21 May 2015

Northern Tool + Equipment Celebrating Davenport Store Grand Opening

By Andrea Foss Manos

May 30th event will feature giveaways, free food, live broadcasts and more

BURNSVILLE, Minn. - May 20, 2015 - Northern Tool + Equipment is celebrating the grand opening of its store in Davenport, Iowa, with a customer-appreciation event. During the grand opening, Northern Tool + Equipment will have a variety of giveaways and activities located at 4341 Elmore Ave.

Northern Tool + Equipment's Davenport location allows customers to see 80 percent of the floor from 20 feet inside the front door. Designed with customer convenience in mind, the new store has eight easy-to-shop departments clearly labeled with overhead signage. Products are visible throughout each department, which allows customers to quickly and easily find the tools and equipment they are looking for.

What: Northern Tool + Equipment Davenport Grand Opening Celebration

 

Where: 4341 Elmore Ave., Davenport

 

When:   Saturday, May 30 from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m.

·       Live Broadcasts:

o   10 a.m. - 12 p.m. - KCQQ 106.5

·       Free Food (while supplies last)

·       Prize Giveaways: Thousands of dollars in prizes, including a tool chest, work light, wrench set, impact driver set, workstation and more.

·       Grand Opening Sale with special product deals

 

About the New Store

Northern Tool + Equipment's newest retail location offers customers the tools they need - in a variety of ways. The new store has 18,125 sq. ft. and offers more than 8,000 different products, including a complete line of pressure washers and accessories, generators, hand, power and air tools, trailer parts and accessories, material handling, automotive and apparel. Northern Tool + Equipment is the source for more than 700 different types of trailer parts, tires, and accessories, as well as tools with thousands hand, power and air tools available. The store also offers a full line of gas and electric pressure washers up to 4,000 PSI for tough jobs.

About Northern Tool + Equipment

Northern Tool + Equipment has been a supplier of high-quality tools and equipment for more than 30 years, selling products through direct mail, the Internet and at more than 85 retail locations in 18 states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. Along with a deep selection of hand, power and air tools, Northern Tool + Equipment carries a wide variety of products, including generators, pressure washers, air compressors, hydraulics, small engines, trailers, water pumps, tractors, welding equipment and much more. Northern Tool + Equipment also serves as the exclusive distributor of NorthStarä brand equipment, which is fabricated and assembled at the company's 250,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility located in Faribault, Minnesota. Northern Tool + Equipment's corporate headquarters are located in Burnsville, Minn. For more information, visit www.NorthernTool.com

14 May 2015

A Message from State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald.

By Karen Austin

DES MOINES, IA (05/12/2015)(readMedia)-- With graduation season upon us, there is no better time than now to start planning for the future. Whether your children are graduating from grade school or high school, a contribution to their College Savings Iowa account is a great way to show how proud you are.

While any form of saving for college is better than not saving at all, there are advantages to using a 529 plan, such as College Savings Iowa. With initial and ongoing contribution amounts as low as $25, College Savings Iowa is an affordable way for families to save in order to meet the rising costs of higher education. As a way to help families start saving, we are celebrating 529 College Savings Day on May 29 and giving away a $5,290 College Savings Iowa account. For more information and to enter the giveaway, please visit CollegeSavingsIowa.com any time before May 31.

Administered by my office, College Savings Iowa allows you to choose from multiple investment choices, including four age-based options that take into account the child's age and the account owner's tolerance for risk. As a general rule, age-based accounts opened for younger beneficiaries are heavily invested in stocks early on; these accounts try to maximize returns by taking advantage of the longer time horizon. As the beneficiary nears college age, the assets are automatically shifted to more conservative portfolios. This allows you to protect your capital and reduce the market risk before you begin making withdrawals for college expenses.

In addition, College Savings Iowa offers significant tax benefits to help your savings grow even more. Contributions and earnings grow free of federal and Iowa state income taxes while invested. They remain tax-free when they are used to pay for qualified higher education expenses at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad. Iowa taxpayers who participate in College Savings Iowa are also allowed to deduct up to $3,163 in contributions per beneficiary account from their 2015 adjusted gross income.*

While a college education is an investment that lasts for a lifetime, the season to save for it is a lot like summer vacation - much shorter than you think. Start saving today and help make college a reality for a child in your life.

. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@Iowa529Plan) to stay up to date on all our current events and giveaways.

* Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income. The earnings portion of nonqualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

 

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Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 888-672-9116 or visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing.

12 May 2015

A First-Year Money Management Guide for the New College Grad

By Steve Burke
By Jason Alderman

A young adult's first months out of college are about personal freedom and finding one's path as an adult. Building solid money habits is a big part of that.

Most grads are managing money alone for the first time - finding work, places to live and if they're in the majority, figuring out how to pay off college loans. For many, these are daunting challenges. If you are a young adult - or know one - here are some of the best routines to adopt from the start:

Budgeting (http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/budgeting/) is the first important step in financial planning because it is difficult to make effective financial decisions without knowing where every dollar is actually going. It's a three-part exercise - tracking spending, analyzing where that money has gone and finding ways to direct that spending more effectively toward saving, investing and extinguishing debt. Even if a new grad is looking for work or waiting to find a job, budgeting is a lifetime process that should start immediately.

A graduate's first savings goal should be an emergency fund to cover everyday expenses such as the loss of a job or a major repair. The ultimate purpose of an emergency fund (http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/emergencycalc) is to avoid additional debt or draining savings or investments. Emergency funds should cover at least four to seven months of living expenses.

Retirement may seem a distant spot on the horizon after graduation, but success depends on saving and investing as soon as possible. New grads can benefit from the IRS's Withholding Calculator (http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/IRS-Withholding-Calculator) to determine the right amount of tax is being withheld from weekly paychecks. From there, he or she can evaluate personal retirement savings options and employer's plans as well - both will be necessary to retire effectively. Signing up for automatic deposits into retirement accounts and personal savings allows money to grow without the temptation of spending it first.

Insurance is crucial. Renter's insurance is important not only to cover personal belongings that are lost, stolen or damaged, but most policies cover living expenses in an emergency and offer liability and medical coverage if someone gets hurt at one's apartment. Auto insurance is the law in many states, and even though disability coverage may be available at work, it is important to determine whether additional individual coverage should be purchased. Finally, the Affordable Care Act has made health coverage a must for young adults. New graduates may stay on a parent's plan until the age of 26 even if they have the option for health coverage at work. After age 26, health insurance can be bought privately or through federal and state exchanges.

Young adults should get into the habit of tracking their credit reports from the beginning. By law, everyone has the right to receive all three of their credit reports for free (https://www.annualcreditreport.com) each year, and it is important to stagger requests from the three credit bureaus - Experian, Equifax and TransUnion - to better check for inaccuracies and potential identity theft.

Finally, for those still having trouble making ends meet, moving home for a limited time period could be an option. New grads should negotiate an affordable rent on a fixed timetable and use those savings to create investment accounts that can pay for major goals like a home, a wedding or graduate school. If you're working with a financial advisor already, ask them to weigh in with additional ideas.

Bottom line: The first year out of college, young adults encounter a range of financial challenges that will shape their money behavior for a lifetime. Embracing budgeting, saving and investing is crucial even with the smallest of amount of resources.

07 May 2015

Illinois Job Creators: State Needs Workers' Compensation Reform

By Rick Martin

Illinois currently has the 7th highest workers' compensation costs in the country, more than double neighboring Indiana.

Terry L. Denison, Chairman

Illinois Economic Development Association (IEDA)

"The Illinois Economic Development Association (IEDA) is pleased that Governor Rauner's Administration has focused on key issues that will directly affect economic development in Illinois.  These are issues that must be addressed if Illinois is to remain competitive with our Midwest neighbors, as well as, the rest of the world.  Our members are in the trenches, every day, working to retain, expand, create and recruit job opportunities for our Illinois residents.  We know what it takes to make economic development successful.  One key issue affecting economic development in Illinois is our Workman's Compensation Program and its rates.  They are extremely uncompetitive!  Because of this, Illinois is losing new business opportunities, losing existing companies and losing existing jobs.  Illinois must improve the Workers Comp Program and lower its rates in order to be competitive, again!  If everyone will work together for the greater good of our State, we will accomplish much."

