Forty leaders from across Iowa have been selected to participate in the 2026-27 Leadership Iowa program, Iowa’s premier statewide leadership experience offered by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) Foundation. Among this year’s class is Eric Smidt, Vice President of Marketing & Communications for the Ames Regional Economic…
The Ames Regional Economic Alliance is excited to welcome Taylor Nokes as the new Executive Director of the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce. “Taylor brings a strong combination of business experience, relationship-building skills and a problem-solving mindset that will serve the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce well,” said…
Jennifer Luengas-Otto, Director of Economic Development for the Ames Regional Economic Alliance and Executive Director of the Nevada Economic Development Council, recently completed a 2½-year fellowship with the national Economic Recovery Corps (ERC). The experience provided Jennifer with a unique opportunity to work on rural economic development in Iowa while…
The Ames Regional Economic Alliance and the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce are announcing a new partnership that will bring the resources, expertise and regional reach of the Alliance to the Chamber while building on the strong foundation already established by the Webster City business community. Under the partnership,…
The Ames Documentary Film Festival has announced the 11 official selections for its inaugural festival, taking place Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the Ames Public Library. The inaugural lineup features documentaries from four countries and four states, offering audiences a diverse collection of nonfiction stories exploring history, family, community, the environment,…
When David Cook walks across Iowa State University’s central campus, it still feels familiar. The Campanile. The Memorial Union. The sidewalks stretching between Beardshear Hall and Curtiss Hall. For Iowa State’s 17th president, the path back to Ames is more than a career milestone, it is deeply personal. Cook officially…
Growing Iowa’s Economy will promote the responsible development of new data centers in order to help: Iowa (Monday, August 3, 2026) – Today, a bipartisan group of Iowa labor, economic development, business and issue advocacy leaders announced the launch of Growing Iowa’s Economy. The coalition will advocate for policies to…
As July comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the conversations happening across our community. Last week, we shared an op-ed, We Owe It to Ourselves to Consider the Opportunity, regarding the possibility of a data center locating in Ames. I knew it might not be a universally popular position,…
AMES, Iowa — Ames Regional Economic Alliance (AREA) and United Way of Story County (UWSC) have released the results of the Story County Child Care Feasibility Study, offering a practical, evidence-based roadmap to improve child care access, affordability, and quality across the region. The study assesses the local child care…
By Dan Culhane, President & CEO, Ames Regional Economic Alliance Few topics have generated as much discussion in our community recently as the possibility of a data center locating in Ames. That conversation can be healthy. Large projects should invite questions, careful analysis, and public input. They should also withstand…
CrawDaddy Outdoors is bringing a renewed kind of energy to Ames, one built around exploration, skill building, and a willingness to step beyond the familiar. Originally founded in Waverly, Iowa, the outdoor retailer and adventure company has expanded into Downtown Ames, creating a hub for both seasoned adventurers and those…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: What has been accomplished? Five years ago, Story County began working on expanding rural broadband throughout the county. As of this year resources have been secured to bring accessible and affordable broadband to 100% of the unincorporated areas in Story County. Much implementation has already been done,…
I recently attended the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) annual conference in Philadelphia. It’s a conference that I attend often, as do others within our organization. The programming is always excellent, and it gives our team an opportunity not only to learn from others but also to reflect…
As a leader, I try to spend most of my time shining a light on the many positive things happening across our region. And truthfully, that’s easy to do—we live in a community filled with innovation, collaboration, and momentum. But the reality is, not everything we do succeeds. Failure is…
Earlier this month, we proudly broke ground—ceremonially, at least—on the highly anticipated Daisy Brand project in Boone. Though the rain kept us from putting actual shovels in the dirt, it didn’t dampen our excitement or the significance of the moment. We celebrated a $1.2 billion investment coming into our region…
On Episode #004 of the AREA Podcast, Jill Klindt, Chief Financial Officer of Workiva said, “If you’re not building something new, then you’re not growing. So, it’s really important to find the next thing.” I think about this often because it gets at the heart of what drives the Ames…
