JANUARY 21, 2011 Central Iowa’s premier source for business news Price: $1.75 All together Rona Berinobis focuses on workforce inclusion at Wellmark. Page 6 Such a deal Gwen Page brought new diners to Fong’s Pizza with an online coupon offer. Page 12 Dice Holdings Inc. to build new Urbandale operations center to Too low-tech house expanding Columnist Jeffrey Gitomer global business confronts the end of the business card era. Page 23 [ Page 8 ] Paul Melde, vice president of technology !'LOBAL!PPROACH TO)NTEGRATED-ARKETING Sigler Companies delivers scalable marketing solutions to clients around the world and around the corner. From technologically sophisticated to highly targeted, Sigler Companies offers a diverse set of business communication services. A few of our recent advances include: s3IGLERSVARIABLEDATAPRESSESANDINTELLIGENTBARCODINGFORMAILINGS s3IGNIFYSDIRECT TO GARMENTEMBROIDERYCAPABILITIES s)NNOVASROLEINTHElELDOFEMERGINGMEDIA MOBILEMARKETINGANDSOCIALMEDIA For over 50 years, Sigler Companies has been a source for innovation and ingenuity INMEETINGOURCLIENTSMARKETINGNEEDS*OINUSFORWHATSNEXT INNOVAnAMARKETINGANDCREATIVESERVICESAGENCYPROVIDINGSTRATEGICMARKETING GRAPHICDESIGN ANDCOPYWRITINGASWELLASINTERACTIVEMEDIAANDTARGETED(ISPANICMARKETINGSERVICES SIGLER nFORTOP QUALITYCOMMERCIALPRINTING lNISHING MAILINGANDONLINEFULlLLMENT SIGNIFY – providing inhouse design, embroidery and screenprinting on apparel and merchandise ssswww.siglercompanies.comsss 2 Business Record | www.businessrecord.com JANUARY 21 , 2011 Business Record Staff Contact us at: (515) 288-3336 VOLUME 29 • NUMBER 3 • JANUARY 21, 2011 [email protected] ThisWeek [email protected] [email protected] Editor Jim Pollock Copy Editor Stephen McIntire Senior Staff Writers Joe Gardyasz, Kent Darr UP front focus fixtures Staff Writers Todd Razor, Kyle Oppenhuizen Photographer Duane Tinkey 3 Briefs TECHNOLOGY 20 Opinion Guest Opinion Art Director Ariane Criger Looking Ahead 8 Optimism in action by Jann Freed Graphic Designer II/Web Designer Shelley Hernandez 5 Anticipating economic recovery, Dice plans to add employees and expand Sales Manager Carole Chambers A Closer Look 21 Transitions 6 its offices. Senior Account Executives Rona Berinobis By Jim Pollock Lori Bratrud, Sara Brown, Katherine Harrington 10 Bright idea 7 For the Record 22 Investing Director of Operations Jason Swanson Researchers at Iowa State University By Malcolm Berko Customer Service Sales Associate Laura Stegemann On Pitch LLC fine-tune a way to turn sunlight into Customer Service Renee Courtney electricity. features 23 Sales Business Manager Ron Milne 12 Get your groupon 18 A new era By Jeffrey Gitomer Accountant Eileen Jackson ON THE COVER: Online coupon offers bring Long the center of attention, Accounting PN Coordinator Susie Soma new customers to Central Iowa Veterans Memorial Auditorium 23 Marketing businesses. prepares to play a supporting role. Chairman Connie Wimer By Drew McLellan Publisher Janette Larkin Administrative Assistant Jeanne Hammerstrom 14 Skywalk-casting 24 On the Move Business Record® (USPS 154-740, ISSN 1068-6681) is published by Two companies are producing Business Publications Corporation Inc., The Depot at Fourth, 100-4th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309, (515) 288-3336. Contents © 2011 Internet broadcasts from downtown Business Record. Published weekly. Annual subscriptions $69.95. Des Moines. Single copy price is $1.75. Copies of past issues, as available, may be purchased for $4.50 each. Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Moines, Iowa. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Business Publications, The Depot at Fourth, 100-4th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. PHOTO BY DUANE TINKEY Paul Melde, vice president of technology at Dice Holdings Inc. Briefs Who’s who in the 2010-11 Leadership Iowa class Iowa debuts health For the past 28 years, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry Foundation has operated Leader- IowaBiz.com insurance information ship Iowa, a yearlong, statewide program to expose upcoming business and community leaders to exchange website issues affecting Iowa. The 40 members of the 2010-11 class came to Des Moines last week to meet IowaBiz.com is a business blog Iowans seeking options state government offi cials, capping off their tour by attending the inauguration ceremony of Gov. Terry written by Central Iowa experts, for health-care coverage Branstad. Here’s a list of the Greater Des Moines professionals who are part of this year’s class. each focusing on a specific industry, have a new online resource providing fresh content relevant to available to them. Last week, NAME COMPANY CITY OF RESIDENCE and useful for small businesses. the Iowa Insurance Division Bob Andeweg Nyemaster Law Firm Urbandale announced