The Gazette’s Business Notes are a roundup of the week’s promotions, new hires, certifications, added lines of business and business events, among others, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the rest of the Corridor. Information and photos can be submitted at https://www.thegazette.com/business-notes/submit/
New hires
Genevieve Johnson started as an IT manager in Design Engineers’ Cedar Rapids office.
Calista Bergstrom is now an enrolled assistant at Compass Financial Partners in Cedar Rapids.
Greetings
Erin Christy, wealth manager at Choreo Advisors in Cedar Rapids, was recently named a Next Generation Rising Star by the ThinkAdvisor Luminaries Award program. The award honors individuals with less than 10 years of industry experience who have made impactful contributions to the wealth management industry.
Newsweek has named Dubuque-based Dupaco Community Credit Union one of the best regional credit unions in the United States for 2025, one of three Iowa credit unions cited in the publication’s rankings. Areas of assessment include overall financial health, profitability, exposure to risks and potential losses, and lending and leasing activity.
Other news
New owner: James Heiress is the new owner of Air Quality Systems, 1570 42nd St. NE in Cedar Rapids. AQS, established in 1989, provides solutions to common indoor air quality problems in homes and businesses, such as moldy basements, unpleasant odors, excessive bacteria, virus removal and pet odors. Electronic air purifier sales and service is the main focus.
Training for entrepreneurs: The University of Iowa Venture School’s entrepreneurial training program is accepting applications for spring classes held across the state beginning the week of March 3. Sessions meet one night a week for seven weeks as a hybrid (in person/online). completely remotely, or in person, depending on the location. The last class of the session is a School of Entrepreneurship Launch Day competition to be held on the week of April 21st. The cost is $299 per team and each School of Entrepreneurship team will be assigned a local entrepreneur as a coach. To apply, visit venture-school.com. The deadline for applications is February 28.
Business network: The SCORE Personal Roundtables for Networking and Business Skills Development will be held on Thursday, January 23, in Cedar Rapids. The breakfast meeting will be from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Scott’s Family Restaurant, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd. WE. The lunch meeting in Cedar Rapids will be 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Parlor City Pub & Eatery, 1125 Third St. SE. A roundtable discussion will be in Waterloo on Jan. 28 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Cabin Coffee, 2040 Kimball Ave. For more information, email mark.hermann@scorevolunteer.org
Ernst highlights Jones County business: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, last week named Boomerang Corp. of Jones County as its Small Business of the Week.
Bryce Ricklefs opened Ricklefs Excavating in Anamosa in 1998 to support construction projects, later adding more grading and excavation work and expanding into wastewater management, roadworks and large-scale infrastructure. In 2017, the company was rebranded as Boomerang Corp. The business, which employs 200, uses ductless technology to replace pipes with minimal destruction.
Ernst, chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, is naming an outstanding small business of the week in each of Iowa’s counties this congressional session.
Business Notes for January 19, 2025
Calista Bergstrom, Compass Financial Partners
Erin Christy, Choreo Advisors
James Heires, Air Quality Systems
Genevieve Johnson, Design Engineers
