Two of our local utility partners in economic development, TIP Rural Electric Cooperative in Brooklyn and Alliant Energy, will reimburse customers for the purchase of air conditioners. Alliant reimburses residential customers $25 for each Energy Star-rated window air conditioner and will reimburse up to $400 for central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps, while TIP REC will reimburse up to $150 for central air and $25 for window air conditioners.

If it is your office, rather than your home, that is making your local channelized drainage creek look more attractive than your desk as a place to hang out, consider looking into a geothermal or heat pump system: TIP REC will reimburse customers up to or more than $350.00 for commercial geothermal systems.

These perennial rebate programs, which reward consumers for purchasing energy-efficient options, complement a growing regime of tax credits and rebates geared toward reducing our reliance on fossil fuels while saving consumers money.

Used units may be less expensive, but with the new rate hikes, more cash down today means more savings later, especially if you are being partially reimbursed for your purchase.

Learn about TIP REC rebate programs or download forms:
http://www.tiprec.com/rebates.html

Learn about Alliant rebate programs or download forms:
http://www.alliantenergy.com/UtilityServices/ForYourHome/RewardsIncentives/IowaIncentivePrograms/014675

Pow I-80 will be hosting a lunch-and-learn on the Iowa Microloan next Thursday, the 22nd, with Craig Downs, the program’s loan administrator. Iowa Microloan, based in Boone as a program of the Iowa Foundation for Microenterprise and Community Vitality, was conceived as a way to help “those microbusinesses that are considered on the fringe of risk-bearing capacity for most traditional financial institutions,” according to the website.

Encouraging growth by growing small businesses and startups that might not be able to obtain much-needed capital from banks is a crucial concern, but arguably one has that been traditionally overlooked. Banks may not lend to higher-risk startup businesses, who are poised to gain (or lose) much more money than other businesses or individuals who might appear more credible to a bank. Microfinance addresses this by disbursing capital through nonprofit organizations. While interest rates might be higher, the lack of a profit incentive for the loan issuer encourages expansion of microloan services such that everyone can gain fair access to capital.

Part of this trend comes in the financial sector as capital becomes more fluid. The surge in the use of technology like the internet has decentralized the flow of information, giving access to new consumers, who, in turn, generate demand for things like microloans as we move toward smaller scales of economy.

Microloans come in many shapes and colors and have gained a great deal of popularity and visibility over the past decade through the use of the internet and websites like Kiva.org, not to mention through the pioneering efforts of folks like Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Yunus, who, along with his bank, won the Nobel Peace Prize, has focused on eradicating poverty through microloans, and the bank primarily serves women, a demographic economically underrepresented in the region’s economy. Some of Grameen’s loans come in amounts as small as a few dollars, while Iowa MicroLoan offers co-financing arrangements up to $105,000. The model’s flexibility and dynamism mean that it can not only be deployed anywhere, but also that it can serve a broader clientele.

One popular organization working through the internet on a more global scale, Kiva.org, allows users to lend money to specific individuals or families around the world. Users can team up or lend individually, and most loans do not collect interest. Because Kiva does not benefit from returns on its loans, it relies on individual donations and corporate sponsorship to continue operations. In spite of the zero-interest loans, default rates are low, and the operation continues to grow through improved visibility and increased donations.

The trend has also taken off locally. A student-organized group at Grinnell College, the Social Entrepreneurs of Grinnell, recently obtained 501(c)(3) certification to independently make microloans. The Social Entrepreneurs, or SEG for short, loan both to specific organizations and groups around the world as well as to individuals in the local community through Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA), a recently developed partnership.

“It’s great that we’re able to give out loans around the world but also, intuitively, in the community we actually live in,” co-facilitator Bianca Silva, Grinnell College’s class of 2011, said

The group has periodically visited the prospect of collecting interest on its loans in order to become more financially solvent, so as to become less reliant on private donations. Sustainability in budget, as with any nonprofit organization, is a crucial concern; without interest rates, there is no guaranteed return on investments, and any defaults will continually deplete the budget, perennially necessitating more solicitations. “That’s probably going to be on the table again this year,” Silva said.

