MONDAY, NOV. 25, 2019 | IN THIS ISSUE

• Per Mar acquires alarm services business in Nebraska
• Linn County dedicates new building
• International intermodal business planned in Shell Rock
• State supports five regional business expansions
• Campaign announced to expand regional spay/neuter services
Per Mar acquires alarm services business in Nebraska
Per Mar Security Services, a leading provider of total security solutions for residential and commercial clients and the parent company to Midwest Alarm Services, has acquired NECO Security based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

NECO Security was founded by Don Nielsen in 1957, and specializes in residential and commercial burglar and fire alarm systems in the Lincoln area.

“After 63 years in the Fire Alarm/Security industry, the Nielsen family is moving into a new season. In so doing, after careful thought and consideration, as our customers are of utmost importance, we have selected Per Mar as our successor,” Don Nielsen owner of NECO Security, said in a news release. He said Per Mar offers a UL-listed, FM-approved TMA 5 Diamond Certified Central Monitoring Center and expanded range of services to NECO Security's customers, and is a Premier Notifier Distributor.

NECO Security Project Manager Bill Thomas and their technicians will join Midwest Alarm Services and will serve customers out of the Per Mar and Midwest Alarm Services Lincoln, Nebraska, office.
Linn County dedicates Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris Building
More than 200 people attended a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion and opening of Linn County’s new Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris Building on Friday.

Housing Linn County Public Health and Linn County Child and Youth Development Services, the 63,000-square-foot building is located at 1020 Sixth St. SE, Cedar Rapids, near the NewBo and Oakhill Jackson neighborhoods.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in 2017 to honor Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris posthumously by naming the Linn County Public Health and Child and Youth Development Services building for their dedication and service to health and education in Linn County. All 12 of Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris’ children attended the ribbon cutting.

“Here we are, in the gymnasium of a new community institution that bears the names of two Black legends who overcame it all,” Linn County Board of Supervisor Chair Stacey Walker said. “In this building we will treat patients of all colors and backgrounds. We will treat immigrants and refugees. We will teach and care for children. We will show them that a better world is possible.”

Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers added, “Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris devoted their lives to their community, their family, and their passion for medicine and education. It is such a privilege to honor their legacies with this world-class Public Health and Child and Youth Development Center.”

As part of Linn County’s commitment to energy efficiency and sustainable design, the Harris Building will meet Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards, a certification program that encourages green and sustainable building practices. 

Linn County used a lease-purchase agreement to contract for the construction of the building to maximize the use of local workforce during construction and to help ensure on-time delivery of the completed building .

IMAGE: The 12 children of Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris joined Linn County leaders on Friday for the dedication of the Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris Building. CREDIT LINN COUNTY
Internationally-focused intermodal service planned in Shell Rock
Valor Victoria, Iowa Northern Railway Company (IANR), Watco Companies and Union Pacific (UNP) will launch an internationally focused intermodal service next month through the newly developed Butler Intermodal Terminal in Shell Rock.
 
The service provides an alternative to larger Midwest rail hubs and is expected to provide shippers with a cost-competitive solution that reduces long-haul trucking miles. Union Pacific will transport eastbound intermodal shipments from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and interchange with the Iowa Northern Railway, for final delivery to the Butler Intermodal Terminal. Customers will also benefit from a consistent international container supply in Central Iowa for export loads to the U.S. West Coast.
 
IANR, based in Cedar Rapids, has provided key assets, along with customized local rail service, to enable seamless connectivity throughout the global marketplace.
 
“Iowa Northern is thrilled to be part of this remarkable new service product for Iowa industries seeking strategic solutions to maintain a competitive global presence in the marketplace,” Daniel Sabin, IANR's president, said in a news release.
 
Watco will provide dedicated in-terminal operations and will staff and equip the facility to efficiently handle intermodal containers upon arrival and departure and provide dedicated drayage services to meet customer needs and train schedules. In addition, Watco will be responsible for coordinating transload activities for customers re-loading containers for westbound export through the West Coast.

Valor Victoria will engage with customers who would like to use the new service. Business inquiries can be directed to iowa@valorvictoria.com .
State support announced for five regional business expansions
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards for six companies Friday that will generate $82 million in capital investment.

In a news release, the IEDA said the awards are expected to assist in the creation of 89 jobs and result in more than $82 million in new capital investment. The Eastern Iowa projects receiving the awards are: 

  • Bio Springer North America in Cedar Rapids was awarded benefits under the High Quality Jobs Program for a project to expand production at its yeast extract operations in Cedar Rapids. It is expected to generate $29 million in new capital investment and create five jobs at a qualifying wage of $22.27 per hour.

  • Worley Warehousing in Cedar Rapids, a third-partly logistics provider in Cedar Rapids, was awarded benefits under the High Quality Jobs Program for an expansion to lease a build-to-suit 250,000-square-foot food-grade warehouse facility, with the potential to add another 100,000 square feet. The capital investment is estimated at $3.7 million.

  • Fintech firm LSBX, a subsidiary of Lincoln Savings Bank, was awarded tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs Program for a project to acquire and renovate two floors in the Techworks 1 Building in Waterloo plus significant improvements to the building. The project is expected to generate $12.5 million in capital investment and create 49 jobs, 40 of them incented at the qualifying wage of $18.49 per hour.

  • Warren Transport, an over-the-road trucking operation, was awarded benefits under the High Quality Jobs program for a new corporate headquarters and vehicle maintenance facility in Waterloo. The project is expected to result in an $8.6 million capital investment and create four jobs incented at the qualifying wage of $18.49 per hour.

