New Pioneer Food Co-op is holding several member meetings to discuss the opening of a third location.
The U.S. Cellular store in Coralville opened a renovated and expanded store Wednesday. The renovated retail store at 905 25th Ave. in Coralville features ten work stations, a full service center and interactive touch screens allowing customers to compare phones, features and plans.
U.S. Cellular will close its nearby Coral Ridge Mall kiosk location May 29.
Judges have chosen Glove Ready Now as the winner of the Bedell Entrepreneurship Learning Laboratory Fair at the University of Iowa. The company’s founder is Adam Thompson.The product allows baseball and softball players to break in their new ball glove in 15 minutes or to rehydrate their dried usual glove.
Thompson’s pitch? His product can help any glove become game ready. Thompson is a graduate student in urban and regional planning. His first place prize was $3,500.
The winner of the People’s Choice award is Project Soapbox. The non-profit organization raises awareness and takes a stand for four different charitable causes through the fundraising tool of high-quality apparel. Caroline Altenbern’s prize is $1,000.
Christine Butterfield
Christine Butterfield, director of community development for the city of Cedar Rapids, is leaving her post at the organization. Her last day with the city is Friday, May 10. She said she is moving to San Francisco.
Due to low attendance numbers, the Hiring Our Heroes job fair on May 22 in Marion has been canceled. Mark Hennessey, area six chair of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, said a similar job fair is being planned in Cedar Rapids for September.
No new negotiations are scheduled in the strike by Local 308 of the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners in Cedar Rapids.
Dave Hogan, Local 308 business agent, said the union is waiting for local contractors to initiate new talks to end the more-than-week-old walkout. Local 308 members set up pickets on March 1 at construction sites in Benton, Linn, Jones and Tama counties after the last contract expired at midnight April 30.
Union members voted to reject the latest contract offer, which reportedly was a three-year agreement. Local 308 has about 425 members
Among the Cedar Rapids projects affected by the carpenters strike are the new Cedar Rapids Public Works building, Cedar Rapids Transit office and garage, Cedar Rapids Public Library and the Central Fire Station. The U.S. Cellular Center and Double Tree by Hilton renovation and expansion projects are not affected.
Chelsea Keenan is a business reporter covering economic development, real estate, construction and utilities for the Gazette. She has worked as a reporter at the Des Moines Business Record and an assistant producer for NPR.org.
Follow Keenan on Twitter @ChelseaRKeenan, contact her by phone at 319-398-8331 or email at Chelsea.Keenan@sourcemedia.net.
Kiran Sood is a business reporter covering health care, food manufacturing and processing, manufacturing and small business for the Gazette.
Sood has experience working for a daily newspaper in northwestern Illinois prior to moving to Iowa.
Follow Kiran Sood on Twitter @Kiran_Gazette, contact her by phone at 319-398-8330 or email at kiran.sood@sourcemedia.net.
Members of Local 308 of the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners in Cedar Rapids have rejected the latest contract offer from area general contractors.
Dave Hogan, Local 308 business agent, said union members voted at 9 a.m. Tuesday and remain on strike. Construction sites in Benton, Linn, Jones and Tama counties have been picketed since the strike began shortly after midnight May 1.
Hogan said union is waiting to hear from the contractors with regard to a new contract offer. Local 308 has about 425 members.
The Iowa City Area Development Group and Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance hired a consulting firm to attract businesses to the area. The groups, part of Iowa’s Creative Corridor, chose Site Location Partnership (SLP) to represent and market the area to businesses interested in expanding or relocating.
The Dallas-based firm will market the corridor’s advanced manufacturing, bio processing, food ingredients, distribution and logistics industries, among others at industry trade shows, including the 2013 Windpower Conference and Exhibition this week in Chicago. It will also provide site selector appointment setting, website promotion and interactive marketing services.
The development agencies will use SLP for one year with the option to renew its contract, said Mark Nolte, president of ICAD. He declined to disclose the cost of contracting the company’s services but said it is “nominal when compared with staff travel cost” to the dozen trade shows the agencies attend each year.
