State economic development officials are holding a sort of pep rally today (Friday) for their local counterparts. Department of Economic Development spokeswoman Tina Hoffman says it’s a chance to kickoff their new marketing plan. She says the plan includes a new braning effort called “Iowa Life Changing.” She says director Mike Blouin will talk about what they’ve done in the last 18 months and what’s ahead. Hoffman says they’ll also try to give the city development and chamber of commerce officials some help in doing their job in 2005.She says they’re sending everyone home with a c-d that has a tool kit that should be helpful to economic developers. Hoffman says expanding business or luring new businesses into Iowa requires a lot of work between the state and local officials.She says often times there’s an existing industry that wants to expand and they talk with local develpers, who then talk to the state. Then there’s new industries looking to expand that talk to the state and the state then refers them to local officials. The conference begins today at 10:45 in Des Moines.
