. 16 W. Commercial, Waterloo, IA 50701
319-232-0490
www.hawkeyealarm.com
That’s progress: Jorgensen Plaza for Well-Being is now open!
Reserve Diamond Event Center for your next party, gala or reception. Call Amy at (319) 859-9324.
Stop by soon for breakfast, lunch or dinner at Caraway Cafe.
5307 Caraway Lane in Cedar Falls, west of Prairie Parkway WesternHomeCommunities.org
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Iowa Waste Reduction Center increasing
EFFICIENCY nationwide
TEXT | KRISTIN GUESS Photos | BRANDON POLLOCK
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DAR FALLS — E The Iowa Waste Reduction Center is headquartered at the University of Northern Iowa, but its reach extends far beyond Cedar Falls. The UNI organization has set several benchmarks on reducing waste, including a standardized painting technique utilized by the U.S. military and an Iowa Green Brewery certification. The IWRC, which sits under the umbrella of the University of Northern Iowa College of Business, and Business and Community Services, was launched 30 years ago after the Iowa Groundwater Protection Act was passed. “In certain circles, we’re known more internationally and nationally than we even are locally,” said Joe Bolick, communications and public relations manager for UNI Business and Community Services. PAINTER TRAINING A research project completed about 20 years ago led the IWRC to compare two similar local body shops on the amount of wasted hazardous paint. It turned out one was producing twice as much waste as the other due to inefficient painting. The curriculum developed by the IWRC eventually evolved into a military certification program. Every person who paints a U.S. military vehicle is certified by the Spray Technique Analysis and Research for Defense, or STAR4D. “We have people from military bases and contractors
Classroom area at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center in Cedar Falls. from all over the country and world, for that matter, come to Cedar Falls to go through training classes,” Bolick said. “You wouldn’t expect a school like UNI to have a 16,000-squarefoot research facility that can do cutting-edge coatings, application and pre-treatment research and testing.” The IWRC has trained military painters from 49 states, Japan and the Virgin Islands. “It’s tough to estimate the dollar amounts of what the small investment in our program has probably saved,” Bolick said. An Army Depot reported more than 17 percent in savings in topcoat application, and an Army National Guard Base reported a 150 percent increase in production output using the IWRC techniques. As part of the painter training, the IWRC developed a virtual painting center — that is sold worldwide — to train painters without actually us-
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Iowa Waste Reduction Center By the numbers
Equipment with practice applications of CARC (Chemical Agent Resistant Coating) dry at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center. ing paint. Painting trainers from the IWRC also work across the state and locally with private industry and businesses for painting and coating operations. FOOD RECOVERY The IWRC also is on a mission to tackle the issue of food waste. About every five years, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources conducts a waste
characterization study to determine what is dumped in Iowa landfills. In 2011, the food waste was at 13 percent, according to Bolick. “In the 2017 study, food waste is up to 20 percent of Iowa’s landfills now,” he said, and seven percent is packaged food waste. “And then you have the stats of how many are hungry in this state and how many children are food insecure and it just doesn’t make sense.”
40: Percent of all food produced annually in the U.S. ends up in the landfill. 25: Percent of U.S. emissions are caused by food waste. 1: The main component in municipal solid waste in Iowa is food waste. 13.3: Percent of all landfilled waste in Iowa is food waste.
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INDUSTRIAL PARKS prepared for growth in Cedar Valley
TEXT | TIM JAMISON PHOTO | BRANDON POLLOCK
PROGRESS 2018
By the numbers 28: Percent of Cedar Falls property values designated as commercial and industrial. Residential property makes up 71 percent of the tax base. 38: Percent of Waterloo property values deemed commercial and industrial. Just 58 percent of the tax base is residential.