This article is not to criticize commercial banks, which play a crucial role both in contributing to the community but also in providing capital to more stable operations that have just as much demand for capital as startups. Commercial banks simply cannot assume the risks associated with some clients who instead may end up borrowing from nonprofits. Nonprofit lenders assume greater risk, often to lower returns, like in the case of Pow I-80’s revolving loan fund. Higher interest rates from nonprofit lenders may be required to balance the possibility of defaults.

As microloans become more available and lenders become better funded, entrepreneurial prospects expand, as do opportunities for community development. Market entry for new businesses becomes much cheaper with guaranteed loans that wouldn’t be approved from a traditional banking institution, while smaller loans on the scale that SEG has traditionally been working with locally can cover crucial, however basic expenses for members of the local workforce. Pow I-80 works with organizations in the community to continually develop entrepreneurial resources for startups and existing businesses and hopes to see the microloan program become increasingly utilized as one of those resources.

All are invited to the lunch-and-learn, which requires a registration fee of $8 that includes lunch. For more information, contact Deb Collum-Calderwood at 641-236-1626 or deb@powi80.com.

Rushkoff was the lunch speaker at the 25th annual Smart Economic Development conference in Des Moines last Thursday, which staff attended. We had the opportunity to fraternize with economic development dignitaries from across the state, sitting in on workshops and hearing speakers from around the country.

Brent Pollina, the morning speaker, presented the other side of the coin, presenting on Iowa’s rankings in how “business-friendly” it is in comparison to other states based on considerations of corporate income tax, right-to-work law, and other factors part of his corporation’s proprietary system of analysis. While Pollina’s message was decidedly geared toward the “big picture,” focusing on things like site selection and how your town, county, or state might pique the interest of a transnational corporation, Rushkoff’s speech was about the importance of keeping it local, vis-a-vis ingenuity on Main Street.

One audience member asked how we can reconcile these apparently disparate perspectives. On the one hand, we’re told that Iowa’s communities have to be competitive with local economies in dozens of other countries, but on the other hand, we’re being told that support has to come for local entities first. The dichotomy here is interesting, especially since an orthodox view of economic development is intimately connected with utility companies, many of whom have an obvious vested interest in attracting large industrial clients—few of whose corporate headquarters are on Main Street.

Rushkoff noted that the ‘buy local’ moniker does not negate the importance of corporations or the global market economy in our society. Corporations, he said, provide us with a lot of things that we need and like, since they are able to pool capital and resources in a way that small businesses cannot. A mom-and-pop computer store on Main Street is not going to have a semiconductor foundry in the back room, for example. But by shopping at locally-owned vendors or buying locally- or regionally-manufactured products when possible, you strengthen your local community. In economic development, municipalities will often chase the big bucks as the bottom line, when, at the end of the day, most job growth comes from successful businesses and industry that already exists.

Rushkoff and Pollina both emphasized the importance of collaboration rather than competition to achieve common goals. Rushkoff gave the example of an organic restaurant which was only able to secure capital to renovate a new space by enlisting a pool of local investors, while Pollina gave examples of consortiums of counties or corridors that devised schemes to make themselves more attractive to industrial development. Pow I-80 works closely with groups like IowaConnections and the RegionSix Planning Commission to coordinate efforts, respectively in the marketing and economic development of our region, while we also work with Main Street projects and our chambers of commerce to ensure that our downtowns are attractive, liveable, and replete with small business activity.

Our county can only grow if we all agree to collaborate on a common vision that embraces both the importance of our local communities and their roles in an increasingly interconnected world.

The Smart Economic Development conference was sponsored by the Iowa Department of Economic Development and the Iowa Utility Association, a consortium comprising Alliant, Black Hills, MidAmerican, Atmos, NextEra, and ITC Midwest.

Last night, Pow I-80 held its annual meeting in the fellowship hall of the First Presbyterian Church in Montezuma. An exquisite dinner was catered by volunteers at the church, and we were honored by the presence of dignitaries from across the county as well as US Representative Leonard Boswell.

