h digitalfootprint web 728x90

The Insider Notebook

DSC 6869

Willett is almost famous

Here’s a quick Iowa roots story from the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s new Small Business Success Summit held in early November. At the event, we heard from keynote speaker Chad J. Willett, who used lessons …

DSC 6869

Christmas spending could rise again

Pumpkins are so last week. The all-consuming trend from now until Dec. 25 is Christmas shopping, and we’ve shown we’re pretty good at it — and doing better.

Last year, shoppers polled by American Research …

DSC 6869

College Savings Iowa’s trust fund nears $5 billion in assets

Iowans who are putting money away for their kids’ college educations got a pretty nice bump in their investment returns this past year through the state’s 529 plan. Market gains helped add a net increase …

DSC 6869

NOTEBOOK: Who’s in the November 24 issue?

Here’s a list of local people in the November 24 issue of the Business Record and the page number of the article in which they are mentioned. Members can read all of this week’s stories …

DSC 6869

NOTEBOOK: Ted Cruz vs. Kim Reynolds

The fight over Bill Northey’s nomination as undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture has turned into a T-shirt-wearing, letter-writing free-for-all between ethanol and oil interests.

And a direct battle of wits between U.S. Sen. …

DSC 6869

NOTEBOOK – One Good Read: McKinsey report: U.S. manufacturing has opportunity for big growth

The researchers at global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. released a report this morning that provides some new insight about the U.S. manufacturing sector’s future. The report notes that while U.S. manufacturing output growth …

DSC 6869

NOTEBOOK: Anti-harassment comments take stage at Women of Innovation

This year’s Women of Innovation Awards came as sexual harassment, particularly of women, was all over the news. That wasn’t lost on speakers at the Technology Association of Iowa’s event, held at Prairie Meadows on …

DSC 6869

NOTEBOOK: Huxley firm sees savings in 3-D

Kreg Tool of Huxley is part of a 3-D printing wave in Iowa that is saving manufacturers money. Iowa State University’s Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) worked with the company to come up …

DSC 6869

NOTEBOOK: A Long time ago, a classic Hawkeye era unfolded

When former Hawkeye star quarterback Chuck Long came into our office to have a photo taken as a new book on his career developed, he was cordial and professional. 

He gladly took time to meet …

DSC 6869

NOTEBOOK: Iowa had the one county in America that voted in a landslide for both Trump and Obama

We’re an apolitical publication and don’t spend time in the weeds writing about horse race politics or endorsing one side or the other. But there are certainly lessons to be learned as a business community …