Grow Henry County

“Documenting, inspiring, and accelerating community resilience.”

Iowa Workforce Development’s Peer-to-Peer Business Network Survey.
We know your time is valuable, but the few minutes you take to complete the questionnaire will provide essential feedback for us.

Click here to take the survey!

Many dug out of snow drifts and bundled up due to temperatures well below zero on Saturday to attend the Tri-State Jobs & Economic Development Forum in St. Louis hosted by USDA Rural Development  (RD) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.  The forum was held in conjunction with the Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture.

Click here to read the full story.

USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND FARM SERVICE AGENCY FOR ILLINOIS, IOWA AND MISSOURI HOST ROUNDTABLE ON JOBS, ECONOMIC GROWTH

Click here to read event details…

Creative Capital Pitch Session coming to Des Moines on 1/28 – best pitch wins $1000
Anyone with a big idea can give it a $1,000 boost by competing in the Creative Capital Pitch Session. The contest highlights innovation and creativity and promotes the entrepreneurial spirit.

Entries are being sought now – click here for details!

Whatever words are used to define an entrepreneur, each individual’s story is special and enrich our lives, whether we be family, friend, businessperson, employee or were a resource for this person.

I am blessed to have such a person in my life and call him Dad…

Happy New Year!

Click here to read the story.

Sal Alaniz, Jr

“We will hold one in each state by June 1st, 2010.  Sub-committees for each state will be established.  Gordon, Charles Holland, Bob and Robert will work on the Missouri event.   The topic will be:  New Markets; Government Contracts, Export and Emerging Industries.”

Read more…

Staff and interns will assist with review of Strategic Planning for various regions in the Midwest and also updating and compiling economic data and establishing data linkages which have not been previously made available.

(Counties of Iowa Population Projections with business growth and economic overlays.pdf
County Unemployment and State Population Projections by current population.pdf
For other formats, please make a comment with request.)

Click Here to Read Full Page …

Data shows growth in businesses by county. What types of businesses drive growth in fastest growing counties? regions?

Number of Establishments with Employees for Iowa’s Counties: 2000-2005.pdf

Minorities in Business:
A Demographic Review of
Minority Business Ownership

Minority Business Projections.pdf
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Minority Owned Firms Total Report.pdf

We’ve posted some new videos for you! Inspirational talks and interviews from inspirational people. With Richard Branson, Dr. Stephen Covey, Tony Robbins,
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Mattie Stepanek.

Posted by Richard C. Longworth on Thursday, November 19, 2009

Try Googling “Southern studies” and see what pops up. From the University of Virginia to Ole Miss, it seems that every school in Dixie has a curriculum devoted to the South — its history, economy, culture, triumphs and grievances.

Now try Googling “Midwestern studies.” Don’t worry, it won’t take long. A couple of societies exist to promote Midwestern literature. A college or two teach Native American history in the region. And that’s all.

Read more …

TOURISM INITIATIVE

• Chinese and International Tourism to Southeastern Iowa
• Largest Growing Tourism Dollars – Target China and International Tourists
• Agricultural Experiences and Tours
• Recreational, Rural, Cultural and Ag Experiences.

See all the Initiatives here…

Discussion Points – Visioning and Planning Economic Development.

The Big Picture: What do we envision and aspire to?  Is it 25,000, 50,000 people,  200,000 population?

Culture: Create an environment which embraces failure. What is learned?  Gained?  Changed?
Celebrates ALL successes, small and large. Encourage people. Believe in people. All People.

Read more…

Change your vision, change your life. Liz Nead Inspiration

The 2009 Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit’s mission is to bring businesses of diverse backgrounds together to share, learn, and celebrate the immigrant entrepreneurship experience and contribution to the overall community.

The Summit will exhibit the success stories of immigrant entrepreneurs. Create true understanding among different ethnic groups and business growth tips are shared among immigrant business owners and the keys to succeed by working with immigrant populations are shared in a non-competitive and supportive environment.

