Retail and Business

At a time of scarcity in everything from crude oil to copper to corn, nickel is heading for the biggest glut in four years, driving prices lower into 2012, Bloomberg reported. Next year’s surplus will …

Perkins & Marie Callender’s Inc., the owner or franchiser of about 600 restaurants, filed for bankruptcy today amid reduced consumer spending and higher costs for staples such as sugar, eggs, coffee and dairy products, Bloomberg …

Losses of crops due to heavy rains and flooding in Iowa, the Dakotas and Ohio will likely cause food prices to increase both immediately and over the longer term, say
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) …

Slowdowns in consumer spending and employment will prove temporary, giving way to a U.S. growth rebound in the second half of 2011, economists surveyed by Bloomberg News said.

After growing at a 2.3 percent annual …

The 2011 Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit is accepting nominations in the areas of immigrant champion, leadership, spirit and business. The summit will recognize success stories of immigrant entrepreneurs. Business growth tips and keys to success when …

Members of the Iowa Business Council (IBC) main positive about the outlook for business conditions in the state for the next six months, according to the second-quarter Overall Economic Outlook Survey Index. 

The overall index, …

Record exports and lower oil prices unexpectedly helped narrow the U.S. trade deficit, easing concern that the economy is faltering, Bloomberg reported.

The gap shrank 6.7 percent to $43.7 billion in April, its lowest level …

Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. (ABC) Chief Economist Anirban Basu said yesterday that construction industry recovery could be two years away.

Basu said that just because the country is in a period of recovery does …

Des Moines Water Works, in partnership with Iowa State University’s department of landscape architecture, today launched “Parkitecture,” an international design competition.

The competition will seek proposals from professional designers and will offer students the opportunity …