Iowa City: Open for Business
The home of the Hawkeyes is ready to help your business reach new heights. Iowa City, Iowa, is a truly special place to put down regional roots, from its dedication to supporting local business to unrivaled educational and cultural resources for your future employees. Check out these four reasons why Iowa City truly has it all.
1) A Well-Educated Workforce
You can’t think of Iowa City without thinking of the University of Iowa – the two are inextricably linked. That’s a good thing for a business owner looking for educated employees who can tackle tough tasks. The university is regularly nationally ranked in multiple disciplines, so you can be sure that any resume with the words “The University of Iowa” on it is backed by a solid educational foundation. You can even work with the university to find the perfect talent; the Pomerantz Career Center stands ready to help you recruit the best of the best, from enhancing your campus presence to connecting you with recruiting data.
Need to beef up your employees’ training? The university, as well as Kirkwood Community College, offer dozens of courses to get your team up to speed in a spectrum of subjects.
2) Abundant Assistance
Large or small, established or brand-new, any organization can receive assistance with relocating to Iowa City. Interstate commerce companies can start with the Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD) for relocation, expansion, workforce development and entrepreneurial services. The hardworking ICAD staff will help you every step of the way, whether that means setting up community and site tours for your future facility’s location or connecting you with economic development incentives.
Launching a start-up instead? No problem! MERGE and COLAB offer co-working space to grow your new enterprise until it’s ready for its own place. You can also take advantage of MERGE’s valuable device prototyping and fabrication workshop and its dedicated area for coding, programming and app development. The University of Iowa’s Small Business Development Center is a great resource for the management side of running your own business.
3) Intersecting Interstates and Accessible Air
Iowa City sits right next to Interstate 80 and is just a few miles from Interstate 380, which is accessible through nearby Coralville. Shipping products and receiving materials will be easy with this convenient access to major highways. Need to fly in supplies or conduct business travel by air instead? Iowa City’s municipal airport or the commercial Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids can handle all of your air transport needs.
4) Unbeatable Arts and Culture
Iowa City has wholeheartedly embraced its designation as the first UNESCO City of Literature in the U.S., but it’s not stopping at its literary pursuits. This thriving city has unmatched entertainment options to ensure your future employees’ well-being, from a year-round farmers’ market to several popular street festivals. It’s much easier to attract talent when job applicants know they’ll be working in a well-rounded community where they can live, shop and play outside of work.