Read more!
Click to download PDF or Click to view HTML

Upstairs Meeting Room – Heatilator Center
307 E Monroe St
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Tuesday November 17, 2009
6:00 p.m.

JOIN US!

Join us Tuesday, November 17th @ 6:00 pm at the Heatilator Center Upstairs Meeting Room for this important Economic Development Forum!

Community Meeting: Get Involved!
This Community Meeting is an opportunity for Henry County residents to share their vision of what our future will be. Local citizens will present their goals and ideas for Community and Economic Development. Community members are encouraged to offer new ideas and identify ways that we can work together to improve Henry County for generations to come.

Click here to read more!

Southeast Iowa 2009 Productivity Conference Click here for details.
Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions! See the videos here!

Greetings!
Join us Wednesday, November 4th from 10:00 am – 2:30 pm at the Iowa Wesleyan College Campus for this important seminar entitled “Entrepreneurship Economic Development: Turning Policy Into Practice.”

This Seminar is for Community Leaders, Elected Officials, Service Providers and others interested in fostering entrepreneurship in their local communities. Join us at the Iowa Wesleyan Campus, Howe Student Activties Center, Mt. Pleasant, Ia. Entrepreneurship is an increasingly important part of Iowa’s economy. By the year 2015, more than 20% of America’s rural population is predicted to be self employed. Entrepreneurs create jobs, generate local wealth and improve the quality of life in Iowa communities. Learn how to create an entrepreneurship support system to identify, attract and serve locally owned business in your town! We’ll show you how to do it during this interactive, information packed one day seminar.

• Part One: Learn about entrepreneurship trends, the four species of entrepreneurs, critical services and resources that all entrepreneurs need, and receive a tour and training on using Iowa’s free Online Community for Entrepreneurs to engage and serve small business in your town.
• Part Two: Learn how to develop a support system in your community! The afternoon session will cover the role of communities and service providers, how to put it all together through collaboration and some best practices from other parts of the country!

Participants will take home a wide array of tools and resources to facilitate the development of an entrepreneurship
support system. All participants will receive:

• A database of existing entrepreneurs in their respective county.
• 2 GB jump drive with templates for business start up resources.
• Administrative access to the online resources at www.MyEntre.Net

Instructor Maureen Collins-Williams is the Director of the Regional Business Center and Business Development and Incubation at the University of Northern Iowa. The Regional Business Center serves as an umbrella for several key outreach entrepreneurship programs of the university, including a service/technology business incubator in Waterloo, an Innovation Incubator on the UNI campus, the offices of the SBDC and an award winning entrepreneurship development system called MyEntre.Net. Collins-Williams is a frequent national speaker on topics associated with entrepreneurship and is on faculty at Heartland Economic Development Course and the International Economic Development Council’s Economic Development Institute.

Here are the actual recordings of the Symposium that is changing history and the way we think of the Midwest!

The two main speakers are Jack Schultz and Richard Longworth.
You can find them on 1330 WRAM Radio’s website.
Click here for 1330 WRAM Radio.
Click here for GrowHenryCounty’s MultiMedia page.

Here is a new video of the
Midwest Studies News Conference.
Check it out here!

Greetings!

Join us Wednesday, November 4th from 10:00 am – 2:30 pm at the Iowa Wesleyan College Campus for this important seminar entitled “Entrepreneurship Economic Development: Turning Policy Into Practice.”

This Seminar is for Community Leaders, Elected Officials, Service Providers and others interested in fostering entrepreneurship in their local communities.  Join us at the  Iowa Wesleyan Campus,  Howe Student Activties Center, Mt. Pleasant, Ia.

Entrepreneurship is an increasingly important part of Iowa’s economy.  By the year 2015, more than 20% of America’s rural population is predicted to be self employed.  Entrepreneurs create jobs, generate local wealth and improve the quality of life in Iowa communities.  Learn how to create an entrepreneurship support system to identify, attract and serve locally owned business in your town!  We’ll show you how to do it during this interactive, information packed one day seminar. Read More!