Ryan McCrady, President

Economic Development Corp. of Decatur & Macon County

"We are constantly competing against other states for businesses that are looking to make new investments.  We must also be sensitive to retaining the jobs and businesses that are currently in our communities.  The current workers compensation laws and policies are uncompetitive and making it difficult to attract investment in Illinois. It is critical that adjustments be made to create a workers' compensation system that is competitive with other states, fairly compensates workers, and equitably funds service providers if we want to grow and retain jobs in Illinois.  Workers compensation expense is one of the top factors considered by businesses making location and investment decisions.  We need to make sure our workers compensation environment does not remove Illinois from consideration for these investments.

 

Reggie Greenwood, Executive Director

Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation 

"The State of Illinois passed changes to the Illinois Workers Compensation system in 2011 designed to decrease the costs of workers compensation insurance to Illinois businesses.  Although these reforms were politically difficult to pass and they modified the complex worker compensation process to introduce new opportunities to control costs, they have not significantly made the Illinois systems more competitive compared to Indiana.

The Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation supports the expansion of existing manufacturing companies and attraction of new companies to South Cook and East Will Counties.  In this work, we constantly see evidence of the significantly lower workers compensation costs in Indiana which have been a major factor in the Chicago Southland losing manufacturing companies to Indiana.

We firmly believe in the value of workers compensation and safety regulations to provide a safe working environment for people working in the Chicago Southland.  However, we believe there are significant additional reforms that can continue to lower the costs of workers compensation without damaging worker safety.

The Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation strongly supports Governor Rauner's and the State of Illinois's efforts to increase our ability to promote development in the Chicago Southland by continuing to reform the Illinois Workers Compensation system to make it more cost effective."

 

Pam Cumpata, President

McHenry County Economic Development Corporation

Michael H. Stevens, President & CEO

Lake County Partners

"As we work together to fight for every job, the State's cost of doing business needs to be competitive with our neighbors and other States across the country. Illinois excessive workers' compensation costs, in particular, are a major barrier to our efforts. Reforming workers compensation to bring down costs is critical to creating a level playing field, on which Illinois will succeed due to our skilled workforce, strategic location, and leading global industries."

 

Ivan Baker

Director, Tinley Park Economic Development

Board Member, International Economic Development Council

 

"Businesses have to evaluate all costs in determining locations for expansion and growth.   While Illinois companies emphasize training and safe working environments, they pay the 7th highest workers compensation index rate in the nation....higher than every other state in the Midwest.  High workers comp rates definitely impact the business climate in our great state, and our ability to effectively compete for new jobs."

 

John Greuling

President & CEO, Will County Center for Economic Development

"From manufacturing, to construction, to food processing to energy production, industries across Will County tell us every day they are suffering from extreme workers compensation costs and looking to the borders where costs are drastically lower. Illinois cannot afford to drive these job creators away. We must act now to further reform workers compensation policies to prevent further job losses and to help us attract new investment to grow our economy. "

 

 

David Abshire, Vice President

LB STEEL, LLC

"There is an urgent need for litigation reform relative to Illinois Worker's Comp.  Legal costs drive up Illinois Worker's Comp rates.

Illinois can quickly be much more business friendly by expediting the adoption of important elements of the Indiana Worker's Comp Model."

 

The Rockford Area Economic Development Corporation 

"The Rockford Area EDC surveys a number of companies in the area each year to see what is on the minds of the owners or general managers.

In 2013 we surveyed 112 companies.

Some quotes from local employers:

  • 'The combination of workers compensation laws and unemployment insurance is a problem. We recently had an employee get fired for causing an accident on the job. The former employee denied there ever was an accident and was granted unemployment. The employee then filed for workers' comp.'
  • 'Currently, an employer can hire a new employee. Said employee has an existing injury or illness. If that employee aggravates the existing injury at work, even in the slightest and files a claim, the new employer has just bought that injury. Many States limit the financial liability of the employer in the case of an existing condition.'
  • 'I would like to see a limitation if an employee fails a post-accident drug screen. Many States go so far as to deny workers compensation benefits to an employee who is using drugs or alcohol in the workplace.'
  • 'If an employee is determined to be engaging in activities outside of assigned restrictions away from work, that employee's workers comp benefits should be reduced or suspended.'"
Macomb Area Economic Development Corporation

"Our concern in regards to worker's compensation reform has transitioned from business attraction to business retention.  Simply stated, we cannot afford to lose our manufacturers to other communities outside of Illinois because our state judiciary bodies will not implement and enforce true reform."

