There is something valuable about getting a group of community and business leaders out of their normal surroundings. We recently returned from our eighth Inter-City Visit, this time traveling to Athens, Georgia, with more than 30 leaders from across our four-county region. Every year, I’m reminded that these trips are…
The Ames Regional Economic Alliance hosted its eighth Inter-City Visit September 23-25, bringing more than 30 community and business leaders from across Boone, Greene, Hamilton, and Story counties to Athens, Georgia. The annual visit gives regional leaders an opportunity to learn from another community, explore new ideas and identify opportunities…
The Ames Regional Economic Alliance has a strong track record of working with local, state and federal elected officials to advance issues important to businesses, communities and the broader Ames region. Maintaining those relationships is a core part of the Alliance’s business advocacy work, which continues throughout the year and…
Following a period of detailed review, the Executive Board of Directors of Boone County Economic Growth Corporation (BCEGC) has signed a Letter of Intent with Lightedge Solutions LLC (Lightedge) to purchase 10 acres of land in the Boone Business Park for a colocation facility — a secure building that houses…
Boxcar BBQ celebrated the start of construction on its new restaurant with an official groundbreaking on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The restaurant will be located along South Highway 210, adjacent to the High Trestle Trail in Slater. The restaurant owners and local leaders marked the beginning of the project start…
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) recently announced $39.84 million in workforce housing tax credits to support development in 39 counties across the state. The awards will fund 69 projects expected to create over 2,000 new residential units. “When families have access to quality, affordable homes near good jobs, everyone…
One of the things I am most proud of about the Ames Regional Economic Alliance is the way our team continues to show up. Our staff is engaged in conversations, organizations, initiatives and projects across our region, and they continue to find new ways to lead and contribute. That commitment…
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,…
This past month has been another strong reminder of the incredible role Iowa State University plays in the life of our community and our regional economy. Few things highlight this better than the national attention Ames received when FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff show came to town for the Cy-Hawk football game. The…
Years ago, when I was only months on the job here in Ames, I held one of my first board meetings and timidly outlined a new direction for the organization. I was timid because I wanted to honor the amazing work that had already taken place while instilling new ideas…
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…
The Ames Regional Economic Alliance has a strong track record of working with local, state and federal elected officials to advance issues important to businesses, communities and the broader Ames region. Maintaining those relationships is a core part of the Alliance’s business advocacy work, which continues throughout the year and…
Following a period of detailed review, the Executive Board of Directors of Boone County Economic Growth Corporation (BCEGC) has signed a Letter of Intent with Lightedge Solutions LLC (Lightedge) to purchase 10 acres of land in the Boone Business Park for a colocation facility — a secure building that houses…
Boxcar BBQ celebrated the start of construction on its new restaurant with an official groundbreaking on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The restaurant will be located along South Highway 210, adjacent to the High Trestle Trail in Slater. The restaurant owners and local leaders marked the beginning of the project start…
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) recently announced $39.84 million in workforce housing tax credits to support development in 39 counties across the state. The awards will fund 69 projects expected to create over 2,000 new residential units. “When families have access to quality, affordable homes near good jobs, everyone…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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,…
DES MOINES –The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) and Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) today announced Boone, Grinnell, Le Mars and Maquoketa as the 2027–2028 Iowa Thriving Communities, recognizing their innovation and commitment to advancing housing opportunities. “Boone, Grinnell, Le Mars and Maquoketa have gone above and beyond to unite local…
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…
Lincolnway Energy, located between Ames and Nevada, celebrated the milestone of 1 billion gallons of ethanol produced in January 2023. Originally formed in May 2004, the plant started as a 50 million gallon per year dry mill ethanol plant. Today, it produces close to 95 million gallons of ethanol a…
Evie Peterson is a roll-up-her-sleeves type of entrepreneur who requires little sleep, a lot of coffee, and is not afraid to tackle the next big thing. Over the past 17 years, she has grown a successful catering business into a quintet of companies that has transformed Main Street Nevada. She is relentless…
The Ames Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Program focuses on educating and engaging members on key legislative issues and initiatives impacting the Ames MSA. Maintaining strong relationships with federal, state, and locally elected officials is a key tenet of the Ames Chamber of Commerce, and a service we are proud…
