Blog entries

FEDA Sponsors Teacher of the Year

Anna Bruen — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:18:03 +0100

Re-posted from the Fairfield Ledger

Article By Diane Vance

Fairfield Middle School social studies teacher Jennifer Mangler received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award at this morning’s end-of-year celebration for the Fairfield Community School District.

This year's Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet Awards included:

Business Improvement Awards
Community Improvement Awards
New Young Business Awa...

Local Economy Summit Planned

Anna Bruen — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The Fairfield First! Local Economy Summit is set from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28th in the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center’s Cambridge room.

With support from the Fairfield Economic Development Association, the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors agreed to join the Eastern Iowa Airport’s Foreign Trade Zone. The action taken by the Board of Supervisors at its April 9, 2012 board meeting will allow existing Jefferson County businesses and industries, as well as new business and industry, to take advant...

Jefferson County ranks 14th in Iowa

Anna Bruen — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:59:08 +0100

Photo credit: Open Space Studio in Fairfield, Iowa

Reposted from The Fairfield Ledger...

Jefferson County ranks 14th, up from 42nd in 2011, among Iowa's 99 counties in overall health in a nationwide report comparing the health of counties in every state across the nation.

The "2012 County Health Rankings" was released earlier this ...

Justifying Energy Efficiency as a Business Investment

Anna Bruen — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:39:30 +0100

This morning the Iowa Economic Development Authority sponsored a webinar titled "Justifying Energy Efficiency as a Business Improvement." The 2 hr. webinar was produced by Partnership for Industrial Efficiency (PIE2) and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Read below to find out more about the purpose of the webinar. The following is reposted from Iowa S...

AmericInn Fairfield Opens Today

Anna Bruen — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:12:51 +0100

After three years of development, local investors and the Apollo Development LLC are excited to open the doors to the $5.4 million development project that is AmericInn Fairfield. David Harchanko, of Apollo Development LLC, stated “We are very pleased to be able to see our idea for a new hotel in Fairfield become a reality and with a strong partner in AmericInn we believe that it will be a great addition to Fairfield. I would like to thank the City of Fairfield and the Fairfield E...

Iowa unemployment down to 5.4%, with manufacturers adding 3,500 jobs

Anna Bruen — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:14:31 +0100

Re-posted from the Des Moines Register article by Danelle Eller

Iowa manufacturers added 3,500 jobs in January, a powerful start to a year that began with a total of 3,700 more jobs than in December.

Photo: Clipper Wind manufacturing, www.clipperwind.com

Iowa’s u...

Harper Brush Works Expands in Fairfield

Anna Bruen — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:24:33 +0100

From left: Tracy Vance, Executive Director FEDA; Brady Gros, CEO Harper Brush Works; Representative Curt Hanson; Mayor Ed Malloy

Harper Brush Works is consolidating its distribution operations to its Fairfield, Iowa location as part of its Performance Improvement Program. The consolidation plan includes the addition of 25 to 30 jobs and is supported by a state and local incentive package that...

City of Fairfield: Energy project to save at least 10 percent annually

Anna Bruen — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

By LACEY JACOBS, Ledger staff writer | Mar 01, 2012

Solar tubes in the ceiling of the Fairfield City Hall council chambers are aglow on a sunny afternoon. The solar tubes are just one of several energy efficient upgrades made to eight city-owned buildings in the last year. An extensive project to improve energy efficiency at eight city-owned buildings is expected to pay for itself over the next 6.5 years.

...

Trip to the Capitol

Anna Bruen — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:59:40 +0100

FEDA joined members of the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce for a trip to the state Capitol Building in Des Moines.

While in Des Moines, the group received briefings on economic development and education reform legislation and met with Senator Greiner, Representative Hanson, Representative Klein, the Speaker of the House, the Chair of the Econ...

Iowa Needs More People

Anna Bruen — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

Re-posted from the Des Moines Register blog written by Jason Noble.

Main Street in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by Faye Gilbert.)

New Main Street Communities Announced

Read the full article from the Des Moines...

Coming Home to Iowa

Anna Bruen — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:13:46 +0100

The following video, "Coming Home to Iowa," was produced by Opportunity^2, an economic development project for Southeast Iowa, of which Jefferson County is a part.

Opportunity^2 is the brainchild of the Area 15 Regional Planning Commission. The purpose of the Area 15 Regional Planning Commission and Opportunity^2 is to promote the general welfare, convenience, safety and prosperity of its regional neighborhood in four broad categories - economic development,...

New Appointments to the Board of Directors

Anna Bruen — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:44:19 +0100

FEDA is ushering in the New Year with a few changes. The Board of Directors welcomes Lori Schaefer-Weaton as the new President and Greg Lowenberg, and Art Sathoff as new Directors. The two new directors assume 3 year directorships and replace retiring Pat Doyle and Dave Reiff. Mrs. Schaefer-Weaton is replacing Mr. Doyle as President.

&nb...

Iowan Magazine: Rethinking Success in Rural Iowa

Anna Bruen — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0100

The Iowan Magazine featured Fairfield in the "Sizing Up Small Towns: Rethinking Success in Rural Iowa" section of its Nov/Dec issue.

The following is excerpted from the article by Carol Bodensteiner:

It's midday on a Wednesday, and you may have to circle the town square twice to find a parking spot. Men in business uits and 20-somethings with computers ...

We have a Visitor: Director of Iowa Economic Develop Authority

Anna Bruen — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0100

Debi Durham, the Director of Iowa's Economic Development Authority, visited Fairfield this month as part of her statewide tour. Her itinerary in Fairfield included:

Breakfast with FEDA members
A FEDA sponsored meet-and-greet banquet
Tours of local businesses: Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., Revstone Foundry, and Agri-Industrial Plastics
A tour of the Fairfi...

Top 10 Workplaces in Iowa: Cambridge

Sam Busch — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100