a c u s t o m p u b l i c a t i o n f o r t h e c h a m b e r o f c o m m e r c e a n d c i t y o f u r b a n d a l e

SponSored by

Invest and engage In Urbandale

Business Connectionvolume 2, Number 6

juNe 2015

Homemakers FurNiture adds the WoW Factor there are always plenty of surprises and delights when customers walk into the huge showroom at Homemakers Furniture in urbandale. Whether it’s a summer living vignette with a drive-in movie theme or a classic “man cave” outfitted with a rustic bar, inspiration abounds.

“People are mesmerized when they walk into our store and experience the stylized vignettes and accessory marketplace,” said suzy emmack, director of advertising and marketing for Homemakers, which is among the top ten largest furniture showrooms in the united states. “accessories can change the dynamic of your living space.”

For more than 40 years, iowans have relied on Homemakers’ distinctive styles to give their home just the right look and feel. options abound at Homemakers’ campus, which includes 10+ acres under roof and 215,000 square feet of showroom space. the store continues to add new resources to enhance the furniture selection experience, including design consultation services.

many customers start their shopping process before they set foot in the store, thanks to Homemakers’ anywhere Commerce initiative. With its responsive design, live chat feature and robust search engine, this user-friendly website (Homemakers.com) allows people

to access Homemakers.com from their computer or iPad, including their smart phone, and purchase furniture, mattresses and accessories 24/7.

“technology is the largest catalyst transforming the retail industry today,” emmack said. “since its debut in 2014, anywhere Commerce has empowered customers by providing information at their fingertips.”

Making a house a hoMe For customers who prefer traditional shopping and enjoy the freshly-baked cookies served daily at the store, Homemakers has 345 employees ready to assist, including 281 full-time and 64

the art o f t h e c i t y

visitors and employees in urbandale’s business park along Northpark drive are greeted by a large sculpture titled, Hills, Fields, Wind and Rain by mac Hornecker (left), centered along the median. the piece of art was installed in 2005 by the business center’s developer, mid-america investment Company. it’s nearly 65 feet long and constructed out of steel and concrete. urbandale is enriched by the presence of art available in both residential and corporate neighborhoods. this sets the community apart as a place that provides a higher quality of life for its citizens. this, among other examples, contributes to urbandale’s exceptional built environmental score in the 2013 biennial National Citizen survey. in 2014, the area was further enhanced with a widened roadway on Northpark drive (see the Q&a article on the next page for more information).

Northpark Drive Art Contributes to Excellent Built Environment

suzy emmack, director of advertising and marketing for homemakers

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SponSored by

Q&A: Urbandale Water Utility Manager & City engineer

dale acheson is the general Manager of the Urbandale Water Utility and dave McKay is the director of engineering and Public Works/City engineer. dale and dave have answered questions about recent work in Urbandale’s expanding northpark drive business area on the north side of interstate 35/80.

What advantage does the Urbandale Water Utility offer to business?

We strive to provide the best possible water quality, pressure and capacity to meet all needs of the community. in partnership with des Moines Water Works, we work diligently to meet the demands for water in our growing community. Our customers are very important to us and we work hard to provide the best possible service while maintaining some of the lowest rates in the area.

What recent improvements has the Utility made to the Northpark Drive area?

in 2014, the Water Utility installed a water main that goes under the interstate, allowing the City to market northpark drive as an ideal place for high water user businesses. these improvements ensure that the water supply and fire safety needs of current and future development in the northpark area will be met. We have always kept customer needs in mind when planning future developments.

What improvements has the City of Urbandale made to Northpark Drive in 2014?

the City completed the widening of northpark drive from 86th to 100th Street to a four-lane roadway. the City also completed lighting improvement along this corridor. Completing these projects now puts the City ahead of

development, improves traffic and avoids hassle for future businesses locating in the area.

What are some future developments that the City of Urbandale is planning for the Northpark Drive area?

in 2016, the City will reconstruct 100th Street between Plum drive and 54th avenue, including traffic signals at northpark and 54th avenue and a new bridge built to interchange standards over i-35/80. the eight-lane bridge will have a sidewalk and trail that will connect to grimes and Johnston trails. Pending approval and financing, we plan to grade ramps for the bridge in 2017 and pave the ramps in 2018.

a look inside the huge showroom at Homemakers Furniture in Urbandale.

Dale aChesoN geNeral maNager of UrbaNDale Water Utility

part-time team members. it’s a dramatic increase from 1974, when founders Carl and ina Merschman opened Homemakers Furniture in des Moines with 10 employees.

as the business grew, the company moved to Urbandale in 1985. “this is a pinnacle location,” emmack said. “not only does it offer great accessibility near the crux of interstates 80 and 35, but it provides room to grow.”

in 2015, Homemakers is building another 120,000-square-foot warehouse (the third expansion in six years) to boost the company’s storage capacity by 70 percent. “We’re constantly

looking at ways to increase product availability and improve how fast customers can get their merchandise,” emmack said.

