Business Notes for Feb. 12, 2023

The Gazette’s Business Notes is a compendium of the week’s promotions, new hires, certifications, added business lines and business events, among other items, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the rest of the Corridor.

Information and photos can be submitted to Business Notes by email to businessnotes@thegazette.com, or on our website at thegazette.com/businessnotes.

Appointments

Julie Stephenson has been appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer at UFG Insurance.

Kudos

For the second year in a row, GreenState Credit Union has been recognized with the Top Workplaces USA award, ranking No. 5 among employers with 500 to 999 workers. The winners are chosen based on feedback gathered though an employee engagement survey, issued by Energage. GreenState, Iowa’s largest credit union, also received the No. 1 Top Workplace Award for businesses in Iowa

Sixteen nurses from UnityPoint Health-Cedar Rapids have been named to the 2023 Great Iowa Nurses list. Honorees include Kelli McAfee, Marion; Laura Barner, Springville; Peggy Bragg, Mount Vernon; Mark Butschi, Robins, Penny Dullea, Swisher; Jordan Hagarty, Cedar Rapids; Paige Holland, Monmouth; Jeremy Gardemann, Independence; Jessica Newsom, Cedar Rapids; Jayne Nirschl, Cedar Rapids; Kim Mente, Tipton; Maureen McEvoy, Coggon; Rachel Petersen, Alburnett; Michelle Ross, Urbana; Stephanie Voss, Tipton; and Holly White, Marion. The award annually recognizes nurses at Iowa health care organizations for outstanding contributions to their patients, team members and the nursing profession.

Business Breakfast Series returns

The Business Breakfast Series is back in-person in Cedar Rapids after a two-year digital format.

The series leads off with a Feb. 21 panel discussion on “The Warehouse Boom.”

The panel will look at the increase in demand and opening of warehouses across the region. What’s driving the demand? How will industries such as trucks, rail and freight work together? Will capacity exceed demand? What’s the risk of overbuilding?

Panelists will be Adam Gibbs, GLD Commercial; Angie Glick-Martin, GLD Commercial; Jeff Woods, Travero; and Caleb Mason, city of Cedar Rapids. Gazette reporter Marissa Payne will moderate the discussion.

Tickets for the light breakfast are $5.50 each and can be reserved at thegazette.com/businessbreakfast. The event runs from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE.

The 2023 breakfasts offer networking opportunities and in-depth discussions on economic development topics. The series is offered by The Gazette, presenting sponsor Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and community partner NewBoCo.

South of 6 District begins speaker series in Iowa City

The South of 6 Iowa City Business District is starting a lunch-and-learn series aimed at connecting local underserved small business owners and entrepreneurs to education, resources and community connections.

The first event in the Down to Business Workshop series, “How to Finance Your Business,” will be offered from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Dream City community center, 611 Southgate Ave,

Those interested in attending the free event should register online by Monday by signing up here.

The Down to Business Series is a community initiative born out of the 2022 Johnson County Inclusive Economic Development Plan. Future topics will include financial literacy and licensing and permits

For more information, contact Marlén Mendoza at mmendozaconsulting@outlook.com.

Insights and sessions

The Gazette Business Breakfast panel’s third-quarter discussion, “A Small Business’ Tool Kit for 2023: Lessons we’ve learned and challenges — and opportunities — for which we can be prepared,” now is online at https://bit.ly/3eD04Wv. Panelists are Paul Andreasen, founder and owner, Saucy Focaccia; Sydney Rieckhoff, CEO, Almost Famous Popcorn; and Kymberly Stevenson, Targeted Small Business Development Program manager, Iowa Economic Development Authority. The discussion series was sponsored by BerganKDV.

The final 2022 installment of the “Gazette Spotlight on …” series of recorded interviews also is available to view at business.thegazette.com. This group recognizes businesses and organizations for their focus on growth. Interviewed are Luke Bishop of BAE Systems; Matt Swift of Big Grove; Sarah Nelson of Comm-Unity Crisis Service; and Drew Martel of Foundation 2. Also, the Better Business Bureau Cedar Rapids office joined The Gazette in speaking with Marc Meyer of Inteconnex. The series was sponsored by TrueNorth Cos.