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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

EXTERNAL MARKETING AND EXISTING BUSINESS SERVICES

A fundamental part of economic development work is to attract new businesses and support existing businesses to diversify the economy and reduce the region’s vulnerability. Grow Cedar Valley (GCV) works very closely with City economic development staff and many other public and private partners in these collaborative efforts.

SITE SELECTION GUILD – VIRTUAL TABLE TIME WITH SITE SELECTION CONSULTANTS – AUGUST 2024

Seven site selection consultants participated in two-hour virtual meetings with 15-minute rotations. These sessions allow site selectors and economic developers to stay connected, discuss current market conditions, and address questions related to expanding domestic and international companies. The 7 site selectors included representatives from:

Site Dynamics, LLC, Atlanta GA

Location perspectives, Brussels Belgium

Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company, Walnut Creek CA

Newmark, Dallas TX

Hickey & Associates, New York NY

Global Location Strategies, Greenville SC

VisionFirst Advisors, Tallahassee FL

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

OBSERVATIONS BY SITE SELECTION CONSULTANTS:

Large-scale, “ mega ” projects appear to have slowed, with more projects now falling into the typical range of 100,000 to 400,000 square feet.

Many companies are seeking sites in the 100–300-acre range, with rail access being a valuable asset. International companies often choose U.S. locations with established ties to their home country. Economic Development Organizations are moving away from phrases like “one-stop shop,” favoring language such as “need a helping hand”.

International companies view the U.S. as having a strong talent pool.

LEAD GENERATION CALL TRIP - DECEMBER 3-5, 2024

WEST COAST

Number of qualified leads: 5 companies visited along with 2 additional meetings with site selection consultants.

Number of targeted companies: 1,051

No interest in meeting: 131

Number of long-term follow-ups: 1

LEAD GENERATION CALL TRIP - FEBRUARY 2025

EAST COAST

Number of qualified leads: 4 companies (3 in-person; 1 virtual) visited along with 1 meeting with 2 site selection consultants who have done site selection studies in the past for Target Corporation and APAC in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo.

Number of companies identified: 1,548

Number of Outreach Attempts (phone & email): 7,917

Note: Resulted in one long-term follow-up and prospect visit in FY26.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CHICAGO CONSULTANTS VISITS - MARCH 2025

The Cedar Valley Regional Partnership met with 11 site selection consultants to discuss current and upcoming project needs.

Consultants requested further details on:

Data center sites

Utility capacity and availability

Certified industrial parks

Workforce and talent data

Consultants noted strong awareness of Iowa’s recent tax structure changes and their impact on competitiveness.

Coordinating follow-up conversations with Grow Cedar Valley and local partners.

SELECTUSA - MAY 11-14, 2025

The 2025 SelectUSA Summit gathered 4,000+ participants from over 80 markets, all focused on U.S. investment opportunities.

Despite global economic uncertainty, international interest in U.S. expansion remained strong.

Grow Cedar Valley’s Participation:

Held 5 one-on-one meetings with international companies.

Completed 15 speed-networking sessions (4 minutes each), designed to spark quick connections and assess project fit.

Co-sponsored the State of Iowa booth, creating additional visibility and conversations with global prospects.

Diplomatic Engagements:

Attended embassy receptions hosted by the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Germany, strengthening connections with international firms and country representatives.

Key Message:

International companies are actively evaluating U.S. locations, and Grow Cedar Valley worked to ensure the Cedar Valley is part of that conversation.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

NETHERLANDS

- FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT LEAD GENERATIONJUNE 2025

Goal:5–7meetingswithDutchfirmsconsideringU.S.expansion.

Results:7totalmeetings(6in-person,1virtual).

Additionalvisit:ZuidbergFrontlineSystemsHQ.

Wecontinuetobuildontheconnectionsestablishedwiththesecompanies.

OPPORTUNITIES & PROJECT PIPELINE

Note: Job Potential and Capital Investment won’t correlate; some projects don’t provide both or either figure. Information available depends on the project’s stage; some projects are more advanced than others as of June 2025.

GROW CEDAR VALLEY ASSISTED PROJECTS

RenewalbyAnderson-GCVconnectedthecompanytoadeveloperwhoconstructeda 11,000/sfoffice/warehouseshowroomatWaterlooAirport-BuildingCompletedMay2025

InternationalPaper-GCVwasreachedoutbyaOmahaBrokerinJuly2024andreferredto City.GCVmaintainslocalcontactthroughBREoutreachandservices.

