Winn-Worth Betco News

Despite Scarville’s size, one small-town bar continues to thrive, bringing the community together in the process. R Bar in Scarville was managed by Billie Langfald before it came into her ownership in October 2016. She always loved working as a waitress and bartender and claims her was her dream to ow...Continue Reading

Lori McNally, Kensett city clerk, is retiring after 30 years in the position on Jan. 31. McNally started her training on Oct. 24, 1991, and officially took over the position on Jan. 1 the following year. McNally loves the City of Kensett and wanted to serve the community just as her predecesso...Continue Reading

States have always competed for new development projects and expansions to broaden their tax base and create good-paying jobs for their workers. Incentive packages typically include free workforce recruitment, training, and other support, as long as the companies hit their investment and employment goals. However, the COVID-19 has disrupted th...Continue Reading

It’s no secret that the recipe for economic success usually includes generous portions of innovation and technology. That has been part of the economic development story for many years in such places as Boston, Seattle, the Research Triangle, and Silicon Valley. But just as you can find more and more cutting-edg...Continue Reading

As the U.S. economy continues its recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are encountering an increasingly difficult talent landscape fraught with challenges related to the attraction and retention of the talent upon which their business relies. This is particularly true for the most advanced technical job roles...Continue Reading

Last November, Forest City gained a new phone store when US Cellular moved into the former gas station across from NSB Bank. Overlooked by the company Appliance Plus, they believed this building was a convenient spot for locals, as well as travelers from nearby towns. The building’s conversion process from ...Continue Reading

I'm mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” declared the longtime news anchor Howard Beale in the 1975 film classic Network. A similar debate is raging across the world about the future of work, and there is a lot more at issue than how often to commute...Continue Reading

As businesses navigate a new world following the global pandemic, most will need to adapt to a more agile workplace. An overarching result of the pandemic was the population diffusion of city centers. As COVID cases continue to affect our society, a return to downtown metro areas has been slo...Continue Reading

Even as state and regional education systems and business coalitions roll out reams of computer, tech and STEM skills certification and boot camp programs, Big Tech behemoths is doing the same. Companies such as Google, Intel, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, LinkedIn and beyond have developed their own academic portfolios in orde...Continue Reading

To address local disparities and help struggling areas thrive, governments at all levels have spent hundreds of billions of dollars over the past 40 years on a range of geographically targeted, or “place-based,” economic development programs — mostly in the form of financial incentives — designed to boost job creatio...Continue Reading

Despite the slowdown in elective medical procedures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 has been a banner year for medical device manufacturers. Capital commitments within the sector, according to a report issued in late July by Silicon Valley Bank, are way up. “Looking at dollars raised,” says the report, “U.S. an...Continue Reading

DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa manufacturers expect increased sales and plan to invest in capital expenditures in the first quarter of 2022, according to the latest Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) Quarterly Business Survey. ABI sent this survey to its board in late November.  Seventy-six (76) percent of respondent...Continue Reading

The $222 million replacement of the Merchants Bridge across the Mississippi River at St. Louis reached a milestone in September with the installation of the first of three new trusses. Dating to 1890, the Merchants Bridge serves six Class I railroads and Amtrak in the nation’s second largest rail hu...Continue Reading

Congratulations on an amazing year of successes, learning opportunities and improvements for you and your business. It’s no easy task running a company, and it can take a toll on you. As the year comes to an end, let’s talk about how to keep you energized in the coming year. Her...Continue Reading

For the next few weeks, there will be no escape from magazine covers that champion a "New Year, New You" (or friends who have vowed to start green juicing). But whether you're the type who makes and breaks resolutions quickly or has steadily improved your life year after year, you'r...Continue Reading

We all know that in the past two years, the only constant for small business owners has been change. Thousands of businesses changed their business model at the onset of the pandemic, introducing new products or services and embracing new channels to reach their customers. Thousands more launched new businesse...Continue Reading

With years of alteration experience, Northwood local Brittany Low began working independently as a seamstress in 2017. By the end of the year, she had turned her business into a formal wear shop named Fringe and Lace by Brittany. Fringe and Lace By Brittany carries four different designers and six mai...Continue Reading

Leaders tend to spread themselves thin. They want to have a hand in every aspect of their business. Yet, while some may see this tendency as dedication, in reality, it pulls leaders' focus in too many directions. To minimize the problem, some leaders are looking for a way to keep themselve...Continue Reading

Iowa lawmakers are being urged to spend more state tax dollars to transform public spaces. Placemaking is the buzz word several Iowa business and economic development groups are using to describe the process of improving already existing attractions and creating new public spaces. Dustin Miller, executive director of the Iowa Chambe...Continue Reading

The Winn-Worth Betco region is not only ideal for growing businesses, but also for growing families. Great schools, low housing prices, scholarships for graduating seniors, outdoor recreation, entertainment, restaurants, shops, and even a casino work to create a vibrant lifestyle reminiscent of a much larger city. Communities here offer th...Continue Reading

This past year saw Main Street undergo a rapid transformation, fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic. Faced with funding, supply chain and staffing shortages, small business owners proved they were up to the many challenges that came their way and pushed forward, demonstrating more determination than ever before. And so i...Continue Reading

We're proud to end 2021 with another stellar year of updates, new features and new tools for GIS planning clients. This unmatched stream of innovation is the reason ZoomProspector has consistently remained the industry's top choice of GIS data software for going on 24 years.  Here's a recap of some o...Continue Reading

The Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation (EDC) both play an important role in a community, but, what's the difference between the two? This is a question that is frequently asked by businesses in the community as they try to divide where to invest their membership dollars and ho...Continue Reading

In 2019, Mary Wise and her husband transformed their family auctioning business in Manly into a venue called Lanterns and Lace. Throughout their time in the auction business, people suggested that she open the building up for venue reservations. When she and her husband were ready to retire, they felt i...Continue Reading