Pre-Employment Seminar This Week - Monday Memo 3/29/22
March 28, 2022
Biennial Program on Pre-Employment Testing Wednesday at ABI
This Wednesday (March 30), ABI will host the 2022 edition of the association’s biennial ABI Pre-Employment Testing Program. The seminar will include the latest information on the status of pre-employment testing (such as drug-testing) processes and what they mean for your company. The program will also include other information, such as best-practice data from other companies. You can still register by clicking on Summary - Pre-employment Seminar (cvent.com). As in past years, this program is of special value to human resources, risk management, and other staff members.
Next ABI Legislative Update Friday
Also being held this week is the next edition of the biweekly ABI legislative updates. As you read about in the latest ABI e-newsletter, there was a great deal of activity at the Statehouse on ABI priorities last week. Friday’s update will provide the most up-to-date information from the Capitol. Information about bills, legislative proposals, state actions, and other matters are covered in each Zoom. Your specific questions about those topics are also very much welcomed. The members-only update is free as a part of your ABI membership, but please register at Legislative Update (Members Only) | Iowa Association of Business and Industry (iowaabi.org).
ABI Executive Committee Meets by Zoom Next Week; Board Meets May 12 in Ames
The April meeting of the ABI Executive Committee will be held by Zoom next week. ABI Chair Jack Hasken (Jackson Mfg., Maquoketa) and members of the association’s Executive Committee will meet the morning of April 7 and committee members can expect to see the usual packet of meeting materials in their email in-basket later this week.
The ABI Board of Directors will next meet on May 12. The meeting will be held at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. A special guest has been invited and other things, such as what could be a final report on the General Assembly’s 2022 session, will be on tap. We hope you can attend and please stay tuned for more information.
Terrific 2022 Taking Care of Business Conference Ahead
ABI’s 119th Annual Convention will be held in Dubuque in just three months. The convention, the 2022 ABI Taking Care of Business Conference, is scheduled for June 14-16.
Over two hundred people have already registered, with many more than that already reserving rooms at the conference flagship hotel, the Hotel Julien. If you haven’t done so, you can register now by clicking on https://www.iowaabi.org/events/annual-conference/.
Using that same link, you can access information about the terrific speaker lineup, see the fabulous venues, register for golf at one of Iowa’s most beautiful private clubs, the newly refreshed Dubuque Golf and Country Club (Home - dubuquegolf.org), make your lodging reservations, and make plans to participate in the very best business networking in Iowa. You don’t want to miss it!
ABI/CIRAS Iowa Food Manufacturing Industry Seminar to be Held May 4th
You may recall that ABI and CIRAS (the Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State University) had partnered on producing the Iowa Food Manufacturing Industry Overview and Challenges Seminar. The event was planned for some months ago, but had to be postponed.
The seminar now has been rescheduled and it will be held on May 4th at ISU in Ames. Substantive topics such as supply chains and logistics, government regulations, environmental considerations, and much more will be a part of the program.
One cool aspect of the seminar will be tours of terrific industry facilities on campus. The Food Polymer Lab, Meat Science Lab, and tours of other cutting-edge facilities will be available. Watch for more information soon, but for now, mark May 4 on your calendar.
ABI Members See Growth Ahead in Q2
As you will recall and as directed by the ABI Board of Directors a few years ago, ABI created the “ABI Quarterly Iowa Business Survey.” The goal of the initiative is to collect very basic information about board members’ projections for the coming quarter. ABI then releases the aggregate data to the media and the public.
The survey completed last week pertains to the second quarter of calendar year 2022. Those responding to the survey see growth ahead. Increases in sales, employment, and capital expenditures are projected. As you can imagine, however, there was a great deal of concern expressed about supply chain issues, increases in materials costs, global issues, and more. To read the media release about the survey, click here: Iowa Manufacturers Plan for Capital Expenditures, Increased Sales in Second Quarter | Iowa Association of Business and Industry (iowaabi.org).
ABI Members Invited to Participate in COVID Syndrome Study
Dr. Joseph Jones, the Executive Director of the Harkin Center at Drake University has contacted ABI about a research project and has invited ABI members who have an interest to participate. The project is being led by Harkin Fellow Dr. Wendy Coduti. It is a study on Workplace Supports and Accommodations for Individuals with Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome. If you wish to participate or desire further information, please contact Dr. Jones at joseph.jones@drake.edu.
Jack Soener Turns 90 Tomorrow
Many of you well recall Jack Soener. Jack was one of three veteran staffers that led the way for ABI for over 30 years each (Jan Meek and Don Hauser were the others). Jack’s impact on ABI (and before it, for the Iowa Manufacturers Association) was vital to the association’s legislative success for decades.
It was a very pleasant surprise to receive a phone call from Jack’s wife, Betty Soener (herself a statehouse regular). Betty wanted us to know that Jack will celebrate his 90th birthday tomorrow, March 29th. If you are inclined to send a card, Betty said Jack would appreciate it. For all of us who send a card, it will be great to help Jack celebrate. Happy birthday to Jack Soener!
Former Board Member Mara Sovey Highlighted
It was fun to read a feature in the Quad Cities Business Journal about former ABI Board Member Mara Sovey (Deere & Company, Moline). Mara discusses her career at Deere and the way she approaches her job. If you wish to read it, please click here: Downing leads team devoted to sharing John Deere’s story (quadcitiesbusiness.com). Congratulations, Mara, on the great coverage!
Remembrances of Roger
Last week’s memo carried the news that former ABI Chair Roger Lande (Stanley, Lande, and Hunter Law Firm, Muscatine) had passed away. Read more about Roger here: Roger L. Lande Obituary | Roger L. Lande Obituary | Roger L. Lande Obituary | (wittichfuneralhome.com).
Several of you sent brief messages about Roger and more than one mentioned that Roger wasn’t the first attorney who served as ABI Chair. That’s true, but that’s not what I wrote. I wrote that Roger was the first attorney in private practice to serve as Chair, and that is true. By the way, many of you know former ABI Chair Bill Brown (BrownWinick, Des Moines) and to this day, Bill and Roger are the only two attorney in the private practice of law to serve as Chair. Thank you to those of who sent messages; it was fun to remember Roger.