Business Notes for March 10, 2024

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 site at thegazette.com/businessnotes.

New hires

GreatAmerica Financial Services has announced the following new team members: Michael Thompson, software engineer; Darcy Werner, documentation specialist; Kendra Dahlstrom-Erickson, tax operations analyst; Sarah Gallagher, documentation specialist; Katie Paustian, portfolio manager; Cody Taylor, operations support specialist; Chris Pearson, portfolio manager; and Nate Eades, account manager.

Promotions

Tanager, a children’s human services agency in Cedar Rapids, has promoted Jennie Null to vice president of development.

Hills Bank has promoted Carolyn Burger to vice president, controller, in the Hills office.

Appointments

Kirstin Anderson has been named director of business programs at UFG Insurance, a large commercial insurance carrier based in Cedar Rapids with branch offices in Colorado, Texas, New Jersey, California and California.

GreatAmerica Financial Services has promoted Jennie Fisher to group president, office equipment; and Brian Bjella to group president, specialty markets.

Kudos

CRST recognized: CRST has been recognized by The Home Depot as its “Dedicated Final Mile Flatbed Carrier of the Year” for the second consecutive year. The honor recognizes a carrier that shows a commitment to excellence in service performance, responding to and resolving issues and providing creative solutions.

Tim and Susan Schminke, owners of Remedy Intelligent Staffing, and their franchise team have received the "Franchise Region Top Producer" and "Franchise Region Growth" awards. Julie Coughlin of Remedy Intelligent Staffing was the recipient of the "Branch Support Professional" award.

Covenant recognized: Covenant Family Solutions was ranked No. 138 on Inc. Magazine’s 2024 list of the Midwest region’s fastest-growing private companies.

Other news

Nonprofit grants open: GreatAmerica Financial Services, the largest, family-owned national commercial equipment finance company in the United States, is now taking applications from area nonprofits for its Employee Advised Fund. The deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m. March 29. Nonprofits applying for funding must have a connection with a GreatAmerica employee and be a registered 501(c)(3) organization. The grants fall into four categories: health and human services; arts and culture; environment, and public projects. GreatAmerica employees vote on funding, which totals $500,000 for the year. GreatAmerica also has a Donor Advised fund that donates another $500,000 to communities where the company, founded in Cedar Rapids in 1991, operates. Information and applications for this funding cycle can be found at greatamerica.com/giving

Small business of the week: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst last week named Dungey’s Furniture & Floors in Chickasaw County as small business of the week. Everett Dungey opened the store in 1963 in New Hampton. His sons, Mark and Trace, expanded to a second location in Osage. In 2014, fire destroyed the -New Hampton store. The Dungeys rebuilt and opened a 25,000-square-foot story in New Hampton in 2017. “Dungey’s persevered and came back stronger,’ said Ernst, the ranking member on the Senate’s Small Business Committee, who is recognizing one exceptional small business each week in each Iowa county in the coming congressional session.