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07 May 2015

Results from State Survey of Top Illinois Trade Partners

By Catherine Kelly

CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner today announced and key findings from a state-initiated survey of ten of the state's foreign trading partners.

Collectively, the nations surveyed have invested tens of billions of dollars in the United States and employ hundreds of thousands of American workers, putting them in unique position to compare the strengths and weaknesses of individual states with which Illinois competes. The nations' responses provide a policy roadmap to create economic growth and job creation in Illinois.

A summary memo from DCEO can be found here along with the nations' responses.

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05 May 2015

Improving Millennials' Financial Literacy with Mobile Technology

By Steve Burke

By Jason Alderman

The 2015 Financial Literacy Summit 2015, (http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/summit2015/) held April 15 in Chicago and co-hosted by Visa Inc. and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, focused on how mobile technology might improve millennials' learning, savings and investing behavior in the future.

A recent FICO study said millennials, the demographic born between 1980 and 2000, not only represent the largest group of individuals using mobile banking applications, but also the biggest cohort partaking in Internet browsing, emailing, searching, social networking and news consumption on a smartphone or tablet, bypassing desktop machines entirely. By comparison, only 5 percent of 35-54 year-olds and 3 percent of those 55 years and older are using mobile devices exclusively.

The Summit audience heard particularly eye-opening insights from a panel on how early education and mobile technology applications can help build future generations' financial literacy. While online gaming (http://practicalmoneyskills.com/games/) is showing particular success in training grade- and high-school age students in financial fundamentals, panelists suggested that the broader solution will depend on national educational policy and a broader understanding about young adults and their financial needs.

Amando M. Tetangco, Jr., governor of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank of the Philippines, told the audience that young Filipino adults are "struggling more than their older counterpart groups with regard to budgeting" and retirement planning, but he said he is still optimistic: "I believe there are certain characteristics of millenials that provide opportunities to build [their financial capabilities]. They have a desire for change." Such change, he said, should be driven by data and policy should be made personal and tied to technology solutions embraced by younger citizens.

Panelist Jason Young, CEO and Co-Founder of MindBlown Labs, an Oakland, California-based software developer behind the Thrive 'n' Shine personal finance game app for teens and young adults, said mobile technology will bridge the gap between financial literacy and a lifetime of successful financial decision making. "Eighty to 90 percent of U.S. teens have smart devices. That's huge, but the important thing to understand is that these aren't just things they use. They're a way of life."

Developing a stronger connection between financial literacy education and mobile technology could be beneficial for global educators and policymakers trying to improve spending, saving and investing knowledge for future generations. In January, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a first-time global financial literacy study (http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/pisa-2012-results-volume-vi.htm) that revealed that U.S. students ranked between eighth and twelfth place among all 18 participating countries in overall literacy skills.

Bottom line: Focusing on the way under-35 consumers use smartphones and tablets might provide a way for educators, financial services companies and policymakers to narrow the financial literacy gap
05 May 2015

Governor Rauner Submits Statements of Economic Interest

By Catherine Kelly

Springfield - Governor Bruce Rauner today submitted his statutorily-required Statement of Economic Interests as well as the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interests required by the governor's Executive Order 15-09.

When filling out his Statements of Economic Interests, the governor used a broad definition of "doing business in Illinois" to determine what to include. For example, the governor lists "Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc." even though he owns a minority stake in the organization and the Steelers did not play a game in Illinois during the calendar year.

The statements INCLUDE the holdings of the Rauner Family Foundation.

