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Retail and Business

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Facebook generates billions in economic activity

Facebook Inc. generated $227 billion in global economic activity and indirectly created 4.5 million jubs last year, according to a report commissioned by the social media behemoth and conducted by Deloitte, VentureBeat reported.

 

“Our study …

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Consumer prices drop is largest in six years

U.S. consumer prices recorded their biggest decline in six years in December and a gauge of underlying inflation failed to rise, which could make the Federal Reserve more cautious about raising interest rates, Reuters reported.  Other …

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Stores closing, moving at Jordan Creek Town Center

Shoppers will be seeing changes at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines as retailers leave, others move and new stores open, The Des Moines Register reported. Teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch will close its …

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Public Companies: Casey’s General Stores Inc.

Headquarters: Ankeny
Website: www.caseys.com
Ticker symbol: CASY
Employees: 31,000

If you ask CEO Robert Myers, Casey’s General Stores Inc. has a single “big, hairy, audacious goal” — to serve 1.5 billion customers annually by the …

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Van Meter Inc. to acquire Miller Electric Supply

Miller Electric Supply Inc. and Van Meter Inc. today announced they have entered into an agreement for Van Meter to purchase Miller Electric, a leading electrical distributor with locations in Dubuque and Clinton. The transaction, …

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U.S. retail sales post largest decline in 11 months

U.S. retail sales recorded their largest decline in 11 months in December as demand fell almost across the board, which could temper expectations for a sharp acceleration in consumer spending in the fourth quarter, Reuters reported. The …

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BirdDog reports double-digit revenue growth

BirdDog, the Urbandale-based company that recruits and tracks applicants for construction industry jobs, experienced 53 percent growth in revenue for the 2014 fiscal year, the largest in the company’s history, according to a release on BusinessWire. As …

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Iowa SBA hires new district director

Jayne Armstrong has been named the new Small Business Administration Iowa district director, replacing former director Joe Folsom, who retired last year. Armstrong joined the Iowa district office from the SBA’s office of field operations …

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Drawing young women to business

Iowa State University’s College of Business is trying to increase the number of women studying business.

About 35 percent of the college’s enrollment is female, a number that’s been static for the past five years, …

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Last year the busiest for IPOs in four years

 

A company looking to raise money in 2014 didn’t have to look too far. Last year was the busiest for initial public offerings since 2010, Fortune reported.

 

From Alibaba Group’s $25 billion IPO to …