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TERLOO — ConstrucA tion crews were braving winter weather conditions to erect a new Kwik Trip fuel blending plant in Waterloo’s Martin Road industrial park.Farther west, workers in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park remained busy in late January working on a new office building, fitness center and gymnasium at 924 W. Viking Road. Economic development officials in both cities point to the ongoing activity and available room for growth as signs their industrial parks are healthy and ready for more business in 2018. “We’ve had very strong growth happening,” said Cedar Falls Community Development Director Stephanie Houk Sheetz, pointing to the city’s rapidly filling industrial park expansion west of the Target Distribution Center. “We’ve got some lots spoken for there,” she added. “And we’re expecting to see a couple of projects in 2018.” That expansion area, created in 2009 as available lots became scarce in the industrial park between Hudson Road and Iowa Highway 58, saw a new $7.2 million Ashley Furniture distribution center open last November and expects Buckeye Corrugated Inc., formerly known as Hawkeye Corrugated Box, to break ground this spring on an $8 million building. Sheetz said there are still plenty of shovel-ready lots available for prospects in the industrial park, which have available street, sewer, water, communications and utilities in place. The city also is marketing its Northern Cedar Falls Industrial Park, northeast of the U.S. 218 and Iowa 58 interchange. The East Central Iowa Co-op and Standard Distribution already have large facilities in the park. Sheetz noted there are still plenty of lots available in the northern industrial area, which adds railroad access to the other utilities available on site. Meanwhile, Cedar Falls planners will be contemplating the next expansion area for the southern industrial park, which includes about 160 acres of farm land the city already acquired
Industrial parks
$155 million: Value of Cedar Falls’ record construction season set in fiscal year 2016. It was highlighted by the Western Home Communities massive $42 million expansion.
Noel Anderson is shown at the Kwik Star fuel blending facility under construction on West Ridgeway Avenue.
$181 million: Value of Waterloo’s record construction season set in fiscal year 2007. A $64 million permit for the Isle Hotel Casino Waterloo was the biggest project. Fun facts
between West Ridgeway Avenue and U.S. Highway 20 on both sides of Hudson Road. “Our steps here will be thinking about what kind of infrastructure, what kind of plan should we develop,” she said. “What types of uses should we encourage there?” Meanwhile, the city of Waterloo has accumulated plenty of industrial development acres around the city and will be working to install the necessary infrastructure this year to ensure lots are ready to go when prospects come knocking. “We have worked to assemble land in strategic places to match the overall land use plan and to match up with favorable mains for infrastructure, compatible uses, overall transportation networks, etc.,” said Community Planning and Development Director Noel Anderson. “Now we need to plat the lots, extend the infrastructure into the parks and to each lot, as well as connect into the major roadway networks for efficient layouts and shovel-ready lots,” he added. That includes the South Waterloo Business Park around the U.S. 20 and Ansborough Avenue interchange. The Iowa Economic Development Authority certified the site last year, putting it on a short list of cities contacted
when major development projects are searching Iowa locations. Waterloo also is in the process of installing infrastructure and platting a 50-acre expansion of the Northeast Industrial Site along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Another 180 acres are available in that area for larger projects needing major water and sewer capacity or rail service. The city also is continuing to work to create industrial lots in the MidPort America park around the airport. While the city doesn’t own more land in the Martin Road Industrial Park, also known as Greenbelt Centre, the area around the former Waterloo Greyhound Park and intersection of U.S. Highways 20 and 63 is being developed in partnership with private owners. Anderson noted more than 115 acres remains available in Greenbelt Centre, where Love’s Travel Plaza recently built, and about 90 acres are available on the east side of U.S. 63 from north of Ridgeway south to U.S. 20. Along with those “greenfield” industrial sites, Waterloo also is working to bring new businesses into the former Rath Packing Co. property it acquired following the meatpacker’s bankruptcy in 1985. SJ Construction built there last year and Crystal Distribution broke ground late last year on a 50,000-square-foot expansion.