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05 May 2015

Hy-Vee's Edeker Elected Chairman of the Board for National Association of Chain Drug Stores

By Rick Martin

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (May 1, 2015) – Hy-Vee, Inc. Chairman of the Board, CEO and President Randy Edeker was elected chairman of the board for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) at the trade organization's annual meeting in Florida earlier this week.

As chairman of the board, Edeker will work with the NACDS board of directors, the organization's officers and executive committee members to develop NACDS' policies and priorities and will help carry out the organization's mission. The mission of NACDS is to advance the interests and objectives of the chain community pharmacy industry, by fostering its growth and promoting its role as a provider of healthcare services and consumer products.

Edeker said he is honored to serve NACDS in this evolutionary time in the industry.

"Coming together as an industry to better understand consumers' ever-evolving healthcare needs and how to respond to those changes is extremely important," Edeker said. "I look forward to working with NACDS members and the board of directors to help guide the industry on key issues and policies."

In forecasting what lies ahead for NACDS over the next 12 months, Edeker described ten perspectives on the state of "ever-evolving healthcare." These include ongoing changes related to: Medicaid; healthcare delivery; attitudes and expectations of care; specialty pharmacy; quality measurements; technology and patient-managed health; millennial trends; cybersecurity; growing collaboration among companies through NACDS; and government and political involvement.

Edeker will serve a one-year term as the chairman of the board. He first joined the board in 2013, and in 2014, Edeker served as the NACDS treasurer of the board. Edeker succeeded John Standley, chairman and CEO of Rite Aid Corp.

During his first address as chairman of the board on April 27, Edeker announced that Hy-Vee will be contributing $100,000 to the NACDS Foundation to support research to advance public health.

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05 May 2015

How Extreme Self-Confidence Can End Up Working Against Entrepreneurs

By Ginny Grimsley
More Introspection Is Needed For Long-Term Business Success, Says Former Naval Officer And Business Leader

The entrepreneurial spirit may be taking a hit these days.

Studies show members of the Millennial generation appear less interested than previous generations in starting their own businesses, preferring instead to find work with established companies. In 1989, 11.6 percent of households headed by someone younger than 30 held a stake in or owned a private enterprise; today that percentage is 3.6 percent, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.

Randy H. Nelson finds that troubling, but perhaps understandable.

"The statistics show the odds of success for a new business are pretty dismal," says Nelson, author of the Amazon best-selling book "The Second Decision: The Qualified Entrepreneur." (www.randyhnelson.com/book)

"Half of new U.S. small businesses fail in their first five years, and 70 percent have gone under by year 10. That's not exactly a new trend, but what is a new is that each year in the United States more businesses now are shutting down than are being started."

But Nelson, who developed leadership skills as a Navy submarine officer and has a track record of starting and building successful businesses, says there is a reason for those sobering statistics.

Anyone can become an entrepreneur. No qualifications are required. If more entrepreneurs understood the ramifications of that - and took steps to compensate for their weaknesses - the odds of success could improve, Nelson says.

One problem is entrepreneurs tend to be extraordinarily confident, which can blind them to their weaknesses.

Nelson remembers that early in his business career his wife asked if he knew what he was doing. He assured her he did. Since then, experience taught him he was wrong.

"The truth was, I didn't know what I didn't know," Nelson says.

Over time, Nelson became what he calls a "qualified entrepreneur." He says when he looks back over his 25-year entrepreneurial career that he could clearly identify four components of the qualified entrepreneur, and recently he added the fifth component, self-awareness, which is an important piece of each of the other four.

·  Entrepreneurship. People who become entrepreneurs are usually brimming with self-confidence, Nelson says. That helps them when it comes to making that "first decision" of starting a new company, all but ignoring those sobering odds for failure that would dissuade many others. The entrepreneur optimistically thinks: "I know I can do this."

·  Career-Long learning. Entrepreneurs think growth all the time for their businesses. They preach their vision to employees and hire the best talent to help them reach their goals. But are entrepreneurs growing their skillsets as fast as their companies grow? If not, they risk becoming the wrong person in the wrong seat, with the very employees they hired to take them to the promised land asking: "What value do you bring to the company?"

