|
|
MONDAY, NOV. 20, 2017 | IN THIS ISSUE
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery's head distiller Kolin Brighton (left), general manager Jamie Siefken (center) and owner Jeff Quint
|
Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery has received state financial backing for a $2 million project to boost output from its award-winning distillery.
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) board awarded Cedar Rapids tax benefits for the expansion under the state's High Quality Jobs program on Friday. The project is expected to result in six jobs meeting the qualifying hourly wage criteria of $24.32.
In addition to expanding capacity of the distillery and stillhouse at the business near Swisher, the project adds new equipment and warehousing to hold aging spirits.
The popularity of Cedar Ridge's products are growing with its reputation, which includes being honored as 2017 Distiller of the Year by the American Distilling Institute in April.
"We're in the second year of a three-year process to take four of our whiskeys coast-to-coast," Cedar Ridge founder Jeff Quint told the CBJ at the time. He said distilleries have to take time to ramp up production because spirits must have time to age properly before being sold.
He added that capacity enhancements were expected to enable Cedar Ridge to double production in 2018.
|
|
|
|
|
|
UnityPoint - St. Luke's Center for Healthy Living
CREDIT: UNITYPOINT HEALTH
|
UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids is expanding its footprint on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids near Council Street and Tower Terrace by building a new skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility.
The new 46,420-square-foot skilled nursing facility will have 46 rehabilitation patient rooms for short-term care. The facility will have an enhanced outpatient therapy gym with the latest medical and rehabilitative technology as well as additional patient and family green space and parking. The anticipated cost of the new facility is $14.9 million.
"Northeast Cedar Rapids is an area of Cedar Rapids where we continue to see a lot of growth," Ted Townsend, president and CEO of UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids, stated in a press release. "According the Department of Public Health 21.6 percent of Iowa's population is age 60 or older. Enhancing skilled nursing and rehabilitation services in Cedar Rapids will help support our overall mission of better care coordination, improved quality, lower cost and a better patient and family experience."
Hospital officials will break ground on the new skilled facility, which will be called UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's Center for Healthy Living in the spring of 2018 and the anticipated opening is Spring 2019.
St. Luke's Living Center East and West, located in Cedar Rapids' MedQuarter, will continue to be managed by Health Care of Iowa and governed by UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nancy Garberson
|
Marketing & Communication Strategies, Inc. has announced that founder Nancy Garberson will transition to a new role in 2018 after 30 years leading the local marketing firm.
Epiphany, a new organization led by Christa Nelson and Anna Patty will carry on Ms. Garberson's legacy.
"It's been an exciting journey as a female entrepreneur over the past three decades, Ms. Garberson stated in a press release. "I am grateful for all the organizations I've helped, the people I've met and the support I've received as a businesswoman in Eastern Iowa."
Beginning in 2018, Ms. Garberson plans to teach, write, and work part-time for Epiphany. The firm will provide marketing, design, digital marketing, social media management, SEO, SEM, public relations and strategic marketing services. Current clients will be served by Epiphany upon completion of the transition.
"My confidence in Christa and Anna's abilities is solid. I value their commitment and dedication to those they work with," Ms. Garberson added.
Ms. Nelson is a digital marketer, strategist, and designer who holds an MBA and many years of experience in marketing. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Dubuque. Anna Patty has several years experience in the marketing field, including the nonprofit world - fundraising, marketing, writing, development, digital marketer and public relations
.
MCS will host an open house on Nov. 29 from noon until 6 p.m. at 2218 First Ave NE in Cedar Rapids. Current and past clients and the community are invited to attend the event celebrating Ms. Garberson.
|
|
|
|
The Corridor Business Journal has opened voting for its annual Most Influential Person award and is asking readers to cast their votes.
The award honors the person who has made the biggest mark on the Corridor this year, whether through their leadership, business accomplishments or philanthropic efforts. Last year's winner was Nancy Kasparek, the regional president of U.S. Bank; the 2015 winner was Mark Nolte, president of the Iowa City Area Development Group.
You can nominate up to five people from the Corridor area as part of this year's voting. We will tally the results, publish the final list and profile the winner in the Dec. 18 edition of the Corridor Business Journal.
Last year's complete list can be found in the CBJ's Most Influential issue, available to digital edition subscribers.