EbcoInc.-ThroughGCV’sIllinoisLeadGenerationInitiativecompanywasidentifiedashaving expansionplans.CompanyinitiallythoughtDSM/AmesmarkettillGCVhadaconversationwith thecompany.CompanypurchasedanexistingindustrialbuildinginCedarFallsIndustrialParkto expandtheirdistributionnetwork.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) DATA

56 Business Retention & Expansion visits completed between July 2024 and June 2025

23 manufacturers. 6 construction, 2 distribution, 5 Health & Human Services, 6 non-profit, 11

retail/service, 3 tech

Employing over 4,000 employees

9 companies are currently expanding or considering expansion in the next 3-5 years.

Totaling approximately $302 million in investment

Estimated 173 jobs to be created

Estimated 1,255,070 square feet of additional facilities

Market: 52% local, 27% national & 21% international

KEY TRENDS

Tariffs

Seeing cost increases from 10-40%

Across all sectors construction, retail, home décor

Ag Economy

Currently experiencing a slow down but 100% believe it will come back

Community engagement

Inquiring about more ways to be involved with community & networking events

Utilities

Questions on utility connectivity and extensions

Employee training opportunities

Connections made with HCC and UNI for employee training programs

Workforce has overall been steady

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

15% have experienced ownership or top management changes in the past year

62% of sales come from local/national sales

23% of the companies are suppliers to John Deere

90% noted there are no reasons the community would not be considered for future expansion (the remaining 10% were very tariff dependent)

98% of companies do not have plans to contract in the next three years (one company is slowly moving its operations to California due to their customer base)

96% said there are no reasons the community would not be considered for future expansion (this is tariff based and the fact that one is relocating operations to California)

88% of companies have not experienced any issues with infrastructure (main issues noted were with electric, roads and internet)

25% noted that workforce upskilling initiatives and tax climate were items that need to be prioritized to increase the competitiveness of the region

ADDED BENEFITS

495

10,775

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & ADVOCACY

Grow Cedar Valley’s FY 2025 legislative priorities include Talent & Workforce, Education and Economic Development.

GCV TEAM MEMBERS REPRESENTED THE CEDAR VALLEY AT:

Iowa Chamber Alliance Legislative Reception

Iowa Association of Business and Industry Legislative Reception

Iowa Association of Business and Industry Legislative Day

Professional Developers of Iowa Advocacy Team Capital Day

City council meetings for projects relevant to growth and development throughout the Cedar Valley

LEGISLATIVE WINS:

Advocated for incentive program changes with Iowa Economic Development Authority

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS BLOGS PUBLISHED

How an Idea Becomes a Law

Economic Development Bill Advances for Cedar Valley Priorities

End of the Legislative session recap

Sine Die: The Iowa Legislature Adjourns

GCV Government Affairs Report

Strengthening Local Business through Legislative Engagement

The 91 General Assembly now in Session st

Understanding Property Taxes in Iowa: A simplified Overview

November 2024 Friday Forum

Hear from the Candidates

Read all Government Affairs blogs at www.growcedarvalley.com/blog/category/government-affairs

TALENT & WORKFORCE

FY2025 HIGHLIGHTS

CEDAR VALLEY WORKFORCE ECOSYSTEM

Convened a Workforce Ecosystem Steering Committee to align on scope and objectives. Collected input from HR, education, and support partners to shape the design of an ecosystem map.

Launched the Cedar Valley Workforce Ecosystem webpage in Q4 2025 as a public-facing tool to connect businesses and support services.

Partnered with Cedar Valley SHRM to host HR Lunch & Learns, connecting HR professionals with local community resources and solutions that support workforce needs.

CEDAR VALLEY POPULATION STUDY

Formed a Population Study Steering Committee of business and community leaders.

Issued a RFP in January 2025; interviewed 5 firms in March; selected CivicSol (Austin, TX) in April 2025.

CivicSol is leveraging Lightcast data and community engagement to co-create an action plan.

Organized 12 community roundtables in June, engaging more than 150 community members in conversations on topics ranging from economic development and housing to education and workforce. These sessions marked CivicSol’s first visit to the Cedar Valley and set the stage for co-creating a regional action plan.

The study is on track to conclude in January 2026, delivering a long-term action plan for population growth and retention.

CEDAR VALLEY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (CVMA)

Continued quarterly meetings with 17 member companies and various workforce partners to align on workforce priorities.

