Business Record Daily AM 11.25.19

Nationwide, the Nationwide Foundation and Nationwide associates have invested financial commitments of more than $16 million in the Central Iowa community in the last four years. The company prioritizes four areas in which it is looking to make a difference: emergency and basic needs, crisis stabilization, personal and family empowerment, and community enrichment.

Among the organizations that have benefited from their vision and support is Feeding America. A 2017 investment of $1.5 million by the Nationwide Foundation to one of Feeding America’s member organizations, the Food Bank of Iowa, had the power to double services provided to food-insecure Iowans in 55 counties.

The Nationwide Foundation is also a founding member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program and has contributed $19.9 million to disaster relief since 2000. And since 2015, Nationwide associates in Des Moines have donated more than 7,800 units of blood through on-site blood drives and volunteered 72,000 hours with local nonprofits.

Since 2014, Nationwide leaders and associates have been actively engaged in the United Way of Central Iowa’s OpportUNITY program to help citizens who are struggling to gain self-sufficiency. The company made a $100,000 investment in the program in 2018, which was followed by an additional $100,000 gift from the Nationwide Foundation in 2019.

Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award – Susan Knapp

Susan Knapp, who attended Des Moines Area Community College and Drake University, is the retired marketing director for Knapp Properties and the current owner of Knapp Quarter Horse Farms in Van Meter. Among the many organizations she has contributed to are the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation, Planned Parenthood, the Chrysalis Foundation and the Young Women’s Resource Center.

From 2013 to 2018, Knapp was a Young Women’s Resource Center development committee member, where she raised more than half a million dollars to create the Louise Rosenfield Noun Center, which the organization calls home today. In 2002 Knapp created a children’s book called "Bells Goes to the Fair." Proceeds were donated to the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation to preserve Iowa’s historic fairgrounds, including the Susan Knapp Amphitheater that bears her name. With Planned Parenthood, Knapp created a fundraiser called "Gemstones & Precious Metals for Planned Parenthood" and co-chaired and provided the lead gift for the "Women are Watching" campaign in 2014. She is a past recipient of the Louise Rosenfield Noun Visionary Award and the Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award.

Spirit of Philanthropy Award – W.T. and Edna M. Dahl Trust

W.T. and Edna Dahl created Dahl’s Foods, which served Central Iowa communities for more than 80 years. Because of thoughtful foresight and estate planning more than 30 years ago, the Dahls’ impact will last even longer than the celebrated grocery business that also carried their names.

Through the W.T. and Edna M. Dahl Trust, the Dahls have extended the support they provided during their lifetimes to the Red Cross, Youth Homes of Mid America, Living History Farms and other charitable endeavors. Subsequent to the Dahls' passing, the trust has provided more than $10.3 million to more than 100 nonprofit organizations. The impact of the Dahl Trust is present at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park and Greenwood Park; in services provided to Iowans by such organizations as Eyerly Ball and the Des Moines Area Religious Council; and in the Des Moines Consistory Building and Scottish Rite Masonic Center, maintenance of which was endowed by the Dahl Trust.

Today the trust is administered by Paul Tyler and Jerry Jones, who have been committed to representing the charitable aspirations of the Dahl family.

NEWS BRIEFS

Chamber groups support retirement legislation
A group of Iowa chamber of commerce officials sent a joint letter to U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley supporting the SECURE Act, which among other things makes it easier for small businesses to offer 401(k) retirement plans. The legislation has passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting a slot on the Senate debate calendar. The bill would allow small businesses to team up in pooled plans, reducing costs. It also would allow automatic enrollment credits of up to $500 per year to offset costs of starting a retirement plan. Among the 10 organizations signing the letter were the Iowa Chamber of Commerce Executives and the chambers in Ames and Boone.

Six student-athletes receive Iowa Bankers Association scholarships
Six Iowa student-athletes received a 2019 Iowa Bankers Association Student Athlete Achievement Award during the Iowa high school state football championship games Nov. 21-22 in Cedar Falls. One student from each class was presented with a $1,000 scholarship from the IBA to the college of his choice. The recipients were: Eight-Player: Alex Perrin, Fremont-Mills High School; Class A: Jack Sievert, St. Ansgar Community High School; Class 1A: Max Pettit, Van Meter High School; Class 2A: Will Hansen, Greene County Community High School; Class 3A: Cody Hall, Dallas Center-Grimes High School; Class 4A: Sam Belding, Ankeny High School. The scholarship recipients are selected each year based on their academic performance, athletic participation, leadership skills and community involvement.

