Business Notes: April 3, 2022

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

Tanner Castel joined Mercy Pulmonology Clinic at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids.

Hills Bank hired Ben Kromminga as a commercial banking officer in its Marion office.

The Arc of East Central Iowa hired Carrie Motto as day habilitation coordinator and Lexie Walker, ability center coordinator.

Bill Northey, former state Secretary of Agriculture, has been named for the Agribusiness Association of Iowa announced.

United Fire Group named Eric J. Martin as chief financial officer, effective April 18. Martin previously was with Transamerica.

Promotions

Veridian Credit Union promoted Emily Feagins as mortgage loan originator and Tyler Roatch, branch manager in Coralville and Iowa City.

United Fire Group named as assistant vice presidents Brianne Cummins, director of sales and marketing, and Holly Sommerfelt, product manager of corporate underwriting.

More

The Iowa Startup Accelerator added Sprayer Mods in Iowa City to its six-month entrepreneurial development program. Sprayer Mods has developed a patent pending camera attachment for agricultural applicators to reduce the use of expensive and potentially hazardous chemicals.

The Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit is set for 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., May 25, at Kirkwood Community College’s Linn County Regional Center, 1770 Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. It will feature a small-business vendor expo, small-group workshops and special keynote presentations. Submissions for local products or services can be filed at hy-veeopportunitysummit.com. The deadline to submit is 11:59 p.m., April 17.

Insights

The initial Gazette Business Breakfast live panel discussion for 2022, “Doing Business in Pandemic Year 3: How businesses can gain traction,” is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday at thegazette.com/businessbreakfast. Panelists will be Jessica Dunker, Iowa Restaurant Association; Michele Miller, Wells Enterprises; Chad Simmons, Iowa Black Wall Street Investment Group; and Denny Van Zanten, Pella Corp. Michael Chevy Castranova, Gazette business editor and editor of Iowa Ideas magazine, will moderate the discussion. Registration, while free, is required.