Business Notes for April 27, 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/

Promotions

Bryan Kohler has been promoted to chief sales officer at the Acterra Group.

Design Engineers has announced the promotion of Polly Forinash, Blake Anderson, and Aaron Springer to associate principals.

Appointments

Joe Day of Day Rettig Martin, P.C. has been reelected President of the Iowa Comprehensive Health Insurance Association (HIPIOWA) for his seventh consecutive term.

Other news

New downtown hotel: Kingston Hotel Associates and Kinseth Hospitality Companies is partnering with the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance to create the AC by Marriott branded hotel in Cedar Rapids. This will be the first hotel development in downtown Cedar Rapids in 46 years since the DoubleTree by Hilton was built in 1979, and will be constructed as part of the Kingston Yard district. The new hotel will feature 123 guest rooms and suites with luxury styling/high-end finishes and case goods, a large and expansive boutique lobby, bar, breakfast area and library, 2,300 square feet of meeting space, outdoor firepit area, expansive exercise room and patio adjacent to the Yard. The project is cosponsored by Kinseth Hospitality Companies (KHC), a Coralville-based based hotel development and management company, along with Iowa City-based Gold Cap Development with Iowa City based construction management company Hodge Construction as the general contractor. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday, April 24.

Small Business of the Week: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has announced The Candy Kitchen of Muscatine County in Eastern Iowa, as her small business of the week. In 1910, Gus Nopoulos launched The Candy Kitchen in downtown Wilton, and grew the business even through the Great Depression and World War II. In 1946, after returning from military service, Gus’ son, George, purchased the business along with his wife, Thelma. The couple ran the family establishment for over 66 years. In 2015, Lynn and Brenda Ochiltree assumed ownership and have continued to serve all things sweet in the original booths and the 1951 marble soda fountain. In June, The Candy Kitchen will celebrate its 115th anniversary. 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.