Last week our Region 2 interns had the opportunity to learn about the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at North Iowa Area Community College, as well as a tour of Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield Iowa. The John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is an organization that provides resources and assistance to small businesses. Some of the services they provide include but are not limited to, one on one business counseling, feasibility and business plan preparation, grant development, entrepreneurial development training and many programs for students to take advantage of. This visit was extremely informational for us, as learning some of the keys to succeeding in running a business in small town Iowa is important to our economic development projects this summer.
Our next stop for the day was a tour of Sukup Manufacturing. It was a one of a kind experience to see a company of that size in a small town in Iowa. Emily (Sukup) Schmitt gave us the tour and really emphasized the importance of businesses involvement in community development in small towns. We must keep our small towns alive because these companies and jobs are so important to the economy of Iowa, and we do not want them to relocate. During the tour we learned about the companies internship program, their Safe T House, and received a tour of the facilities which included a brand new on campus healthcare center for employees. The day was an invaluable opportunity to learn about the importance of strong companies in Iowa and how they can help contribute to a strong Iowa!