You can vote here. The deadline to vote is 5 p.m. on Dec. 1.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission deliberates a Linn County casino license
|
The rejection of three applications for the first Linn County casino license on Nov. 16 by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission will likely cause city leaders to look at other options for a prime downtown site, Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett said afterward.
Members of the commission voted 3-2 in favor of a motion to deny two applications from Cedar Rapids Development Group put forth with Peninsula Pacific Gaming, and one application from Wild Rose Resorts for a casino in downtown Cedar Rapids.
The decision followed studies which continued to show a new Linn County casino would "cannibalize" too much of the business from existing casinos such as Riverside Casino & Golf Resort in Washington County, which is investing $10 million on a major remodeling, and the Isle of Capri Waterloo Casino & Hotel Waterloo.
"What's before us right now is a flat market, and a market I don't see growing anytime soon," said Jeff Lamerti, an Ankeny attorney on the commission who voted to deny all three license applications. He said the concern was not just on the profits of the existing casino operators, but the possible job losses and employees affected at the existing casinos.
Delores Mertz, a commission member from Algona, voted against a motion to deny all three applications, saying the state's second-largest city "deserves something."
Chairman Richard Arnold of Russell was willing to support Cedar Crossing Central, the $105 million casino that was proposed to be built with a new parking garage for the U.S. Cellular Center and Doubletree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Hotel and Convention Center.
Mr. Lamberti, along with members Carl Heinrich of Council Bluffs and Kristine Arnold of New Hampton, voted against the proposal. Each cited impact on existing casinos, using words like "stagnant" and "plateau" to describe the state's casino market.
The next mayor and city council will likely consider other alternatives for utilizing a prime city-owned site near the intersection of First Street and First Avenue SW optioned by Cedar Rapids Development Group for the casino, Mr. Corbett said. The site has been largely vacant since the flood of 2008, and Mr. Corbett said the second rejection of a Linn County casino license in as many years would likely discourage other applicants for making another run at getting a license.
To see the full members-first story in this week's digital edition of the CBJ, click here.
|
|
|
|
Short-Term Event Planner
Coralville Roundtable
,
by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m.,
Coralville Hy-
Vee, 1914 Eighth St., Coralville. Roundtables are social lunch
es over the noon hour. All are
invited to network, keep up-
to
-date with chamber and community events and frequent a membe
r
restaurant or business. Free for members. Call the cham
ber (319) 337-9637 if interested and not
a member.
Iowa City Roundtable
, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m.,
Estela
'
s Fresh
Mex, 184 E. Burlington St., Iowa City. Roundtables are socia
l lunches over the noon hour. All
are invited to network, keep up-
to
-date with chamber and community events and frequent a
member restaurant or business. Free for members. Call th
e chamber (319) 337-9637 if interested
and not a member.
|
|
|
Be the one who knows
Forward the FREE CBJ Business Daily newsletter to your friends and colleagues, and share the feeling of being informed! Use our fast, one-minute subscription to the CBJ's newsletters
here, or check out our other subscription options
here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
More that 130 bicyclists came together on Sunday for the first Cedar Rapids Cranksgiving.
Cranksgiving is a bike race and food drive that began in New York in 1999 and since then it has spread to communities all over the country.
The Cedar Rapids ride was organized by Goldfinch Cyclery to collect food for the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, a joint ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church and Christ Episcopal Church.
"I ride past the food pantry everyday and on Tuesdays you will see a line of sometimes over 100 people," says Logan Orcutt, co-owner of Goldfinch Cyclery. Riders are given a list of food and stores to get each item then riders pick their own route. Mr. Orcutt estimates riders travel at least 15 miles between all the stores depending on the route they take.
Samuel Tufts joined the ride with his parents. "If it wasn't for my parents I'd be miserably lost and I can tell that I need to start hitting the gym more, they were kicking my butt," he laughs.
T
hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
|
|
|
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast
The weather will be calm for the holiday week ahead, but there will be some ups and downs in the temperatures.
Today will be an up day with mostly sunny skies and temperatures climbing into the low to mid 50s. There will be a bit of a breeze outside, but it will be 10-15 degrees warmer than Sunday. The warmth doesn't last long as a cold front arrives tonight. Clouds will build in and temperatures will fall down into the low to mid 30s. The front will move through early Tuesday and skies will clear. Temperatures will stay steady and even fall a bit through the 30s in the afternoon plus the winds will be kicking!
It will remain cool on Wednesday with temperatures in the 30s. Then warmer air starts to move back in for Thanksgiving Day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|