Four manufacturers partnered with local schools to lead hands-on activities for 8th and 9th graders, sparking early interest in manufacturing careers.

Continued the focus on strengthening education-to-career pathways and preparing for the longterm workforce needs of the manufacturing sector.

TALENT & WORKFORCE

CEDAR VALLEY INTERN CONNECT

Expanded the Cedar Valley Intern Connect program: 30 interns in 2024; 32 in 2025.

Results: 100% of interns felt more connected to the Cedar Valley after going through Intern Connect; 50% will consider living here post-college (up from 38% in FY 24).

Partnered with UNI’s Nonprofit Leadership Alliance to incorporate student ideas into program design.

Introduced new elements like the Cedar Valley Bucket List and community fairs. Employers rated program value 4.3/5, with 91% committed to sending interns again.

CEDAR VALLEY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (CVLI)

The 2024–2025 CVLI class brought together emerging leaders from across the Cedar Valley for monthly sessions focused on community leadership and engagement. Participants completed community service projects, applying their skills to support local organizations.

Leaders represented 30 organizations, highlighting the diverse pipeline of talent in the region. Companies represented include:

Americans for Independent Living BankIowa

CBE Companies

Cedar Falls Community Credit Union (CFCCU)

Cedar Valley CAPS

Community Bank & Trust

DC Industries

Dalton Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Electric & Fireplaces, Inc.

E/S Family Dentistry

Farmers State Bank

Friends of the Family

Hawkeye Community College

Heartland Bank & Trust

INVISION Architecture

ISG

John Deere

MidWestOne Bank

Pedersen, Dowie, Clabby & McCausland Insurance

Peters Construction Corp.

Rydell Chevrolet

Shuttleworth & Ingersoll

Tri-County Child & Family Development Council, Inc

University of Northern Iowa

United Equipment Accessories, Inc.

UnityPoint

Veridian Credit Union

VGM Group

Waterloo Convention Center

Western Home Communities

Woodruff Construction

TALENT & WORKFORCE

COMMUNITY & HR PARTNERSHIPS

Sponsored career fairs for John Deere displaced workers, connecting impacted employees with new career opportunities in the Cedar Valley.

Created the Talent Connection Network, a hub supporting talent matching for displaced John Deere workers and newcomers considering relocation to the Cedar Valley. The Talent Connection Network had 50 users and 127 page views in its first year.

Continued to serve as a connector and trusted resource for HR leaders, businesses, education, and support partners to collaboratively address workforce challenges.

LIVE THE VALLEY (TALENT ATTRACTION AND RETENTION)

Developed a new Live the Valley website designed as a regional talent attraction tool.

Collected and organized content and resources to support:

Relocation guidance

Career connections

Community information across the Cedar Valley

Captured stories and interviews from all 6 counties in the region.

Produced 6 Voices of the Valley videos to highlight authentic resident experiences.

Grew brand awareness through community events and regional engagement.

TALENT & WORKFORCE

CEDAR VALLEY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS (CVYP)

Over the past year, CVYP built the foundation for a full launch in July 2025 An advisory council and committee structure were established to guide programming and leadership opportunities, along with a sponsorship model to engage and support from the business community.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR INCLUDE:

Strong early engagement from young professionals across the region, with 363 registrations across 6 event (average attendance 65 people).

Monthly signature events including structured activities like Duck Pin Bowling and Grid Lounge Racing, professional development through our Wake Up YP events featuring dynamic leaders like Amy Wienands and Mayors Quentin Hart and Danny Laudick, and happy hour style networking socials.

With these building blocks in place, CVYP is set to become a leading resource for attracting, retaining, and connecting emerging talent in the Cedar Valley.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2024-2025 ADVISORY COUNCIL:

Aden Zwanziger, Chairperson – PDCM

Don Patnode, Vice Chairperson – PDCM

Kody Berns – Northwestern Mutual

Monica Dhumne – Talk to Me Technologies

Jacob Hackman – Farmers State Bank

Zach Hansen – Woodruff Construction

Hannah Luce – Waterloo Schools Foundation

Lindsey McEnaney – AW Commercial & Development

Tom Richter – Beecher Law Firm

CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY

This year, Grow Cedar Valley brought people together through events that connected, informed, and energized our community. From conversations with leaders to professional development opportunities, these gatherings created spaces for collaboration and learning. Below is a snapshot of our events and the participation they received