One of the greatest responsibilities of leadership is building a strong team. Over the years, I’ve learned that the best way to do that is to hire people who are better than you in key areas—and then give them the authority to lead. Too often, leaders hire for comfort rather…
One of the things I love most about our team is that we never stop searching for the next opportunity. Whether it’s connecting businesses through networking, driving new housing developments, or expanding the ways we tell our region’s story, our passion for making a positive impact never fades. Economic development…
If you’re anything like me, you’re eager to fully embrace 2025. Now that we’re already a month into the year, 2024 feels like a distant memory. While I tend to focus on the future, I encourage you to take a moment to review our 2024 Annual Report if you haven’t…
The end of another year is now here, and I can tell you that 2024 has been nothing short of transformative. As we look back on the past twelve months, it’s clear that this year has been filled with opportunities and milestones that have shaped our organization and the communities…
As we approach the end of the year slow down, I can say that it feels nothing like a slow down around the Alliance office. Each week feels more hectic than the last. From end of year events to working with prospective companies who are interested in locating to the…
This fall, the hosts of the Discovery Channel’s show, “RV There Yet?” visited our region to record an episode for season four of their popular show. It’s a project that we had been working on for months, and it was an exciting week for our team when they were in…
I recently returned from northern Minnesota where I presented for two days at the Upper Midwest Economic Development Course. I’ve had the honor of presenting there several times over the years and it is always an event that I look forward to. Speaking to emerging economic development leaders from around…
Earlier this month, we announced that the hosts of the Discovery Channel’s popular show, “RV There Yet?” will visit the Ames area in early October to record an episode on our region. The show will feature local amenities in Boone and Story County, including the Rail Explorers in Boone, Reiman…
The Ames Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2023 Inter-City Visit from October 18-20, where city and community leaders from Ames, Boone, and Nevada toured Lafayette and West Lafayette, Indiana, and met with their community leaders. “The goal of the 2023 Inter-City Visit is straightforward,” said Dan Culhane, President & CEO…
Danfoss Power Solutions campus in Ames is undergoing an expansion project that will double the space for engineers to do work on innovative solutions with a focus on sustainability. Known internally as Americas Application Development Center (ADC), the area will focus on research and development and will be available to…
Empire Reality, LLC will be constructing eight market rate rental units on four infill lots in West Boone. The Ringold Estates project will consist of four twin homes. Josh and Heidi Walters, owners of Empire Realty, LLC explain, “This State of Iowa funding is critical to move our Ringold Estates project forward. We…
In a Statewide announcement made Friday, August 11th the following Ames MSA housing projects were awarded Workforce Housing Tax Credits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Awarded $1.0 M in state funding assistance, Nevada Flats, LLC will add sixty market rate apartments in the Nevada community when complete. The proposed…
YSS celebrated their ninth Kids Club location with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, August 1 at the Colo-NESCO Middle/High School. “It’s been a year’s worth of planning and pulling things together and we’re really excited to kick this thing off,” said Marc Snavely, Colo-NESCO Superintendent and Elementary Principal. YSS Kids…
The Iowa Economic Authority (IEDA) has announced funding for two companies in the Ames MSA. State funding has been approved for M.H. Eby, Inc. in Story City and Mid-States Material Handling and Fabrication in Nevada. M.H. Eby, Inc. M.H. Eby was founded in 1938, as a manufacturer of wood livestock…
The Ames Chamber of Commerce is excited to welcome Ottie Maxey to the team as Director of Business Retention & Expansion. “A large part of job growth in any region is the result of businesses and companies growing and expanding,” said Dan Culhane, President & CEO of the Ames Chamber…
Earlier this month, the State of Iowa identified and ranked 96 new “Broadband Intervention Zones” for its Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. The status makes areas eligible for “enhanced incentives” and “higher prioritization” for state dollars, according to a news release from the state. These zones identified by local…
Dan Culhane, President & CEO of the Ames Chamber of Commerce, has been selected as this year’s Leadership for Iowa Award winner. The award is presented annually to a past participant of the Leadership Iowa program who exemplifies quality leadership both on a community and statewide level and demonstrates a…
