CEDAR RAPIDS — It will likely be some time before employees of the General Mills plant in southwest Cedar Rapids learn if they will be affected by job cuts announced Tuesday by the Minnespolis-based company. In a move to slash costs, improve efficiencies and focus on key growth strategies, General Mills said it will eliminate [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — The short- and long-term parking lots at The Eastern Iowa Airport will be operated by new management after July 1. The Cedar Rapids Airport Commission on Monday awarded a five-year contract to Republic Parking System of Chattanooga, Tenn. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Airport Director Tim Bradshaw said Republic [...]

The average price of a home in Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Corridor and the State of Iowa rose in April when compared with the same month of 2011 while the inventory of unsold homes declined. The Cedar Rapids Area Association of Realtors reported the average price of a home rose from $142,908 in April 2011 to [...]

Manufacturing is slowly coming back to Iowa. And it has farming, in part, to thank for it. “Anyone making machinery, parts or virtually anything for agriculture is doing really well right now,” said Michael Ralston, president of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry . Strong export demand and other factors are driving that rebound, he noted. “Companies [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust  has appointed Donna Sorensen as chairwoman of the board, the first woman to serve in that capacity at a Corridor bank. Sorensen began her appointment on Friday, succeeding Chuck Peters who will continue to serve on CRB&T’s board of directors. Peters, president and chief executive officer of The [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — The second-largest retailer of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the nation is relocating its southwest Cedar Rapids store. Advance Auto Parts is building an 8,965-square-foot store at 3000 16th Ave. SW, directly across the road from its existing 6,012-square-foot location at 2939 16th Ave. SW. Shelly Whitaker, manager of public communications [...]

HOMESTEAD — An organic bakery that supplies pies to customers domestically and as far away as Middle East on Thursday marked its grand opening in the Amana Colonies. Happle’s Gourmet Foods in Homestead is the only certified organic pie company in the United States and Canada, according to the Organic Trade Association. The company employs [...]

When it comes to handling their credit cards, few Iowans are delinquent with their payments and the state has the lowest average “plastic” debt. Chicago-based TransUnion said 0.48 percent of Iowa credit card holders were 90 days or more past due on their monthly payments in the first quarter. Only North Dakota cardholders at 0.33 [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — If past experience in other markets is any indication, Frontier Airlines flights between Cedar Rapids and Denver that begins today will reduce ticket prices for business and leisure travel. A welcoming ceremony is planned when the initial Frontier flight arrives from Denver at 5:59 p.m. The 99-seat Embraer 190 aircraft will pass through [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Shareholders attending the annual meeting Wednesday at United Fire Group Inc. heard some encouraging news from President and Chief Executive Officer Randy Ramlo. “We had a really good fourth quarter in 2011 and we’re starting to see some real positives,” Ramlo said. “We’re starting to see some rate increases, which the property and [...]

Nash Finch, which operates a regional distribution center in northeast Cedar Rapids, has announced plans to purchase Omaha-based No Frills Supermarkets. Fourteen No Frills stores are located in Nebraska, 12 of which are in the Greater Omaha market. Four stores are located in western Iowa. No Frills is owned by seasoned retail executives. The company [...]

DYERSVILLE — Dyersville Die Cast of Dyersville on Tuesday acquired the assets of Hawkeye Foundry in Manchester, which has been renamed Ertl Foundry. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Mark Callan will remain as the foundry manager.  Plans include equipment updates and customer growth, all in Manchester. “This acquisition is a wonderful growth opportunity [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, as part of its Professional Development Academy, is holding a session on Employee Stock Ownership Plans, “ESOPs as a Business Ownership Success Strategy.” The academy will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Economic Alliance boardroom, 424 First Ave. NE. Professional [...]

The dry, warmer weather of the past week allowed Iowa farmers to speed up the planting of corn and soybeans. The Iowa Crops and Weather from USDA National Agricultural Statistics on Monday reported that 90 percent of the 2012 corn crop is in the ground after planting advanced 26 percent in the week that ended Sunday. [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Orchestra Iowa’s last masterworks series concert Saturday at Coe College’s Sinclair Auditorium was a triumph for an organization that wasn’t sure of its future in the aftermath of the 2008 flood. Maestro Timothy Hankewich thanked Coe administrators for their willingness to provide Orchestra Iowa with a performance venue when its permanent home, [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Rockwell Collins has opened its Berlin Ascend flight information solutions office in the general aviation terminal area at the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport. The office will provide flight support services for European business aircraft operators. “Europe’s airspace is growing more complex with increasing congestion and regulations,” said Steve Timm, vice president [...]

AEGON n.v., corporate parent of Transamerica in Cedar Rapids, posted higher first-quarter earnings on solid increases in sales. The Dutch-based insurer recorded net income of $675.3 million for the quarter that ended March 31, up 59 percent from $423.8 million in the same quarter of 2011. Sales rose 25 percent to $2.3 billion in the [...]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday forecast a sharply higher corn surplus after a bumper 2012 crop is harvested, slashing the average price from a record $6.25 per bushel in 2011  to as low as $4.20 per bushel. The USDA report, if realized, would mean less income for Iowa corn farmers, reduced production costs [...]

The persistent rain and thunderstorms that swept through the state last week hampered corn and soybean planting, but farmers still managed to make additional progress, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were 1.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week, compared with 4.3 days the previous week. Even with limited opportunities, farmers [...]

DUBUQUE — Three branches of Liberty Bank in Dubuque and East Dubuque, Ill., will be purchased by Heartland Financial, corporate parent of Dubuque Bank and Trust Co. Heartland Financial expects to combine the acquired assets and deposit accounts into Dubuque Bank and Trust. The total purchase price was not disclosed. The sale is subject to [...]