She appreciates Urbandale city leaders’ willingness to work with the company as it expands. “Urbandale leaders are open-minded and see our vision to create a state-of-the-art facility that gives people more options to make their house a home.”

Dave mCkay DireCtor of eNgiNeeriNg aND pUbliC Works/City eNgiNeer

AUTOMATION / ELECTRICAL / LIGHTING /DATACOMM / UTILITY / ENERGY

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SponSored by

june 19 Central Iowa Business & Leadership Conference | featuring keynote Mitch Matthews, sponsored by the urbandale Chamber | 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Visit www.cinlt.evenbrite.com for pricing and ticket information

june 23 GenYP Speed Networking | Overtime Beerhouse Restaurant & Sports Pub | 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. | Free for genYP members/$10 general admission for non-members. RSVPs required.

june 26 Senior Services Roundtable Forum | urbandale Chamber office | 2830 100th St., Suite 110, urbandale | 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Free for urbandale Chamber members/$20 for non-members. RSVPs requested.

june 30 AM Exchange | Strauss Security Solutions | 4663 nW 121st St., urbandale | 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Free to attend. RSVPs requested.

june 30 Chamber Night at Principal Park | Tailgate begins at 5:30 p.m., game is at 7:05 p.m. | Tickets are $3 each and may be ordered at www.desmoinesmetro.com/events

julY 1 MOXIE Plus Business Owners Group | 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. | Call for details

julY 9 High 5 | An After Hours with a Twist will take place at Shade Tree Auto | 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Free to attend. RSVPs requested.

julY 14 2015 Building Future Careers Fair & Conference | Kaplan university | 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. | employers register at http://ow.ly/KQTuC | job seekers register at http://ow.ly/n8Tde

julY 15 Business Expo Luncheon | urbandale High School | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Cost: $20 members/$30 non-members

julY 16 Regional Business After Hours | Park Place Catering in Adel, 20 minutes West of urbandale | 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. | Open to all members of the affiliate Chambers. RSVPs requested to the urbandale Chamber.

uPCOMing EvENtSPlease register to attend through www.uniquelyurbandale.com or by calling the urbandale Chamber of Commerce at 515-331-6855. More information on each event may be found on the website.

Homemakers.com

10215 Douglas Ave • Urbandale, IA 50322 515-276-2772 • 1-888-818-7283

Maximize your summer fun with a little help from Homemakers! }

10215 Douglas Ave • Urbandale, IA 50322

Maximize your summer fun with a little help from Homemakers!{

{life outdoors}

DREAM.CREATE. INSPIRE.

DID YOU KNOW...We can provide you with a

Design Consulting Service, inside or out?

83%* of employees say they are under financial stress.

According to a survey conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management, financial stress causes:

· Inability for employees to focus on work · Increased employee absenteeism · Increased employee tardiness · Negative impact on productivity

Contact Holly Bernal to schedule a free employee workshop on tips to reduce personal financial stress.

hollyb@midlandCU.org (email) 515-645-9321 (direct) 515-664-7984 (cell)

*PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ 2013 financial wellness survey for SHRM

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SponSored by

chamber business value city of urbandaleTiffany Menke President, Urbandale Chamber of Commerce (515) 331-6855 tmenke@urbandalechamber.com

AJ Johnson City Manager (515) 331-6705 ajohnson@urbandale.org

Curtis Brown Director of Economic Development (515) 331-6756 cbrown@urbandale.org

economic Development contacts

expanD your networklast month the urbandale chamber sent a delegation to washington D.c. for the annual partnership advocacy trip. when earmarks were in place it was easier to report to the membership and community the “value” of the trip, especially when funding for a project was awarded. today, the value of the trip aligns with the relationships developed. relationships are critical in D.c. and back home. people do business with those they know, like and trust. How are you expanding your network and building relationships? i challenge you to attend one business networking event every month with a goal of meeting 3-5 new people at each event. follow up with those you meet and see where it takes you. make it a great month and i hope to see you at an urbandale event soon!

t H e bIG p i c t u r e

TOP LEFT: the urbandale chamber of commerce honored esther burgett with educator of the year for urbandale community schools

tOP RIGHT: urbandale delegation participating in the Des moines partnership advocacy trip to washington D.c.

LEFT: the urbandale chamber of commerce honored carolyn oakes with educator of the year for Des moines christian

RIGHT: clint Dudly, owner shade tree auto and patricia everett, Great southern bank networking during the may morning mingle mixer held at shade tree auto.

AUTOMATION / ELECTRICAL / LIGHTING /DATACOMM / UTILITY / ENERGY

Katie Gieszler Economic Devel-opment Specialist (515) 331-6738 kgieszler@urbandale.org