(Spencer)-Businesses in the corridor will be once again asked to participate in an annual survey.
Kiley Miller, CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation says the survey is known as “Best of Iowa” interviews:
“Every year, the State of Iowa, led by all of the Iowa Utilities, so in this area, let’s talk Alliant, let’s talk Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative, they send economic development groups out to meet with our largest employers. We go out with a whole interview schedule and we ask them things like, how’s business going? What’s your new deal pipeline, what are your new developments of product, and even like, are your utility services adequate, and we put all that information together. For us, and for local government, it helps us know if we’ve got some challenges, but at the big macro level, they strip off all those company names, and then they look and say, what’s the health of Iowa overall. So, every year we’re out doing those interviews.”
Miller says they started conducting the interview in March of this year, but had to suspend them due to COVID-19 concerns:
“Now the State of Iowa is asking us to go back out and meet with companies and they’ve expanded that interview process, and so we’re going to ask the same old questions, but we’re going to add to it, things like what’s your current employment rate, did you drop employees and bring them back or do you expect to reduce employees. So, questions related to the impact of COVID-19.”
Miller is encouraging businesses to participate in the survey:
“We would ask that business leaders take the time if we inquire about an interview to schedule a Best of Iowa interview with us, because this date will help the State determine its response to COVID-19.”
For details contact the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation in Spencer.
