ABI Board Will Meet Next Week - Monday Memo 9/6/22
September 6, 2022
ABI Board Will Meet Next Week; Senator Amy Sinclair to Address ABI Board Members
ABI Chair Kim Augspurger (Pigott, Des Moines) will convene the first board meeting of the fiscal year a week from Wednesday. The board will meet at the new Johnston headquarters/conference center of longtime ABI member the Iowa Bankers Association at 11:30 a.m. on September 14.
You will have receive an email message from me later this week with a link to the board packet. If you have any difficulties accessing the packet, please contact Michelle Vollstedt at mvollstedt@iowaabi.com and she will see that you receive access.
The September meeting is an important one for several reasons. One, it marks the first meeting of the fiscal year and the first meeting for newly-elected board members. Two, it will involve board consideration and approval of the policies developed through the annual policy development process (ABI members from across Iowa and beyond have participated in meetings to propose a slate of policies for 2023). This part of the meeting will be led by ABI Vice Chair Rich Phelan (LyondellBasell, Clinton). Three, the board will receive and act on operational reports regarding the business of ABI. Four and finally, board members’ brief business updates will be a highlight.
A final highlight will be comments by State Senator Amy Sinclair (R-Allerton). Senator Sinclair is the Majority Whip of the Iowa Senate and a strong ABI supporter (Amy Sinclair | Iowa Senate Republicans). She will share the latest news from the Statehouse and provide insights about the upcoming legislative session.
On behalf of Kim and our other officers, I look forward to seeing you next Wednesday. Thank you in advance for making plans to participate in the meeting.
Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference Next Week
In addition to the board meeting, next week will see an additional event important to ABI members. ABI and a number of other organizations partner each year in producing the Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference. The 2022 conference will be held September 13-14 at the Kansas City Convention Center in downtown Kansas City. You may also participate via live streaming video. The agenda for the conference is packed full of information and your team members who attend will receive the very latest in environmental regulatory information.
ABI receives financial support for every Iowa participant that registers for the conference. While that is a great incentive, the real reason to attend is for the high-value program. Find more information and register by clicking on http://mecconference.com/.
Employee Retention Credit Webinar Later this Month
You and/or your management team will find value in an upcoming ABI webinar about the employee retention tax credit. Created as part of federal legislation to help employers manage the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic – and to keep folks employed – the employee retention credit has been expanded. It is a refundable tax credit up to $5,000 per employee in 2020 and up to $28,000 per employee in 2021. If you haven’t already, you should learn more about the credit and determine its applicability to your company.
In that regard, ABI is pleased to sponsor a webinar about the ERC. Experts from ABI member Eide Bailly will present the webinar at 10:00 a.m. on September 21st. Click here for more information and to register Webinar: What to Know about the Expanded Employee Retention Credit | Iowa Association of Business and Industry (iowaabi.org).
Privacy Management Webinar, Supply Chain Forums on Tap
On September 22nd, ABI will host a webinar to provide information about privacy technology and what it means for your business. There is no cost to ABI members to participate and ABI member hr/simple is leading the webinar. Click here for more information: The Technology Driving Privacy Management for US Companies (hrsimple.com).
Two other ABI events, which you have read about in previous editions of this memorandum, are also forthcoming. ABI is developing two supply chain events in November. These events will be held in Atlantic on November 10th and in Oskaloosa on November 15th. Watch for more information and the opening of registration soon.
Iowa Manufacturing Conference in One Month; Great Speakers Featured
ABI, Agri-Industrial Plastics, the Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State University (CIRAS), Community State Bank, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and RAMCO Innovations are the lead sponsors for ABI’s Iowa Manufacturing Conference 2022. The conference will be held at the FFA Enrichment Center on the Ankeny Campus of Des Moines Area Community College on October 5th. Register now for this important conference at Summary - Legends In Manufacturing Awards Dinner (and/or) Manufacturing Conference (cvent.com).