The Ames Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce that Emory Widlowski has been promoted to Director of Events. As Director of Events, Emory Widlowski will continue to manage the planning and organization of events on behalf of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and affiliate organizations. Widlowski has been with…
(May 5, 2023) – The Ames Chamber of Commerce, Ames Economic Development Commission (AEDC), and partner organizations will be celebrating National Economic Development Week from May 8 – 12, 2023 to showcase the contributions of positive economic development and ongoing economic development projects in our communities. “Economic Development Week is…
The Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market (AMSFM) kicks off its 13th season on Saturday, May 6. The 2023 market season will run every Saturday through October 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in historic Downtown Ames. In October, the market hours will change to 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.The…
Earlier this week, the board of directors for the Ames Chamber of Commerce and Ames Economic Development Commission met together for a joint meeting. We annually have this joint meeting as a way to bring together the two parts of our organization for not only the business meeting, but a…
Greetings from the Ames Chamber of Commerce! For those in attendance, I hope you enjoyed listening to Brian Dieter, President & CEO of Mary Greeley Medical Center, speak at our State of Healthcare event that took place on Friday, September 23. I know I did! He discussed a wide range…
When David Cook walks across Iowa State University’s central campus, it still feels familiar. The Campanile. The Memorial Union. The sidewalks stretching between Beardshear Hall and Curtiss Hall. For Iowa State’s 17th president, the path back to Ames is more than a career milestone, it is deeply personal. Cook officially…
CrawDaddy Outdoors is bringing a renewed kind of energy to Ames, one built around exploration, skill building, and a willingness to step beyond the familiar. Originally founded in Waverly, Iowa, the outdoor retailer and adventure company has expanded into Downtown Ames, creating a hub for both seasoned adventurers and those…
For nearly five decades, Technical Services, Inc. has quietly helped manufacturers solve some of their most complex production challenges. From custom automation equipment to precision machining and robotics integration, the Ames-based company has built its reputation on designing systems tailored to the exact needs of its customers. Founded in 1977…
On the west side of Ames, The Dot has quickly become a go-to spot for fresh, thoughtfully prepared breakfast & lunch, and a welcoming, community-focused atmosphere. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Dot keeps things simple in the best way, serving breakfast all day and…
Piece & Freedom Bakery has quickly established itself as a distinctive addition to Downtown Ames. The Ukrainian-owned bakery recently marked its one-year anniversary and was honored as the Trailblazer of the Year by the Ames Regional Economic Alliance. Together, those milestones reflect both the business’ early success and its growing…
The Ames Regional Economic Alliance Business Advocacy Program focuses on educating and engaging members on key legislative issues and initiatives impacting the Ames region. Maintaining strong relationships with federal, state, and locally elected officials is a key tenet of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, and a service we are proud…
Magic Matt’s Cleaning didn’t begin with a flashy business plan or rapid-growth ambition. Instead, it started with a simple belief: people deserve a home and workplace they feel proud of and a service company they can truly trust. That belief, paired with a commitment to showing up and doing the…
For more than 50 years, Mary Ann’s Specialty Foods has blended tradition, innovation, and family leadership into a nationally recognized meat business rooted in Webster City. Founded by William “Bill” Korleski in the early 1970s, the company began as a small-town operation built on expertly seasoned and smoked meats. Today,…
At Northwest Bank, community engagement is not a side initiative; it is central to how the bank operates. In Ames, that commitment is reflected through consistent leadership, meaningful volunteerism, and an intentional investment in people and places. Honored as the 2025 Business of the Year, Northwest Bank continues to stand…
When people think of Italian cuisine, the Barilla name often comes to mind. Founded in Parma, Italy in 1877, Barilla has spent more than four generations perfecting the craft of pasta making. But while its heart may be Italian, one of its most important homes is right here in Ames,…
In 2025, Harold Pike Construction (HPC) marked a remarkable milestone: fifty years of shaping Ames and communities across central Iowa. Founded in 1975 by Harold and Julie Pike, the company began with a simple but powerful mission: to meet the construction needs of homeowners, businesses, developers, and Iowa State University…
For Eric Chriswisser, owner of All Star Auto Glass in Ames, great service starts with local pride. “We wanted to build a company that people could trust; not just because of our work, but because they know we’re part of the community,” Chriswisser says. “When you call us, you’re talking…
