L&J Industries, Charles City L&J Industries was founded in 1965 by James B. Garden as a small welding and repair shop in Charles City. Now, L&J Industries operates as a full-service metal manufacturing facility specializing in grain bin floor systems. Chris Garden, current President and Owner/Operator, took over L&J Industries from his father in 2003 […]
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Fiddle Dee Dee, Keota When Keota native Lori Hammes grew tired of hauling, loading, and storing the items she took to shows, she sought a solution to continue selling her handmade items without the stress of transporting them between shows. Lori first started Fiddle Dee Dee as a side operation out of a house in
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Sigourney Upholstery, Sigourney Sigourney Upholstery was opened after the owner, Donna Grossman, discovered how amazing antiques are. She found herself able to find furniture pieces sold for cheap simply because of bad upholstery. So in 2018, Donna found herself doing this as a hobby, which ended up turning into people asking her to complete projects
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Small Business of the Month Award Each month, all 15 of our regional centers submit nominations for what they consider to be the Business of the Month. Businesses are selected due to their recent successes in their industry, their development, and the impact they have had on their communities. This program was started in 2015
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Deb Dalziel Woman Entrepreneur Achievement Award The Deb Dalziel Woman Entrepreneur Achievement Award is awarded annually to women who have significantly improved or changed their own personal situation, thus having an impact on others around them. The award was established in 1999 by America’s SBDC Iowa to help highlight the accomplishments of women entrepreneurs in
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Saltlickers, Nevada “People would want this. They would buy this!” was the recommendation from Jennifer Knox’s friend when she tried Jen’s spice blends for the first time. Little did Jen know just how true her friend’s statement was. In 2011, Jennifer debuted her herb blends as holiday gifts, which eventually were sold in farmers’ markets
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Fika Coffee Hus, Stanton Dwayne and Terri Vennerberg are the owners of Fika Coffee Hus, which is located in the small southwestern Iowa town of Stanton. Fika Coffee Hus opened in May of 2021. Terri always thought it was interesting that the town did not have its own coffee shop. After a survey was conducted
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The Ragged Edge Art Bar and Gallery, Cedar Falls The Ragged Edge Art Bar and Gallery opened its doors in Cedar Falls in October of 2020. Kendra Wohlert, Ragged Edge’s owner, was born and raised in the Cedar Valley but left the area in 1987. She obtained her music education degrees in California and Arizona
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The Runner’s Flat, Cedar Falls Sarah Gall is a passionate runner. Graduating from the University of Colorado on a cross-country scholarship, Sarah was invited to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team on two occasions. Taking what she learned in college and combining it with her passion (running), Sarah ventured out to see if the Waterloo/Cedar
Get Funky Gifts and Stuff, Sioux City Wendy Wright is a lifelong entrepreneur who saw a need in her community and decided to fill it. A residential appraiser for 20 years, Wendy approached Dan Wubbena, regional director of the Western Iowa Tech Small Business Development Center (SBDC), in early 2010 to seek advice on opening