·  Leadership. The importance of good leadership is paramount to business success, but not all leaders are created equal. Nelson breaks down leaders into four types. The "urgent/reactive" leader thrives on an almost crazed atmosphere where he or she can ride to the rescue, put out the fire and move on to the next problem. There isn't much time for introspection and no real vision. An "ever optimistic" leader starts from the belief there is nothing he or she can't do. "Yes, we can do that!" is the typical answer from this type of leader...leaving it up to their staff to figure out how, even if accepting the new business takes them away from their core focus.

The "reflexively pessimistic" leader plays to survive, not to win. This leader has been toughened by hard times, and always worries about the economy's effect on the business, Nelson says. In some industries easily battered by a downturn, this style can be effective. But if maintained too long, the pessimism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The final leadership style, the "steady/proactive" leader, is the one every CEO should strive to become, Nelson says. This type of leader values productivity and profitable growth above all things, knows how to achieve both and can course-correct no matter the difficulty. "They understand both offense and defense, and can shift between them as cycles dictate," Nelson says.

·  Life cycle. A business has different needs at different stages of the corporate life cycle. The qualified entrepreneur must recognize that. The startup stage is where many entrepreneurs thrive. Creating something from scratch is what they are about. Needs and challenges change, though, as companies enter growth or expansion stages. The entrepreneur's needs change, too, because entrepreneurs have their own life cycle, Nelson says.

First, there's getting the business started, and then there's the second-decision stage when the entrepreneur needs to choose what role he or she plays in the business, and whether others might be better equipped. There's also a third decision when entrepreneurs realize work infringes too much on family and personal time, Nelson says. "To avoid regrets later, you have to consider whether you need to make a stronger commitment to a more balanced life." Finally, there's the end stage when the entrepreneur is finished with the current business and must decide what is next. Having experienced the "exit" twice in his career, Nelson has come to realize that after the sale only a few lives really change. Everybody else goes on with their normal day while the entrepreneur, much like a retired athlete, must figure out how to function without leading their entrepreneurial venture every day.

"Ideally, entrepreneurs and CEOs would be more knowledgeable than everyone we manage," Nelson says. "That's rare, though. The rest of us would benefit from a better understanding of the vast reaches of what we don't know, and a dose of the humility that goes with it, and this is where the self-awareness component comes in."

·  Self-Awareness. Entrepreneurs need to know their strengths and weaknesses, and how they affect the business, Nelson says. Unfortunately, that's a trait they often fail to develop. His suggestion: Surround yourself with people who know more than you (entrepreneurs, leaders, and coaches/advisors who have been through all the life-cycle stages the entrepreneur is navigating through) and learn from them. Once you have a clear understanding of what you do and don't know, you can decide your next steps. Will you continue to lead the business directly; take a supporting role and let someone else lead; or move on to create another business?

About Randy H. Nelson

Randy H. Nelson is a speaker, a coach, a Qualified Entrepreneur, a former nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy and author of "The Second Decision - The Qualified Entrepreneur" (www.randyhnelson.com/book/). He co-founded and later sold two market-leading, multi-million dollar companies ? Orion International and NSTAR Global Services. His proudest professional achievement was at the Fast 50 awards ceremony in the Raleigh, N.C., area when NSTAR, a 10-year-old company, and Orion, a 22-year-old company, were awarded the rankings No. 8 and No. 9, respectively. Nelson now runs Gold Dolphins, LLC, a coaching and consulting firm to help entrepreneurial leaders and CEOs become Qualified Entrepreneurs and achieve their maximum potential. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Miami University, Ohio, and was awarded the Admiral Sidney W. Souers Distinguished Alumni Award there in 2011.

04 May 2015

Event Announcments - MRA Iowa/Western Illinois

By Kathy Riley

 

Event:            ISO 9001: 2008 Internal

Dates:                   Monday, July 20, 2015 and Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Time:                    8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where:                MRA- the Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                      $550 MRA members / $750 nonmembers

 

This two-day class will have a strong emphasis on best practice techniques used to audit the American National Standard ISO 9001-2008 version. The class incorporates planning audits, performing audits, and analysis/reporting of audit observations. The materials and subsequent test is based upon the accredited certified quality auditor's examination.

