• More than half of survey respondents ranked the stability and productivity of their existing workforce in Cedar Rapids as “excellent.” • Respondents took a strongly positive view of urban core revitalization Downtown and in the NewBo District. Many respondents also desired to see positive growth continue on the south and west sides of Cedar Rapids. There were also many general comments about the need to realize a continuation of positive trends in new development along the edges of the City. • More than 6 out of 10 businesses responding to the survey did not identify any negative development related trends. But those respondents who did identify development related issues emphasized a desire to focus on increasing the density/intensity of land use through infill development in Cedar Rapids to address what those respondents perceived to be some patterns of urban sprawl. • Virtually all businesses responded with positive comments about the Eastern Iowa Airport. But comments also identified more direct flights and lower prices as the main areas where improvement should be targeted. Another comment of note raised the question of whether additional investment in precision approach radar systems would further reduce the number of flight delays and improve the ability of the airport to operate during inclement weather. • More than half of survey respondents identified their lifecycle for primary products and services as growing, and less than half identified lifecycle for products as stable, mature or declining. • Of the companies surveyed, more than half of firms forecast increasing market share in the near-term. • A large majority of firms interviewed, around 7 out of 10, do not currently export internationally. A marginally higher number, nearly 8 out of 10 businesses, had no interest in engaging international export-based strategies to increase business growth. • Over half the businesses surveyed plan to expand their physical footprint, make significant capital investment in facilities/operations or increase employment in Cedar Rapids in the next 3 years. By comparison, a lower percentage, only around one-third are planning an expansion outside of Cedar Rapids. • Regarding finances, 61% of companies responding to the survey evaluate their fiscal year to date financial position as "excellent", while 33% view theirs as “good.” • Over half of companies operating in Cedar Rapids are more profitable than they were three years ago, whereas more than 30% have seen no changes in net profit margins and less than 15% are less profitable. • Only 5% of companies have responded that they experienced a shortage of working capital in the past three years. Among those companies surveyed, a small number (13%) would actively seek equity financing as a means to grow the business.
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