High School Students compete in Business Plan Competition

Students from Storm Lake High School have spent the last few months gathering information, doing market research, writing business plans and preparing presentations for the Iowa Lakes Corridor’s Regional Business Plan Competition. The Corridor works at the grass roots level to develop the next generation of successful entrepreneurs and leaders.

Judges for the competition were Richard Drahota, Chairman of Iowa Lakes Corridor Board of Directors and retired banker, Gary Lalone, President of Storm Lake United, and Dr. Kihwan Kim, assistant professor at Buena Vista University. While all of the plans that were presented were great, the winning plans were authentic, realistic and well thought through. Students that were awarded first, second and third prizes showed knowledge of the field, confidence and passion. They had also done location research and showed knowledge of clientele.

Pictured are judges Gary Lalone, Richard Drahota, and Dr. Kihwan Kim.

First place winner was Victor Aviles, with a business plan for a sporting goods store. Second place was Yeison Lopez, with his business of a pet store, and third place went to Jacob Dicks, with his coffee shop business. Cash prizes were given to the first, second, and third place winners. First place received $200, second received $175, and third place received $150.

“It is exciting to experience the energy and drive of high school entrepreneurs competing in our Business Plan Competition,” said Brian Dalziel, Senior Vice President of Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation. “These future business owners are determined to create opportunities not only for themselves, but also for those who they will employ. I expect that several of these students will go on to launch their business after graduation, and Iowa Lakes Corridor will be there to support them.”

The students competing were from business classes taught by Nichole Krager of Storm Lake High School.

Students winners, from left to right, 3rd place Jacob Dicks, 2nd place, Yeison Lopez, 1st place Victor Aviles and their teacher, Nichole Krager.

The Corridor is actively recruiting new schools and teachers in the region to participate in entrepreneurial events for students. Contact Brian Dalziel at the Iowa Lakes Corridor, at 712-264-3474 or bdalziel@lakescorridor.com, for more information on how to get your school involved.

Entrepreneurial Students Create New Ventures™

“I learned so much…what I need to do—and what I need to avoid doing—in order to be successful…” –Brett Hetland

6 of the 7 graduates after the Kauffman FastTrac© NewVenture™ course.

While high school seniors are gearing up for final exams, the Kauffman FastTrac©  NewVenture™ students have already taken their tests – and they all passed. The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation has a goal to become recognized as the most attractive region in Iowa for New Venture™ and entrepreneurs; the FastTrac©  course is one way the Corridor works to achieve this goal.

The FastTrac©  NewVenture™ course is best suited for entrepreneurs in the early stages of business development. It provides the tools to develop a business concept, determine the viability of the business, and outline the critical steps to a successful business launch.

Seven students completed the FastTrac©  course on May 7, which was facilitated by Brian Dalziel, senior vice president of the Iowa Lakes Corridor.

Each week, a guest speaker spoke to the class about different aspects of entrepreneurship. These topics included market research, financial goals, building a team and monitoring cash flow.

“These ten work sessions were challenging, fun and informative,” said Brett Hetland, founder of Golf Course Equipment Exchange, “The guest speakers were outstanding – each shared stories of struggle and success that I could really identify with. I learned so much working with my classmates. And Brian Dalziel used over a dozen real world examples that clearly illustrated what I need to do –and what I need to avoid doing – in order to be successful in scaling up my startup.”

Dalziel commented, “Iowa Lakes Corridor’s FastTrac©  NewVenture™ is a challenging series of 10 work sessions designed to empower individuals starting businesses with the knowledge and tools needed to plan and execute a successful business launch. The businesses that launch this year with the help of FastTrac©  will be welcomed employers. Business owners who graduated from FastTrac©  in prior years provide needed jobs as well as support their local schools, churches and communities through charitable giving.”

The seven graduates of the 2013 course include: Jeff Bowels, Brandon Frank, Brett Hetland, Mark & Cheri Peterson, Brad Smith and Jacob West.

The Iowa Lakes Corridor will offer the FastTrac©  NewVenture™ course again next spring. 

Three Great Years

Three and a half years ago I was job hunting, and posted my resume to the Iowa Lakes Corridor’s Resume Database. I quickly received a reply from Kathy saying she would like to meet with me about an opportunity. I was then hired on a temporary basis to write press releases and feature stories. Soon enough, I was offered a permanent position, and my duties have expanded ever since.

Today is my last day at the Corridor office. Many of you know that I had a baby girl last year. My husband has had some great opportunities with his job that will allow me to stay home with my almost 11-month-old. Not every mom gets the chance to stay home, so I am counting my lucky stars!