Deb Collum-Calderwood, executive director of Pow I-80, recounted some of the new developments in the county over the past year and recognized Frank Brownell of Brownells, Inc. with a commemorative clock honoring the company’s commitment to the community. Montezuma’s own Brownells, which started in Frank’s father’s basement in 1939, has expanded to become the largest single supplier of gun parts and accessories in the world. Collum-Calderwood noted that most of our jobs come from job growth in our existing industries and that encouraging these businesses as well as encouraging new entrepreneurial endeavors will generate the most economic growth, as opposed to committing all of our resources to the development of new industrial projects. Brownells success is a testament to the entrepreneurial dream; dreams that are made in basements, first and foremost, not necessarily in the construction of sky-high smokestacks along the interstate.

Craig Lang, Brooklyn resident and president of the Iowa Farm Bureau, presented on some challenges facing agriculture with regard to economic development. How can our county compete against the trends toward massive farm consolidation, increasing absentee land ownership, and increasing costs of market entry for potential new farmers? Lang compared Poweshiek County to Sioux County, noting that agriculture accounts for a much higher perecentage of farm income in the latter, mostly owing to the presence of highly profitable livestock production. Livestock production, Lang noted, can be unfairly stereotyped into the big, bad, industrial confined animal feeding operation model, or CAFO, and can be managed properly and cost-effectively, with minimal detriment to the environment. Case in point: Sioux County has more people than Poweshiek County, plus 1.1 million hogs, yet they have some of the cleanest air in the state.

Lang referenced George Washington Carver, a great innovator who recognized the importance of addresing our dependency on certain crops or fuel sources, suggesting that the era of petroleum is but temporary: increased attention to reliance on naturally derived fuel sources, working with the renewable resources available to us through the sun, air, and the land, will be crucial in innovating toward an agriculture for tomorrow which will allow gainful employment while ensuring competitiveness. This is the kind of innovation we are always looking to promote; the kind of innovation that makes for successful startups, steady business growth, and improves the quality of life for all of us.

The staff at Pow I-80 thank all who attended. We are looking forward to some more exciting projects in the coming months!

Thursday before last, we had our grantwriting workshop in the city council chambers of Grinnell’s community center. Deb Collum-Calderwood, our executive director, and Shannon McNaul, executive director of the Galaxy Youth Center led the workshop. Collum-Calderwood and McNaul gave an A-to-Z presentation, ranging from basic terminology to finer points of the physical presentation of grant applications, pushing important points about the importance of an applicant’s social involvement with the grantwriting process.

Grant money is offered both private and public sources.  A few examples include corporate foundations, family foundations, community foundations, federal, state and regional funding programs.

Grant money is not simply a handout; rather, it is distributed in a highly competitive application process. This ensures that the money will be used as effectively as possible, being disbursed only to applicants who have clearly thought out a model for how the money will be used. Just as a healthy degree of competition helps to strengthen an economic market, it also encourages nonprofits to excel. But, unlike their for-profit counterparts, nonprofit organizations are driven not by a goal of maximizing return on every dollar but by the goal of improving their communities.

So, if nonprofits can get grant money and corporations have to pay taxes, why would anyone want to own a business? Businesses are able to accumulate resources in a way that nonprofits are essentially legally barred from doing. These resources can often be redirected toward members of the community or toward nonprofit organizations or projects in the community (remember Andrew Carnegie?). Indeed, many of Pow I-80’s projects are examples of collaborations between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors; this collaboration is crucial to improving our communities through philanthropic activities and by increasing local tax revenue, increasing employment, and encouraging entrepreneurship.

We look forward to continuing to improve accessibility to grants within Poweshiek County. I am presently working with Monica Chavez, from the College’s Office of Community Enhancement and Engagement, and Nicole Brua-Behrens from the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation on a project to assess the needs of area nonprofits and figure out just what we can do to help them secure the money they need to expand and succeed.*NMZ

Musings from the desk of Pow I-80’s intern:

Every time I drive on Interstate 80 between Grinnell and Des Moines or Iowa City, I gaze longingly out over the landscape and wonder if, amidst Iowa’s fields of opportunity, there isn’t some room for another method of transportation. Don’t get me wrong—I love the independence of being behind the wheel- but one thing I really miss about my native East Coast is the ability to ride the train. The car commute just gets old after awhile, especially if I don’t really need the flexibility of the automobile.