■■ Waterloo Martin Road
tax-increment financing district was named because the first project was paving Martin Road as part of a Fahr Beverage expansion in 1996. ■■ Viking Pump was the first industry to locate in what is now the Cedar Falls Industrial Park, erecting a 20,000-square-foot building in 1959 that has now expanded beyond 300,000 square feet. ■■ The construction of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, which helped create Waterloo’s Northeast Industrial Park, was designed to help industrial freight movements between John Deere’s downtown site and tractor assembly plant. ■■ The Cedar Falls Industrial Park started on 80 acres of land Cedar Falls Utilities bought in the 1960s for a new power plant, which was ultimately rejected due to federal and state regulations. WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS 35
BraceAbility finds home in downtown Cedar Falls
TEXT | HOLLY HUDSON Photos | MATTHEW PUTNEY
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DAR FALLS — Shaun E Linderbaum started his company, BraceAbility, in the basement of his home in 2011. The e-commerce business now resides in the renovated Woolverton Building at 115 E. Second St. in downtown Cedar Falls. After a nine-month remodeling project on the 130-year-old building, BraceAbility, an online retailer of orthopedic braces from manufacturers all over the world, moved into the new office space in April 2017. Prior to the move, it was located above Whiskey Road Tavern & Grill at Fourth and Main streets. “I really wanted to be downtown,” Linderbaum said. “And — although it was more money and work than I anticipated — the building was a good investment. I have a thing for old buildings.” The building — which at different times housed businesses ranging from a blacksmith shop, a hardware store and a tractor dealership to the Circle Lounge, a pizza parlor and a printing shop — now boasts an open eating area, office space, areas for the customer service team and filling orders and a garage in the rear. Design features such as steel accents and exposed beams pay homage to the building’s history. BraceAbility employs 20 workers. “We have a lot of UNI students,” Linderbaum said. “A lot of them started out as interns and now work for us full time. The college is a great resource for us. The Cedar Valley has a highly educated workforce.” Linderbaum, a Cresco native now living in Cedar Falls, said his first business was delivering the Waterloo Courier when he was 12 years old. “It was a defining experience for me,” he said. “I had to collect. I had
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Shaun Linderbaum CEO of BraceAbility is shown in his Cedar Falls firm.
Kendra Linderbaum, right, chief marketing and merchandising officer , with Jenny Llewellyn, left, during a meeting at BraceAbility.
BraceAbility By the numbers 5,000,000: People who visited the BraceAbility website last year. Eighty percent were from the United States, but people from every country visited the website.
200: Braces donated to the University of Northern Iowa Athletic Department. 70: Percent of BraceAbility workforce who are current UNI students or alumni.
150,000: Braces shipped in 2017.
Fun facts
20: People employed by BraceAbility.
■■ Dahcotah, a local band that
to show up on time. It taught me responsibility. I look back on it fondly.” Linderbaum went to school at UNI and worked for John Deere for 10 years. “IT stuff,” he said. “I loved the company, but not the corporate environment.” Before launching BraceAbility, Linderbaum worked for Clickstop in Urbana, another e-commerce business. “I learned a lot there,” he said. “I applied what I liked to my business and discarded what I didn’t like.” BraceAbility had more than 10 million visitors to its website, braceabil-
hit it big in the 1970s, played
ity.com, in 2017 from all 50 states and 10 other countries, Linderbaum said, and saw a 60 percent growth in sales last year, selling 150,000 braces. Linderbaum said he is not surprised by his company’s success. “We are a little business tucked away that no one knows about, but I expected we had a big opportunity here. I hoped for the best and planned for the worst,” he said. “You work, you adapt, you grow. That has been our focus.” Linderbaum said BraceAbility offers great products that are typically hard to find locally.