Great speakers are on tap, such as keynote speaker Chairman and CEO Gage Kent (KENT Corporation, Muscatine). In a morning session, Director Debi Durham (Iowa Economic Development Authority, Des Moines), will moderate a panel featuring three ABI manufacturing leaders: Steve Boal (Accumold, Ankeny), Kelli Gallagher (DeeZee, Des Moines), and Hank Norem (Ramco Innovations, West Des Moines). The day will close with some fabulous manufacturing tours. Use the link above to see the entire program for yourself. You don't want to miss this program and the terrific value provided for conference attendees.
Don’t Miss Annual Legends Awards Dinner
The evening before the manufacturing conference is one of the most uplifting events of the year, the annual Legends in Manufacturing Awards Dinner sponsored by ABI’s Elevate initiative. You do not want to miss this annual celebration of Iowa manufacturing. Hear inspiring stories, see ABI friends, and enjoy an evening of networking. Use the same link in the above item to register.
ABI Conference Planning Committee Meets Next Week; Fabulous New Venues in 2023
Planning is well underway for the ABI Taking Care of Business Conference that will be held in June of next year. I can tell you already that it will be a fabulous event. While much work has been done, more is to come and it will begin with the first official meeting of the 2023 ABI Conference Committee a week from today.
Related to the conference, ABI Chair Kim Augspurger (Pigott, Des Moines), Conference Committee Chair Tami Anderson (Pigott, Des Moines), and others were a part of a site visit to Cedar Rapids some months ago. While you have been to Cedar Rapids previously, there are big changes in store and fabulous new venues will be a part of the 2023 conference.
A great flagship hotel, the DoubleTree, will make a terrific home base for attendees. Of course there will be other great hotels with ABI room blocks and your accommodations will be first-class in each of them. The Cedar Rapids Convention Center is always a treat. And, there are other changes and new additions to Cedar Rapids itself that will provide a fun and terrific conference experience. Watch for much more exciting news in the months and weeks ahead.
Axios Reports Employees Trust Employers More than Other Institutions
In last Friday’s Axios newsletter, information was provided that confirms something we have discussed previously at ABI. That is that employees trust the information provided by their employers. In many respects, they have much higher trust levels involving their employers than they do the media and other sources.
ABI members have long focused on clear and accurate communications with employees. If you wish to read the Axios newsletter, reply to this memo and I’ll forward it to you.
Fred Buie Retires from DMACC Board
The Board of Trustees of Des Moines Area Community College last week accepted the resignation of a longtime trustee. Former ABI Chair Frederick V. Buie (Keystone Electrical Manufacturing Company, Des Moines) had been a member of the board for many years. Now that he sold his company, Fred is relocating back to his home state of Mississippi. Read more here, as well as news of Fred’s successor on the board: DMACC Board of Trustees Appoints Athene USA Executive Angela Jackson as New Member. Congratulation and thank you to Fred for his service!
UEA Celebrates 70 Years, Honors Mark Hanawalt
It was wonderful to be in Waverly last week. Longtime ABI member United Equipment Accessories marked its 70th anniversary with a luncheon for all employees. At the same time, the company recognized and honored the Chair of its board, former ABI Chair Mark Hanawalt (United Equipment Accessories, Waverly).
In typical Mark Hanawalt fashion, Mark’s remarks were brief and substantive and focused on the employees of UEA. Mark noted he was proud of the opportunities that UEA has provided to its employees and their families over the years. When Mark started, the company had 20 employees, after his 40 years of leadership, the company now employs over 170 people and does so on an expansive, high-tech campus on the east side of Waverly. Congratulations to Mark, to his wife, Barbara Hanawalt, and his son, Daniel Hanawalt, who led last week’s event. By the way, congratulations, too, to Daniel and his wife on the birth of the third child!
Josh Byers to Oversee Additional Iowa Newspapers
ABI Board Member Josh Byers (Harlan Newspapers, Harlan) is well-known as an executive with a company owned by J. Louis Mullen. Mr. Mullen’s company, based in Wyoming, owns several Iowa newspapers. It was announced last week (3 Eastern Iowa weekly papers sold (quadcitiesbusiness.com)) that the company had purchased additional newspapers in eastern Iowa. As a result, Josh Byers will oversee the new additions and be responsible for increased business for Mr. Mullen’s company. Congratulations to Josh and all involved!