the launch of the Jay Boeding IPTV Foundation Ankeny Health Insurance Informa- tion Exchange at www.insur- Joshua Borchert USDA Rural Development Des Moines SOCIAL MEDIA anceinfoexchange.iowa.gov. Miriam De Dios Coopera Consulting LLC Perry Christine Stineman The site features an in- Chris Draper Terrus Real Estate Group LLC Des Moines teractive tool in which us- Jan. 17, 2011 ers answer a few questions Meg Fitz Greater Des Moines Partnership Des Moines related to their health insur- Karen Hallagin Submittal Exchange LLC West Des Moines There are ance needs to generate a list Naomi Hamlett City of West Des Moines West Des Moines different social of options for obtaining cov- Jeri Le Henry Bankers Trust Co. Indianola media roles for different aspects erage. of a strategy. Communications The website will link to Patrick Hoye Iowa State Patrol Pleasant Hill some of the search tools cre- Amy Jennings DeskActive Inc. West Des Moines and marketing will not effectively execute on a social media ated in the federal web por- Nathan Kring Catchfi re Media LLC West Des Moines tal, www.HealthCare.gov, to strategy without the expertise of offer access to information Paul Longo Applied Research and Evaluation Services Des Moines digital developers, programmers about public and private Sherri Nielsen Easter Seals Iowa Des Moines and creative designers. health insurance options. Joe Pietruszynski Hubbell Realty Co. Ankeny The site will be updated Tina Potthoff-Pollpeter MidAmerican Energy Co. West Des Moines with developments in the Georgia Van Gundy Principal Financial Group Inc. Waukee area of health-care reform To read more of this blog or SOURCE: IOWA ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY and legislative changes. others, go to www.IowaBiz.com JANUARY 21 , 2011 www.businessrecord.com | Business Record 3 Small Business Administration Loans Briefs Approved in December DALLAS COUNTY Iowa Innovation Council approves strategic plan Nicholas Waage Waukee $772,000 With new Iowa Economic portive of the Innovation Council, Development Director Debi Durham something she reiterated last week. on hand, the Iowa Innovation Council With the changes, Durham said JASPER COUNTY approved its strategic plan last week. she’ll take the opportunity to “really Singh Investment LC Newton $1,014,000 Durham, named to the position evaluate what makes sense.” by Gov. Terry Branstad, came to the “Then we’ll come back to the Leg- Quality Inn Newton $992,500 meeting after last Friday’s inaugura- islature and say, ‘Get rid of these. We tion to get a fi rst look at one of the don’t need them; we don’t want them. key groups she hopes to utilize. Her Here’s what we do need,’” she said. POLK COUNTY reaction upon looking around the ta- The council approved its strate- Adrenaline Rusch LLC Altoona $277,000 ble at the 29-member board: “Impres- gic plan, which will be turned into a sive.” more specifi c operating plan in the Jala Corp. Ankeny $2,000,000 She then took the opportunity to spring. The council also laid out its vi- K&K Jord Inc. Ankeny $400,000 speak to the group for the fi rst time. sion, long-term goals, key objectives “The big question is where is and strategies. Highlights include: CFI Sales Inc. Des Moines $1,828,000 this new administration going? I • The council has goals of increas- ZB Restaurant Group LLC Des Moines $305,000 think you’re going to be really, really ing new companies formed in Iowa pleased with what you see,” she told and growth in existing companies, Leechman Property Holdings LLC Des Moines $110,000 the council. “First and foremost, you and increasing employment and pri- Chocolaterie Stam Des Moines $81,000 have a governor who understands vate research in targeted industries. economic development. ... He is go- • The council wants to establish Imagetek Inc. Grimes $433,000 ing to be very supportive. It is the a fund to make resources available James and Michelle Poulson Johnston $200,000 cornerstone of his campaign.” to entrepreneurs and small start-up The Iowa Innovation Council was companies. Dali Inc. Pleasant Hill $68,000 developed by the Legislature to coor- • The council wants to develop Shade Saver Inc. Urbandale $1,540,000 dinate economic development efforts plans to accelerate technology trans- for the state’s three targeted indus- fer and commercialization of univer- SSC Corp. Urbandale $1,500,000 tries of advanced manufacturing, bio- sity and college research. Bark Accounting Services Ltd. Urbandale $371,000 sciences and fi nancial services, and • A big part of the strategy is to held its fi rst meeting in July. Things develop relationships with the Bran- Mathing of Central Iowa LLC Urbandale $65,000 are changing with the new adminis- stad administration and other partner Bob Oliver Heating & Air Conditioning West Des Moines $50,000 tration, as the Iowa