December Business Record Iowa Published - Monday Memo 12/16/19
December 16, 2019
December Edition of Business Record Iowa in Your Mailbox
You should have received in the mail the latest edition of ABI's Business Record Iowa, published in conjunction with member Business Publications Corporation. BR Iowa is found inside the BPC's Des Moines Business Record. The cover this month features two great ABI members: Michele Farrell (Measured Intentions, Urbandale) and Tim Bianco (Iowa Spring, Adel). If you did not receive BR Iowa, let me know; we'll get one to you.
Quarterly ABI Iowa Business Survey Results Now Out
The latest ABI Quarterly Iowa Economic Survey has now closed and the results show ABI leaders are optimistic about the upcoming quarter. You can find a link to the survey results press release here: https://www.iowaabi.org/news/press-releases/iowa-manufacturers-project-stronger-sales-in-the-new-year/. THANK YOU for your participation in the survey.
ABI-Supported Iowa Business Radio Show Moving Forward
As you know, the ABI Board of Directors at the November meeting approved ABI support for a new weekly radio show devoted to covering and raising the profile of Iowa Business and ABI. The show is being produced by Jeff Stein, a well-known Iowa broadcaster and radio executive.
Some of you have been contacted and interviewed for the show, which begins in January. If you haven’t yet been contacted, you likely will be sometime in the coming year. Jeff is a pro and I know you will enjoy your interview.
ABI is pleased and proud to support this initiative. Watch for more information soon.
ABI Board of Directors to Meet in Four Weeks (January 15)
The first meeting of the Executive Committee and ABI Board of Directors for 2020 will be called to order by ABI Chair Cindy Dietz (Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids) on January 15 at the Iowa Events Center (Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center) in downtown Des Moines. This is the same date as the 2020 ABI Legislative Briefing and Reception (see item below). You should receive the usual packet of meeting materials in about three weeks and we look forward to seeing you on the 15th.
Strong Pace of Registrants for 2020 ABI Legislative Briefing and Reception
The ABI staff is busy finalizing details related to the annual ABI Legislative Briefing and Reception, one of the association’s most popular annual events. In fact, all indications are that the coming reception will be the biggest and best ever.
Nearly 250 ABI members have already registered for the event and it is clear that over 500 people will attend. The 2020 briefing and reception will be held Wednesday, January 15 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Des Moines. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg are expected to appear at the reception, along with hundreds of legislators and state officials. I hope you can attend.
The reception is an important event and it will be preceded (as always) by the annual legislative briefing. The briefing is your opportunity to hear the latest about legislative news and about ABI's agenda. You can then head right into the reception and share comments with your local legislators. Your participation and interaction with legislators is what makes this event a must for Iowa policy-makers.
Go to the ABI website at http://www.cvent.com/events/2020-legislative-briefing-reception/event-summary-2c2f288944e64f1aa787141a79efb869.aspx. You’ll find all the information you need and can follow the easy instructions to register right now. Thank you in advance for participating in this very important event. On behalf of ABI Chair Cindy Dietz (Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids) and our other ABI officers, I look forward to seeing you in Des Moines on January 15.
Contribute To ABI Foundation, Elevate
This is the time of year that folks consider their personal tax planning. If you need to make some end-of-the-year contributions, please consider Elevate Iowa and/or the ABI Foundation. Thank you to those who have already contributed.
Contributions to the ABI Foundation help advance terrific programs such as Leadership Iowa, Business Horizons, and others. These programs have been described as “life-changing” by participants and they have certainly helped make Iowa an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Contributions to Elevate help our efforts to change the perception of advanced manufacturing and help you fill your workforce requirements. Big thanks to all of the companies who have contributed over the years and also thanks to Iowa Community Colleges, who each contribute to the Elevate partnership. If you haven't yet contributed, please make your contribution today.
Des Moines to Host Leadership Iowa Class in January; Alumni Dinner on the 15th
Speaking of the Foundation, the ABI Foundation's flagship program is quite active. As a confirmation of that, Leadership Iowa has two big events coming up next month.
First, the 2019-2020 LI Class will hold its fourth session January 15-17. The class will focus on state government and will join you for the ABI Briefing and Reception on January 15.
Second, another LI event will be held on January 15. That evening, the ABI Foundation and LI will again host the Leadership Iowa Alumni Society Dinner and Celebration. This event will take place at the Renaissance Savery Hotel in Downtown Des Moines. The event will provide a unique dinner networking opportunity for LI alumni following the annual ABI Legislative Reception. Click here for more information: http://www.cvent.com/events/leadership-iowa-alumni-society-dinner-celebration/event-summary-de87cf1602f7429caec068f2f3819a85.aspx.
CIBC Economist: Continued Growth Ahead
Royce Mendes (CIBC, Toronto) is a leading economist and a popular ABI speaker. He was in town last week and addressed a joint meeting of the ABI CFO and Operational Excellence Roundtables. Special thanks to ABI Board Member Kelly Barrick (CIBC, West Des Moines) for making the appearance by Royce happen.
In his remarks, Royce predicted that the current economic expansion will continue. The rate of growth may slow somewhat, but he does not foresee a North American recession in the near future. He noted that of the 16 common indicators of a recession, only 5 are currently trending towards that kind of an event. Thank you, Royce and CIBC, for a fascinating presentation.
NAM: Manufacturing Economy Stabilizing; Signs of Pending Manufacturing Growth
The National Association of Manufacturers’ Global Manufacturing Economic Update shared interesting data in its December edition. The U.S. manufacturing economy is steady and signs exist to show a slight gain year to year.
That is good news for ABI members. To read the report yourself, simply reply to this message and I’ll get it to you at once.