Andringa inducted into equipment manufacturers hall of fame
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has inducted Mary Andringa, chairman of Vermeer Corp., to the AEM Hall of Fame. The award recognizes individuals whose innovations, ideas and leadership have advanced the off-road equipment manufacturing industry and contributed to its success in the past and into tomorrow. Andringa's previous leadership roles with the Pella-based company have included CEO, co-CEO, president and chief operating officer. She served on the President’s Export Council and Ex-Im Bank Advisory Committee, chaired the National Association of Manufacturers and was co-chair of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. Andringa joins more than 60 industry leaders who have been inducted into the AEM Hall of Fame since its inception in 1993.

NEWS BRIEFS

Federal legislators urge cooperation on Interstate 74 bridge project
Quad-City Times: Some of the Quad Cities area's federal legislators have asked the Iowa Department of Transportation and Lunda Construction to swiftly find common ground that will safely get the Interstate 74 bridge built as close to budget and schedule as possible. There is a disagreement between state officials and Lunda, the lead contractor on the project, about whether Lunda is able to complete the bridge under the assumptions the company made when it bid on the project, the Iowa transportation department has said.

Charles Schwab to buy TD Ameritrade in $26-billion blockbuster brokerage deal
Reuters: Charles Schwab Corp. agreed today to buy TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. in an all-stock deal valued at $26 billion, creating a brokerage giant in a market that has been ravaged by price wars. The acquisition will shake up the retail brokerage industry, creating a company with $5 trillion in assets under management and putting smaller rivals under pressure to scout for tie-ups. The deal is expected to attract the attention of antitrust regulators, analysts say. TD Ameritrade is based in Omaha.

McDonald's pays $26 million to settle wage theft suit
CNN Business: McDonald's is paying $26 million to settle a class action lawsuit over wage theft. It's the latest development in a string of conflicts between the major restaurant chain and its employees. The settlement puts an end to a multiyear legal battle between the company and California workers who alleged that McDonald's was skirting overtime payment laws and denying employees timely breaks, among other things. About 38,000 people are represented in the suit.

Today’s extra briefs:
- 'Unfit' Uber loses London license over safety failures (Reuters)
- EBay to sell StubHub to Viagogo for roughly $4 billion (Wall Street Journal)
- Musk suggests Tesla has 200,000 orders for Cybertruck (Reuters)

ONE GOOD READ
Thanksgiving dinner cost largely unchanged

BY PERRY BEEMAN: One of my favorite economic indicators is the American Farm Bureau’s annual analysis of what a Thanksgiving dinner costs. This year’s tally shows the cost of a basic Thanksgiving dinner is just under $5 a serving. "The average cost for the annual feast comes in this year at $48.91, an increase from just 1 cent from last year," said Sam Funk, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation director of ag analytics and research and senior economist. "Despite the sixth consecutive year of a downturned ag economy with lower commodity prices, consumers are getting a deal while farmers are getting 8 cents of each dollar a consumer spends on food." The cost of a dinner for 10 has been hovering around $50 since 2011.

KCCI TOP STORIES

Community members pack meals for veterans homebound for Thanksgiving
The Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Polk City American Legion Riders joined forces on Sunday to give back to those who sacrificed for their country. The groups came together to pack Thanksgiving meal baskets and delivered them to veterans who aren't able to leave their homes. The veterans received a complete turkey dinner that is able to feed a family of six to eight people. Read more

Chris Stapleton to perform at Iowa State Fair
The Iowa State Fair is bringing one of country music’s biggest stars to the 2020 Grandstand. Five-time Grammy Award winner Chris Stapleton will play the Iowa State Fair Grandstand on Friday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. This marks Stapleton’s first performance at the Iowa State Fair. Read more

Contact the associate editor: emilybarske@bpcdm.com

Submit press release: newsroom@bpcdm.com
Advertising info: sarabrown@bpcdm.com
Membership info: jasonswanson@bpcdm.com

Copyright © BPC 2019, All rights reserved.
Reproduction or use without permission of editorial or graphic content in any manner is strictly prohibited.