its first and last shows in the BraceAbility building when it was the Circle Lounge. ■■ BraceAbility has an all-female management team with the exception of owner, Shaun Linderbaum. ■■ BraceAbility has several pro athletes as customers, including a former Major League Baseball MVP. “And, it may sound cliche, but making people feel better is a really rewarding feeling.” While Linderbaum is creating the foundation for his company to grow, he doesn’t have specific expectations. “I’m not too set on any hard and fast numbers,” he said. “I’m a contrarian in all aspects of my life. I like to keep it simple. We concentrate on how we interact with our customers, our products. We focus on a few things and do them really, really well. Doing those simple things over and over leads to growth. It is a simple business model. We can’t be all things to all people.” PROGRESS 2018
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Seggerman a
driving force
in Waverly
TEXT & PHOTO | KARRIS GOLDEN
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AVERLY — Growing up in Waverly, Ann Bonzer Seggerman got a broad and diverse education. This blend of mentoring, experiential learning and formal instruction helped her become a business leader with a varied portfolio. “My parents were small business owners. My mom managed a hotel, and my dad ran a gas station and can redemption center,” she recalled. “Growing up, I did it all — sorting smelly cans and cleaning hotel rooms.” Like her parents, Seggerman felt drawn to entrepreneurism. However, she initially took a traditional career path, working as an underwriter at CUNA Mutual Group. She also “dabbled” in reselling high quality items, using eBay as a primary outlet. Eventually, her mentor, Ron Matthias, asked if the skills she learned from her hobby might help him. “He and his wife traveled and collected many fine things,” Seggerman explained. “When Ron decided to sell some of his collection, he came to me. He knew I sold some things on eBay and wanted me to do the same for him. It was intimidating. He told me he knew I could do it and that he’d be happy with whatever I was able to get.” Matthias’ confidence bolstered Seggerman. Her success paring down his collection led Seggerman to launch The Trading Assistant in 1999. The consignment business specialized in estate liquidation. There was high demand for her services. However, eBay and Paypal eventually raised fees significantly. These changes and others raised sellers’ costs, making the method of ecommerce relatively cost-prohibitive for novices. Flooding in June 2008 drove a surge in Seggerman’s business. As homeowners cleaned up, they rediscovered salable items. Many sought Seggerman’s assistance in clearing items from their homes. “The phone was ringing off the hook,” she recalled. “I had a six-month
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Anne Seggerman By the numbers
1999: Year she started The
Trading Assistant, utilizing eBay.
2: Businesses Seggerman owns
(Renewed Purpose and Ann’s Liquidation Service LLC).
Anne (Bonzer) Seggerman has found her niche as entrepreneur. Her Waverly-based businesses include Anne’s Liquidation Service and Renewed Purpose Vintage Store at 104 E. Bremer Ave. waiting list.” Seggerman re-evaluated and reinvented her business model, and Ann’s Liquidation Service LLC was born. Her business now focuses on buying and clearing out a client’s home — “the good, the bad and the ugly,” she explained. “We go in and haul it all away so the family can really just deal with selling the house,” she said. “There are dealers who will come in and pick out the highly valuable items for resale. We will clear out everything, so it really is more of a service. There’s nobody else around here who does this.” If Seggerman’s entrepreneurial spirit was spurred by her parents’ example, her businesses grew because of The Trading Assistant and later, Ann’s Liquidation Service. “It all began in a completely organic way,” she recalled of her evolution into property management. Seggerman wanted to move her business office outside her home and establish dedicated spaces for storage and shipping. The basement of 118 E. Bremer Ave. suited those needs, so she purchased the three-story downtown property. Today, she rents the main level of the historic building to Waverly Chamber of Commerce. The second floor houses three apartments. The third floor was once the Masonic meeting area. In recent years, Seggerman and her husband, Rich, renovated that space, converting it to two
apartments. The need for storage increased with Seggerman’s business interests. The building also offered another appealing possibility: retail space. “I wanted to try running a store,” Seggerman said. “The idea of it was a little scary, but I thought it was something I could do.” Today, 104 E. Bremer Ave. is home to Renewed Purpose, Seggerman’s retail store that features vintage items and locally produced goods, such as two Iowa wine brands, O’Brien’s Granola and Henning’s Popcorn. The building also houses storage for Ann’s Liquidation Service and two more apartments. A sideline arose from Seggerman’s desire to reduce her own “personal collection of stuff” after an acquaintance mentioned Facebook seller groups. Seggerman launched Waverly for Sale Group in about 2011. The group was closed, and individuals had to request membership. Through member feedback, trial and error, Seggerman developed guidelines that fit Facebook’s restrictions. These covered everything from how sale posts should be written to forbidden items and practices. The group was among the first of its kind in the Cedar Valley and grew rapidly. Today, the group’s membership numbers more than 30,000, exceeding three times the population of its namesake city.
7: Number of apartments Seggerman owns in downtown Waverly. 12 (at least): Local entrepre-
neurs and artists with goods available at Renewed Purpose.