A meeting of the Iowa Association of Rail Passengers (IARP) luncheon last Saturday gave me some inspiration, and our town of some 9,000 boasted an impressive turnout. We quite fittingly convened in the Depot Crossing restaurant, Grinnell’s former train station located at the intersection of the Union Pacific and the Iowa Interstate lines. The Rock Island ended passenger service in the early 1980’s and a comprehensive adaptive-reuse project converted the depot into its present role as a restaurant in 1995.

$8 billon of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 0f 2009 has been earmarked for intercity rail development, much of which will go to the development of high-speed rail. The IowaDOT was recently awarded a $17 million federal grant for track improvements along the route of the California Zephyr in southern Iowa, presently the only passenger train to serve the entire state. An additional million was awarded to study a route to Omaha via Des Moines, and preliminary plans have been put together for Chicago connections to Dubuque and Waterloo in the north and to Iowa City, Grinnell, Des Moines, and eventually Omaha in the central part of the state, following the I-80 corridor.

Poweshiek County is served by two freight lines including a major east-west route, so it goes without saying that we’re enthusiastic about improving the railroad infrastructure. More investment in rail also means higher employment, not only through high-paying jobs in the industry (like the 125 new jobs being added at Talgo’s factory in Milwaukee, which will manufacture high-speed trainsets for a nascent market) but also through the opportunities to both employers and potential employees who enjoy increased mobility through the availability of passenger rail.

Of course, it will still be a few years until the iron horse once again gallops into downtown Grinnell to pick up a bevy of homeward-bound college students headed home for spring break– but signs of progress are encouraging.

Learn more about passenger rail in Iowa:

Iowa Association of Rail Passengers (IARP)

Iowa Department of Transportation - Office of Passenger Rail

Jacobson has signed a ten year lease with Knolls, Inc., and the firm has reiterated its commitment to our community, saying that they are planning on a long-term stay in Grinnell. This project will create approximately twelve full-time jobs with approximately 20-25 or more permanent, full-time jobs to come. Groundbreaking is set to occur in early April with a projected completion date of September 1, 2010.

The industrial park, located on the southern end of Grinnell on the eastern side of Iowa Route 146 with easy access to Interstate 80, is owned by Greater Grinnell Development, a private investment corporation. Lots are available for anyone interested, but they’re a hot sell!

"William Menner will be an important advocate on behalf of rural communities throughout the state and help administer the valuable programs and services provided by the USDA that can enhance their economic success," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Menner is currently the Executive Director for Poweshiek Iowa Development, where he manages, raises funds and develops strategy for a county-wide non-profit economic development organization. Since 2001, he has also been an Executive Director for Grinnell Renaissance where he managed the downtown development organization that made an impact on the Central Business District.

Additionally, Menner has staffed the Grinnell Tourism Group since 2003 where he manages advertising and marketing and develops strategies for increasing local tourism. Menner also served as the Senior Program Director to the State Public Policy Group, Inc from 1998-2001 as well accumulating 14 years of public radio experience. He has dedicated many years of service to various boards and committees in Iowa that are committed to innovation and development. Menner holds a master’s degree in political science and a bachelor’s degree in journalism, both earned from Ohio State University.

Rural Development administers and manages over 40 housing, business, and community infrastructure and facility programs as laid out by Congress through a network of 6,100 employees located in 500 national, state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of over $114 billion in loans and loan guarantees.

The USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture and natural resources and touches the life of every American. Reflecting President Obama’s commitment to expanding economic opportunities in rural America, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the USDA are working to enhance availability of broadband, promote the development of renewable energy, to conserve, maintain and improve our natural resources and environment, and promote a sustainable, safe, sufficient and nutritious food supply.

Thomas L. Cardella & Associates Announces Expansion

Thomas L. Cardella & Associates to open fifth location in Grinnell, IA

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, JULY 7, 2009 -– Thomas L. Cardella & Associates today announced the company will expand operations in Grinnell, bringing approximately 80 to 100 jobs and over $3.5 million of annualized payroll to the City of Grinnell.

