Applications are open through June 10 for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Freedom 250: Patriot Pitch Competition. The competition offers small businesses the opportunity to compete for a $1 million prize pool funded by Clover Network, Inc., including a $400,000 grand prize. To enter, businesses must be U.S.-owned, have been in operation at least three…

The Greater Des Moines Partnership announced it has received multiple national honors recognizing its performance in economic development, regional collaboration, and organizational excellence. These honors include accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, making the Partnership one of only four chambers in Iowa to hold the designation, and finalist status for the Association of Chamber…

Nathan Grismore of Altec pulls back the curtain on a manufacturing operation built around reliability, not just in its products, but in how its people operate every day. Supporting critical industries like electric utilities, telecom, and tree care, Altec’s equipment keeps essential services running. Nathan emphasizes that this level of performance starts on the inside…

Shopping malls, which used to be a hub of retail activity — and an after-school and weekend hangout for teenagers — are struggling to maintain relevance as consumers seek experiential shopping destinations, experts say. If they fail to maintain relevance, once a bastion of retail glory, malls and their often eclectic mix of stores and…

Brian Goldstone, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “There Is No Place for Us: Working Homeless in America,” will speak in Des Moines Sept. 8 at the fall Sussman Lecture, held by The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement at Drake University in partnership with Anawim Housing. Goldstone’s presentation will focus on how the working…

Green State Credit Union celebrated the opening of a new branch at 4205 Merle Hay Road in Urbandale on June 3 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The location is the credit union’s eighth branch in the Des Moines metropolitan area and its 32nd across Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska. The new branch offers a full range of…