Hubbell Homes wrapped up its “Nine Homes in Nine Days” construction project yesterday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site on 21st Street south of Forest Avenue. More than 200 sponsors and 2,000 volunteers contributed to the Anawim Housing project; crews worked around the clock and completed their tasks a day and a half ahead of schedule. Nine families earning less then $25,000 a year will occupy the 1,616-square-foot three-bedroom homes, which are being leased for $465 a month. The low-income families were led into their homes for the first time after comments by Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie; Polk County Supervisor Bob Brownell; Kurt Rasmussen, chairman of Anawim’s board of directors; Sister Stella Neill, Anawim’s executive director; and Hubbell President Rick Tollakson. Anawim plans to construct a two-story mixed-use building on Forest Avenue north of the row homes, which will house its administrative offices and six additional affordable housing units.

Strategic America, a public relations and advertising firm based in Clive, is moving to a new location in West Des Moines in December, the company announced Wednesday. Strategic America will move to a building at 6600 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, owned by National Life of Vermont that formerly housed Regency Home Builders. “This new office space presents a great opportunity for Strategic America to showcase our skills and work, which means SA will ensure an innovative environment that also highlights the products and services of our clients,” said Strategic America President and Chief Operating Officer John Schreurs in a press release. The company had been on 118th Street in Clive for more than 10 years.

Applications for Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly dropped by 12,000 to 545,000 last week, Bloomberg reported. It could signal that the labor market is deteriorating at a slower pace. The original forecast was that weekly claims would rise to 557,000, according to projections in a Bloomberg News survey.

IBM Corp. and the city of Dubuque are partnering in an effort to develop new “smarter” technologies and implementation strategies to create an international model of sustainability for communities of 200,000 and under. Together they will address the increasing demands of cities to deliver vital services such as energy, water management and transportation, while reducing the impact on the environment. Read the full release.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. President Paul Schickler said he expects Pioneer’s seed business to increase both its top and bottom lines by more than 15 percent in 2009. He cited high demand for Pioneer products in the Southern Hemisphere and said the company is on track to increase its global seed corn market share by one to two percentage points. See the full release.

On Wednesday, Pella Corp. announced the elimination of 37 full-time manufacturing jobs in Sioux Center effective Sept. 18. The company said the continued steep decline in construction activity across the country necessitated the cut in jobs. “As a just-in-time manufacturer, we build the bulk of products to order, rather than accumulating large amounts of stock. As a result, our business is very cyclical and very much tied to the health of the housing economy,” said Pella Corp. spokeswomen Kathy Krafka Harkema in a press release.

The Community Tax Clinic is seeking nominations for awards honoring the contributions of outstanding immigrant entrepreneurs. The awards honor the personal and professional accomplishments of individuals, as well as their contribution to and impact on the community. The nomination deadline is Sept. 30. To download a nomination form or obtain more information about the different categories, go to http://www.communitytaxclinic.com/IES.html.