33,615: Members of Facebook group Seggerman founded (Waverly for Sale Group). A few years ago, Seggerman relinquished precious storage space in the back room of Renewed Purpose to accommodate members’ desire for a safe space for pickup and drop-off of items. Today, a group of 10 volunteers manages most daily operations of the busy group. However, the most significant changes to the way the group operates were dictated by Facebook, Seggerman said. “It can be frustrating, because of the changes Facebook imposes,” she said. “Facebook was never designed for buying and selling groups, so it seems like they’re still figuring out how to do it.” Meanwhile, Seggerman focuses on Ann’s Liquidation Service and Renewed Purpose. She continues to rely on word-of-mouth referrals from attorneys and previous customers. “I want to remain small so I can continue to do this myself. I enjoy being hands on,” she explained. She also strives to encourage and support other downtown business owners. “I never considered myself a leader,” Seggerman said. “I am a really strong cheerleader, and I am happy to support those leaders we have.” PROGRESS 2018
Western Home Communities’ new LifePlan
REDEFINES AGING
C
TEXT | MELODY PARKER
EDAR FALLS — More baby boomers are ready to rock retirement, and rules for retirement communities are being rewritten. It’s estimated about 10,000 members of the generation born from 1946 to 1964 are entering retirement daily. By 2030, people ages 65 and older will comprise more than 20 percent of the population. Much as this generation altered the cultural landscape in their youth, Boomers’ vision for their retirement is considerably different from their parents. They’re not content to stroll off into the sunset listening to the Stones on their wireless headphones, or sit passively in the proverbial rocking chair scrolling websites on an iPad. They want to be active, youthful, engaged and challenged. Many, either from financial need or sense of purpose, plan to continue working. The Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies says roughly 3 out of 5 boomers plan to work beyond age 65. At Western Home Communities, the mission is create fulfilling lifestyles that fit a new “LifePlan” community focus and redefine aging. “We know the status quo isn’t going to fit what’s coming in the future,” said Western Home Communities CEO Kris Hansen. “We’re an innovative and future-focused organization, so how do we position ourselves to offer housing and services, holistic wellness and active, fulfilling lifestyles? We celebrate our history, but innovation is in our DNA, it’s who we are. I think we’re definitely on the cutting edge of some things in order to help people live the fullest lives they can, in a setting they want to be in. “It’s not just about a place to live or receive care; it’s about a holistic lifestyle. We’re creating communities among seniors, and we also are open to making connections with the greater community around us,” he explained. “We’re taking our services and offering them in a way that folks PROGRESS 2018
COURTESY PHOTO
This aerial view taken by Denny Mills in early August shows Prairie Wind at left, Jorgensen Plaza for Well-Being in the center and the Restorative Suites (with steel framing) at right. Prairie Wind is open and construction is scheduled to be completed soon with an in early 2018. are comfortable with, and it’s a much broader focus on community-based services and outreach.” The $52 million expansion in southern Cedar Falls, particularly the Jorgensen Plaza for Well-Being, is helping forge that connection. Expected to open this spring, the facility will provide a much broader focus on community-based services and community involvement. The wellness center boasts an aquatic center with Olympic-sized pool, walking track, exercise classrooms and equipment, a beauty salon and inpatient and outpatient therapy. Chef Jim Nadeau will oversee Table 1912, a fine-dining restaurant, fast-casual food at Caraway Café, Gilmore’s Pub and food at the Prairie Wind complex. “It gives our residents several convenient spots to go on campus for socializing opportunities with friends and family, a place to enjoy a fine dining experience, farm-to-table dishes, a quick meal or pick up a smoothie after exercising, or join their friends at the pub,” Hansen said. The Diamond Event Center, seating up to 400 with state-of-the-art audio-visual systems and on-site catering, will provide a venue for wedding
receptions, anniversary celebrations, luncheons, dinners, parties, dances, graduations and fundraisers. “Certainly we have our Windy Hill Choir thinking about performances here and we’re encouraging other events, but it’s not just about an event or performance. It’s more about the friendships, the relationships that can be built,” the CEO explained. “I’d like to create some senior maker spaces, too, so people can be creative and pursue new interests, and I can see retired business professionals, retired engineers and others sharing their expertise with young entrepreneurs in the community.” In addition, Prairie Wind opened last summer. The 75-apartment, three-story independent living facility is attached to Jorgensen Plaza and features a breakfast café on the first floor, a third-floor library/lounge and kitchen area for resident use, two guest suites and a large conference room. This is Western Home’s sixth independent living community, the fifth on the south campus. The first, Willowwood, opened near downtown in 1989. The organization also has expanded into Grundy Center and other communities in Northeast Iowa.