I have had many great experiences in my years here, and there are a few that stick out in my mind.

The process of building and moving into our new office was amazing! We were six people in a small office. We poured over floor plans and made suggestions. Our new office (if you haven’t seen it yet) is beautiful! Very open and colorful (no white walls!) with windows, storage and restrooms! We also have a large conference room and a smaller meeting room. We are so fortunate to have this new work space.

Two years ago I toured several facilities to take photos for our Annual Report. I visited Polaris, Maurer Manufacturing, Simonsen Iron Works (then Cycle Country) and Veridian Limited. If you’ve never been in a modern plant, try to arrange a tour. They are amazing! These aren’t your grandparent’s factories. They’re clean, modernized, and automated. I loved touring the facilities and seeing the inner workings of these places. I am familiar with the final product, and seeing them in the creation process is really neat! I’ve also toured Ranco Fertiservice for a feature story on their expansion. Which leads me to my next point.

One of my favorite parts of my job is interviewing entrepreneurs about their business and helping them get the word out with a feature story. The very first story I wrote was about Rob and Tara Hach and their business Anemometry Specialists in Alta. They had just received the Iowa Small Business of the Year award. Over the years I have interviewed countless entrepreneurs about their businesses. Some are small, in-home businesses, and others are well-established with many employees. Everyone’s story is different, and I loved meeting and talking to so many entrepreneurs. Each one has a passion for what they do.

During the Be Your Own Boss seminar on year, I sat in on many of the sessions. The entrepreneurs (most young adults – some were even in high school) all had the same message. “Don’t start a business to make money. Start a business because you have a passion.”

Another quote that will stay with me was one I heard during an Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute business visit. The group I drove was listening to a very successful and well-known entrepreneur in our region: Neal Conover. He told them the difference between a successful entrepreneur and an unsuccessful one, is the person they marry.

In December 2010, Kathy invited me to Chicago for the MAEDC Competitiveness Conference. We had entered our Annual Report in the competition and we were a finalist. We took third place, and I met many people in the Economic Development world. It was my first time in the Windy City, and I had a great time!

One thing that will always stay with me is that I’ve learned just how many people care about this region. Yes, I grew up here and I know people care. But to see first hand the work that goes into making this an even greater area to live is something different.

There are too many great experiences I’ve had here at the Corridor to count. I sincerely thank you all for making the past three years so wonderful. I am proud to call the Iowa Lakes Corridor region home, and so thankful to be raising my family here.

-Samantha

Polaris receives CiCi Award!

Trade & Industry Development, the leading magazine dedicated to an audience of corporate site selectors in vertical industry segments, announced the recipients of its 8^th Annual CiCi (Corporate Investment & Community Impact) Awards.

The 30 corporate recipients of the 2013 CiCi Awards made public declarations in 2012 of their plans for economic development that collectively will create and retain more than 35,250 jobs, and result in total corporate investment in excess of $16 billion.

The Iowa Lakes Corridor region is proud to announce that Polaris Industries received a CiCi Award for Community Impact. The growth of the Victory Motorcycle and Ranger lines, the acquisition of Indian Motorcycle, as well as the expansion into Milford with the GEM and newly announced BRUTUS lines, Polaris has a strong impact throughout the region.

The impact of Polaris Industries on the entire Corridor region is growing and is significant,” said Kathy Evert, president and CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation. “We are grateful for and proud of their continued investment, launch of new products, and addition of new jobs in the Iowa Lakes Corridor.

“The 30 companies recognized by our 8th Annual CiCi Awards represent extraordinary investment in corporate development in a variety of industry segments across the United States. In fact, seven of this year’s recipients have announced plans to individually invest $1 billion or more,” said Scott D. Swoger, publisher, Trade & Industry Development magazine, and president of its parent company Due North Consulting, Inc.

The CiCi Awards are unique in that in addition to commemorating the largest capital investments for development or expansion announced within a designated year, they equally recognize projects for the positive impact they will have on a community, regardless of the amount of money invested by the corporation.

Among the criteria considered for CiCi recognition in the Community Impact division are the number of jobs created and/or retained, area unemployment figures, average income level of the region, area plant closings or decline in industry segments, and the creation of new industry segments with employment opportunities, among others.

To arrive at the selection of the 8^th Annual CiCi Award recipients, Trade & Industry Development editors considered several hundred announcements of corporate economic development made during 2012.

