By Allen Witt —- Iowa City and Cedar Rapids are now considered a combined statistical area for the Creative Corridor. This is a long time coming because in the 2000 census the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area fell short by 0.6 percent of becoming a combined [...]

Observant readers will have noted we’ve been writing more about regionalism in Business 380 of late. So we thought it might be a good time to bring back Ms. Trendingdata to learn what residents might think about the matter. We last spoke with the researcher-consultant back in November on the subject of chief customer officers. [...]

When John Miller describes where he works to someone unfamiliar with Iowa, he starts by telling them he’s four hours west of Chicago. He then asks if they’re familiar with Interstate 80 and the Mississippi River. Miller is co-owner of Cedar Rapids-based Hybrid Transit Systems Inc., a freight broker that does business nationally and internationally. [...]

  Here’s how you don’t go about creating a regional economy: By cannibalizing your neighbors’ tax base. It’s not just a jerk move, it’s a short-term solution that does little to help the tide rise in interconnected communities. Yes, I’m looking at you folks down at OliverMcMillan, the San Diego-based developer partnering with the City [...]