Western Home Communities By the numbers
885: Employees at Western Home Communities, including facilities at Jesup and Grundy Center. 1,000+: Residents in the
south campus and downtown residences.
150: Acres on the south campus; started with 13 acres. 2,100: Calendars printed
in 2017 featuring residents’ collections, such as kaleidoscopes, wedding cake toppers, salt-and-pepper shakers and train sets.
“You know, a lot of input for the Boomer generation is coming to us through their adult children or grandchildren who are concerned about their aging parents or grandparents. So our focus isn’t just about meeting the needs of seniors, but fulfilling the expectations of their family,” Hansen said. “That’s part of what drives us. The old models for retirement communities just don’t get it anymore.” WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS 39
DOWNTOWN everything old is new again TEXT | AMIE STEFFEN PHOTOS | BRANDON POLLOCK & MATTHEW PUTNEY
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ATERLOO — Take a walk around downtown Waterloo today, and you’d likely find a lot more to interest you than you would have just a decade ago. Historic buildings on both sides of the Cedar River have been saved from the wrecking ball and redeveloped into thriving storefronts, restaurants, bars and loft apartments. Other spaces have been turned into more or less public spaces for the community, like the RiverLoop Amphitheatre, Expo Plaza and dek hockey rink. Perhaps no downtown project more exemplifies the initial resistance, community support and ultimately successful revitalization better than SingleSpeed Brewing Co., which transformed the old Hostess bakery on Commercial Street. While the multi-million-dollar historic and LEED-certified renovation of a former industrial bakery into a 500-capacity brewpub and beer distributor seems a foregone conclusion now that it’s been thriving for more than a year, it wasn’t always that way. “You have to think about how much of a battle it was,” said Jeff Kurtz, the executive director of Main Street Waterloo from 2010 until 2015. “I think a lot of people forget that a lot of the city leaders had a bull’s-eye on that building: They wanted to tear it down. They wanted to make it a parking lot.” Kurtz, the Main Street Waterloo board and a community-supported Friends of Wonder Bread activist group saw the building as a good candidate for reuse. John Molseed, a former Courier reporter who began volunteering with Main Street in 2012 and is now president of its board of directors, said Main Street worked to convince SingleSpeed owner
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Crews work on the exterior walls of the Hawkeye Community College Adult Learning Center.
Dave Morgan to locate his planned distribution center there, then educated the community and Waterloo City Council on the benefits of saving the building. “One of the top things in the last decade would be this Wonder Bread project,” Molseed said, noting it succeeded because it had grassroots community support. “It shows what a repurposed historic building can do, it shows its potential, and I don’t think it’s something city leaders thought of at the time.” It’s still a battle Main Street Waterloo
Downtown By the numbers
17: Retail establishments in downtown Waterloo.
12: Attractions in down- 18: The number of town Waterloo open to restaurants and eateries the public, including in downtown Waterloo. museums, recreation 8: The number of Main centers and sports faStreet Waterloo-branded cilities. events held each year, 16: Bars and night-life like Taste of ‘Loo, My establishments in down- Waterloo Days and town Waterloo. BBQ’Loo and Blues Too. PROGRESS 2018
H c S
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT is the trend
Frugal Finds Market has recently opened in the old Pioneer Graphics building in downtown Waterloo. wages with city leaders and some community members: saving historic buildings instead of tearing them down. But it’s gotten a bit easier as projects like SingleSpeed, as well as the Walton block, the dilapidated John Deere manufacturing buildings and the Fourth Street Bridge walkway, prove to be successful. “We live in a throwaway time,” said Tavis Hall, who was Main Street’s executive director from 2015 until 2017 and is now executive director of the Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s hard to realize we can look at something old and see it with a new purpose.” But he sees a shift in that mindset nonetheless — Hall points to antique event Funky Junkaloo and pop-up thrift shop Epic Finds as two examples of how people in this area are valuing old and historic items. “Nobody looks at Jameson’s now and says, ‘They should have torn that down,’ or goes into SingleSpeed and thinks it should have been a parking lot,” he said. “It takes people with vision to step up and be part of the process, instead of sitting back and complaining that things are being destroyed in front of our eyes.” Hall points to the fact that he can walk into Basal Pizza and grab his favorite
Jaden Ludwig, left, and Abby Cobb prepare donuts at Rockets Bakery in downtown Waterloo.
