Des Moines Sun

Biennial Program on Workers' Compensation Testing Tomorrow at ABI

Tuesday (tomorrow, March 28), ABI will host the 2023 edition of the association’s biennial Workers' Compensation Program.  The seminar will include the latest information on the status of work comp processes and what they mean for your company.  The program will also include other information, such as best-practice data from other companies. You can still register by clicking on Summary - Workers' Compensation Seminar (cvent.com). As in past years, this program is of special value to human resources, risk management, and other staff members.

Staffing Update Later This Week

Stay-Tuned; later this week, ABI will have an exciting announcement to make regarding the staff vacancy that has existed for the past few weeks. Watch for more news soon!

Next ABI Legislative Update April 7

A week from Friday (on April 7), ABI will hold the next biweekly legislative update. As you read about in the latest ABI e-newsletter, there was a great deal of activity at the Statehouse on ABI priorities last week. Friday’s update will provide the most up-to-date information from the Capitol. Information about bills, legislative proposals, state actions, and other matters are covered in each Zoom. Your specific questions about those topics are also very much welcomed. The members-only update is free as a part of your ABI membership, but please register at Legislative Update (Members Only) | Iowa Association of Business and Industry (iowaabi.org). 

ABI Executive Committee Meets by Zoom Next Week; Board Meets May 10 in Urbandale

The April meeting of the ABI Executive Committee will be held by Zoom next week. ABI Chair Kim Augspurger (Pigott, Des Moines) and members of the association’s Executive Committee will meet the morning of April 5 and committee members can expect to see the usual packet of meeting materials in their email in-basket later this week.

The ABI Board of Directors will next meet on May 10. The meeting will be held at ABI member Express Logistics, which is easily accessed off Interstate 35/80 on the west side of the Des Moines exchange. A special guest has been confirmed for the meeting and other things, such as the introduction of ABI’s newest staff member, and a report on the General Assembly’s 2023 session, will be on tap. We hope you can attend and please stay tuned for more information.

Terrific 2023 Taking Care of Business Conference Ahead

ABI’s 120th Annual Convention will be held in Cedar Rapids in just under three months. The convention, the 2022 ABI Taking Care of Business Conference, is scheduled for June 13-15.

Almost two hundred people have already registered, with many more than that already reserving rooms at the two conference flagship hotels. If you haven’t done so, you can register now by clicking on https://www.iowaabi.org/events/annual-conference/. 

Using that same link, you can access information about the terrific speaker lineup, see the fabulous venues, register for golf at one of Iowa’s most beautiful public clubs, make your lodging reservations, and make plans to participate in the very best business networking in Iowa. You don’t want to miss it!

ABI Members See Growth Ahead in Q2

As you will recall and as directed by the ABI Board of Directors a few years ago, ABI created the “ABI Quarterly Iowa Business Survey.”  The goal of the initiative is to collect very basic information about board members’ projections for the coming quarter. ABI then releases the aggregate data to the media and the public.

The survey completed last week pertains to the second quarter of calendar year 2023. Those responding to the survey see growth ahead. Increases in sales, employment, and capital expenditures are projected. As you can imagine, however, there was a great deal of concern expressed about supply chain issues, increases in materials costs, global issues, and more. To read the media release about the survey, click here: Iowa Manufacturers Secure Future Success with Strategic Investments in 2023 | Iowa Association of Business and Industry (iowaabi.org).

Environment Committee and ABI Statewide Leaders Event in April

A couple of important ABI events are coming your way in the next few weeks.

On April 5, the ABI Environment Committee will meet. This will be an important meeting as the committee deals with several legislative and regulatory issues. Click here to register and for more information: ABI Environment Committee Meeting | Iowa Association of Business and Industry (iowaabi.org). 

The next Connecting Statewide Leader program will be held April 13 in Sioux City. A popular ABI speaker will provide the program: Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham. As you can guess, the event will focus on economic development in Iowa. Click here for more information and to register: Agenda - Connecting Statewide Leaders - Sioux City (cvent.com). These programs are ways to gain information and connect with your fellow ABI members, Leadership Iowa Class members, and others. 

Kent Plans $80 million Expansion of Pet Group

Longtime ABI member Kent Corporation last week announced an $80 million expansion of the Kent Pet Group in Muscatine. The expansion centers on a brand new, state of the art manufacturing and research and development plant on the Kent Campus. For those who were paying attention, this project was hinted at during remarks by Kent Chairman and CEO Gage Kent (Kent Corporation, Muscatine) at last year’s ABI Manufacturing Conference. Read more about this exciting project here: Kent Pet Group gets set for $80M expansion in Muscatine (quadcitiesbusiness.com). Congratulations to Mr. Kent and to all involved, including ABI Board Member Rich Dwyer (Kent Corporation, Muscatine)!

Ramco Innovations’ Maple Studios Featured

Last week’s Business Record innovation Iowa newsletter carried a lead featured about Maple Studios. Maple Studios is the subsidiary of ABI member Ramco Innovations that provides support and assistance to industrial technology start-ups and other companies. It’s a great feature and quotes ABI Board Member Hank Norem (Ramco Innovations, West Des Moines), Megan Brandt (Maple Studios, West Des Moines), longtime ABI member and supporter Gabe Glynn (MakuSafe, West Des Moines), and others. Read it for yourself here: innovationIOWA Weekly 3.23.23 (activehosted.com). Congratulations all around and thank you, Hank and team, for this important work!

Original source can be found here.