“We’re absolutely thrilled that Thomas L. Cardella & Associates are coming to Grinnell.  This is an ideal location for the company and we are pleased that they will be able to take advantage of it.  This is a company that is growing rapidly and we’re glad to be part of that growth. We look forward to having them in the Grinnell community,” stated Grinnell Mayor Gordon Canfield.

Thomas L. Cardella, President of Thomas L. Cardella & Associates, made the following statements, “We are thrilled to be expanding our operations into the City of Grinnell. Our clients are excited to have individuals from Iowa represent their business to their customers.” Cardella continued, “The strong work ethic and core values of the Grinnell community are the main reasons that we once again chose Iowa to expand our company.”

Thomas L. Cardella & Associates will offer employment opportunities at the Grinnell contact center located at 11 11^th Avenue in Grinnell, IA and will begin hiring towards the end of the summer. The company expects to begin operations on September 1, 2009. For more information on employment at Thomas L. Cardella & Associates, please visit www.tlcassociates.com.

About Thomas L. Cardella & Associates

Founded in April of 2007, Thomas L. Cardella & Associates is ranked as one of the fastest growing contact center companies in the United States. In just over two years, Thomas L. Cardella & Associates has grown to four locations in the state of Iowa: Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Keokuk, and Marshalltown, and currently has more than 700 employees. In June of this year, Thomas L. Cardella & Associates won two prestigious Excellence Awards during the 10^th Annual IQPC Call Center Week. Thomas L. Cardella & Associates was honored with the top award in the Best in Class Call Center (Over 200 Employees). Thomas Cardella was named first runner-up for Call Center Leader of the Year award.

The company focuses on the direct marketing needs of Fortune 500 clients in the financial services, insurance, publication, technology, telecom, entertainment, utilities, and travel industries.  Thomas L. Cardella & Associates is an outsourced provider of solutions such as Inbound Customer Service, Outbound Teleservices, Email Management, Webchat, and Customer Support services. For more information about Thomas L. Cardella & Associates, please visit: www.tlcassociates.com.

Grinnell Among Top Ten ‘Coolest Small Towns’ in US

Budget Travel Magazine Tabs City as 3^rd ‘Coolest’

GRINNELL, IOWA – Budget Travel magazine has unveiled its picks for the ten ‘coolest small towns in America,’ and Grinnell was #3 on that list.

The announcement, which was made on the CBS ‘Early Show’ program, ended a months-long process that featured nominations, the selection of 22 finalists, and online voting.  More than 101,000 votes were cast and Grinnell placed third with 9,233.  Ironically, that is number is almost identical to the city’s population.

(watch the CBS segment by clicking here)

Owego, NY, and Rockland, ME, were the top two vote-getters.  Grinnell was third, out-polling the next closest community by more than 1,300 votes.

“I’ve always known that Grinnell is a cool place to live,” said Mayor Gordon Canfield.  “We have history, great culture, entertaining activities, world-class architecture and – of course – Grinnell College.  I’m thrilled that Budget Travel magazine and the online voters share that sentiment.”

Budget Travel publisher Nina Willdorf said determining ‘coolness’ is not an exact science. But she said the magazine was looking for towns with populations of less than 10,000 that have ‘good food, more art galleries than country stores, and a realization among those who moved away that they made a mistake.’

Poweshiek Iowa Development executive director Bill Menner nominated Grinnell for the designation, citing the confluence of art, culture, history, architecture and education.  He said the contest reflects well on the entire state.

“Many of the attributes of our community extend across the state,” Menner said.  ‘Towns throughout Iowa also invest in art, theatre, live music, downtown revitalization and recreation, which were the reasons for Grinnell’s place among the coolest small towns.  I suspect the national attention we’re getting will draw tourists from around the US to Iowa and people will find out what a great state this is.”

The Budget Travel website is already highlighting the ten ‘coolest’ communities. The October issue of Budget Travel magazine will feature reviews and images of Grinnell and the other towns in the top ten.