Five Guys opens
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is now open and serving fistfuls of goodness despite delays due to construction issues. The new West Des Moines eatery is the first in Iowa for the popular national franchise chain. Five Guys is located in the Paradise Pointe retail development at 64th Street and Mills Civic Parkway. Another store is set to open Nov. 21 in Dubuque, and a third for Cedar Rapids sometime in 2017. The restaurant is large (2,400-square feet), and it has a patio, but it does not have a drive-through window option. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The new store is located at 455 S. 64th St. in West Des Moines. Call 515-207-4485 or visit FiveGuys.com for more details.
Soft Surroundings
Soft Surroundings is the newest store located at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines. The store specializes in luxury items, and it stuffed the giveaway bags with beauty items, sweet treats, champagne and other perks. It celebrated the occasion Nov. 4 by giving away bags valued at more than $200 to the first 100 visitors waiting in line. The store is located at 101 Jordan Creek Parkway, Suite 11150 in West Des Moines. Call 515-277-7071 or visit www.softsurroundings.com/Stores/?storeId=276 for more details.
TD&T CPAs and Advisors, P.C. grand opening and ribbon cutting
TD&T CPAs and Advisors, P.C. held a grand opening and ribbon cutting on Nov. 9. The firm represents privately owned companies, community-based nonprofit organizations and various other entities while attempting to tailor proactive solutions. In addition to financial statement audits and IRS filings, the firm provides wealth management, business valuation and bookkeeping services. The medium-sized firm serves a diverse client base and strives for a close working relationship between its members and clients. It has multiple offices in Iowa. TD&T is active in the community and encourages personnel to also become involved. The firm supports numerous charitable and civic organizations. TD&T offers free consultations to potential new clients. It is located at 1240 Office Plaza Drive in West Des Moines. Call 515-657-5800 or visit www.tdtpc.com for more information.
Bakery closes
The owner of the quaint Cache Bake Shoppe posted a message on Facebook to say goodbye as of Nov. 7. The shop will be working with Crème Cupcake and Dessert, located at 28th and Ingersoll, to wrap up business with existing customers. Cache originally began as a small shop in Clive. It sold custom cakes, cupcakes and other sweet treats. Cache Bake Shoppe was most recently located at 8950 University Ave. in West Des Moines. Crème Bakery is located at 543 28th St. in Des Moines. Call 515-288-1050, or visit cremecupcake.com for more information.
Fareway to add another West Des Moines store
Fareway Food Stores announce it is adding another store in West Des Moines. The new 30,000-square foot grocery store is slated to open next spring at the southwest corner of Mills Civic Parkway and 81st Street. It will be similar in design to the existing store in Johnston, and it will include a 44-foot meat case along with dairy, frozen foods and other staples. Fareway operates more than 100 stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Westfield Complex unveiled
R&R Realty Group, an Iowa-based full-service real estate company, recently announced the $27 million development of Westfield Complex. The unique new office campus in West Des Moines will be geared toward meeting the increasing demand for office space in the suburbs. While the project was underway, company officials decided the office park with “urban amenities” would also be an ideal location for its corporate headquarters. Westfield Complex will be a 12-acre section in County Club Office Plaza, the complex’s glass and metal panel exterior will impact the architectural landscape along Jordan Creek Parkway. The two 80,000 square foot four-story office wings will be connected by Westfield Commons, a 20,000-square-foot, four-story, state-of-the-art collaboration center. Together, the complex will include a rooftop terrace, outdoor patios, a food truck court and underground parking, along with meeting spaces for special events and conferences and other food services. Development is slated to begin this fall or winter, with completion occurring sometime in 2018. ICON Construction of West Des Moines will be the construction manager.
Businessolver hires Wheeler
Businessolver, a leader in SaaSbased benefits administration technology, recently announced the hire of Bill Wheeler as senior vice president of channel sales. In his new role, Wheeler will lead a Businessolver sales unit focused on driving deepened carrier relationships and expanded business among resellers, trusts and associations, and employer clients in emerging markets.
With more than 20 years of sales experience, specifically in the SaaS industry, Wheeler and his team will help Businessolver maintain its 30 percent year-over-year revenue growth and 95 percent client retention rate.
“I’ve known Bill for nearly a decade and am glad that he’s brought his immense skill, expertise and industry knowledge to our team,” said Jon Shanahan, Businessolver CEO. “His talents put us on an even higher plane in terms of our ability to achieve our mission to grow our business and delight our clients.”
Prior to Businessolver, Wheeler most recently held an executive-level role at PlanSource, where he led sales for the Western U.S. and later transitioned into a strategic role managing carrier relationships and nondirect channel sales.
SBA Approves 484 loans
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Iowa District Office recently announced the agency’s loanapproval activity in Iowa for Fiscal Year 2016.
The SBA approved 484 guaranteed loans in Iowa totaling $197.3 million in FY 2016, which ended Sept. 30, 2015. These loans supported $261.5 million in total lending to small businesses in Iowa.
The totals for FY 2016 include 422 loans for $145.7 million under the agency’s largest loan program, the 7(a) General Business loan program, and 62 loans for $51.64 million, supporting $116.2 million under the 504 Certified Development Company program. The “supported” amount for 504 loans includes the SBA share and the third party loans that are made by commercial lenders as part of the funding package.
The FY 2016 totals compare to 444 loans totaling $134.9 million that supported $169.8 million in lending to small businesses in Iowa in FY 2015. The 484 loans approved by SBA in Fiscal Year 2016 created 2,478 jobs in Iowa and retained an additional 3,410 jobs.
Proctor Mechanical Corporation wins awards
Proctor Mechanical Corporation received several construction awards from Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa during the association’s annual Excellence in Construction Gala held Oct. 12 in Altoona.
In the Commercial and Industrial HVAC category, Proctor received an Award of Excellence for the Beck’s Superior Hybrids, Inc. project in Colfax, which involved the furnishing and installation of the plumbing and HVAC for the entire Beck’s facility. In the same category, Proctor also received an Award of Merit for the Moulton Elementary HVAC Replacement project as well as the evening’s only “Merit Alliance Award” for the inclusion of the most ABC of Iowa member companies in the completion of the project. Moulton Elementary is a three-story building more than 100 years old, but Proctor was able to successfully install a new and efficient HVAC system.
In the Commercial and Industrial Plumbing category, Proctor received an Award of Distinction for the Bridges at Ankeny project in Ankeny, which involved providing sanitary, storm water, domestic water and natural gas systems to the building. Finally, in the Residential and Small Commercial HVAC category, Proctor received an Award of Excellence for providing plumbing and HVAC systems to Bomgaars in Grimes.
Criteria for the project awards included complexity of the project, attractiveness, unusual challenges, innovation, safety and budget compliance.
Proctor Mechanical Corporation also received a Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) award in the Silver certification for continued dedication to providing training and safety in the workplace. ♦
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