Archive for March 2005

Given that untreated mental illnesses cost U.S. businesses hundreds of billions of dollars annually in lost productivity, corporate opposition to mental-health-parity legislation is a little dizzying.

Opponents argue that by forcing insurers to cover treatment …

Hubbell Realty Co. President and CEO Rick Tollakson tells a good story on himself as he recalls his initial skepticism about the “green” community development concept the company will bring to three Central Iowa cities …

After building two homes the “traditional way” with the help of a professional contractor, Dave Yount and his wife decided to take a different approach to build their family’s dream house.

Yount is one of …

A few politicians start talking about raising the speed limit and I’m magically transported back to a beautiful summer night on U.S. Highway 65. There’s a pickup truck stopped in front of our house. In …

For the past 20 months, I’ve had the privilege of working with the members of the Beaverdale Business Coalition (BBC) and the Beaverdale Neighborhood Association (BNA). These organizations have commissioned RDG Planning & Design to …

Like all human behaviors, there are stages that lead up to someone actually buying something. We call it the Buying Continuum. This is a critical tool for understanding how best to communicate with your target …

The sharp increase in private funds raised for Iowa State University in the last half of 2004 indicate a growing Iowa economy, says ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, which is why he says he’s hopeful the …

Greater Des Moines businesses are suffering through a late, “horrific” cold and flu season that has employees snuffling and hacking their way through the workday — if they’re not already at home suffering.

“I’ve been …

Bob Beers isn’t your typical small business owner.

He’s one of a handful of counselors in Iowa certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation to evaluate whether airline pilots, truck drivers and others in safety-sensitive …

Myron “Mike” Blank, a member of one of Des Moines’ most prominent families, was remembered last week as a philanthropist whose family endowned such landmarks as the Blank Park Zoo, the A.H. Blank Golf Course, …