Corridor Business Journal

09/25/2025

Here's a look at this week's front page.

Tamra and Ryan Elliott turned their "cool retirement job" idea into Go At It, a full-time targeted goat grazing business. This practice is gaining popularity as an eco-friendly vegetation management alternative. This article explores the trend and spotlights the entrepreneurs seizing the opportunity by the horns.

Juliet Abdel began her role as president and CEO of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance in July. She sat down for an exclusive in-depth interview with the CBJ, which has been published in a Q&A format.

Iowa utility companies and advocacy groups are largely aligned on supporting large-scale renewable energy development, though some philosophical differences remain on implementation approaches.

Subscribers can read these stories and more in print or online at the CBJ's website.

09/22/2025

An idea for a “cool retirement job” became a full-time endeavor in July for Tamra and Ryan Elliott, owners and operators of Go At It Land Stewardship a targeted goat grazing company.

Targeted grazing is a vegetation management strategy that uses goats as an alternative to herbicides, cutting and mowing, and its environmentally-friendly methods have made it an increasingly sought-after service.....
CBJ subscribers can read the full story online or in print today.
Story and photos by Annie Smith Barkalow.

09/19/2025

Preliminary plans and renderings have been unveiled for a development project at former Marion Public Library square block near the heart of Uptown Marion.

The Kilbourne Group of Fargo, North Dakota, which will serve as developer, and Dubuque-based Gronen, which will serve as general contractor, are collaborating on the proposal, which was first announced by Marion city leaders in February.....
Read more about the proposed project on the CBJ's website. (Link in the comments.)
Story by Richard Pratt, renderings provided by Kilbourne Group.

09/11/2025

Get the best local business news on our refreshed website, including features like bookmarking your favorite news stories and a new Movers & Shakers section!

New flexible subscription options are available for print, digital, and dual-market access for the CBJ and QCBJ publications. Check out the comments to get started today.

Subscribe to the Corridor Business Journal and/or the Quad Cities Business Journal to stay informed with local business news. Choose digital, print, or both—delivered how you prefer.

09/10/2025

Here's a look at this week's front page.

The Corridor Business Journal has always tried to give readers a glimpse into the future of workplace technology. Though the topic of this special edition seems futuristic, it’s actually a look at our present.
Eastern Iowa businesses are discovering daily that artificial intelligence has moved from Silicon Valley headlines to Main Street reality. The question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to harness it effectively while maintaining the human expertise that makes our region’s businesses thrive.

Subscribers can read these stories and more in print or online at the CBJ's website.

09/09/2025

An Indigenous-led nonprofit organization focused on environmental and social justice issues, as well as the reclamation and restoration of land, is seeking to purchase an acre of real estate in Iowa City.

Great Plains Action Society, a 501(c)(3) that helps organize and rebuild Indigenous communities throughout the Midwest, plans to create an urban Indigenous-led resilience and innovation hub.....
Subscribers can read the full story on the CBJ's website.
Story by Annie Smith Barkalow.
Image caption: A rendering of nonprofit Great Plains Action Society's urban Indigenous-led resilience and innovation hub, which is flanked to the east and west by Gilbert Court and Maiden Lane and to the south by East Benton Street in Iowa City. The proposed project spans approximately one acre. CREDIT SHOEMAKER & HAALAND

09/08/2025

Despite a dramatic rise in violent incidents across Iowa City schools, the district has maintained a zero-expulsion policy for five years.

In his most recent opinion column, the CBJ's CEO and President John Lohman questions why teachers are expected to work in conditions that would be unacceptable in any other industry, calling for legislative and administrative action to protect educators.

"Whose responsibility is it to protect teachers?"....
The full column is available to be read now, in print or on the CBJ's website: https://corridorbusiness.com/iowa-city-community-school-district-must-protect-our-teachers/

09/05/2025

The Iowa City Bike Library officially launched its $1 million Bikes Create Community campaign Thursday evening with a celebration featuring live music, a cookout and a tour of its facility at 1222 S. Gilbert Court.

A “soft launch” for the campaign was initiated 15 months ago and has raised $750,000 so far, said Bike Library Executive Director Audrey Wiedemeier.....
Subscribers can read the full story on the CBJ's website.
Story and photos by Annie Smith Barkalow.

08/28/2025

Here's a look at this week's front page.

Jiyu American Wagyu, operating from rural Iowa City for nearly two decades, has established itself as one of the nation's premier producers of luxury grain-fed Wagyu beef cattle. Founders Sarah Bailey and Kyle Schuchmann describe their work not merely as commodity production, but as "a quest" to maintain the centuries-old standards of Japanese Wagyu while achieving genetic excellence.

The Mercy Hospital Liquidation Trust Oversight Committee has filed an adversary proceeding against MercyOne, the hospital's former managing partner, seeking at least $55 million in damages. The complaint alleges that MercyOne failed to deliver on promised services for which Mercy Iowa City paid millions of dollars and did not follow through on a "strategic affiliation" that was deemed critical to the hospital's long-term sustainability and continued existence as a viable healthcare organization.

Subscribers can read these stories and more in print or online at the CBJ's website.

08/27/2025

From their ranch in Iowa City, Sarah Bailey and Kyle Schuchmann of Jiyū American Wagyu have built a reputation for producing some of the nation’s most highly regarded wagyu cattle.

For nearly two decades, they’ve combined deep knowledge of genetics and breeding with a commitment to honoring centuries-old Japanese traditions — all in pursuit of beef that’s truly in a class of its own.....
Subscribers can read the full story on the CBJ's website: https://corridorbusiness.com/iowa-city-wagyu-ranch-establishing-national-reputation-genetic-excellence/
Story and photos by Richard Pratt.

08/26/2025

Congratulations to the 2025 Class of Forty Under 40!

CBJ will host the 21st annual Forty Under 40 awards on Thursday, Oct. 23, to celebrate the accomplishments and service of these leaders.

Learn more online and get tickets today: https://corridorbusiness.com/event/forty-under-40/

2025 Class of Forty Under 40, listed alphabetically by last name:

Casey Baustian
Kyle Boardman
Dustin Brooks
Warren Bynoe
Dominique Campbell
Scott Cooley
Jon Davidshofer
Kristin Eschweiler
Ellie Evans
Alicia Faust
Torri Freese
Elyse Garlock
Lauren Gilbertson
Mackensie Graham
John Heavens
Kara Hinzie
Bethany Jordan
Haley Kacena
Zach Kenyon
Cari McCoy
Jaime Mead
Gage Miskimen
Ryals Parker
Emily Patel
Murphy Quint
Robert Rathje
Rachel Rigdon
Brandon Schickling
Zach Schladetzky
Whitney Schreder
Megan Schulte
Justin Schultes
Kylee Stock
Rebecca Sullens Buchanan
Megan Thole
Tyler Thompson
Catherine VanDraska
Audrey Weidemeier
Adam Zimmermann
Emily Zimmon

08/25/2025

Last year Dream City broke ground on an expansion and renovation project, envisioning a hub in Iowa City’s South District for supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs and youth. Now, that dream is a reality.

Around 100 attendees gathered Aug. 24 at 611 Southgate Ave. to celebrate the grand opening of the nonprofit’s newly expanded and renovated headquarters.....
Subscribers can read the full story on the CBJ's website. (Link in the comments.)
Story and photos by Annie Smith Barkalow.