University of Iowa, Iowa Western partner in support of small businesses

The University of Iowa and Iowa Western Community College invited Council Bluffs’ business community to celebrate the institutions’ new collaboration to support small businesses.

UI Partners will offer information technology solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses without their own IT departments while offering Iowa Western students the opportunity to gain real-world skills and experience.

The program will be based out of Iowa Western’s entrepreneurial incubation center, The Port, which opened several months ago as one of several new initiatives designed to encourage southwest Iowa residents to start their own businesses by offering technical support and office space.

“We are very happy to come out and celebrate today,” Sue Diercks, president of the Cee Bee Ambassadors, said to kick off Tuesday morning’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh said he appreciated seeing the growth of The Port, which opened last July, and the commitment from the Iowa City-based university.

“To bring in the University of Iowa is a great opportunity for the students and for the community college,” he said. “It’s good to be out here and see this opportunity expand.”

Iowa Western President Dan Kinney said he has been twisting the arm of a university leader for years to bring a partnership to Council Bluffs.

“The University of Iowa has some capabilities and some assets that will help with what we’re already doing here at Iowa Western,” he said. “It will be, long-term, a very good thing to stimulate and actually help the economy grow here in southwest Iowa. We’re excited about it.”

Bob Mundt, president and CEO of the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce, said he looks forward to sending businesses to the UI Partners and The Port to help take their ideas and make them into the businesses of tomorrow.

“This has been something we’ve been trying to do for a long time,” he said. “Thank you so much for your investment here. On behalf of the chamber and all of our members, we’re looking forward to working with you on this.”

The new offering will add to other programs housed at Iowa Western, including the Small Business Development Center. Mark Stanley, executive director of economic and workforce development at Iowa Western, said the center would work in cooperation with UI Partners. (full article...)

By Scott Stewart, World-Herald News Service, January 14, 2015