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Tuesday PM Daily | October 15, 2019
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Iowa Business Hall of Fame inductees named
By Business Record Staff The Greater Des Moines Committee has named Cara Heiden, Dan Houston and Dan Rupprecht as inductees to the Iowa Business Hall of Fame. They will be honored at a formal dinner Dec. 10 at Prairie Meadows.
Heiden is retired co-president of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on key industry topics. She was frequently recognized in U.S. Banker magazine’s "25 Most Powerful Women in Banking," ranking No. 7 the year before her retirement.
Houston is chairman, president and CEO of Principal Financial Group, where he has worked in a range of management positions since joining the company in 1984 in Dallas. He has led the company since 2014, and has appeared before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging to address educating workers about retirement financial needs. He also authored a chapter on related topics in "The Upside of Aging" published by John Wiley & Sons in 2014.
Rupprecht is founder and
chairman of R&R Realty Group. The company owns and manages more than 8 million square feet of commercial real estate in the Midwest. Rupprecht has been in real estate work since 1967, starting at Principal, and had a hand in the development of Civic Center Court Apartments, East Grand Office Park and the Downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel. He also has helped the Iowa State University Research Park expand its collection of tech firms.
The inductees were selected based on their business leadership, community development impact, community volunteerism/leadership, strategic leadership and business recognition.
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NEWS BRIEFS
Meredith names chief strategy officer
Meredith Corp. has named Daphne Kwon as chief strategy officer, effective Nov. 4. Kwon will advise President and CEO Tom Harty and the senior leadership team, particularly on expanding the digital business and on potential mergers and acquisitions. Kwon fills a role previously
held by Catherine Levene, who was promoted to Meredith's chief digital officer earlier this year. "Daphne has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments across a broad spectrum of companies varying from large media firms such as Disney to startups like Oxygen and Goop," Harty said. Kwon has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a business administration degree from the University of Michigan.
Immersive sculpture coming to Water Works Park
Installation of new public art celebrating community and water began in Des Moines Water Works Park this week. Comprising 45 10-foot-tall poles illuminated
with 12-inch globes, River Constellation emits a gentle ebb and flow of original music and light, encouraging visitors to wander through the sculpture immersed in light and sound. The site-responsive piece responds to the circuitous ribbons of Des Moines’ rivers and creates an intimate experience in the expansive landscape of the 1,500-acre park. The Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation commissioned Boston-based composer Beau Kenyon and Brooklyn-based sculptor Natalia Zubko earlier this year. The permanent work is funded privately with support from the Kyle J. and Sharon Krause Family Foundation. A dedication is expected in November.
Breathe Easy Insurance opens Urbandale call center
Breathe Easy Insurance Solutions, an agency that specializes in providing insurance for individuals with drunken-driving offenses, has opened a national call center in Urbandale. The company, which also has two offices in California, works with up to 40 insurers nationwide to provide coverage after a DUI offense in the automobile, home and commercial insurance markets. Breathe Easy
frequently works closely with Intoxalock, a Des Moines-based manufacturer and provider of ignition interlock devices used to prevent drivers from operating their vehicles if intoxicated. "Building a national insurance call center has been a dream of ours for some time," Breathe Easy’s CEO, Jarrett Mahoney, said. "We could not think of a better place to execute this plan than in central Iowa." The company opened the 10,000-square-foot Urbandale office at 3580 109th St. in February with three sales representatives and has grown to 20 employees at that location, led by Matt Peterson, sales manager.
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MEMBERSHIP EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
Digital lab aims to assist small manufacturers in tech choices
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How many Alliant Energy executives does it take to come up with an innovative economic development idea?
Just two — at least to start with — followed by smart input and a lot of hard work by dozens of others, says Joel Schmidt, vice president of business development with Alliant.
Schmidt recalled how he was riding in his pickup on U.S. Highway 30 near the ISU Research Park in Ames one day when Steve Shupp, Alliant’s senior economic development manager, said: "I want to show you something — I’ve got a couple of ideas." Read more
MORE INSIDER CONTENT: See all Business Record Insider content and become an Insider.
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At the Oct. 3 event 90 Ideas in 90 minutes, nine leaders from nine of Central Iowa’s most successful businesses shared 10 of their company’s internal programs and initiatives – both big and small – that can be applied to any business. Watch and listen to ideas from Izaah Knox, executive director of Urban Dreams.
Watch all the videos | View publication
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NEWS BRIEFS
GM, union close to deal to end monthlong UAW strike, sources say
Reuters: General Motors Co. and the United Auto Workers union were nearing a deal today to end a 30-day strike that has cost the automaker about $2 billion after Chief Executive Mary Barra and President Mark Reuss took part in contract talks, according to two people briefed on the matter. The No. 1 U.S. automaker and the union have agreed to terms on most issues but were finalizing the wording on some matters, said the people. A deal will likely be announced on Wednesday.
Buffett's Berkshire seeks Fed leeway to boost investment in BofA
Reuters: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is seeking permission from the Federal Reserve to boost its stake in Bank of America Corp above the 10% level, Bloomberg reported today. Shares of BofA were up 3% after the report came out.
AMC Theatres launches streaming service in latest blow to Netflix
MarketWatch: In the latest blow to Netflix Inc., AMC Theatres, the biggest cinema chain in the world, said today that it is launching a streaming service that will allow members of its loyalty program to rent or buy films and watch them at home, the first such offering from a cinema operator.
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ONE GOOD READ
Fort Lauderdale may crack down on e-scooter speed BY EMILY BARSKE: As Des Moines looks into getting e-scooters, other cities that already have them are grappling with how to regulate them. From the South Florida Sun Sentinel: Those cool little
electric scooters can zip along at speeds up to 30 miles per hour. That speed would be capped at 15 mph under new safety rules being considered by Fort Lauderdale. This consideration comes after several accidents and one death.
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Carrot Cake, Portfolios, and Recipes that Deliver!
KENT KRAMER, FOSTER GROUP
CFP®, AIF®, Chief Investment Officer
I confess, I love my wife’s carrot cake recipe! She makes it for my birthday every year. The recipe results in a cake that is moist, and the frosting is so creamy that even a non-frosting fan like me can’t resist it. Importantly, based on my tastes, the cake does not contain any nuts. To some folks, that’s carrot cake heresy; to me, carrot cake heaven. > FULL ARTICLE
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KCCI TOP STORIES
RAGBRAI organizers split from Des Moines Register, start Iowa’s Ride
The director of RAGBRAI told KCCI today that he and his staff have resigned from the Des Moines Register and are creating a new rival bicycle ride. T.J. Juskiewicz has been the director of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa for the last 16 years and has been organizing other rides in Iowa and in other
states. Juskiewicz said he wants to break away and start something fresh. It’s called Iowa’s Ride. "Today, I, as RAGBRAI director, will resign that post that I’ve held for 16 years, as well as my entire staff," said Juskiewicz. "We put our heart and soul into this event, but when our principles are compromised, we just can't go on." KCCI investigative reporter Alex Schuman will have much more on the reason for the split and how the new ride will be operated on KCCI 8 News at 5 and 6. Read more
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Tonight:
Partly cloudy. Low around 40. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph.
Wednesday:
Partly cloudy skies. High near 50. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
Get the latest KCCI weather.
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BUSINESS RECORD IOWA INDEXThe Iowa Index is an unweighted average of all 21 Iowa-based public companies. Below is a live look at those 21, plus 15 additional companies with large operations in Iowa.
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