pizza, and remember when his senior photos were developed in that same storefront years ago at Walden Photo. “Everywhere we look there continues to be progress, and in every story of progress it dips its toe into historic preservation,” he said.
TEXT | JEFF REINITZ
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TERLOO — Downtown areas in Waterloo A and Cedar Falls are experiencing a renaissance, in both businesses and residential. Over the past decade or so, developers have added apartments in long-dormant spaces above downtown storefronts. And several projects under construction or on the drawing board call for the same formula — businesses on the ground floor with living quarters overhead. “Consumers are used to having a lot of choices, and housing options are no different. If our community is going to be complete, we need to have a lot of housing options, and the suburban ranch-style house isn’t right for everybody,” said David Deeds of JSA Development. His company has reworked 18 buildings in downtown Waterloo — like the 115-year-old Steely Block building — mostly two- and three-story structures around the Fourth Street corridor. In doing so, the group has created about 50 market-rate apartments in the upper floors. “They have been pretty well received and well occupied,” Deeds said. Real estate agent Jim Sulentic, who is working on a project in Cedar Falls, said attractions in the downtown areas draw in younger residents. “The draw is downtown Cedar Falls. Young people like to be around where everything is at, and the apartments are highly desirable near downtown Cedar Falls,” Sulentic said. Deeds said a lot of the tenants are younger than 35 or older than 55, mainly people who don’t have children yet or whose children are now grown and out of the nest. Professional people relocating to the Cedar Valley from other communities also account for a fair number of the tenants, he said. Downstairs, the businesses are usually locally and regionally based companies, Deeds said. Food and beverage operations are popular, as are professional offices like lawyers and architectural firms.
Multi-use buildings By the numbers
18: Buildings in down-
town Waterloo the company has reworked.
second phase of Grand Crossing underway at Highway 63/Mullan Avenue.
7,600: Square feet of commercial space, with story, mixed-use building about 50 residential coming to downtown units, underway at the Waterloo. former Iowa Sports Sup$3.5 million: Mixed- ply location. use structure for the $4.5 million: Multi-
Haley Harms, right, Dino Durakovic, center, and Jordan Finger, left, work on cutting the hair of three boys at Five Seasons Hair and Beard Studio on Sycamore Street in downtown Waterloo. PROGRESS 2018
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Breaking
BARRIERS
Child care: a barrier to employment
Omega Cabinets innovative in finding, keeping workers
By the numbers
17,915: The number of parents in Iowa who quit a job, did not take a job or greatly changed their job because of child care problems in 2016.
TEXT | KRISTIN GUESS PHOTO | MATTHEW PUTNEY
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hat began as a cold, hard business strategy has turned into a warm welcome to work for some Cedar Valley residents. Kyle Roed, recently departed human resources manager with MasterBrand Cabinets Inc., a parent company of Omega Cabinets, was facing a serious shortage of workers more than a year ago. “The participation rate (of employment) in the Waterloo- Cedar Falls area is lower than the state average,” Roed said. “We were around 67 percent, state of Iowa is around 70 percent,” he said, and that equates to roughly 3,500 that “hypothetically should be working, but aren’t.” After implementing an inclusion strategy, there is now a waiting list for employment at Omega Cabinets. “The response has been great. It’s made people proud to work here, it’s made me proud to work here,” he said. Roed tasked himself with finding what was causing the shortage of willing and able workers. Based on his findings, he developed an inclusion strategy that has not only made a positive impact on Omega Cabinets, but has potential to be a model for other companies as well.