To register, or for more information on other MRA training, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

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Event:            Supervision: The Essentials

Dates:                   Tuesday, August 18, 2015, Tuesday, August 25, 2015 Tuesday September 1, 2015

Time:                    8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where:                MRA- the Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                      $750 MRA members / $950 nonmembers

First line/front line supervisors and managers on your team are often people who have proven they are very good at doing and now they are being asked to take on a leadership role.  At the same time, you realize leading is not the same as doing and you'd like to help them obtain ideas, concepts, and skills necessary for success in their new position. Newly acquired skills will help them become an asset and a more valuable resource for your organization. When time is tight, you can get caught up in the dilemma of how to achieve greater results with limited resources in a time-controlled, economical, and hard hitting way. MRA is pleased to offer a solution to such a dilemma - Supervision: The Essentials.

This three-day program provides your new, less experienced leaders with ideas and practices they can put to use immediately. Think of it as basic training?compact, concise, focused, and all about applicable skills - nothing but the essentials!

To register, or for more information on other MRA training, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

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Event:            Advanced Communication Series - The Art and Science of Excellence

Dates:                   Friday, July 10, 2015, Friday, July 17, 2015 and Friday, August 7, 2015

Time:                    8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where:                MRA- the Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                      $885 MRA members / $1,170 nonmembers

Push your communication skills to higher levels. In this advanced series, participants will learn how humans take in and process language and information and the ways language and information drive our thinking and behavior. This series will explore current cutting-edge science of the mind and its impact on language, behavior, understanding, and actions. This highly interactive series seeks to move information to awareness and then to action.

To register, or for more information on other MRA training, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

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Event:            Principles of Leadership Excellence Certificate Series

Dates:                   Thursday, July 9, 2015 through Thursday, December 3, 2015

Time:                    8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where:                MRA- the Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                      $3,080 MRA members / $4,050 nonmembers

Success in today's business environment calls for a deep and broad leadership perspective.  Managing a workforce with diverse ages, values, and thinking styles is a daily challenge.  Increasing productivity with fewer resources calls for leaders with the know-how to help employees adapt to change.  Give your leaders the skills to foster innovation with increased employee engagement, and reduce silos of knowledge that result in turf protection.

Principles of Leadership Excellence (PLX) is a comprehensive, practical program that teaches what to do and how to do it, including

·         Highly interactive training methods, proven effective for adult learners

·         Inspiring instructors with real-world experience in the office, on the plant floor, and in the field

·         Continuous skill reinforcement through online resources and support between sessions

·         Sharp focus on skills that managers can put into practice the next day

Managers who participate in the PLX program experience a refreshing approach to management training. It's not a broad-brush, lecture-type series that's quickly forgotten in the reality of day-to-day work.  Designed by MRA, your trusted expert in adult learning, PLX delves frankly and deeply into challenging issues.

To register, or for more information on other MRA training, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

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Event:            Human Resource Professional Certificate Series

 

Dates & Times: Begins August 3, 2015 and runs weekly through August 24, 2015

Where:                MRA-The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities - Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                       $1,100 MRA members / $1,490 nonmembers

 

Get your HRCI credits by attending.  This certificate series is designed specifically for those with at least 3 years of professional level HR experience and for experienced HR professionals looking to improve their overall technical and management knowledge. Prior completion of the Foundations for Human Resource Administration Certificate Series (or comparable coursework or experience) is strongly recommended.

Courses in this series:

To register, or for more information on other MRA training, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

About MRA-The Management Association
Founded in 1901, MRA-The Management is a not-for-profit employer association that serves more than 4,000 employers throughout the Midwest, covering 800,000+ employees. As one of the largest employer associations in the nation, MRA helps its member organizations thrive by creating powerful teams and safe, successful workplaces. MRA conducts more than 2,000 learning events each year. Members of MRA also receive access to expert guidance, best practices, professionally facilitated roundtables, essential tools, and dozens of business services in the areas of human resources and training. MRA is headquartered in Waukesha, Wis., and has regional offices in Palatine, Ill.; Moline, Ill.; and Plymouth, Minn. To learn more and to become a member of MRA, visit www.mranet.org.

 

 

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