  • INSEER Inc., founded in June 2018 in Iowa City, develops software to prevent, predict and mitigate workplace injuries using ergonomics, computer vision and deep machine learning. The company was awarded a $100,000 loan from the Demonstration Fund for IP development and evaluation, product refinement, key personnel and equipment.
Campaign announced to expand regional spay/neuter services
The nonprofit Iowa Humane Alliance (IHA) is embarking on a comprehensive, three-phase campaign to expand all aspects of the organization’s regional operations.

Painting a Brighter Future Together , the fundraising campaign announced last week, will enlist individuals, groups, foundations and business supporters to enhance and expand IHA’s mission to end the animal over-population crisis and eliminate euthanasia of healthy and adoptable pets in Iowa. The funds raised will enable IHA to more effectively respond to rapidly increasing regional need for its services and outreach programs.

Since opening its doors in 2013, the IHA Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic in Cedar Rapids has provided affordable, high-quality spay/neuter surgeries for over 55,000 animals. Increasing demand for services make it clear that physical expansion of this facility has become a necessary critical step for the organization. As a result, the first phase of IHA’s comprehensive campaign will focus on expanding the current clinic building in order to increase capacity.

“Our regional spay/neuter clinic is currently operating at its surgical capacity, IHA Clinic Executive Director Stacy Dykema said in a news release. "The growing need for our services has become so apparent as pet owners, rescue volunteers and community cat caretakers flood into our lobby every morning, many with appointments scheduled several months ago."

Phase One of the campaign has a goal of $450,000 to build a 2,600-square-foot addition to IHA's existing facility. The expansion will enable IHA's veterinary team to raise the number of surgeries they perform from approximately 10,000 to 16,000 every year, alleviating the substantial waiting periods customers are experience.

Phase Two of the campaign has a goal $250,000 to expand IHA’s life-saving programs to serve more remote locations and under-served areas, address stabilizing community cat populations, and implement wellness services for IHA’s shelter and rescue partners.

Phase Three of the campaign has a goal of $300,000 to secure a long-term, stable future for the Iowa Humane Alliance and its services.
Short Term Event Planner
Dec. 2
New Member Mixer,  by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance,   4-6 p.m., CountryHouse, 5710 Gibson Drive NE, Cedar Rapids. Meet and mingle with new members of the Economic Alliance. Free. To register, visit  bit.ly/2NHCckH .
 
Dec. 3
2019 Workforce Awards,  by Corridor  Business  Journal, 7:30-10 a.m., The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids. The CBJ is partnering with Kirkwood Community College to recognize companies in Kirkwood’s seven-county region that are ahead of the curve in creating and maintaining their workforce talent edge. Keynote by IEDA Director Debi Durham. Tickets: $45 or $450 per table of 10 through Nov. 26. Breakfast provided. For more information or to register, visit corridorbusiness.com/events  or  call Ashley Moore at (319) 665-6397, ext. 311.
 
Financial Management for the Closely Held Business,  by Hills Bank, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Hills Bank, 590 W. Forevergreen Road, North Liberty.  Learn how to proactively control your company’s finances through financial management techniques and maximize profits through informed decision making. Cost: $100 per person, lunch and materials included. To register, visit  HillsBank.com/BusinessAcademy  by Nov. 27.

On the Menu: End of Year Bookkeeping and Tax Write-Offs,  by Marion Chamber of Commerce, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Marion Chamber, 1225 Sixth Ave. This session will cover financial statements, payroll/1099s and other year-end filings and due dates, and things to keep in mind when thinking about your tax return. Free for chamber members, $10 for non-members. To register, visit  bit.ly/37h1k9v .
 
Membership 101,  by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE. New members can learn how to use their  Economic Alliance membership, meet other new members and hear from seasoned members. Free. For more information, visit  bit.ly/2NmuTxd .
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28  
 
A late-night fire in Cedar Rapids has left a family of four without a home in southeast Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids Fire Department says it all started due to a candle being knocked over. Firefighters were called to the scene at 1612 12th Ave. SE at 10:48 p.m. Sunday. Two adults and two children were able to escape but are left without a home. Firefighters say they quickly contained the flames, but that the fire left the home uninhabitable. No one was hurt.

Mother Nature is cooking up a couple of storms this week that may impact Thanksgiving travel across the Midwest. Monday will be the pick of the week. High temperatures will range from the mid 40s north to low 50s south. It should be an ideal day to get anything done outdoors before Thanksgiving because big changes arrive starting Tuesday. A storm system will develop in the southern plains and track toward Iowa on Tuesday with precipitation likely starting during the afternoon along with blustery winds. The latest trends have pushed the storm further northwest with most of eastern Iowa on the warm side resulting in mainly rain. However, the far north will see a snow mix and eventually all snow with accumulations.

These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28  
CBS2 Weather First Forecast
Temperatures will climb into the upper 40s to low 50s under a mix of sun and clouds. Clouds will move back in tonight and thicken up ahead of our next storm system. A strong storm will be moving through the Midwest Tuesday into Wednesday. In the afternoon rain will begin to move in, with temperatures in the low to mid 40s. There may be a rain snow mix in far northeast Iowa, changing to all snow overnight. There may be 3-5" of accumulation in the far north near the Iowa-Minnesota border with amounts quickly dropping off to the south. Little to no snow accumulation is expected near and south of Highway 20. Precipitation will continue overnight into Wednesday morning and as cold air wraps in Wednesday there may be a brief wintry mix area wide in the morning.