DBR and 260E Funding Strengthen a Business’ Safety Training

Every business that DMACC Business Resources (DBR) partners with is different. All of them have different things that they want to improve, and unique ways they want to approach finding a solution. When Addison Zellmer, Plant Manager for Storybook Cotton Candy, decided that improving employees’ safety knowledge needed to be a priority for the company, DBR was there with a large selection of ways to make that happen.  

Having previously worked for larger food manufacturing companies in the past, Zellmer was pretty used to having dedicated safety workers on the production floor at all times. But for a smaller company like Storybook, that wasn’t the solution to safety that best fit their needs. DBR connected Storybook with experts who helped them create a safety training plan that would not only train individuals on OSHA 10 and general first aid procedures, but also prepare the building in the event of an emergency like a natural disaster.  

Prior to having introduced Storybook to safety training experts, DBR was there to help the company take advantage of the Iowa New Jobs Training Program, or 260E as many know it by. This program assists Iowa businesses creating new positions with new employee training. DBR helped Storybook manage the funds they received and connected them with quality instructors to meet their business training goals. Zellmer was impressed, “DBR Consultants make the whole process super simple and streamlined. They help you with paperwork, the online portal is easy to use, and reimbursements happen quickly – I truly would recommend working with DBR to any company that wants to invest in growing their business.”  

In total, nine Storybook employees went through this round of safety training, with more to come in the future. “My employees work safely. And, since our use of heavy machinery is limited, the likelihood of a major injury occurring on the job is low. But that’s the thing about emergencies. You never know when they will happen or what they will be. I’ve been in situations where someone has had a​n unexpected medical emergency and knowing that we have people trained in our facility that know how to handle them give everyone incredible peace of mind.” 

“Partnering with DMACC as a place of higher education and DBR has been great. They have access to cutting-edge training, facilities, and equipment that we wouldn’t otherwise have access to. They also bring deep knowledge of all the resources available to businesses. If not for DBR, we probably wouldn’t have known about the 260E program or if we even qualified to apply.”  

Curious if your business could benefit from working with a DBR Business Consultant? Reach out to us at dbr@dmacc.edu today!  ​