Visit Trade & Industry Development’s CiCi Awards Page for more information.

Recipients of Trade & Industry Development magazine’s 2013 CiCi Awards are:

Corporate Investment Division

• Intel Corporation — Oregon
• CF Industries Inc. — Louisiana
• CF Industries Inc. — Iowa
• Iowa Fertilizer Company — Iowa
• Baxter International — Georgia
• Apple Inc. — Nevada
• BMW Manufacturing Co.— South Carolina
• Benteler Steel/Tube GmbH — Louisiana
• Bridgewater Associates — Connecticut
• Hexcel Corporation — Utah
• GE Consumer & Industrial — Kentucky
• Airbus — Alabama
• Michelin North America, Inc. — South Carolina
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing Inc. — Indiana
• Facebook — Oregon

Community Impact Division

• Sempra Energy — Louisiana
• Apple Inc. — Texas
• Caterpillar Inc. — Georgia
• Roxul Inc. — Mississippi
• Deere-Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation — North Carolina
• Berry Plastics Corporation — Kentucky
• Hospira — North Carolina
• Amazon.com, Inc. — Indiana
• Aquion Energy, Inc. — Pennsylvania
• Magneti Marelli — Tennessee
• Dart Container Corporation — Michigan
• Oberto Brands — Tennessee
• Polaris Industries — Iowa
• Amazon.com, Inc. — Kentucky
• Sutherland Global Services — Louisiana

NCRC Testing Dates

We are partnering with Iowa Works and Iowa Lakes Community College to promote and offer free National Career Readiness Certification (NCRC) credentialing to Iowa residents. Upcoming testing times are:

• March 11, 2013 at the Nursing & Healthcare Job Fair at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg
• March 12, 2013 at the All Career Job Fair at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg
• March 13, 2013 at the All Career Job Fair at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg
• April 16, 2013 at the Career Job Fair at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville
• Entire Month of May – Iowa Lakes Community College will promote a drawing for a free I-Pad for any job seeker taking the NCRC assessment in May at one of their campuses

Assessments scheduled at Iowa Lakes Community College at the following campuses and times:

• Friday, February 22, 2013 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Spencer Campus
• Friday, March 15, 2013 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Estherville Campus
• Saturday, April 27, 2013 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Spencer Campus
• Monday, May 6, 2013 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. campus to be determined
• Contact Shauna Donovan at 712-336-6572 or sdonovan@iowalakes.edu for scheduled assessments.

The interested individuals will be administered three computerized credential assessments which measure world of work skills. This is part of a broader Skilled Iowa Communities initiative by Governor Terry Branstad.

The Skilled Iowa Communities Initiative will improve the job training and marketability of Iowa’s workforce and drive future economic growth for the state. Similar initiatives throughout the country have changed the landscape of local economies through programs that incorporate this nationally recognized work-ready assessment system developed by ACT to measure individual workers’ skills in the areas of applied mathematics, reading for information and locating information.

“The Skilled Iowa Initiative is a critical step in improving the quality of the workforce in Iowa,” said Governor Terry Branstad when the initiative was announced in June 2012.

The program uses a universal testing system that rates the skills and abilities of those in Iowa’s workforce, awarding a National Career Readiness Certificate, a portable certification for the potential job seeker, upon completion of the program. The NCRC is an effective measure of foundational skills and will help businesses confidently hire workers who are right for the job. It will help businesses evaluate an individual worker’s abilities, allowing for a more accurate matching of skill sets with those required by the job. There is no cost to Iowa businesses to use NCRC assessments as part of their hiring process. Additionally, there is no cost to potential job seekers (residents of Iowa) wishing to take the assessments.

Those interested should contact Shauna Donovan at Iowa Lakes Community College at 712-336-6564 or email: sdonovan@iowalakes.edu, Bob Becker at 712-262-1971 x 126 or Robert.Becker@iwd.iowa.gov, or Joanne Follon at Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation 1-800-765-1428 or jfollon@lakescorridor.com

More information about National Career Readiness Certification can also be found online at www.SkilledIowa.org

FastTrac NewVenture

When Scott Pyle took the Iowa Lakes Corridor’s FastTrac entrepreneur training course two years ago, it was because of a CNC plasma table he had at home. “It was time to get it out of the garage and make a business of it,” said Pyle.

That gave way to Boji Custom Metal Works. In his building in rural Milford, Pyle has his plasma cutter and two brake presses. One aspect of his business is building custom trailers for the food industry business. What sets his trailers apart from others is that his are 100 percent aluminum; most other trailers have steel frames that will eventually rust. Using aluminum also keeps the cost down for consumers.

