Business Notes for Aug. 17, 2025

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 at https://www.thegazette.com/business-notes/submit/

New hires

Eric Wenck has joined ACT in Iowa City as the Chief Technology Officer.

Shaun Barry has joined BankIowa as a cash management officer.

Skogman Realty has announced the following new Realtors: Rebecca Smith, Jesus Ibarra, Drew Duncan, Trinity Richardson, Frankie Johnson, Megan Williams, Chelsea Garduno, John C. Smith and Regina Escher.

Promotions

The Hall-Perrine Foundation has announced the promotion of Julie Johnson to president. Johnson has served as the foundation’s executive director for the past five years.

Elections

The Iowa Children's Museum has announced the following new board members: Maneesh Kumar, Mirada Life Sciences; Brooke Noack, Hayek, Moreland & Smith; Jamie Venzon, Lepic-Kroeger; and Nicole White, Collins Aerospace.

Kudos

Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa has announced that Dr. Nate Klein, vice president of education, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Junior Achievement USA Rising Star Award, which recognizes emerging leaders within the national network who demonstrate outstanding leadership, impact, and commitment to Junior Achievement’s mission of inspiring and preparing young people for success.

Other news

Nonprofit grants: Several area nonprofits received grants from the Dupaco Foundation through its Nonprofit Grant Program: Catherine McAuley Center ($10,000), Feed Iowa First ($20,000) Four Oaks Family and Children's Services ($10,000), Hope Community Development Association ($10,000), NewBo City Market ($5,000), The Arc of East Central Iowa ($5,000), all in Cedar Rapids; and The Dream Center ($5,000) in Iowa City. The Dupaco Foundation awarded $250,000 in grants to 35 nonprofit organizations across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, focusing on affordable housing and homeownership; upskilling and reskilling; and small business development.

Rebrand: WRH, the Corridor-based heavy civil contractor helping to build Cedar Rapids’ permanent flood protection system, is doing a full rebrand and plans to relocate its headquarters to Cedar Rapids’ NewBo District later this year. The company is rebranding as Wendler Inc., a name that dates back to its founding by Glenn Wendler in 1973. The launch includes a refreshed website, wendlerinc.com, and updated branding across all equipment and job sites.

Small Business of the Week: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has announced Dutchman’s Store of Van Buren County in southeast Iowa as her small business of the week. Founded in 1985 by Clair and Virginia Zimmerman, Dutchman’s Store began as a small family business rooted in Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Now operated in Cantril with help from their sons, the store has grown into a 50,000 square-foot retail destination offering groceries, sewing supplies, clothing, and even their very own Dutchman’s Café. Ernst, chair of the Senate’s Small Business Committee, is naming one exceptional small business of the week in each of Iowa’s counties during this congressional session.