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Economic Development

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Downtown Chamber names Bennett as new executive director

Staci Bennett has been named the new executive director for the Des Moines Downtown Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber announced the move Monday, saying Bennett will begin her new role on Feb. 1. She succeeds Jennifer …
By MICHAEL CRUMB | Jan 26, 2021
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IEDA awards incentives for Burlington, Sioux Center companies

A swimming pool cover manufacturer and a commercial vehicle suspension company have been awarded tax benefits that will create 134 jobs and represent more than $10 million in capital investment in Iowa.

The Iowa Economic …
By BPC Staff | Jan 25, 2021
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Stronger farmland prices boost Iowa’s rural economy in January

Iowa’s rural economy improved slightly in January behind stronger prices for farmland, according to a survey of rural Main Street bankers released Thursday.

According to Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index, the index for Iowa rose in …
By MICHAEL CRUMB | Jan 22, 2021
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Small decline in number of Iowa unemployment claim filings

The number of Iowans filing weekly unemployment claims slipped to 53,479 in the week that ended on Saturday, a 4.3% decline from the previous week, Iowa Workforce Development reported today.

A year ago, 33,240 Iowans …
By BUSINESS RECORD STAFF | Jan 21, 2021
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IWD to reissue tax forms for unemployment claimants

Iowa Workforce Development announced that it will reissue new 1099-G tax forms to all claimants on Monday, Jan. 25, due to possible errors in the forms that were already sent. After recently mailing the 1099-G …
By BPC Staff | Jan 21, 2021
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Principal survey highlights greater COVID impact on businesses in rural communities

The prolonged economic impacts of COVID-19 have been wearing on small and medium-sized businesses, as owners report more uncertainty about when and how they may recover, according to a new report from Principal Financial Group. …
By BPC Staff | Jan 21, 2021
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SBA: 60,000 Paycheck Protection Program loans approved in initial week

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced Tuesday that it approved approximately 60,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan applications submitted by nearly 3,000 lenders, for over $5 billion, in the first week that it was reopened, Jan. 11-17. The …
By BPC Staff | Jan 20, 2021
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What is the most important thing businesses should know about the economy in 2021?

Although 2020 is now mercifully in the rearview mirror, pivotal events that erupted over the past year are continuing to shape the state, national and global economic destiny. Accordingly, the Business Record anticipates a virtual …
By JOE GARDYASZ | Jan 20, 2021
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Proposed rule would give faith-based organizations access to SBA loan programs

The U.S. Small Business Administration is proposing a rule that would give faith-based businesses and organizations access to SBA business loan and disaster assistance programs. The SBA is seeking public comment on the proposed rule, which would …
By BPC Staff | Jan 20, 2021
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Iowa AgriTech Accelerator announces dissolution

Five years after launch, the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator is dissolving, Executive Director Nadilia Gomez announced in a statement sent to the Business Record this afternoon. 

The governing board cited the emergence of new, regional entrepreneurial …
By KATE HAYDEN | Jan 15, 2021