The Oak Tree BBQ trailer that had been stationed at the Spirit Lake Wal-Mart during the summer was built by Pyle.

Scott Pyle, owner of Boji Custom Metal Works in Milford, built the Oak Tree BBQ trailer that had been stationed at the Spirit Lake Wal-Mart during the summer.

Pyle commented on a statement that struck him during FastTrac. During a discussion on entrepreneurs versus hourly workers, the risk the worker takes is having only one source of income. As the manager of Arnolds Park Amusement Park, he had just that. Now as an entrepreneur, he has income from many different clients.

One of Pyle’s clients put him in contact with a cruise ship company. The ships use a cashless payment system. Each passenger gets a card similar to a credit card, that is used as a room key and payment system. Pyle has been building cabinets for the laundry machines on the ships. Passengers will be able to swipe their card and choose which laundry machine they want to use. Approximately 10 cruise ships will have six to 12 of Pyle’s cabinets; the cruise ships are based in Italy. Pyle’s company builds the frames; a separate company will create the electronic aspect.

It’s not common for an entrepreneur to start their business with mainly international customers. “Most people just look locally for work,” said Pyle. “There’s a lot of work if you look beyond your region.”

The same client that put Pyle in touch with the cruise line also connected him to a new soccer stadium going up in Dubai. Pyle is designing the box that will hold the scanners to allow entry. Attendees will be able to scan their own tickets and the turnstiles will admit them automatically.

Pyle calls his trailers the “bread and butter” of his business. While tailgating at an Iowa State Football game, he came up with the idea for a tailgating trailer. The prototype is in production in his shop. It features a bathroom with a shower, bunk beds, a space outside for a 55” flat screen television, and a swing out barbeque with a sink. And he already has a client interested.

Pyle had worked in the manufacturing industry for nine years, and always enjoyed it. “It’s nice to see things you create at the end of the day.”

Boji Custom Metal Works is located at 22904 Horse Creek Lane in Milford.

FastTrac NewVenture

The Iowa Lakes Corridor is again sponsoring the Kaufman FastTrac^® NewVenture™ entrepreneurial training course, beginning Tuesday, February 26. It will be held every Tuesday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. through April 30, at Emerald Hills Golf Course. This program is best-suited for entrepreneurs in their early stages of business development. It provides the tools to develop a business concept, determine the viability of the business concept, and outline the critical steps to a successful business launch.

To register for the upcoming course, contact the Iowa Lakes Corridor office at 712-264-3474 or visit www.lakescorridor.com. Hard copies are available in the Corridor office, 520 2^nd Avenue East Suite 2 in Spencer. The cost for the 30-hour program is $199 and includes all materials, a business coach, and guest speakers at each session. The program will be facilitated by Brian Dalziel, senior vice president of the Iowa Lakes Corridor.

From Recipe to Reality

Have you ever thought of starting a food business? Are you a chef who wants to sell a house dressing? Do you make an amazing salsa and want to get it on grocery store shelves? Do you sell your products at farmer’s markets and want to reach a broader audience?

Then we have just the course for you! From Recipe to Reality is a one day class that will help you through the steps of starting your food business.

We partner with the University of Nebraska’s Food Processing center to bring this workshop to the Corridor region.

“Since 1989 the Food Entrepreneur Assistance Program has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs throughout the United States investigate and realize their dream of starting a food business,” explained Jill Gifford. Jill is the manager of the Food Processing Center Food Entrepreneur Assistance Program.

“The program was designed specifically to assist food manufacturing entrepreneurs,” said Kathy Evert, president and CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation. “It begins with a one-day From Recipe to Reality seminar that provides entrepreneurs with an understanding of the key factors that need to be considered when starting a food manufacturing business. In one day, entrepreneurs will gain valuable insight on the basics of starting a food business that could take them months or even years to research on their own. We are very excited to be able to provide this valuable seminar to entrepreneurs in Iowa.”

“From Recipe to Reality” will be offered from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, February 16, at the Clay County Regional Events Center in Spencer. Early registration is encouraged due to limited space. To receive a Food Entrepreneur Assistance Program information packet and registration form, contact the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation, 520 2^nd Avenue East Suite 2, Spencer, IA 51301, 712-264-3474 or 1-800-765-1428 or email bdalziel@lakescorridor.com. Registration can also be downloaded from the Events page on the Corridor’s website, www.lakescorridor.com.