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$9,967: Cost of child care in Iowa for a year for one infant/ toddler at a full-time center-based program, which is higher than the cost of in-state public college tuition. Burmese employees hand sand front panels for cabinets at Omega Cabinets in Waterloo. “Now, it’s just a very personal passion, and I just want to go out and keep doing this stuff because I’m seeing the impact on the community,” he said. Roed began by partnering with several community organizations with deep roots in the community, including Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center of Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College and Inclusion Connection. “I realized that if you look at that data set but then you also look at the unemployment numbers specifically in minority populations, they’re extremely high compared to what we consider non-diverse populations,” he said. Roed was determined to find the discrepancies, and he did. Beginning in February, Omega
Cabinets launched an onsite translating program with the help of Hawkeye Community College. The English Language Learning classes allow those who don’t speak English to learn the language, acquire communication skills and be paid at the same time. “We’ve found a lot of people are very motivated to work, but if they can’t continue to grow those English skills, they’re going to be underemployed,” Roed said. There are now 10 translators that are considered team leaders who help their co-workers communicate on the job. “Now that we’ve started to do this, we’ve seen more and more diversity within the languages that are needed,” Roed said. Translators at Omega speak Marshallese, also known as Ebon.
77.6: Percent of women in Iowa age 16 and older with children younger than 6 were in the labor force in 2015, compared to 29.9 percent in 1970.
12,773: Iowa women reported they were not working full time due to child care problems.
63: Percent of parents nationwide say child care costs influence their careers, with a majority of working parents (85 percent) saying they wish their employer offered child care benefits. $4.4 billion: The average
amount of money U.S. businesses lose each year due to employee absenteeism as the result of child care breakdowns. *Stats are based of a report released in 2018 by Early Childhood Iowa, Iowa Women’s Foundation and Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral. PROGRESS 2018
vi·sion·ar·y 1. (especially of a person) thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom.”a visionary leader” synonyms: inspired, imaginative, creative, inventive, ingenious, enterprising, innovative; 2. relating to or able to see visions in a dream or trance, or as a supernatural apparition.”a visionary experience”
2018 • GROWTH • MOTIVATION • INNOVATION • TEAM • VISION
7314 Chancellor Drive, Cedar Falls, IA krytonmetals.com • 1-800-728-1771 PROGRESS 2018
WWW.WCFCOURIER.COM/PROGRESS 43
JOIN US FOR THE PUBLIC
WATERLOO CELEBRATION Fri., June 15 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sat., June 16 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Waterloo Convention Center and John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum
MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE & CELEBRATION EVENTS Our emcee will entertain you as a game-show host, musician and party guru between musical acts.
Friday, June 15 Stackhouse | 4:30 p.m.
Popular local favorite band Stackhouse is a non-stop, high-energy, rock with a hint of country.
Chasin’ Mason | 6:30 p.m.
Rooted in country and laced with rock ‘n’ roll, this high-energy group has a variety of influences to create their rockin’ edge.
Saturday, June 16 “Those Guys” Acoustic Duo | 11:00 a.m.
Playing a variety of oldies, new stuff and top 40 - you name it, “Those Guys” play it!
Waterloo Municipal Band | 1:00 p.m.
Performing a composition titled “Those Big Green Machines” in honor of John Deere.
Chasin’ Mason | 3:00 p.m.
Rooted in country and laced with rock ‘n’ roll, this high-energy group has a variety of influences to create their rockin’ edge.
Waterloo Convention Center and Public Market Courtyard
�John Deere Through the Decades in Waterloo �100 Years of Tractor Innovation Showcase �UAW Local 838 Display �John Deere Retiree Zone �Inflatables �Face Painting �Farm & Tractor Temporary Tattoos �Food and Beverage Vendors
John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum �Blacksmith �Kid Tractor Pull �Pedal Tractor Obstacle Course �Working Demonstrations �Photo Booths �Farm to Table Play Area �Farm-Themed Watercolor Workshop
Joe Diffie | 6:00 p.m.
The chart-topping artist known for his mix of contemporary country, ballads and legendary “John Deere Green”.
Free admission. Food and beverages available for purchase. Trolleys available for easy transportation.